Star Tech Journal

July 1997
STAR* TECH JOURNAL
Enzo.,s
Tech
Tips
"Hey Enzo, I can't find the self-test button on this Captain Fantastic!,,
Douglas 'Enzo' Mccallum • Shiawassee Technical Services • Lansing, Ml
SE 1 11NG UP A Co1N-OP SERVICE BENCH (PART
8)
Unless you haul all your service needs to someone else, you must have a shop for
maintenance and repair of equipment. Depending upon your needs, the size of your,
and the thickness of your wallet, your shop could be anything from the garage to the
house on up to a huge professional facility. Whatever league you are in, the work bench is
an important part of the shop. Here are some considerations for setting up a service bench.
THE DREMEL TOOL
Some words enter the language
as trade names but become a gen-
eral term. We often say Kleenex
for other brands of facial tissue,
Scotch tape regardless of brand.
In the same way, I use the name
Dremel to refer to any of the hand
held motor tools. Sears makes
one, though it may well be a
Dremel under the skin. Dremel
tools and bits are sold at many
hardware stores, and most hobby
stores. The major tool catalogs
carry them as well.
Basically, the tool is a high speed
motor (up to 30,000 RPM) in a
hand-held casing with a collet
chuck at one end. The standard
Dremel bit has a 1/8" shaft,
though other collet sizes are avail-
able.
You have a couple of choices
when selecting models. The tool
comes with either sleeve bush-
ings or roller bearings. Roller
bearings will last a lot longer, es-
pecially if you apply a lot of side-
ways pressure, but both types are
sturdy, and unless you use it daily
it probably is not an issue. The
other choice is single speed or
variable. No contest, pay the ten
bucks, get the variable speed.
Just like a power drill, you can
buy the Dremel by itself or in a
"kit." To the basic tool the "kit"
adds a big plastic storage box and
a selection of bits. Frankly, I don't
need the box, my Dremel hangs
from a hook, and I prefer my
own selection of bits, but check
it out for yourself, if it is worth
the extra dough to you, buy the
kit.
There are a bazillion bits to
choose from. The hobby store
usually has one of those rotating
jewelry case deals to display them
all.
What kinds are there? There are
grinding stones of all shapes and
sizes, there are carbide cutters or
milling tools in varieties, sanding
drums, brushes in wheel form
and shaft end types, buffing
wheels, wire wheels, rotary saws,
and my favorite: Carbide cutoff
wheels.
There are accessories as well so
you can turn the motor into a
mini router, a drill press, etc. I
get the most use from the wire
wheels, the saws, and the cutoff
wheel.