16
The speed of Rotary Tool is controlled by
setting the blue speed control buttons.
Settings for Approximate Revolutions
Speed Setting
Speed Range
5
5,000 RPM
10
10,000 RPM
*15
15,000 RPM
20
20,000 RPM
28
28,000 RPM
*15 is the maximum speed setting for wire
brushes.
Needs for Slower Speeds
Certain materials, however, (some plastics and
precious metals, for ex ample) require a
relatively slow speed because at high speed
the friction of the accessory generates heat
and may cause damage to the material.
Slow speeds (15,000 RPM or less) usually are
best for polishing operations employing the felt
polishing ac ces sories. They may also be best
for working on deli cate projects as “eggery”
work, delicate wood carving and fragile model
parts.
All brushing applications require
lower speeds to avoid wire discharge from
the holder.
Higher speeds are better for carving, cutting,
shaping, cutting dadoes or rabbets in wood.
Hardwoods, metals and glass require high
speed operation, and drilling should also be
done at high speeds.
Many applications and accessories in our line
will provide the best performance at full speed,
but for certain materials, applications, and
accessories, you need slower speeds, which is
the reason our variable speed models are
available.
To aid you in determining the optimum
operational speed for differ ent materials and
different accessories, we have construct ed a
series of tables that appear on page 23, 24, 25
and 26. By referring to these tables, you can
discover the recommended speeds for each
type of accessory. Look these tables over and
become familiar with them.
Ultimately, the best way to determine the
correct speed for work on any material is to
practice for a few minutes on a piece of scrap,
even after referring to the chart. You can
quickly learn that a slower or faster speed is
more effective just by observing what hap pens
as you make a pass or two at different speeds.
When working with plastic, for example, start
at a slow rate of speed and increase the speed
until you observe that the plastic is melting at
the point of contact. Then reduce the speed
slight ly to get the optimum working speed.
Some rules of thumb in regard to speed:
1. Plastic and other materials that melt at low
temperatures should be cut at low speeds.
2. Polishing, buffing and cleaning with any
type of bristle brush must be done at speeds
not greater than 15,000 RPM to prevent
damage to the brush from bristles flying
toward operator.
3. Wood should be cut at high speed.
4. Iron or steel should be cut at high speed. If
a high speed steel cutter starts to chatter —
this normally means it is running too slow.
5. Aluminum, copper alloys, lead alloys, zinc
alloys and tin may be cut at various speeds,
depending on the type of cutting being
done. Use paraffin or other suitable
lubricant on the cutter to prevent the cut
material from adhering to the cutter teeth.
Increasing the pressure on the tool is not the
answer when it is not performing as you think it
should. Perhaps you should be using a
different accessory, and perhaps an
adjustment in speed would solve the problem.
Leaning on the tool does not help.
Your Dremel Micro can be used with all of the
Dremel accessories, except router bits. While
the tool will work with cut-off wheels, the
reduced speed of this tool will not allow them
to perform optimally. They can be used to cut
soft materials such as wood or plastic, but
cutting metals is not recommended. The Micro
tool cannot be used with any of the Dremel line
of attachments (attachments screw on to the
nose of a rotary tool.)
Let speed do the work!
Use only Dremel
®
, high-performance accessories.
Operating Speeds (Cont.)
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