TheSamba.com :: View topic - Advice on small dremel metal cutting wheels

Thu Jun 11, 2020 3:04 am

Hi Folks
I need to do some fine metal cutting ( 0.5 - 1.0mm thickness metal) - and my grinder is just too big for such fine metal cutting...
I am thinking to use my dremel, but the little red metal cutting disks are way too brittle and fragile.

So I am thinking to buy some of these bigger blades https://www.pricemania.sk/rezne-kotuce/dremel-dsm540/
Does anyone have experience with these? They look good, but I think I would need also to buy the adapter which holds them, no?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Uugwya0_8 It's not clear whether or not you must buy this adapter extra...

Thanks
Ed

Thu Jun 11, 2020 3:10 am

OK - this pretty much explains it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8v6dNMcp_g

Thu Jun 11, 2020 3:23 am

I’ve cut M10 hard steel bolts with those reinforced Dremel wheels

They are excellent. The bayonet mount is a but expensive but excellent vs fussing with that stupid little screw.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:34 am

I also once used the little red ones and would break 4 before I was able to cut through anything. I switched the metal with diamond version a few months ago and never looked back. I'm using the Harbor Freight equivalent with my Dremel since they are so much cheaper (and no bayonet mount) but I would guess there's no Harbor Freight in Czechoslovakia.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:38 am

I have used those little red cutting wheels and used individually they break in 5 seconds. I saw a video recommending to double them up --- I tried that and when used carefully actually work very well that way. Not much breaking at all.

I found some insanely cheap sets of these red ones, and ordered about 100psc, for about $5! ....so let's see how these work.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 5:21 am

From looking at your links, it seems to me that the Dremel EZ Lock system uses a proprietary-shaped hole in the cutting discs, and a corresponding shaped 'peg' on the mandrel.

The disc to which you linked is NOT an EZ Lock, but instead uses a standard round hole; so it would likely use a standard round mandrel. Be sure to confirm hole diameters match before buying & using.

FWIW, I've used standard Dremel fiber-reinforced cutoff discs for countless small jobs and have never broken one:
https://www.grainger.com/product/3W842

Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:37 am

The fiber discs are really great. The red discs break every time I put the tool down it seems. But I rarely break one when cutting something. I just have to be real careful to brace my hand using the tool since any sideways force on the red disc will break it. Full cover eye protection, of course.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:45 am

Throw those stupid red discs away!
They only put them in the kit so they can say "Look! It comes with five million pieces!"

This is what you want, go buy it, no regrets.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/dremel-6-piece-steel-1-1-...lsrc=aw.ds

Dave

Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:51 am

Fiber-reinforced cutting discs work very well. Unless you are pulling down a very high wage or there is a state of emergency where an added couple seconds could mean your life, the EZ-lock discs are not worth the extra cost. Not even close. It only takes a few seconds to replace the normal fiber-reinforced discs that have a screw in the middle but the cost is way less. More recently I purchase some of the super-cheap ones off ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/60pcs-Mandrel-Fiber-Glass...Sws65dyNWg

On inspection, their manufacture is less precise than the actual Dremel wheels but they seem to work fine. The price per wheel makes them the clear winner for cost per job completed. YMMV.

That's SIXTY wheels for $9.66 vs. FIVE for $14.98 in the link djkeev just posted! 16 cents per wheel vs. THREE DOLLARS!

Thu Jun 11, 2020 9:55 am

djkeev wrote: Throw those stupid red discs away!
They only put them in the kit so they can say "Look! It comes with five million pieces!"

This is what you want, go buy it, no regrets.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/dremel-6-piece-steel-1-1-...lsrc=aw.ds

Dave

Indeed, I've cut tons of stuff with these EZ-lock reinforced discs. I used them to cut away and shape the oil pan mounting boss (for oil return clearance) when I installed my turbo. Pretty amazing actually, and well worth the $$.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:16 am

epowell wrote: I have used those little red cutting wheels and used individually they break in 5 seconds. I saw a video recommending to double them up --- I tried that and when used carefully actually work very well that way. Not much breaking at all.

I found some insanely cheap sets of these red ones, and ordered about 100psc, for about $5! ....so let's see how these work.

This sort of post reminds me of how stupid I am

What a simple, great idea.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:41 am

The Dremel EZ-Lock cutters work well for all sorts of fine cutting, but follow these three instructions. Go slow and don’t push too hard, because the center will pop out under too much pressure. Prevent the disc from getting too hot by having a spray bottle on hand, stop regularly and spray the disc to cool it down. Also try to cut at 90º because side pressure builds up heat FAST and the glue will break apart. Doing this, the EZ-Lock cutters last a LOT longer.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:46 am

djkeev wrote: Throw those stupid red discs away!
They only put them in the kit so they can say "Look! It comes with five million pieces!"

This is what you want, go buy it, no regrets.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/dremel-6-piece-steel-1-1-...lsrc=aw.ds

Dave

2nd on this tool... the screw-on disks will spin and loose cutting ability.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 11:02 am

epowell wrote: So I am thinking to buy some of these bigger blades https://www.pricemania.sk/rezne-kotuce/dremel-dsm540/
Does anyone have experience with these? They look good, but I think I would need also to buy the adapter which holds them, no?

That is a tile cutting blade.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:11 pm

One main reason I finally wore out my Dremel was due to use of the EZ metal cutting discs. I used the Dremel a lot for that purpose.

Wear face protection. It's a small tool but the Dremel with that disc will grab. Use both hands but try to keep the vents on tool open.

Neil.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:21 pm

5 of my 6 girls report they work well for dismembering toxic males; I had to buy six Dremels but at least get the bits in bulk

Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:30 pm

0cean wrote:
2nd on this tool... the screw-on disks will spin and loose cutting ability.

If that happens it is simply due to operator error. Never happens to me.

Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:46 pm

Thanks for all of these amazing replies - I wish I had asked years ago. Trying to do complicated body work with only a grinder for cutting out rust is not practical.

Currently I actually need these small bits for cutting thin metal fingerboards on my guitars, but thank God there is so much overlap between guitar building and vanagon repairing :)

Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:30 pm

?Waldo? wrote: 0cean wrote:
2nd on this tool... the screw-on disks will spin and loose cutting ability.

If that happens it is simply due to operator error. Never happens to me.

You are probably counted among the few.
If it was not a problem, the new design would still be on the drawing board and not in the stores.

Dave

Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:33 pm

I have never experienced the discs spinning on the screw either. I don't even see how that would happen with the red discs, they are so fragile I would think the amount of force required to stop it from spinning would cause it to explode. I must be very gentle on the pressure with the fiber discs compared to you monkeys! :P

The fiber reinforced discs are great for cutting steel. I never use the red discs for anything hard, soft metals and plastics only.