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I am planning to do some arts and crafts work with thick plastics (anywhere from 1cm thick and down), possibly some wood (the arts and crafty kind, not chunks of wood meant to make log cabins) and very little (if any) metal work. This is all done on a small-ish scale. Most my projects would have me doing cutting and drilling on stuff about the size of hard drive. I was looking into rotary tools to do some fine cutting and wanted some advice to fit my needs. http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RTX-B-Rotary-Storage/dp/B000MUSLCC/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp_T2 I was looking at this because it's cheap. I was wondering if there was anything better in the under $80 price range that you guys could recommend me to work with the materials I listed above. I'm mostly concerned about having decent straight cuts (not too much jags so I don't have to spend infinity time sanding it), and whether or not these machines gunk up easily or melt through plastic due to the speed its cutting through it. This is my first time doing ANYTHING like this, so I need as many pointers as I can get. I don't even know exactly what to ask for since I know nothing of the terminology.
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Mar 21, 2011 23:32
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Jet Ready Go posted:I am planning to do some arts and crafts work with thick plastics (anywhere from 1cm thick and down), possibly some wood (the arts and crafty kind, not chunks of wood meant to make log cabins) and very little (if any) metal work. I believe that I said it on the first page of this thread and I will say it again. Go Dremel or go home. I have used many different types and Dremel has the most power, versatility, and accessory base of any of them. Extremely high end (read: pricey) brands are most certainly better, but for the $80ish range, you get a LOT of tool for the money with a Dremel. Their battery powered ones are iffy, so go with a corded one. As far as gunking up or melting the plastic, as long as you are using the correct bit for the material you are working, you won't have a problem.
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Mar 22, 2011 00:02
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iForge posted:Go Dremel or go home. But.. where should I go if I am already home? Should I go to yours? iForge posted:As far as gunking up or melting the plastic, as long as you are using the correct bit for the material you are working, you won't have a problem. Is there any type of bit I should look for specifically? Or would they very obviously say "FOR PLASTICS YOU SISSY" on the front of the package? Like.. for cutting plastics would it be a serrated edge? Just one giant sharp pizza cutter knife looking thing? What do you suggest? As far as working "professionally" with stuff.. I always know companies make a TON of useless "specialty" poo poo when there always gonna be that ONE multi-use bit that all the pros know about.
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Mar 22, 2011 00:10
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Jet Ready Go posted:Is there any type of bit I should look for specifically? Or would they very obviously say "FOR PLASTICS YOU SISSY" on the front of the package? Go buy a dremel, just do it you'll thank us later. Now, for the bits. If you want to cut plastic, get yourself an EZ-Lock mandrel and some plastic cutting wheels. Otherwise get something like the EZ-Lock Mini Cutting Kit which includes wheels for metal. Also, check out the dremel website, they have a handy section on the sidebar where you select your tool, the action you wish to perfom and the materiel you're working with. It will give you the appropriate bits to use (you sissy). Did I mention check out widgetsupply.com? No? cos I loving love that place 
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Mar 22, 2011 02:02
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I can't check that site until I get home, but was wondering if this can fit the bill: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-300-1-24-Variable-Speed-Rotary/dp/B002BAHFBE/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1300756438&sr=1-2
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Mar 22, 2011 02:14
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For a softer PVC type plastic, I like the drywall cutting bit. for harder stuff, i like the diamond wheel. Prepare for a mess of plastic bits flying everywhere if you use the diamond wheel.
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Mar 22, 2011 02:16
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The Black & Decker is fine. I have one, it's very sturdy. 3 years of occasional use, mostly cutting steel and aluminum, and it runs like the day it was new. Until recently, it was also more powerful than the comparably priced Dremel (2 amps vs. 1 or 1.5?).
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Mar 22, 2011 03:19
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Jet Ready Go posted:I am planning to do some arts and crafts work with thick plastics (anywhere from 1cm thick and down), possibly some wood (the arts and crafty kind, not chunks of wood meant to make log cabins) and very little (if any) metal work. Honestly, for straight cuts in plexiglass/acrylic/PVC, I've found a standard hacksaw or jigsaw with 32TPI metal-cutting blade to work just fine. Edit: if you do want a rotary tool (nothing beats them for shaping stuff, IMO), get the dremel that fits your budget. This is not something that Harbor Freight makes well.
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Mar 22, 2011 03:58
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Jet Ready Go posted:I can't check that site until I get home, but was wondering if this can fit the bill: Should be fine - that model has variable speed, which comes in handy with plastics, as they can behave quite badly if you cut them at the wrong speed. The model above it has electronically controlled speed, but I don't think that's necessary.
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Mar 22, 2011 12:21
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I'm looking at a drill bit sharpener. I'm looking at Drill Doctor - anything else I should consider?
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Mar 24, 2011 01:37
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truncated aardvar posted:I'm looking at a drill bit sharpener. I'm looking at Drill Doctor - anything else I should consider? Bought my dad a DD750X, he reckons it's the best thing he's ever used for sharpening drill bits
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Mar 24, 2011 06:22
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truncated aardvar posted:I'm looking at a drill bit sharpener. I'm looking at Drill Doctor - anything else I should consider? That's what my dad has. It's been absolutely awesome. I was really skeptical for a little while but it actually works shockingly well.
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Mar 24, 2011 07:38
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Sorted then - thanks!
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Mar 24, 2011 11:47
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Does anyone have advice on airless paint sprayers? I have an entire house to paint, plus a shed later, I'm willing to spend up to £100 but less would be nice. I'll be painting with ordinary matt & silk emulsions & some sort of stain for the shed
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Mar 29, 2011 08:07
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Cakefool posted:Does anyone have advice on airless paint sprayers? I have an entire house to paint, plus a shed later, I'm willing to spend up to £100 but less would be nice. I'll be painting with ordinary matt & silk emulsions & some sort of stain for the shed My advice is, don't. Maybe someone has better experience but those things (short of the very expensive professional grade which still makes a mess) are trash. You end up using a bunch more paint and doing a lovely job while your at it. But that's just my experience, maybe someone else knows a good one.
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Mar 29, 2011 14:09
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I had a job painting an open joist ceiling and bought a $100 Wagner sprayer from the big box on a whim to try it out. Utter piece of junk. The internet is filled with terrible reviews of these things. The spray was just too inconsistent and it SPIT globs of paint. This was after thinning the paint even (which the manual said wasn't necessary) I think the only realistic option for spraying paint is a high flow air compressor and a nice gun. dwoloz fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Mar 30, 2011 |
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Mar 30, 2011 03:32
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Pads & rollers it is, thanks!
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Mar 30, 2011 07:20
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Power rollers are quite nice, even inexpensive ones. We use ours all the time. Cleaning is a bitch, so it only makes sense if you're painting large areas, but it sounds like you plan to.
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Mar 30, 2011 10:52
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Cakefool posted:Does anyone have advice on airless paint sprayers?...up to £100 They are complete junk unless you get a professional unit. Wagner, etc will break and clog and overheat and you will spend more time loving with it than actually painting.
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Mar 30, 2011 17:16
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I used a wagner, but it was one that could only work off 5 gallon pails. It may have been $400 or someting. It worked great, but the coverage wasn't as good as using a roller. The roller forces paint into all the cracks and divots in the wood, and seems to get more paint on. The sprayer left places that weren't covered so great depending on the angle used to spray. It also got overspray on the neighbours porsche, so that part wasn't so fun.
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Mar 30, 2011 18:56
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Painting with roller & pads doesn't take that long, I'll just suck it up & get stuck in. Thanks fellas.
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Mar 30, 2011 19:25
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blindjoe posted:It also got overspray on the neighbours porsche, so that part wasn't so fun. On my first reading I thought you had misspelled porch and didn't understand what the big deal was.
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Mar 31, 2011 07:51
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Pro tip on rollers and the  of cleaning them: If you are going to wait X hours or a few days to to additional coats of paint, stick the roller in a plastic bag, pour some more paint into the bag and seal it. Works with both oil- and acrylic-based paint. Just get most of the air out of the bag, no need to vacuum pack it, and get the paint evenly spread on the roller so parts don't dry out. 30 second job.Both the roller and the extra paint in the bag will be good to go the next time you open the bag. Saves you the hassle of softening up the roller after residue stiffens it or, if you cleaned it under a day ago, getting the water still trapped in it out. (Acrylic paint)
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Mar 31, 2011 09:00
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I use press'n'seal plastic wrap to preserve wet rollers and brushes. I've used a single layer of the wrap to keep rollers and brushes usable for literally months.
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Mar 31, 2011 16:01
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truncated aardvar posted:I'm looking at a drill bit sharpener. I'm looking at Drill Doctor - anything else I should consider? A bench grinder? I sharpen all my bits by hand on my cheapo grinder, and they come out really nicely.
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Mar 31, 2011 18:45
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sharkytm posted:A bench grinder? I sharpen all my bits by hand on my cheapo grinder, and they come out really nicely. I'll second that. I've learned how to sharpen all of my bits with a bench grinder, and it works great. Even big ones like 1/2 - 7/8ths. I used to use a vice and an angle grinder. That worked, but not nearly as well.
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Apr 1, 2011 00:44
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Slung Blade posted:I'll second that. The grinder doesn't work on very small bits (1/8" or less), but those are throw-aways for me anyhow. On larger bits it works great. Maybe the Drill Doctor works on small bits, but I can't imagine it'll do well with a 1/2" bit with a big chip in the cutting edge.
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Apr 1, 2011 15:30
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What's the technique for sharpening bits on a grinder? Do you need a jig to get the right angle, or is eyeballing it good enough? All my most-used bits are horribly dulled...
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Apr 1, 2011 15:32
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I've got some projects around the house planned. Wooden bed modification, Dining table modification. I'm looking to sand them down and make some cuts to modernise them a bit. And put new square legs on the table. Replace some broken floor tiles and grout. Move a door and some stud partitioning, from right angles to a 45deg splay. Small DIY fitted wardrobe. ~600mm deep, 2m wide, 2.4m floor to ceiling (Not put much thought into that yet) Reduce the size of a concrete panelled garage. Problem is my power tool set consists of a little rotary tool and an old cordless drill thats really heavy and dying, and a very old corded drill thats decent-ish but corded. So today I've been having a think about what to do for some new power tools. Budget isn't nearly big enough to get an ideal set, so this is what I've come up with; *Warning UK prices and links* Multitool in the style of the Dremel Multimax, with a tidy looking little drill/driver that shares the same battery (I think) http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7113378.htm http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7113505.htm Or Something like this magic box of tricks http://www.amazon.co.uk/CEL-Power8-Workshop-Plus-WS2/dp/tech-data/B001LP50HQ/ Or Something like this Ryobi 4 piece kit, and matching sander if there is one. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryobi-12V-Li-Ion-Piece-Carry/dp/B001T0HET0 Or something else? I dont really know about the quality of any of them items or brands, or what tools I really need/could get by without, yet. Also I've got a cheap workbench, but do like the look of the Jaw horse contraption. Uk equivalent http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7003103.htm Any guidance would be appreciated. ed: I think I'm going to go for a cordless bosch drill/driver, and the mains powered bosch equivalent of that Worx multi tool. And see how I get on with them for now. MeKeV fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Apr 2, 2011 |
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Apr 1, 2011 16:18
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grover posted:What's the technique for sharpening bits on a grinder? Do you need a jig to get the right angle, or is eyeballing it good enough? All my most-used bits are horribly dulled... This guy has a ton of really good videos. The Use & Care of Drill Bits part 3. He doesn't get into the actual sharpening until about 6 minutes in, the rest is theory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqn2VPGYA9c
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Apr 1, 2011 16:27
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Can anyone recommend a good vise brand? I'm looking at picking up a ~40 lb, 5-6" (thereabouts) vise but I'm not sure which brands or models are good these days. I've had no luck finding a "vintage" one on craigslist or ebay, so I'm resorting to buying new. Need one with an encased screw.
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Apr 2, 2011 00:46
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oxbrain posted:This guy has a ton of really good videos. Oh no, you don't want to miss the tantrum around the 5 minute mark. I recommend all 3 videos if you can stand them. Old dudes who are knowledgeable and batshit insane like that making youtube videos is the best thing about DIY on the internet.
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Apr 2, 2011 23:24
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Stormtrooper posted:Can anyone recommend a good vise brand? I'm looking at picking up a ~40 lb, 5-6" (thereabouts) vise but I'm not sure which brands or models are good these days. I've had no luck finding a "vintage" one on craigslist or ebay, so I'm resorting to buying new. Need one with an encased screw. An American made one. Seriously. I have a Columbia made in the USA one I got off craigslist for like $40. Seriously one of the best investments I've ever made. Don't be hasty and just wait for a good one.
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Apr 2, 2011 23:29
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Just picked this up today and thought I'd give a short review. Back & Decker Dragster (because of the different sized wheels).  Went to Canadian Tire today with the intent of buying a belt sander. I got there and saw the model above, plus these two as well. Mastercrap Sander........DeWallet Sander   Those of you that have the pleasure know how hit or miss Mastercraft can be, and I was also turned off on how similar it looked to the Black & Decker, but how cheap and awkward it felt as well. The DeWALT is nice, but Goddamn is that sucker big, heavy and expensive. I split the difference and got the Black & Decker. It's called the Dragster because of the tiny wheel at the front (looks like a dragster). This allows you to get super close to a wall or any other object that might be in your way or under some sort of low-hanging object like a cupboard with a tue space under it. I was a little worried the tiny wheel on the front might be too much (or more accurately too little) for the belts to navigate, but it spun around without cracking or losing any abrasive. The unit is nice and light but it also feels really solid and well made (unlike the Mastercraft which felt like it would snap in 4 different places. The front handle is adjustable, and the plate at the front on top of the belt can be flipped up. . . for some reason that escapes me, but would possibly be useful. The belts go on and off in second with the orange flip switch on the side, and right out of the box the alignment was perfect without the belt wanting to slide to either side. It's not as loud as the older B&D's I've used, but you still want ear protection. The only downside I've encountered is the dust collection system. It uses some manner of cyclonic catch with an air filter inside. It does a pretty good job of catching the dust, but some accumulates on the underside of it. If you're going to be doing any heavy sanding, or sanding for more than 15 minutes you're going to have to remove the collection canister, empty it, and give the filter a tap or two to clean it out (10 second procedure). The whole dust collection system slides on and off which is good and bad. The tube the dust runs down is ovalish/squareish, so you're not going to be able to fit a vacuum cleaner hose to it without using a hell of a lot of tape, or fabricating your own adapter. When looking at the other two sanders they both a very similar setup to this (the square dust tube, not the cyclone filter setup). I've only used it for about an hour, but so far I'm pretty happy with it.
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Apr 4, 2011 00:38
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Been using a Makita 3x21 belt sander extensively and its dust collection is lame too. Works alright for about 20 board feet then it jams up with dust; have to blow it out with a compressor
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Apr 4, 2011 06:01
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Hey guys just checking in to say thanks for the tips. Bought myself a Dremel and have been carving the poo poo out of plastic lately!
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Apr 4, 2011 06:20
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grover posted:What's the technique for sharpening bits on a grinder? Do you need a jig to get the right angle, or is eyeballing it good enough? All my most-used bits are horribly dulled... Definitely watch that linked video at around 4:56 to see how he feels about sharpening jigs. e: Dude owns. If I could have a third grandpa I'd want it to be him. stubblyhead fucked around with this message at 07:40 on Apr 4, 2011 |
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Apr 4, 2011 07:34
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dwoloz posted:Been using a Makita 3x21 belt sander extensively and its dust collection is lame too. Works alright for about 20 board feet then it jams up with dust; have to blow it out with a compressor The 30 year old Black & Decker that finally died on me was one of the first ones to use a bag to collect dust. It guess the first ones didn't work that well since it seemd to be another 15 years since they came back. What I did like about it was it fit my centralvac hose perfectly and not only did it never plug up with dust, but the suction actually collected dust that should have normally been left on the floor. This had the added benefit of allowing the belts to last a lot longer since they were always sanding wood instead of binding and burning dust/floor finish. I'm on the lookout for some sort of part that I could use as an adapter. It's times like this having a 3D printer would come in handy. Edit: Seems that there are two little flaws in the Black & Decker Dragster. 1. The dust collection system clogs really easily and even after vacuuming and blowing it out it doesn't want to collect any more. Strange. 2. If the sanding belts track to the left, they will rub on the plastic guard and the plastic bracket holding the front roller. Keep an eye on this or else you'll be smelling burning plastic. Overall, after a few hours of use I'm still happy I got it. I had to drop the grit down from a 50 to a 36 since the 50's were just gumming up with old floor finish. Here are some (crappy cell phone) comparison pics.   This floor is 82-83 years old and after some 36 grit paper, then some 50 grit to remove the gouges, then some 120 to smooth it, then some polyurathane a light dusting with some 220, another coat, then another dusting with some 220, and finally a last coat and then some buffing it will look like a new floor, with a bit of character. When I start to do the sanding with the 50 grit I'm going to save the dust from that and mix it with resin/glue to use as a putty material to fill in cracks and holes. Then I'll do my final 120 sanding and then start the coats. Blistex fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Apr 6, 2011 |
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Apr 4, 2011 13:38
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I got some of these Wera Insulated screwdrivers: http://www.amazon.com/Wera-Stainless-Insulated-Professional-Screwdriver/dp/B00359FAYE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302240088&sr=8-2 Very nice. I like the laser etched tips, they do actually grip the screws better. So far they are at least as good as Klein insulated screwdrivers, and they don't cost $200+ for a set. The weird looking grips actually do feel better in my hands. I've been upgrading to insulated tools lately to reduce the chances that I burn my eyebrows off shorting something in a panel. Wera also makes an 'economical' set for $25 which is a pretty good deal I think.
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Apr 8, 2011 06:33
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tworavens posted:I got some of these Wera Insulated screwdrivers: Ok I can't really see the laser etched tips. But what difference could it really make?
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Apr 8, 2011 08:32
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