The Quest for a Variable Speed Dremel

by Ed Vining

problem

	need for a variable speed hand held rotary tool
	high expense of tools
	need for a place to put attachments

solution

	buy a "generic" model
	GE dimmer light switch
	cigar box

let me start this edition of "incredible creations" off by saying that i (richardvining.com) cannot take credit for this particular creation. it is the brainchild of my brother ed. (pictured on the left in front of what appears to the the world's largest what-a-burger)

anyway... ed had the need for a variable speed hand held rotary tool that has 5,000-35,000 rpm, comes with 158 accessories, a "flex shaft" attachment, a cutting guide, a keyless chuck attachment and storage case. after all, who doesnt?

being the thrifty sort, ed decides to go out and price one of these beauties. this is what he learns:

1: dremel is the "name brand" not the actual device

2: dremel is very proud of their creation ($$$)

3: lots of knock-off tools and attachments are available

4: heck, i can make one of these... i'm ED!

this is what the "cadillac" of dremel's looks like. total cost: $129.99

feeling that it is pretty ridiculous to pay that much, ed seeks out some generic brands by heading to sears. (yes, they are still in business) what he finds there is much better, but still expensive.

	the craftsman version of the dremel tool is basically the same in every way but color and price and is definately a value when compared with the dremel. however, the craftsman did try to slide one by us by saying that its tool has 5 total speeds. this is only true if you count "off" as a speed, in which case the dremel now has 6 speeds.

even though this is a savings of about 30 bucks, ed is still not convinced he needs to spend that much on this type of tool. so he continues to look.

just down the asile a "single speed" dremel like tool catches ed's eye. the "single speed" name on the box is a bit confusing @ first seeing how on the above model, "off" is considered to be a speed. so intrigued as to whether or not this is just an inanimate object for $39.95, ed decided to read the specifications on the box.

	to his amazment, the box has been mis-labeled. the tool actually has 2 speeds, "go" and "stop". further investigation revealed that the "go" speed was the equivilant of the "5" speed on the other tool. all other specifications on the drill were the same. the $60 dollar price difference seemed like a lot to pay for a switch, even if the box had a typo on it.

it was @ this moment that ed begins to think: how can i make this dremel tool have all the usefulness of the $129.99 dollar version?

	dremel $129.99	\|	craftsman $39.95
flashy carrying case	X	\|
158 accessories	X	\|
35,000 rpm	X	\|	X
lifetime warrenty		\|	X
"incredible creations" potential		\|	X
TOTAL SCORE	3		3

so as you can see, its basically a wash and with the $90 bucks in extra cash saved you can buy all the attachments you want. now all ed had to do was make up for the variable speed inadequacy. this is where the GE dimmer switch and cigar box fit into the mix.

the first thing ed does with his new tool when he takes it out of the box is cut the cord and strip back some wire. actually, that was the second thing he did. the first thing he did was to plug in the thing to make sure the "single speed" was indeed one that rotated. anyway, after stripping back some wire ed spliced in a dimmer switch and voila! he not only had full 35,000 rpm throttle, but he had every speed in between! for lack of a better term, we will call this i-n-f-i-n-i-t-e speed selector "ed-o-matic" from here on out.

above: the "ed-o-matic" switch

left: dremel to switch wiring

the only problem with the "ed-o-matic" rotary tool was that it was a bit unwieldy with all the loose wires and what not. so to clean things up a bit ed installed the switch in a wooden cigar box. this not only cleaned up the tool's appearance, it also gave him a convenient storage box for all this accessories.

accessory compartment keeps those easy to lose attachments safe

the finished product

CONCLUSION: this device qualifies for the "incredible creations" archive due to its cost effectivness and flawless design. the ability to hit anywhere from 1 rpm to 2 rpm to 3 rpm.... 34,999 rpm to 35,000 rpm is not only useful, it's "incredible". (hence the name of the archive)

evining

- 1/10/2008 9:54:38 PM
cool! this thing is still on your creation list. I still use it regularly (a decade and running w/o malfunction.) still my primary rotary tool.

The Quest for a Variable Speed Dremel

by Ed Vining

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