Using a Dremel as a lathe

[samdiego]

This started when I realized I'd lost the bell for a steam locomotive in HO scale. I chucked a short length of sprue and held the tip of an exacto against it until it was bell shaped. While it was still spinning I touched it with a piece of 1200 grit to smooth it. The whole op only took about 10 minutes. It looks a bit rough in the photo, but the actual bell is smaller than your cursor, prob.

One of my signatures is the addition of custom shiftknobs. The Dremel technique occurred to me when I needed a grenade for a Revell '32. Worked like a champ.

Then I decided to try a beertap for the 1/8 Big T. This started as a jackstand from a 1/8 kit

That was followed by the flaming Bowling Pin for a Big Deuce project.

I've also done a radio mic for a '58 Impala that's hard to photo

I have a few Dremels but my favorite is is a 750 rechargeable, mostly because they are a little weak and spin slowly enough that they can work styrene without melting it.

A couple that didn't need to be lathed. The top photo is a pair of tumbling dice. The Bud Tap handle shifter is for a custom semi-tractor. The eagle is carved from sculpy

Edited November 25, 2014 by samdiego

[JunkPile]

Nice knobs

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Thanks for showing us this.

As a result I've turned a few bottles on my Dremel for some builds

[bobthehobbyguy]

Which number exacto blade are you using? Thanks for the tip.

[BirdWatcher]

Glad to hear it! I thought i was the only glutton for punishment. I've mad a few antenna bases using this method, it was tedious...lost a couple...but it worked. I've also managed to shave some rod down to appropriate sizes as well. My latest effort was some beacon lights for a wrecker.

[Russell C]

(copied 'n pasted back in here from the Google Cache "crashed version" of this thread)

Posted 26 November 2014 - 07:37 PM

On 11/26/2014 at 7:50 AM, 60s Doorslamr said:

... Great way to make breather caps for valve covers, distributers, oil filters, and fuel pumps...

Yes, indeed, anything that is small and round or cylindrical in some way. In my MG TD glue bomb restoration post #16 I showed how I knocked down the bulk of the too-thick steering wheel. 2nd pic below is a close up of a board I made back in the '90s to show to the guys at the Albuquerque Model Car Club of what could be done. I've had the same JC Penny variable speed motor tool this whole time. Wear safety glasses and be careful when you use a sharp blade as a cutting tool!

Edited April 29, 2020 by Russell C
fixed busted photo links

[Lovefordgalaxie]

I use this technique to paint white lines on tires.

[Aaronw]

Awesome work Russell, I've been needing to make an "engine compartment thing".

Sam nice shifters.

Actually I have done a little bit of this after seeing someone mention it. Nothing so elaborate mostly just rounding off the end of a rod with sand paper. I hadn't thought about using an exacto blade to carve into it a bit, that gives me some ideas.

[samdiego]

Thanks. I hadn't thought of bottles. I clipped some sprue from the green tinted clear tree in the AMTronic. Turned out to be just right for an empty Coke Bottle to replace the chromed Coke bottle shift knob in my Monogram Garbage Truck

Edited December 14, 2014 by samdiego