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Can anyone reccomend a good dremel tool for use in 40k modelling? I need one that can make very small holes; namely ones that can fit that thin Carbon fibre rod that's used on flying models such as these:




Any links to websites where I can purchase one would be appreciated.

P.S. It needs to be able to dremel through pewter.

EDIT: CRAP I put this in the wrong section...would a mod be willing to move this to painting and modelling for me?

Any Lowes or Home Depot will have them, usally you can find a bundled deal with extra accesories(bits). Also check ebay for used ones you might find a good deal.

I find my drill bits for my dremel at true value. I buy the wire bits which I cannot find at the larger big box stores. These are the same sizes that come with all pin vices

Use a Tamiya Handy Drill. it's a kit so you have to assemble it, but it's basically a dremel that uses AA batteries and is much easier to use. It will be able to use any Dremel bits.

aerethan wrote:Use a Tamiya Handy Drill. it's a kit so you have to assemble it, but it's basically a dremel that uses AA batteries and is much easier to use. It will be able to use any Dremel bits.

I think this one will work nicely, as I have a local store that sells Tamiya products, and it seems very cheap. Hopefully its price does not reflect its quality (edit: not cost...redundancy ftw). I'll pick one up tomorrow, thanks aerethan.

Online they are about $20, the hit is on shipping.

My local store is ordering it with their next batch so I don't pay $7 to ship a $20 item.

I've always heard that dremels you can plug in are the best, because they have variable speed settings.

Never having used the Tamiya i cannot comment on its merits or otherwise. What I will say is that I have two Dremels. One fairly old, the other new with load more functionality. When it comes to tools and cost you should always buy the best you can afford. The flexibilty of the Dremel in my book makes it unbeatable. The only issue is the cost based against other mini drills. Its good for drilling small holes, but it is great for removing casting lines, etc from metal models. Just my opinion for what its worth.

Variable speed means almost nothing for standard wargames use.

Perhaps if you use it for sanding or cutting plasticard then sure. Pinning can all be done with a single speed setting.

The pro's to the handy drill are that it is cordless, easier to handle and easily portable.

My dremel has a case, needs an outlet, and even with my extension handle is a pain to use. Dremels are fine if you are able to use both hands on it, but I wouldn't dare try to pin with a dremel in one hand and a model in the other.

Forgot to metion that I use the Dremel 4000. Note on aerethan's post. I do put mine in a vice and bring the model to it. Though I have only done it with one model(No Issue) as I am fairly new to the miniture game...

I bought mine at Lowes years ago and it works great.

http://www.hobbymasters.com/dremelmultipromototoolvariablespeedsuperkitwflextool.aspx

I would recommend a variable speed as it will make your life much easier. The rest of the knick-knacks (like snake attachment and tool sharpener) I never use.

As for drill bits don't buy them at the big box stores. Instead, get them in kits from places like Costco/Sam's Club, industrial and commercial retail stores, or the inter webs. A majority of the crap kits just have lots of cutting blades and one type of sanding wheel which you'll probably never use. I recieved a kit for Xmas 10 years ago that I still use for every project lmao.

The one main thing I have learned is Do Not Buy A Battery Powered Dremel. Learned that the hard way, as my first one was a battery powered one. Ended up replacing it with a corded Dremel a couple months later when I got sick of the thing.

Guy at the FLGS got a new battery powered Dremel because it was half the price of a corded one. I laughed at him and told him to have fun charging the battery for three hours so you can use it for 30 seconds. He laughed. Couple hours later he took the battery out of the charger, went to cut threw some plastic, and in less than a minute the battery was as good as dead. He said he thought I was exaggerating, and I assured him I wasn't.

Aduro wrote:The one main thing I have learned is Do Not Buy A Battery Powered Dremel. Learned that the hard way, as my first one was a battery powered one. Ended up replacing it with a corded Dremel a couple months later when I got sick of the thing.

Guy at the FLGS got a new battery powered Dremel because it was half the price of a corded one. I laughed at him and told him to have fun charging the battery for three hours so you can use it for 30 seconds. He laughed. Couple hours later he took the battery out of the charger, went to cut threw some plastic, and in less than a minute the battery was as good as dead. He said he thought I was exaggerating, and I assured him I wasn't.

Yeah batteries are fail. I worked at a hardware store and most of all power equipment batteries we had were junk. Even though a battery may look new, there's no telling how long it sat in the warehouse to later sit on a shelf and collect dust. Due to their half life you can very easily buy a "new" battery and have it lose charge quickly.

Avoid chargers like fat chicks at the club unless you really like fat chicks!

No one said anything about a battery dremel. The tamiya handy drill is not a dremel at all. The drill is made for a single purpose, and that is pinning(well, drilling). A dremel is made for sanding, buffing, cutting, etching, AND drilling in small detail.

The point of it is that it is easy to use, doesn't take up space, and gets the job done quickly. With it you can just pull it out of the drawer, pin, and put it right back. With a dremel you have to drag it out, plug it in, and make the space to use it and then go thru the mess of putting it away.

I'm not saying dremels are bad(although a battery powered dremel is in fact bad, if you are getting one, get a regular corded one). They are simply a bit unwieldy for pinning.

Mine hangs on a hook above the work area on my desk. When I want to use it, I pick it up, use it, and put it back.

The tamya drill, or any cordless screwdriver can work fine for setting holes in pewter/plastic.

Dremels usually have too much power for plastic- can chew through parts you dont want them too And they can be tricky on pewter as well.

I've had a dremel for 20 years now- yep- same one. They have thier limits on smaller pieces common in miniatures.

I recently added a Dremel Stylus to my collection. Its a small cordless unit shaped kinda like a phaser But, the shape makes it very easy to handle- even easier than the Flex Shaft attachments since it lets me get my whole hand on it for control. Ive been really happy with it so far- its handled detail work and even moderate grinding for some gunsmithing stuff.

A friend of mine has advised me the only dremel he's ever found that goes slow enough not to melt things are the hand held guns.