cutoff wheels

[JFettig]

ok i cant figure out what ones to buy, i cut a hole for my rad, and cut a 80mm hole and used over 25 disks... the heavy duty ones dont seem to cut very well, they wear down fast, the normal ones actually work better, and break fast, and i only had one fiber reinforced disk, and they cost a lot...

what ones do i use?!?!?! ooh yea if i wasnt wearing safety glasses... id be blind in one eye, one busted and shot and hit me in the face :D

[stool]

Sounds like you aren't either using the correct speed, or maybe are going too fast or pressing to hard with the Dremel. 25 disks is way too many for an 80mm hole. I normally can do an 80mm with 3-4 normal disks.

[madcow235]

WTF i did a 2ft sq. window with 1 reinforced disk.
wait a second it was 2 :)

[JFettig]

no no no, it was a 80mm a 120 and a 7x7 sq....

im going on #3 because it seems best.... its a black and decker RTX

[Crazy Jayhawk]

You're pressing too hard.

I've cut 120mm fan holes and only used one or two discs to do it. Turn up the speed and let that do most of the work. Just use light pressure and take your time.

[Tbird man]

when you start to smell burning brakes back off your pressing to hard.

[JFettig]

ok thanx for the info guys!
i could tell that i was doing something too much, im gonna go buy me some reinforced ones and make me a window tomoro probably

[Gravity Man]

The rule of thumb is that a few sparks are good, but a buttload just means you're wasting discs. I did 4 windows, 3 fan holes, and a radiator hole, all in hevy guage steel with 15 reinforced discs.

[JFettig]

WOW that is SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[masitti]

Dude, that is an awesome case!

[Gravity Man]

Thanks. I did everything you see here in january/february, but this is the first time I've posted a picture of it, since it isn't quite finished yet (the LEDs need to be changed to red, everything needs to be painted, and I need to make a stand for it since I've got a 120mm fan on the bottom, outside the case because it wouldn't fit inside.).

[JFettig]

SWEET! i LOVE the colors and lighting!!! kinda like mine:p

-edit- what do you use for lighting it up??? were you able to find a RED cathode? or is it some leds like mine?

[Jeff Bolton]

i've been working on my imperial death case :D

case with the imperial symbol from star wars cut into the side. i'd never used a dremel type tool before, NEVER, and didn't practice at all. i have a black and decker RTX, set on medium speed (24k), started with a tube of 20 dremel reinforced wheels that i bought and 20 black and decker wheels that came with it. the dremel ones are better quality, the black and deckers break very easily.

well, there's a certain learning curve that comes with using a new tool, and the dremel/RTX (whatever!) is no exception. i think that my design looks great for a first time mod. i'll have a very long thread with LOTS of pics, my first time modding experiences, etc, after i get my PSU and cold cathode and get the whole thing done, and get the pictures developed and scanned.

of course, with the learning curve, you get better, and find new methods to do things easier, like how to conserve discs longer. its a bit embarassing, but i went through roughly 60 discs to get this design done. i know that's a lot, but as i went on, i got better and learned. at first i was trying to just cut through the metal, and then keep cutting along the design. this left me with a lot of messy and jagged edges. i figured something out (albeit a little bit too late), but here is a method that works for me:

rather than just hack your way through the metal, trace the path of the cut, just barely touching the blade to the metal, just enough to let it cut a small incision in the case so you can see where you have to go. then just keep going over the same area over and over, and as long as you don't lose your angle and cause the blade to break (like i did a few times :rolleyes: ) you should be able to get cleaner cuts with fewer blades.

at least this worked for me, it could be different for other people. just remember that you do get what you pay for when it comes to discs. the RTX is an inexpensive and good alternative to the costly dremel, but from my initial experience, dremel blades are much better.

hope this helps a bit!

jeff

[JFettig]

yep i got the RTX also, it was cheaper and i like how it locks, and the ajustable speed thing... i like it a lot!, gonna go get me some wheels tomoro... lots of them hopefully...

[trdsw20]

whenever your buying attachment tools for your Dremel its usually a good idea to buy the combo deal packs. i was able to buy an 46 piece ( 5 reinforced, a bunch of the thicker wheels) assortment of cut off wheels for 10 bucks. A 5 pack of the reinforced wheels would have been 7 bucks.
I got it at Loews

[Gravity Man]

Originally posted by maskedgeek
SWEET! i LOVE the colors and lighting!!! kinda like mine:p

-edit- what do you use for lighting it up??? were you able to find a RED cathode? or is it some leds like mine?
For the answer to that and more, check my thread (http://forum.oc-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100686).

[adamtekh]

well i just broke the thing that holds the discs on , this is my secound one

i always over tighten them and the little screw breaks
)&^(*&^@(*^%!%&$^%$!^%$!#!^$#!^:beer: :mad: :argue:

[JFettig]

yea i broke my first one, now i just tighten it with my fingernail... no more breaking for me..

[64Thunderbolt]

hey...how much do those disks cost...

[JFettig]

WAY TOO MUCH! :eek: a 5 pack of reinforced cost liek 6 bucks! and a 20 pack of heavy duty cost 6 bucks!, what do i get guys???

[64Thunderbolt]

gee, i think that might have covered shipping...hint hint...:D

Charlie

[adamtekh]

ive been using the heavy duty ones

[JFettig]

Originally posted by 64Thunderbolt
gee, i think that might have covered shipping...hint hint...:D

Charlie

LOL yea but thats only shipping... and i need these to cut other holes too....

are these cheap if i order online???

[Crazy Jayhawk]

Go to Sears and get some Craftsman cutoff wheels. Yes, there's a Craftsman version of this tool too. The lifetime warranty is good since I burned mine out once. They replaced it for free. :D

Anyway, in the Sears pack you get 36 normal cutoff wheels, 20 heavy duty wheels, and a mandrel that holds the wheels. Can't remember how much it costs though.

[JFettig]

i got one of those nearby, but do they have reinforced ones??? there seems to be a huge diff with these compared to the heavy duty ones, and yes i checked their tool, and it was still 10 bucks more than this one...

[Crazy Jayhawk]

Originally posted by maskedgeek
i got one of those nearby, but do they have reinforced ones??? there seems to be a huge diff with these compared to the heavy duty ones, and yes i checked their tool, and it was still 10 bucks more than this one... Yes, they sell fiber-reinforced discs too, for about the same price you mentioned if I remember right.

$10 is a small price to pay for having a tool that you don't have to pay to have repaired.

[PriMoPyR0]

I got one of those packs too... It came with the acuall peice that fits in the rotary tool (the thing with the little screw) a 36 peice spindle of normal cut off wheels, a 20 peice spindle of heavy duty cut off wheels, then it came with 4 black reinforced cut off wheels, 2 brown reinforced cut off wheels, both kinds of which i found worked just as well as the other.. I got this at home depot for a grand total of 12$ not bad i thought.. this little kit has lasted me for a long time now....

BTW: The kit is "Dremel" brand....