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WIth Christmas coming, I've decided to ask for a Dremel to simplify things. Thing is, i don't really know what dremel to get, where to get it or what attachments i should get. Basically, I am flying blind. SO dakkanauts, i would like to know if there is a guide as to what attachments and such things I will need for working with GW models.


Any help would be appreciated

One of the main problems with the Dremel type multi tools is they spin so fast that they melt plastic, and make metal minis too hot to hold.

If you do get one you need to get one with a variable speed so you can run it slow. Otherwise it's almost useless for miniatures.

I personally don't think they are that great as they are still quite big and clumsy for working on miniatures. You can't hold a Dremel the way you hold a paint brush for example.

When I use mine I often end up locking the Dremel in a vice and then moving the miniature around instead... Obviously this defeats the whole purpose of using a Dremel since you could just as easily lock a full sized drill in place, and have more power.

The best thing for miniatures would be on of the very tiny drills like dentists use (would you let a dentist use a Dremel on your teeth?). I dunno how much those things cost though, or where you get them from.

As said, dremels melt plastic. Useful for working with metals though, and also useful for 'distressing' models for weathering / battle damage purposes. Adjustable speed is important.

A really good buy (one that I'd recommend) is the 'Real Power Workshop' toy woodworking set. I got a mains adaptor for it, and it's a seriously useful bit of kit - especially the micro size (and nice and slow!) bench sander. The lathe has also been occasionally useful (and I've cobbled my dremel into the drill press).

The dremel stylus always seems to be popular here

Smacks wrote:The best thing for miniatures would be on of the very tiny drills like dentists use (would you let a dentist use a Dremel on your teeth?). I dunno how much those things cost though, or where you get them from.

Some people do use dental drills, mostly for hobbyist goldsmithing. They are not cheep though.

There is a variable speed Dremel called the dremel Stylus that holds as if you were using a pencil or brush.

This is a link to it also this link is also a sale for the day which id reccomend taking seriously as its about half off with a full tool kit.
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-1100-N-25-7-2-Volt-Lithium-Ion/dp/B002BAHF7I

I use the Tamiya Handy Drill. It's a little kit that you put together yourself, runs on 2 aa batteries, and runs fast enough to drill white metal and plastic without melting them. The kit runs about $21 US online. I love mine dearly.

Dremels are highly overrated, in my opinion. Most common rotary tools are generally ill suited to the tasks miniature modelers want to perform (clunky handling, overly fast rotation, etc.). Ideally, one would get a pedal-controlled flex shaft rotary tool like those frequently used by jewelers (which, unlike dental drills, are electric, not pneumatic) - those things not only have finer speed control than most handheld models, their range is significantly wider, especially on the low end (which is what modelers need most). I've got a solid handheld rotary tool and I almost always use the appropriate hand tool when it comes to minis - good files cut quickly and with more control, sharp bits drill easily, even through white metal while in a pin vice, and a jeweler's saw has a thin kerf and can be threaded into the tightest spots imaginable.

If you still want a rotary tool, I would still warn you against the Dremel brand. It's not that they're exclusively bad tools - there's a reason they're THE name in the game. It's just, they're coasting on a name they earned years ago. Nowadays, cost-cutting has lead to shoddy construction and dodgy quality control on products that you pay a premium for, all because of branding. You can get a better product for your money, or you can get an equivalent gamble for far less. Personally, I opted for the Black & Decker RTX, since I wouldn't just be using it for modeling (good thing, since I don't) - compared to the entry-level Dremels, it's got double the torque, FAR sturdier construction, and was literally half the price. Weighs a bit more, but with the money I saved, I was able to buy a flex shaft for detail work/reduced hand fatigue and a number of bits. Thing is as good as the day I bought it, while the failure rate on Dremel speed controls, especially, is jarring. Look up product reviews before you buy and shop around.

For a cheap simple solution, I picked up the Clarke 40pc rotary tool kit. It comes with an extension so you can use it like a pen. I find the grinding stones get the most use but it does lend itself mostly to using on larger models such as greater daemons, Forgeworld kits and tanks.



One thing to note however, you'll need to pick up a larger chuck for the extension if you want to use half of the bits in it, as its only set up to use the smaller bits. A bit annoying. I had a chuck lying around from another, hand-held/battery router so I was fine, but it's worth noting.

I have never found a good modelling problem for my dremel that wasn't better solved with hand tools or other power tools.

What exactly are you looking to do? Maybe we can suggest other tools as well.

Thanks for all the recommendations guys, ill be taking a look at various things.

Todosi wrote:I have never found a good modelling problem for my dremel that wasn't better solved with hand tools or other power tools.

What exactly are you looking to do? Maybe we can suggest other tools as well.

I'm looking for a piece of kit that will simplify cutting through the thicker bits of models and similar things. Right now I'm using a small handsaw that doesn't cut effectively and is too large to use properly. Thats pretty much all im going to be using it for, I have other tools such as two sets of needle files for filing and a slightly oversized crafting knife (which is unable to cut through thicker plastic)

If you are sticking to plastic and resin, this is the better tool:

Obsidian Raven wrote:Thanks for all the recommendations guys, ill be taking a look at various things.

Todosi wrote:I have never found a good modelling problem for my dremel that wasn't better solved with hand tools or other power tools.

What exactly are you looking to do? Maybe we can suggest other tools as well.

I'm looking for a piece of kit that will simplify cutting through the thicker bits of models and similar things. Right now I'm using a small handsaw that doesn't cut effectively and is too large to use properly. Thats pretty much all im going to be using it for, I have other tools such as two sets of needle files for filing and a slightly oversized crafting knife (which is unable to cut through thicker plastic)

Sounds like you need a jewellers saw, also called a coping saw. You can get really fine blades with it or heavier ones.

I would recommend a couple things,

First, I disagree that dremel's are not very good for modelers, but there are things that you use them for and things that they shouldn't be used, like any other tool.

Dremels are not particularly good for working on most plastic miniatures, not because they can't do it, but because there are better tools. Plastic and Resin are both relatively soft materials when looking at the size of the pieces that we generally have. I find an Exacto blade and file to be the better tools when working with these materials. On the melting issue, if your plastic is melting, you are doing it wrong. If you are careful and watch the amount of pressure you apply, this will not happen. Variable speed models do help a lot with this, and would be recommended, but are not really necessary.

Metal on the other hand is different. Blades and files don't work as well on metal miniatures, especially when trying to file down large areas or cut pieces off. Even a jewelers saw gets tiring after awhile and will sometimes lose its grip.

Second, The attachments that come with most dremels are not the best to use with miniature modelling. The cutting wheels (the flat round pieces in LadyCassandra's pic) are very good for cutting straight through plastic or thin metal, but they are about an 1/8" thick (1-2mm), and you will lose quite a bit of material when using them, which on something like the leg of a space marine is quite noticeable. Dremel does have thinner metal saw attachments that work better. The grinders (the piece that is attached to the dremel in LadyCassanda's pic) is NOT a tool that you want to use. It is like coarse sand paper. It will not leave a smooth finish, will quickly become non effective as pieces of plastic and metal attach themselves to the head, and because it is like sand paper, creates a lot of friction and therefore heat. Which as previously stated can be painful when working with metal models. I highly recommend a high speed cutting bit,

http://www.lowes.com/pd_94698-353-115_4294936478+4294965332+5003695_44_?productId=1114215&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_5%2B10_4294936478%2B4294965332%2B5003695_44_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&facetInfo=Dremel|$5%20-%20$10
http://www.lowes.com/pd_94701-353-192-03_4294936478+4294965332+5003695_44_?productId=1210037&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1¤tURL=%2Fpl_5%2B10_4294936478%2B4294965332%2B5003695_44_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&facetInfo=Dremel|$5%20-%20$10

They work like a saw blade does, taking off a lot more the the model than a grinder will, and also leaving a nice smooth surface behind.

I mainly use my dremel for cutting off parts of metal models that I don't want, especially larger parts that cannot easily be sawed or clipped off. I also use it to level off the bottoms of resin bases that I cast myself, and for a lot of terrain use. It can cut through wood quite well depending on the attachments.

tylermenz wrote:On the melting issue, if your plastic is melting, you are doing it wrong. If you are careful and watch the amount of pressure you apply, this will not happen. Variable speed models do help a lot with this, and would be recommended, but are not really necessary.

If by "doing it wrong" you mean "using the wrong tool" then yes. The amount of pressure you apply makes little difference. Fast spinning blades and drills splay soft plastic on contact which results in a nasty rough edge.