Cheap Die Grinder

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all,

I just purchased (well technically the ACT gov bought it for the NBPCA) a well known brand Die Grinder that begins with M, ends with a, and has akit in the center.

It cost less than $115 at a certain brand of shop starting with G and ending with d, with as Wel in the center.

So cheap that you can afford to buy the bits from whomever you like. Single speed, 400 watt motor with long rubber enclosed nose to make holding easy. Goes like a dream.

I did some carving to tidy up a Callistemon and it performed beautifully, then finished off with a dremel.

June 2009 025.jpg

[Scott Roxburgh]

Hi Grant,

Looks great, do you have any before and after pics of the Callistemon?

You say that you finished it off with a dremel, which one do you have?

I am looking at buying one soon and was thinking this one:

http://www.mytoolstore.com.au/dremel-se ... -1095.html

I am mostly looking at work on deciduous material.

Does anyone else have any input?

[Scott Roxburgh]

Sorry I didn't see the other post

[Bretts]

That's interesting Grant. I have not used my samurai carver like yours yet because I have always used a router trimmer with router attachments for my carving. Mine has a fixed speed of 30,000rpm and the samurai has a maximum speed rating of 15,000. So I have been on the look out for a variable speed die grinder that will not break the bank ever since. This die grinder you have purchased has a fixed speed of 25,000rpm I believe. It is also only rated to have a max wheel size of 38mm and the samurai is 50mm.
I think the samurai is a nasty enough tool as it is without pushing past it's rated capabilities and I figure you are not aware of these things.
You may be interested in reading this from kaizenbonsai about a tool Graham Potter designed that has a higher rpm rating than the samurai.
http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/produc ... ts_id=1519
I remember you having other carving bits if it is not the Terrier of Graham's then maybe it is a Shogun Master like this http://www.samurai.nl/?&m=s&t=P&p=SHOGU ... 9939222183 which is rated at 25,000 rpm. Maybe you have other carvers that are rated at this speed for use with this Die grinder.

[Jow]

Could you wire up a lightswitch dimmer to a extension cord to reduce the speed of the die grinder and or make it a variable speed? If so it might make a cheap solution.

[Grant Bowie]

That's interesting Grant. I have not used my samurai carver like yours yet because I have always used a router trimmer with router attachments for my carving. Mine has a fixed speed of 30,000rpm and the samurai has a maximum speed rating of 15,000. So I have been on the look out for a variable speed die grinder that will not break the bank ever since. This die grinder you have purchased has a fixed speed of 25,000rpm I believe. It is also only rated to have a max wheel size of 38mm and the samurai is 50mm.
I think the samurai is a nasty enough tool as it is without pushing past it's rated capabilities and I figure you are not aware of these things.
You may be interested in reading this from kaizenbonsai about a tool Graham Potter designed that has a higher rpm rating than the samurai.
http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/produc ... ts_id=1519
I remember you having other carving bits if it is not the Terrier of Graham's then maybe it is a Shogun Master like this http://www.samurai.nl/?&m=s&t=P&p=SHOGU ... 9939222183 which is rated at 25,000 rpm. Maybe you have other carvers that are rated at this speed for use with this Die grinder.

Good Point. Yes as they say in the classics "If all else fails then read the instructions"

My personal old Die Grinder is also a fixed speed variety but all the bits are small and rated for high speed.

I will have to get a variable speed Die Grinder to safely use the Samurai in future. Can use the fixed speed one for bits suitably rated. As they also say "Children, don't try this at home"

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Grant,

Looks great, do you have any before and after pics of the Callistemon?

You say that you finished it off with a dremel, which one do you have?

I am looking at buying one soon and was thinking this one:

http://www.mytoolstore.com.au/dremel-se ... -1095.html

I am mostly looking at work on deciduous material.

Does anyone else have any input?

Hi Scott,

The Dremel you have highlighted is the same as I am using but has extra goodies. It works very well and the flexible shaft was good as well. It was the first time I have used the flexible shaft.

I have used bit nos 640 , 654, 121, 117 and 199.

640 and 654 for bulk clearing and plunging.
199 for cutting and smoothing.
121 was good for prcisely cutting near the cambium at the edge of the scar.
117 was good for general smoothing

Bit no 640 can really do some good work and you may never need a die grinder.

[Scott Roxburgh]

Excellent Grant thanks for the info!

BTW your scar treatment looks great

Cheers

[Jarrod]

An interesting tool.

I need to invest in a tool that takes more off then a dremel. I have one of those but they just dont move enough wood for larger stock.


Jarrod

[stymie]

I have that exact beast along with one of Graham Potter's 'Terrier' tool bits. Awesome product indeed. It's appetite alarms me.

[Bretts]

You might like the Aussie invention the arbotech Jarrod.
http://www.arbortech.com.au/view/

[Jow]

Does any one know if wiring up a light switch dimmer to an extension cord would be a good way to make a single speed grinder into a variable speed? I have very limited knowledge of things electrical so hopefully there may be someone out there who knows if this is a good, bad or just plain dangerous idea. If it were to work it would make for a very cheap variable speed die grinder. Any sparkys out there?

[Damian Bee]

Hmmm jow,

the motor may not like the load etc and you may end up with third degree burns from melted plastic but i think you really need an electronics engineer for this one.
i have the opposite end of scale, 6 x variable speed 10,000 to 29,000 rpm. so-o-o-o-o smooth when running you wouldn't even know it was on. trust german engineering to come up with something like that. cost about three times the cheap one mentioned earlier but you do get what you pay for....

[Bretts]

Damian could you give more details on wich diegrinder that is. It sounds like pretty decent value still.

[aaron_tas]

Does any one know if wiring up a light switch dimmer to an extension cord would be a good way to make a single speed grinder into a variable speed? I have very limited knowledge of things electrical so hopefully there may be someone out there who knows if this is a good, bad or just plain dangerous idea. If it were to work it would make for a very cheap variable speed die grinder. Any sparkys out there?

yes, i did my time in sydney before deciding to go to tas for uni.

i do not recommend doing anything like your idea at all, it may work for a little while...

but, you are not qualified to work on anything that connects to the grid. and the appliance that you have is not rated for the undervoltage you will be giving it. the way a dimmer works is to cut the peak to peak voltage on the sine wave of voltage you are using. and the die grinder's motor is only rated for 230VAC not below, you will notice that when the die grinder is under load it will punch through some more power to keep up, this extra power is the current, the voltage does not change. if you pull through too much current, you will burn out the motor.

you will ruin your appliance.

but it's yours, do with it what you will