I rarely have occasion to do any drywall work, but I needed to cut about 8 linear feet of overhead drywall. Using a drywall bit and cutting guide, I began to zip through the 1/2 drywall. After a couple of feet the tool began to make some unpleasant grinding noises which quickly progressed into a full-on death rattle. Short story is that after about 5′ of cutting, the upper bearing seized (this is/was a lightly used tool). Fortunately, it’s under warranty, and I don’t think that overhead drywall cutting amounts to abuse or improper use. We’ll see if the good folks in Racine agree.
I guess my question is if you guys/gals have any perspectives on this. Did I kill my tool or was it suicide? If overhead drywall cutting is verboten, then what tool do you use for this job?
Replies
I was cutting out opening in drywall this past weekend with my dremel. The tool is underpowered for that task. The dremel got too hot to hold after cutting around an electrical outlet.
I am seriously considering a rotozip...dremels aren't worth a damn.
Rotozip is nice but cost too much for basic drywall zipping for my blood.
I use a cheap orange rotary cut-out tool from harbor freight, paid $18 for it works like a charm.Do you look to the government for an entitlement, or to GOD for empowerment. BDW
Murder for certain. That tool is not designed to do that. Use a trim router or a rotozip next time. The shaft diameter is not stout enough to withstand sideways thust and the bearing goes eccentric just before it cooks itself dry, then the smoke and no joy appears.
I've killed a dremel yearly..they are disposable in my mind.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You gotta be kidding me ..Jorge is @ what %? Now?
Murder for certain. That tool is not designed to do that. Use a trim router or a rotozip next time. The shaft diameter is not stout enough to withstand sideways thust and the bearing goes eccentric just before it cooks itself dry, then the smoke and no joy appears.
Sphere, you may be correct, but "it aint right". If it can't handle sideways thrust, then what's it good for? Nearly all of the attachments they sell are for use with sideways thrust (cut-off discs, shapers, grinders, etc.). It probably isn't designed to do that, but it certainly is marketed to do that. There's even a pic in the user manual showing cutting out a receptical opening (yes, I actually read the manual, but only after it went no joy on me (-; ).
I'll be interested to see what kind of response I get under the warranty.
I tell ya what. I am a Luthier in my spare time. I have a dedicated dremel for things like routing a rosette inlay or polishing stuff in a lightly applied fashion.
All the accessories are really well suited for what they are intended to do, and do work, IF you heed common sense about the designed purpose of the attachment.
Don't get me wrong, I need a Dremel like I need air..one of the best tools ever invented...I polished my natural teeth with a cup brush and baking soda right before my wedding. I have a lot of respect for the tool.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You gotta be kidding me ..Jorge is @ what %? Now?
I polished my natural teeth with a cup brush and baking soda right before my wedding. I have a lot of respect for the tool.
You are a freak! I used a 4" grinder.
Contrary to popular belifes, A 4'' grinder cannot physically occupy a nearness to my trap door, due to impending doomness fears of my face getting into auto rotation..I hate when that happens.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You gotta be kidding me ..Jorge is @ what %? Now?
ya murdered it...
a dremenl is cut out for that kind of stuff... don't think it's cut out to do much of anything...
what's wrong with a DW saw or a sawzall or a rotozip... stuff made fer the job...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
what's wrong with a DW saw or a sawzall or a rotozip... stuff made fer the job...
Actually, I was trying to square up an opening that had been unceremoniously hacked by a DW saw or sawzall. Dremel allowed me to cut to depth down the middle of the joist so I had something to fasten to with the replacement piece. Rotozip's probably the proper tool, but I don't have one...yet.
Dremel allowed me to cut to depth down the middle
can you cut to the edge of yur joist and sister on a nailer?
but I don't have one...yet.
As any woodworker/carpenter/construction guy knows. You can't use "do I need it?" as a criteria for buying a new tool. Whether or not you'll even ever use it is besides the point! For all you confused people out there, I will give you the listed reasons for buying a new tool straight from "The Man Bible" Chapter 35 Section 72 Subsection D Paragraph 23 states:
You simply buy a new tool because:
a) It's there
b) You can
I hope this has cleared up any questions any of you may have for buying new tools, and hopefully relieve some of the guilty feelings you may have about purchasing that new tool with the money you should have spent on a new dishwasher for your wife.Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
can you cut to the edge of yur joist and sister on a nailer?
A) Cut down center of joist with Dremel and destroy the tool in the process
B) Cut down center of joist with Rotozip, which must be purchased for $$
C) Sister on a nailer with scrap lumber on hand
Hmm, "C" is looking like the economical choice. "B" is the sexy choice (a new tool). And behind curtain "A" is the year's worth of Rice-A-Roni (I hate R-A-R).
so now all ya need is a hand operated DW saw....
ya gotta get ya new tool outta this somehow... the saw will cost less than the bit fer the rotozip..
can I suggest a compressor, air line and a nail gun(s) to properly affix that nailer..
don't wanna nail ya say...
how about a cordless driver...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Wondering why a Dremel burns out performing home building tasks is sorta like wondering why you keep trashing tranmissions on you VW bug when you tow the boat trailer. In either case, the tool was not meant for what it is being used for.
I got my first Dremel about 40 years ago for building slot cars. The tool is primarily designed for hobbyists and works very well in that arena. I still use the two Dremels that I own, but when I need real power, I go for the Rotozip or a router.
Many Dremels use a plastic union to connect the motor shaft to the collet. Load the tool too much and the plastic union can break or slip. But it can also be repaired.
Dremel is a nifty, versatile tool, brawny it is not.
what's with all the "dremel's aren't worth a damn"
Mine's paid for itself on several occasions....
Sure it's not an everyday kind of tool but it does come in handy from time to time.
they have their imits and ripping DW is over the top...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I've had several dremel's over the years. everytime each one of the cursed things wear's out, I get the next model up from the last one I had, hoping for better luck. they all start sounding sick after a few cumulative minutes of use. Basicly, the're a housewife grade tool.
I do have the one now with the flex shaft which comes in handy for nicking hard to reach nails, (don't waste the life span of the tool trying to cut the nail all the way in half, just lightly score and break off with pliers).
After I finish burning up my current dremel, I'm going to try a proxxon. There not much more expensive, but seem to better built and more suited for professional use.
I do use a diamond wheel from time to time with the dremel to sharpen the flush cut blade on my fein multimaster, - now thats a "real" tool.
Been using the rotzip for drywall cutting, and been working just fine. Wished I'd have gotten one long before I did. For dust control, I've been just holding the vac hose up to it while I'm cutting. work's great, but I'll check out the hose attachment mentioned.
any tool when pushed past it's abilities is going to give it up.
I've found many reasons to keep my dremel around, probably only get's used once or twice a month, but when it does it's usually beacause no other tool I have will work.
In your defense, Dremel does sell the drywall cutting kit for it. But it's not really designed for that duty.
They probably should have included some sort of dust shield with the drywall bit.
Suicide,
The Dremel and even the rotozip are ill-suited for drywall in my opinion. The fan seems to suck in the dust and deposit it on the bearings. I borrowed a friends rotozip and did the same. Not wanting to buy him a new one I took it apart and cleaned out the dust. It was compacted firmly around everything from the bearings to the windings of the motor.
Warning besides the obvious (death etc) on taking it apart. These are assembled by robots in outerspace. When you take out a few screws ... springs, clips and mscl parts shoot all over the room. Putting it back together after getting rid of the drywall dust is a 15 minute job.
POS comes to mind. It ought to be a sealed system with a heat sink to get the heat out of the windings. In no circumstance should drywall dust be able to "cool" a tool with direct airflow.
I view these as disposable tools. use them til they drop then pitch em. Sort of like sabre saws. If it is good enough to last it is too heavy to use.
I don't know if you have seen or used one, but there's an accessory for the RotoZip for cutting drywall and connecting the base to a Shop Vac. It works pretty well and if you use the right bits, the dust is pushed away from the tool. a 1/8" drill bit isn't the right one, for sure. Maybe another Dremel could be used to fix the bad one- they say you can do anything with it.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
The vacuum attachment is probably a way to keep these from gumming up. But I generally clean up the workspace after the work is done.
However, Unless this is a tiny DIY project the vacuum is a nightmare when hauling around sheets of 12' drywall. Just one more thing to manage, move and plug in. Rolling the vacuum, moving the wall powered screw gun, dodging chunks of cutouts and a drywall lift should be good for a few explicatives. It seems like the vacuum could be the first item to be shot out of the room.
I really think it ought to be blown in the air for all to breath. It'll help to make a lifetime warranty more probable.
Does anyone use a tool other than a rotozip that doesn't gum up?Jack of all trades and master of none - you got a problem with that?
The vac attachment really helps. Not the best for visibility, but by comparison, it works. I don't have one, I've used my friends' Roto and usually use a rock saw when I cut.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
freestate1,
I agree it's not really powerful enough for the drywall nor is the collet chuck near as good as the rotozip (rotozip collet is tapered on both ends and grips better) for such cutting, but it sure goes beyond "hobby tool". I've solved several problems on the job and fixed several tools with it.
What a quality tool and company. I had a old (good, variable speed, ball bearing) dremel I had used for several years that finally started "skipping".
I ask the company if they could fix it - they just sent me a new one free.
Fz