Dremel tool

[deadsteam]

Has any one used a dremel tool to buff out tight places in finishes using the buffing pads?

[Jim Hilburn]

No, but a 4-5" buffer on a cordless drill will get you into some of the nooks and crannies with good control of the speed.
I'm not sure just how slow you can get a dremel to go, or what the largest buffer you can get would be, but those little dime sized buffs seem like an invitation to disaster. But like I said, I haven't tried it.

[mandolinplucker]

I let my case lid shut on my mando. It put a small ding in the finish. I put one of those felt buffs on my dremel. In less than a second it went from a tiny ding to a gouged out burned gash. It is still there. Now I don't have to worry about getting a ding.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I have a Dremel tool that i use for all sorts of things but take heed from Tony's experience DON'T use it on your Mandolin. The Dremel doesn't have a slow enough speed for what you want & with the buffing pads being small,the buffing area is so 'concentrated'that it'll just 'burn' the finish,
Saska

[Stephanie Reiser]

My Dremel has 33 speeds and I use speed #11 with the felt wheel and buffing compound to buff out the frets.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Stephanie - Your Dremel is obviously much more sophisticated than mine. Mine has just 2 speeds fast & 'where'd it go !!!'. I don't think that your model of Dremel is available in the UK,but i'm going to have a look. A variable 'multi-speed' Dremel would be worth aquiring - many thanks for the info.,
Saska

[markishandsome]

33! Wow! I have 10 and thought I was Mr Fancy Pants. I've also buffed frets with it and polished some little ebony bits.

[Stephanie Reiser]

But ya gotta watch it doesnt get away from you, on the fret ends.
Or, there goes your FretBoard binding!

[Antlurz]

A dremel can be a Godsend or a curse. The less experience you have with one, the more often the curse part of the equation shows up.

Ron

[sunburst]

A variable 'multi-speed' Dremel would be worth aquiring -
I've been through two of them, and I wouldn't get another.
I don't even use a "regular" Dremel anymore, but instead use a Dremel flex-shaft tool. It's like a Fordom tool with a small router-sized motor connected to a handpiece by a flexible shaft. It has a foot petal for on/off and slow/fast.

For buffing in tight places, though, I have another flex shaft tool that I chuck into my variable speed drill press.

[mandolinplucker]

Dremels,while expensive, seem to be a weak and not very durable tool. The bearings on mine seemed sloppy and one motor burned up and I bought another one and the switch burned up. I am not going to buy the third. I am using an air operated rotary tool from Harbor Freight. It's a cheap tool but it has variable speed and some of the dremel collets fit the chuck. I made a jig for inlay out of aluminum angle that gives me plenty of room to see my work. I will go to a fordom later but for now the air powered one fits my needs well.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I've had my Dremel for about 10 years now & i've had no trouble with it - yet!. It's probably down to how much use it gets.I use mine with the small grinders for sharpening edged tools or knives if they're really blunt. Mainly these days,i use it to buff the tips of my picks to a smooth edge after i've shaped them with a nail file,
saska

[Jim Hilburn]

I got a Black & Decker RTX and I'm quite happy with it. The chuck is very rigid compared to Dremels I've had and it's plenty powerful. I read that some have had them quit on them but mine has always done the job.

[Jkf_Alone]

i have B&D RTX as well, and the low speed on that seems to be much slower than the speeds mentioned about the dremel. almost too low to be useful with the bits i have (going to be changing that soon). I like the fret buffing idea and i especially like the pick buffing idea, I'll have to try that tonight.

[Bill Snyder]

The slowest setting on the variable speed RTX is 8,000 rpm the fastest is 30,000. The three speed RTX has a minimum rpm of 12,000 and max of 30,000.
I have had a variable speed RTX for three or four years and I like it ok. I have tried the polishing wheels on metal but I don't know that I would try to buff out a blemish on an instrument with one. I think it might be a case of making a worse mess of something by trying to fix it.