how to bypass dremel tool internal variable speed control?

[krw]

Well that would defeat the purpose of the oil in the first place, which is
squirted into the tool to lubricate the air motor. Perhaps you're referring
to the high speed air turbine tools? Either way unless you already have the
compressor as I did, an electric tool is far cheaper and is not tethered to
a big heavy noisy piece of equipment.

Tethered? I plumbed my house[*] for air. ;-)

[*] Places I'd likely use air tools.

 

[DoN. Nichols]

news:[email protected]...

[ ... ]

Ouch!

[ ... ]

Well you need an air compressor for one of those, a tool relatively few
people own.

I certainly do.

Hmm ... this is cross-posted to the following newsgroups:

sci.electronics.basics
sci.electronics.repair
rec.crafts.metalworking
alt.engineering.electrical

Of those, the third (rec.crafts.metalworking) is likely to have a very
*high* percentage of readers who own an air compressor. The reply
suggesting a pneumatic die grinder probably came from someone in RCM who
did not notice the other newsgroups in the cross-posting, so it was
reasonable to expect that an air compressor would be present.

I use a pneumatic die grinder occasionally, but it's louder than
my Dremel and it spews out a bit of oil in use.

I forget what the application was for the Dremel (somewhere
upthread) so I don't know whether the oil is a problem or not. If
working on metal, I would suggest that the oil is probably a benefit,
not a problem.

If oil is a problem, I would second the suggestion for a
Foredom. Note that not only does it have a fairly hefty flexible shaft,
but for smaller tools (e;g. what a Dremel would be comfortable driving)
there is a handpiece with a short very flexible shaft just before it
which makes precise hand control a lot easier.

I use an ancient Foredom with the extra flexible handpiece for
tuning English concertina reeds, with a Dremel foot pedal for speed
control, from a near total stop (needed on the tiny reeds at the upper
end of the collection in a typical concertina) to near full speed (for
the lowest pitch reeds).

Enjoy,
DoN.

 

[DoN. Nichols]

According to James Sweet <[email protected]>:

[ ... ]

Either way unless you already have the
compressor as I did, an electric tool is far cheaper and is not tethered to
a big heavy noisy piece of equipment.

The big and heavy I would agree with for any compressor
adequate to drive a die grinder, but *noisy*? It may be that you have
the wrong air compressor. The oilless ones tend to be *very* noisy, but
the oil wetted ones, with a belt drive from the motor to the compressor
tends to be very quiet in comparison. Yes, there are bursts of chugging
from time to time, but no problem from my point of view at least. I
would not have one of the oilless ones in my shop.

As for heavy -- I just installed a reel fed hose on the ceiling
to allow me to reach any place in the shop where I am likely to need
air. Someday, I will probably plumb it for drops near each likely place
of use.

Enjoy,
DoN.

 

[James Sweet]

The big and heavy I would agree with for any compressor
adequate to drive a die grinder, but *noisy*? It may be that you have
the wrong air compressor. The oilless ones tend to be *very* noisy, but
the oil wetted ones, with a belt drive from the motor to the compressor
tends to be very quiet in comparison. Yes, there are bursts of chugging
from time to time, but no problem from my point of view at least. I
would not have one of the oilless ones in my shop.

Ah crap, I didn't notice the crossposting until now, I won't keep this
thread going beyond this, I thought I was only replying to
sci.electronics.repair which is something that rarely requires air.

I do have an oiled belt drive reciprocating compressor, it's a LOT quieter
than the oilless junk but it's still quite loud. Part of the problem is
where it sits in the corner, the sound is amplified and echos.

 

[msg]

James Sweet wrote:

Ah crap, I didn't notice the crossposting until now, I won't keep this
thread going beyond this, I thought I was only replying to
sci.electronics.repair which is something that rarely requires air.

Not to sound trollish, but one of my pet peeves is the lack of compressed
air capability in electronics (and formerly computer) repair shops;
cleanliness is next to godliness in equipment maintenance and for shops
not to at least use compressed air to clean dirty customer gear is to me
unconscionable (when needed I would expect hot high-pressure non-ionic
detergent cleaning as well).

Our regional Tektronix repair depot _routinely_ hot-washed and baked
instruments that were brought in for repair.

Regards,

Michael

 

[Bruce L. Bergman]

They all need a little oil, but most people tend to over-do it and
it gets a bit messy. Only needs a drop or two a day, for light duty.
(Or they forget to oil them, and the tool dies a quick death.)

You can install an inline mist oiler on your workbench outlet that
you use the air tools at. But then you have to be REALLY careful not
to mix your hoses used with oiled air with your 'clean' hoses, or
you'll go to paint something and wreck a paint job getting oil
(residue from inside the hoses) into the paint.

For a proper compressor: Big, yes. Noisy, not really, if you buy a
proper belt-drive unit where the compressor is turning under 800 RPM
or so. The little 3450 RPM direct drive pancake compressors are not
enough to run a die grinder for any usable duty time, they make more
noise than they do air.

I have the "5 HP" (really a 4, but it's enough) Husky (Campbell
Hausfeld) 2-stage 80 gallon, and it's not noisy at all when running.
The fancier compressors from Ingersoll-Rand and Quincy are even
quieter and will run practically forever (even if used a lot), but you
pay a heck of a premium for a few Db's.

And I have the lumber and a solid-core door to build a little closet
around the unit, that will make it virtually silent - just need a
small vent fan before I start enclosing it, so it doesn't cook itself
if run for long periods...

Tethered? I plumbed my house[*] for air. ;-)

[*] Places I'd likely use air tools.

Don't forget to put an outlet under the eaves or on the backside of
a framed "chimney", so the roofers have a convenient place to plug in.
Did you ever notice that you can get nice recessed "wall hydrants" for
water faucets outdoors, but nobody makes them for air?

Or a flush plate-mountable air QD fitting that would look good
inside a house? I'm just going to put the air-line drop in the
front closet, and paint the pipe when I'm done.

--<< Bruce >>--

 

[Bruce L. Bergman]

Ah crap, I didn't notice the crossposting until now, I won't keep this
thread going beyond this, I thought I was only replying to
sci.electronics.repair which is something that rarely requires air.

Au contraire, mon frere... ;-) It's still relevant.

You have to evict the dust bunnies from inside the gear before you
can start fixing it. And what's the easiest way to do it?...

I do have an oiled belt drive reciprocating compressor, it's a LOT quieter
than the oilless junk but it's still quite loud. Part of the problem is
where it sits in the corner, the sound is amplified and echos.

Build a sound cover around it that buts up to the wall. Plywood box
with acoustic ceiling tiles glued to the inside, and make a labyrinth
channel vent on top for air circulation that is also lined with
acoustic tile - air goes through, sound bounces off the walls and
dies.

If you really seal it tight to the wall and floor, put a second
labyrinth trap down low with a muffin fan or two for air flow.

--<< Bruce >>--

 

[krw]

James Sweet wrote:



Not to sound trollish, but one of my pet peeves is the lack of compressed
air capability in electronics (and formerly computer) repair shops;
cleanliness is next to godliness in equipment maintenance and for shops
not to at least use compressed air to clean dirty customer gear is to me
unconscionable (when needed I would expect hot high-pressure non-ionic
detergent cleaning as well).

Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
than good.

Our regional Tektronix repair depot _routinely_ hot-washed and baked
instruments that were brought in for repair.

Quite a different thing, though I wouldn't do this either, unless the
equipment was made for it.

 

[krw]

They all need a little oil, but most people tend to over-do it and
it gets a bit messy. Only needs a drop or two a day, for light duty.
(Or they forget to oil them, and the tool dies a quick death.)

You can install an inline mist oiler on your workbench outlet that
you use the air tools at. But then you have to be REALLY careful not
to mix your hoses used with oiled air with your 'clean' hoses, or
you'll go to paint something and wreck a paint job getting oil
(residue from inside the hoses) into the paint.

For a proper compressor: Big, yes. Noisy, not really, if you buy a
proper belt-drive unit where the compressor is turning under 800 RPM
or so. The little 3450 RPM direct drive pancake compressors are not
enough to run a die grinder for any usable duty time, they make more
noise than they do air.

I have the "5 HP" (really a 4, but it's enough) Husky (Campbell
Hausfeld) 2-stage 80 gallon, and it's not noisy at all when running.
The fancier compressors from Ingersoll-Rand and Quincy are even
quieter and will run practically forever (even if used a lot), but you
pay a heck of a premium for a few Db's.

And I have the lumber and a solid-core door to build a little closet
around the unit, that will make it virtually silent - just need a
small vent fan before I start enclosing it, so it doesn't cook itself
if run for long periods...

Tethered? I plumbed my house[*] for air. ;-)

[*] Places I'd likely use air tools.

Don't forget to put an outlet under the eaves or on the backside of
a framed "chimney", so the roofers have a convenient place to plug in.
Did you ever notice that you can get nice recessed "wall hydrants" for
water faucets outdoors, but nobody makes them for air?

Because air doesn't freeze, break pipes, and otherwise cause a huge
mess?

Making the roofer's job easy isn't my intent and I certainly don't
want to climb up on the roof to install/service an air connection
that I'll never use. OTOH, we're thinking about building a house.
If we end up going that way, I was considering an air connection
inside every closet (hidden, but accessible). Running the lines in
open walls is easy enough.

Or a flush plate-mountable air QD fitting that would look good
inside a house? I'm just going to put the air-line drop in the
front closet, and paint the pipe when I'm done.

I don't think they have to look all that good of you just tuck them
in closets alongside the door opening. No one will see them there so
they don't even need to be painted. I have one in an outside closet
(outside the front door, where the entrance panel is), just because
it was a convenient place to run a line from the basement to the
garage.

 

[James Sweet]

Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
than good.

I do it all the time, never had an issue with it. One thing I have learned
though is to stay away from optical drives with the air, more than once I've
stirred up dust which settled in and ruined the optics.

 

[Rich Grise]

Ah crap, I didn't notice the crossposting until now, I won't keep this
thread going beyond this, I thought I was only replying to
sci.electronics.repair which is something that rarely requires air.

I do have an oiled belt drive reciprocating compressor, it's a LOT quieter
than the oilless junk but it's still quite loud. Part of the problem is
where it sits in the corner, the sound is amplified and echos.

Get a couple of pieces of egg-crate foam and glue them to the wall
behind the noisemaker. That will cut down on the focusing effect.

You might spray them with some kind of snow-flock stuff, but the
solvents could attack the foam, so check the labels and stuff.

As far as needing the oil for your grinder, maybe poke a hole
in an old sock and put it around the grinder to catch the spray?

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Gerald Miller]

Because air doesn't freeze, break pipes, and otherwise cause a huge
mess?

Making the roofer's job easy isn't my intent and I certainly don't
want to climb up on the roof to install/service an air connection
that I'll never use. OTOH, we're thinking about building a house.
If we end up going that way, I was considering an air connection
inside every closet (hidden, but accessible). Running the lines in
open walls is easy enough.


I don't think they have to look all that good of you just tuck them
in closets alongside the door opening. No one will see them there so
they don't even need to be painted. I have one in an outside closet
(outside the front door, where the entrance panel is), just because
it was a convenient place to run a line from the basement to the
garage.

I have a QC below the brickwork above a basement window, 100' of hose
will reach anywhere on the property/house.
Gerry }
London, Canada

 

[Gerald Miller]

Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
than good.

Can't see as it would be worse than canned air
Gerry }
London, Canada

 

[msg]

krw wrote:

Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
than good.

Proper ESD controls should always be in place during disassembly
and repair; the airstream is really not an issue. Compressed
air cleaning is standard practice in computer and electronic
equipment maintenance; excess moisture in the airstream is
often a problem however when dryers are absent.

Regards,

Michael

 

[Gerard Schildberger]

| Gerald Miller wrote:
|> krw wrote:
|> Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
|> things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
|> than good.

| Can't see as it would be worse than canned air

Much worse. What creates the static electricity is the
relatively long path of the air using a compressor (length
of the hose and or pipe). Canned air is very short,
and static electricity has hardly any time to be
generated. _____________________________________Gerard S.

 

[clare at snyder.on.ca]

Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
than good.


Quite a different thing, though I wouldn't do this either, unless the
equipment was made for it.

Low pressure air is standard procedure for cleaning out computers that
are in normal dusty condition, and after fires and disasters,
computers were routinely cleaned with a type of "dishwasher" with a
speacial cleaner, then vacuum baked dry.

Today's computers ( and almost all consumer electronis) are cheap
enough that replacement is almost as low cost as salvaging.

 

[Gerald Miller]

| Gerald Miller wrote:
|> krw wrote:
|> Static electricity and electronics don't mix, not to mention breaking
|> things. Using a compressor to blow out computers may do more harm
|> than good.

| Can't see as it would be worse than canned air

Much worse. What creates the static electricity is the
relatively long path of the air using a compressor (length
of the hose and or pipe). Canned air is very short,
and static electricity has hardly any time to be
generated. _____________________________________Gerard S.

And if the copper blow pipe is grounded to the chassis?
Gerry }
London, Canada

 

[krw]

I do it all the time, never had an issue with it. One thing I have learned
though is to stay away from optical drives with the air, more than once I've
stirred up dust which settled in and ruined the optics.

I've handled CMOS devices with bare hands/no straps too, but the
plural of anecdote isn't data. The fact is that moving air will get
a charge. If the conditions are right you can zap something.

The other problem with the high pressure/volume of a shop compressor
is physical damage. Unless you're a pig, such things shouldn't be
necessary.

 

[krw]

Low pressure air is standard procedure for cleaning out computers that
are in normal dusty condition, and after fires and disasters,

130PSI @ 10CFM is not "low pressure". I see all sorts of "standard
procedures" go on by monkeys with screwdrivers.

computers were routinely cleaned with a type of "dishwasher" with a
speacial cleaner, then vacuum baked dry.

Routinely? Mine never have been. I know the Tek stuff mentioned
earlier is designed not to trap solvents and the gunk they leave
behind.

Today's computers ( and almost all consumer electronis) are cheap
enough that replacement is almost as low cost as salvaging.

I'll agree there. If it's going to get that dirty in a couple of
years, perhaps one ought to clean house a little more often. OTOH,
I learned not to put towers directly on the floor. They make good
cat-hair vacuums.

 

[krw]

I have a QC below the brickwork above a basement window, 100' of hose
will reach anywhere on the property/house.

You have a small lot. ;-) Dragging 100' of hose around is a PITA
though. I never used more than 40' to side my garage and the
compressor is in the basement.