Two questions

I have a couple questions. I am starting on Christmas ornaments and some parts require a tiny, tiny opening. I bought a numbered drill bit but it is too small for even the Dremel. Is there an adapter? Also I have been stack cutting 1/16 plywood using a reverse tooth #2 blade. Some of the center pieces are coming out very ragged so that they will have to be sanded. Is there a solution to this? I will appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks.

It sounds like either the blade is worn or not enough tension on the blade causing it to flex to much or you may even been applying to much pressure while making the cuts.

Check the blade to see if it's colored or burnt in the area of the jagged cut. If so, replace the blade.

Check to make sure you have enough tension on the blade.

If all else fails, try not to push so hard on the stock while cutting.

[will8989]

Do you have another collet for the dremel? You can buy various ones that will take the smallest of drill bits. Also make sure you are drilling STRAIGHT down and not at an angle. With a thin bit, it will start to go at an angle very quickly. I don't cut ornaments any thinner than 1/8' and use nothing smaller than a 1/32 bit, and don't stack higher than 1/2' - 3/4', that will give me 4-6 very nice ornaments. The higher you stack cut, the larger the bit will need to be as the thin ones burn very quickly and go at a sharper angle. Drill in the largest section of waste, that way if the bit does go at an angle hopefully it will not cut into the ornament itself. Also, if your entry hole is at an angle, the blade will begin cutting at an angle until it straightens itself out. The more delicate the ornament and smaller the waste area, the shorter your stack should be. I always use Mike's blades for cutting, usually the #3 or 5 reverse blade. The best way to find what works for you is by trial and error, but I find this is what works for me. And believe me, there have been many ornaments that ended up in the trash! Another thing to keep in mind is the type of wood you are cutting. I have found that Quilted Maple gives a very ragged edge no matter what I do or how much I sand, and I no longer use this wood for ornaments. Hope this helps!

There are two names for a small hand held drill....hobby shops call it a 'pin vise' and in a hardward or weld shop it is called 'tip drills' these bits go from maybe 1/32 down to very very small and are contained inside the handle...they are handy for a lot of things, just remember when you use them, if you put much side pressure on such small drills they will break.....with that said, I don't believe I have ever broken one, just watch your pressure and angle!

Thanks everybody! You have given me the answers I needed.

[Grandpa Grizzly]

Hi Ho, If you havent broken any blades using a pin vise then you haven't drilled many holes. Even the best machinist I have ever seen occasionally break a bit. That is just the nature of a pin vise.
Grandpa Grizzly

[Ann]

The small collet on my Dremel grips a 1/64" drill bit with absolutely no problem. Dremel rotary tools only come with one collet, which grips several accessories and the two mandrels made for the tool, but the FIRST thing one needs to do, before even walking the rotary tool out of the store, is pick up either the universal chuck which holds everything (@$10) or the packet containing extra chuck and 4 collets (@$8). I don't have the uni chuck, but have read that it is not quite as secure on the very small bits.

Ann

[SharonW0111]

Ann you can get a blister pack of all the collets for dremel for about $5 where ever they sell dremels- you do need to get them too because even their bits are not all the same size
Sharon

[Ann]

Hi Sharon,

I think we're talking about the same thing, but I may be pricing them too high from my memory. What I bought had a chuck and four collets (all four sizes) in the blister pack. It's at Lowe's, Home Depot, Wally, etc. I have a Dremel 400 XPR with several attachments, extras, etc, that I got a really good deal on new, and even that big set only had ONE collet. So strange... those collets can't cost much, and I'd be embarrassed to sell a big Dremel set to someone who would have to run out the first five minutes using the tool so they could get collets for the enclosed accessory bits. I haven't found the collets packaged without a chuck, have you? I've got spare chucks now.

But I don't own the company...

Ann

[SharonW0111]

if memory serves me right--when i bought my XP set-with the flex saft,circlar cutter,sharpener and all those extras I only got one collet but I had to buy the blister pack just for that one tiny one. Now I am glad I did get all of the sizes