Dollieh Sanctuary

I have decided that a rotary tool would serve me well, but I don't want to use my giant power drill with a battery that weighs more than my cat. A smaller tool like a dremel would be great, something I can hold in one hand and maneuver easily but I'm no home improvement guru nor very experienced with any tools that require electricity. You can say that I'm a sucker for old fashion methods or that things which growl with a little motor or go PSSHH! with an air compressor scare me because of the price tag attached to such things, But I have admitted that I have a problem, I'm cheap and I need a tool. It's time to crack open my wallet and go shopping.

I'd be using a dremel and the appropriate attachments to buff cured super scupley to a glossy shine, engrave and etch designs into it, to hack off parts I don't want or make the shaping process a bit faster than chiseling and whittling the stuff down with a craft knife.

So does anyone out there have any experience with dremels or other rotary tools? If so what brand and model do you use? Would you recommend it?

It might also be cool to know what problems you have run into with your rotary tools and what you have found surprisingly useful about it.

Try going to your local hardware store (Home Depot, Lowes, even Walmart has some dremels) or the internet and looking around at the different options. There are some very basic starter kits that come with bits and chucks that you can find for around $20-$30 that are great to start out with. You can also get a bunch of different bits and chucks that fit most dremels if you need different ones later one (they don't necessarily have to be the same brand as the dremel). After you get a basic dremel, and if you really like it and need a more powerful one/want a cordless model/just want to upgrade, you can always upgrade later on.

My Hubby's dremel is just a really basic corded off-brand model. It was bought for him by his parents years and years ago from Walmart around Christmas time, and he still uses it. He has never really felt the desire to upgrade. He did have to get some replacement sanding and grinding bits last year, but he really loves it.

I got this one a few months ago and I am extremely happy with it. It was a great buy for the money and even has the flex shaft with it. Came with a lot of tools but I also got another kit as well. Most Dremel stuff except for the EZ lock will fit this one but it's half the price of a similar corded Dremel and the flex shaft. This one has multiple speeds, it's got a decent amount of power and it's got the same collet size as Dremel.

http://www.amazon.com/Gyros-40-10470-Po ... Y+TOOL+KIT

I'm pretty much a beginner, and I've got a cheap-ish off-brand dremel as well. It's just fine for getting started and it's served me well so far.

I use a rotary tool (Dremel is, I think, a name brand) quite often in the process of modifying dolls. I haven't used it on hardened polymer clay yet. But I think the same problem would apply to any use on plastic - if you buy one of the 'better' quality ones with a higher powered motor, it might run fast enough to burn or melt plastic and therefore be a bad idea on vinyl doll heads or, in your case, sculpey.

Mine is, instead, a 'cheap' hobby one. I purchased it from Harbor Freight tools quite some time back. It's made by Chicago Electric.

I checked the Harbor Freight website and they have a similar starter kit now, just with a different brand name, for all of $11 and shipping.

http://www.harborfreight.com/80-piece-r ... 97626.html

Dremel is a name brand power tool manufacturer specializing in rotory tools. ( http://www.dremel.com/ )

One of the signs of a higher quality unit is a speed control (some low quality ones have speed controls too, but I can't recall any top grade units that didn't have a speed control). Best bet is to visit a shop like Lowes, Sears, or Home Depot and handle some of the units they have on display to get a feel for the different weight/size options, then picking up either a starter kit with the tool you like, or the tool and a 'bit kit' compatible with the tool. Double check bit kit compatibility, as the collets (the part that holds the bit in the rotary tool) aren't always compatible across units. I prefer the units with flex shafts myself, but they seem to be less popular now then they used to be.

I suggest Dremel brand myself, as I've never had one fail on me (My family has gone through 15+ rotory tools in my lifetime and the 4 Dremels are the only ones still working, and one of those is older then I am.) I believe they are a bit more expensive then other brands though.

I really enjoy a Yukon Tools rotary kit. I have a Dremel but I don't have all the parts and accessories the Yukon has in that kit. This particular one comes with an extension so you're not trying to rotor fine details with a big, heavy and vibrating tool. (what she said) It literally felt like I was just using a pencil. There was some vibration but it wasn't anything compared to trying to hold an actual Dremel in my hands and do any decent detail work. If you can see on the picture in the link there's this cord on the right, that's it. It plugs and locks into the rotary tool then you insert your various heads on the other end. It's a flexible cord but it handles all the rpms of the base rotary unit. This Yukon unit is big and it definitely has some vibration to it. I didn't find it suitable for detail work alone. I only wanted to use it with the extension. It has a hook and is designed to hang out of the way while you're using it via extension.

Any rotary tool kit you decide to buy, if it's going to be for doll stuff and fine details, you'd probably really benefit from this extension that allows you greater control. I don't know if any other brands come with that kind of tool but it's worth looking into. Good luck!


http://www.amazon.com/Yukon-Tool-Deluxe ... y+tool+kit

If you're working with poly and FYI, I do, you definitely want the Gyro or a real Dremel and the flex shaft if your budget can afford it. The Gyro is multi speed and the flex shaft is pretty good. A real Dremel is the best but the Gyro one is a legit alternative. It's a good one and is not junky like some. I like it because it is corded, multi speed, has that shaft and a pole to put the main body on. It's pretty darned close to Dremel quality from what I've seen. The only other one that is non-Dremel that I thought of was the Black and Decker, but you don't get the flex shaft with that and the flex shaft is a necessity I think when working craft, particularly when you're talking poly and dolls.

I have a Craftsman from Sears. Make sure you get one with different speed settings and a powerful motor. I love mine and have used it quite often.

http://youtu.be/TRpk-XEvyns

A video of the extension in action.