Accessories are the "Bits" that do the work.

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ACCESSORIES: The "bits" that do the work:

This is an introduction to some of the many types of accessories available

Buff and Polish fo a jewelry like finish.

Buffing. Slow speed: 5 to 7,000rpm. The "cloth" buff is mounted on the mandrel with the tiny machine screw, the harder "felt" buff is mounted on the mandrel with the pointed-wood-screw type end. Both are run at slow speed and dipped into "polishing compound" and then used to polish metals, silverware, jewelry, and some plastics. The "fibre" abrasive buffing wheels are mounted on the machine-screw shaft and used for cleaning and polishing metal. ie. removing little rust spots, etc. Yes, that is safety glasses in the background! More info at HOW2/JEWELRY

Sanding Accessories are available for finishing wood.

Sanding. Medium speed: 10 to 15,000rpm. The sanding disks, on the left, are mounted on the machine-screw mandrel, and are used with a gentle pressure on the flat edge of the disk. The "flap wheel" sanders in the middle are used at a slower speed, 10,000 is OK, and the "drum" sanders on the right are the most versatile. Use a moderate pressure and keep them clean with a crepe rubber cleaning stick. More info at HOW2/WOOD

How to install the Sanding Drum

The sanding mandrel is a medium firm black rubber cylinder, 1/2in. or 1/4in. diameter, with a machine screw in the end. The sanding sleeve is a 1/2in diameter paper tube with sanding grit on the outside. Loosen the screw and squeeze the rubber a bit so you can insert it inside the sanding sleeve. Now, when you tighten the screw a couple of turns, it will compress the rubber, making it tight on the sanding sleeve, and holding it in place.

Wire brushes are available in a variety of shapes.

Brushing:. Medium speed: 10 to 15,000rpm. Caution: At high speeds there is a risk of little pieces of wire flying off. Wear safety glasses, use medium speed and gentle pressure. Give the little brush time to work. There is a great variety of brushes for different applications: Steel wire brush for rust removal, Brass wire brush for a more gentle non-sparking cleaning, Stainless steel wire brushes leave no iron particles to rust in your work, Abrasive brushes for tough cleaning, and bristle brushes for general cleaning. For more info check the material you are working on at HOW2

Cutting Disks are available to cut metal or wood.

Cutting:. High speed:. 30 to 35,000rpm. The two disks on the left are mounted on the machine-screw mandrel and are used to cut very hard steel. Things like padlocks or tool steel, however they are fragile and must be used on-edge and never "twisted" in the cut. The center disk is fiberglass reinforced and is used to cut mild steel. Nails, bolts, chain etc. The disk on the right is for cutting wood only and comes with its' own mandrel. It cuts on edge, like a little saw blade, or it may be pushed "sideways" to carve out larger areas of wood. More info at METAL or WOOD

Orange Grinding Stones are used on steel.

Sharpening and Grinding:. High speed: 30 to 35,000rpm. Use these stones, the orange or brown ones, (aluminum oxide) for sharpening steel knives,lawn mower blades, axes,etc. or grinding burrs (or sharp jagged edges) from steel. More info at HOW2/METAL

Blue Grinding Stones are used on very hard materials.

Grinding:. High speed:. 30 to 35,000rpm. The blue or gray stones are Silicon Carbide and are used to grind, cut, or drill porcelain, fired clay, glass, and some stone. Also may be used on non-steel (no iron) metals like copper, aluminum ,brass, or bronze. See also CLAY or METAL.

Specialty Bits:. Different manufactures produce a wide variety of accessories. I'll add more here as time permits.

These are Spiral Saw Bits for use in a High Speed Rotary Tool.

Spiral Saw: Yes, this really is a saw! It is not a drill, although it will pierce thru material to start an inside cut. Look carefully at the cutting edges (called "flutes" ) of the saw and think about the direction of rotation. (Review here ) If it is used for drilling a hole ( starting an "inside" cut ) it will actually be pushing the chips into the hole. A drill pulls the chips out of the hole. The advantage here is that after the spiral saw pierces thru the material, the dust and chips are blown out at the back of the material and not up into the tool and you. Most important when working with dusty materials like drywall or plaster-board. If you are piercing thru a large piece of material, like 3/4in. pine, the saw will smoke and burn a little because it is pushing the chips into the hole. Don't force the tool, back out a little, and try again. Try not to burn the tip of the saw bit.

There are two types of spiral saw: The guidepoint, used mostly for drywal, and the Cutting Point, for wood and plastic. They should be used with a "Cutting Guide" see: ATTACHMENTS. For how to use see: WOOD and PLASTIC .

This is the Dremel Tile Cutting Bit.

Tile Cutting Bit. This is your "saw" for cutting wall tile. Note: it will not cut floor tile. It is solid tungsten carbide 1/8 in. thick, and can be used to plunge into ("drill" a hole thru) wall tile and then cut sideways. It is used with the Cutting Guide attachment, see ATTACHMNETS For instructions see HOW2 CLAY

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