Credit for this tip goes to Paul Budzik. I found the info on his utube channel.
If you have a rotary tool, Busch rotary saws are the cats meow. I purchased them from a company called Conteni, and each blade was just a little over $2. I figured I’d be paying too much in shipping, so I might as well buy a few sizes. Total order value with shipping was $17.31. And boy-- am I pleased.
You know the deal. Small fragile parts that you need to cut from the sprue. And no matter what you do–the piece seems to twist, potentially damaging the part being removed, and creating more work for you later. Even a razor saw puts stresses on it. Well–in comes the rotary saw. These cut like it is cutting through butter. There is virtually no stress to the part being removed.
You can cut as close as you are comfortable with. At this point–you can try cutting the remaining nub with a sharp knife. However-- (not shown), I have found that I can use the rotary saw to cut the nub down almost flush. Then, I follow up with a knife or just sand it. This tool takes the guesswork out of it. And, it makes the process dang fast!
Looks like it works great for those parts you are showing. A sprue cutter or knife kind of acts like a wedge with no place for the part to move without breaking.
Exactly right. And yes, it really really does work well. There is another thread running about game changers. This, for me, is a serious game changer. For anyone that has a rotary tool, you won’t look back if you try it.
Hey Greg. The rotary tool that I bought is a Sears “special.” It is probably near 30 years old now. But here is the thing. There is nothing special about it. It is just like a dremel. Heck, probably made by the same company.
What you see me using is a mechanical attachment. It screws to the front of the rotary tool, stepping down the diameter to a much more managable size. And, the cable is flexible allowing you to more precisely position the bit. I am positive you can get the same attachment for yours. I had just seen them being sold at our local Menards. I am positive too you can get them on-line, if needs be. And yes…it might be more wieldy if you don’t have the same attachment. But, I think that is true with using any of the bits for intricate work. I use my grinder a lot. I love that thing. I would hate the thought of not having that flexible attachment. Greg–get the attachment. You will love it.
I am not famliar with Dremels version, so I cant speak to it. These that I purchased are I think thinner. And they are somewhat flexible.
Greg-- here is a better photo of what I am talking about.
Here is another thing that you may consider. I hated that my rotary tool was either in a constant on or off state. I decided to hook mine up to a footswitch. This way, I can control when it’s on simply by pressing my foot down.
Doing this took some fancy “footwork.” I purchased the outlet box, power cord, and outlet from a hardware store.
One outlet connects to the rotary tool. The other outlet connects to the footswitch. And power comes in from the end. You have to wire it internally so that power runs though the footswitch and outputs to the rotary tool socket. I popped a circuit breaker the first time I tried it. Doh. In the end, I got it, and I love it. It saves on the tools wear, and saves on the ears from having it run more than needed.
Fantastic visual explanation of your setup, Steve. [Y]
I get how the extension works, I like how you have the rotary tool hanging from the ceiling. Perfect. I can almost ‘feel’ holding the extension like a pencil and happily tooling away…
I think I had a footswitch once and must have been another casualty of the domestic reorganization.
Hmmm, I bought one of these cable extensions for my Dremel. The question is where the heck did I put it? Its been at least a year and this thread has reminded me!
I was cleaning out a tool drawer in my workbench yesterday, and came across a nice rotary tool I bought a few years ago and promptly forgot about. It is small and light, but only has a 3/32 chuck. Does anyone know if rotary saw attachments are available in that size shaft?
