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Interesting Tool Fail

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Kyle Boatright

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
1,841
Location
Marietta, GA
I've had two Dremel tools die on me during my RV-10 project. Apparently a tool more or less designed to create dust doesn't handle dust very well.

Anyway, when the second one died, I ordered a Wen brand Dremel knock-off through Amazon.

Last night I was using it (with a sanding drum attachment) to smooth the edges of NACA ducts I was cutting into the side of the fuselage. Then, suddenly, the thing (the knock-off Dremel) started vibrating like crazy. I'm glad I had a good hold on it or it could have jumped out of my hand.

Turned out that the shaft on the attachment had bent about 60 degrees, putting the sanding drum about an inch or so off of the axis of rotation. At 10,000 rpm, that'll cause a heck of a vibration. I'd noticed that the runout on the shaft wasn't good, so what must have happened was that at 10,000 RPM, the runout on the shaft was sufficient to apply enough centrifugal force to bend the shaft. Just bizarre.

After that abuse, the collet on the thing has a *lot* of runout. It wobbles a noticeable amount even at low RPM. So I guess I'm going to have to order Dremel (or equivalent) number 4 for the project. Rrrrrrr.....
 
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