Playing with Dremel flexi-drive

[Neil Dyball]

All,

Have tried piercing a couple of times before but found it really awkward using the Dremel directly. Decided to invest in a flexi-drive and this definitely makes things a lot easier. The cutters I've got were acquired from Mick Hanbury at a recent all-day demo I attended.

Turned this small 'trinket' type bowl from an offcut of something or other that was kicking around the workshop.









It's 125mm diameter and about 28mm high. The wall is 2.5mm thick from the rim to about 3/4 of the way down and then gradually thicker to the foot. Finished with a couple of coats of lemonoil (which I'm a recent convert to!). Any suggestions as to the wood species would be of interest.

The 'pattern' is purely random, apart from having my initials 'cunningly' hidden in it.

Now I've got the hang of the flexi-drive I'll hopefully be doing a bit more piercing soon.

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[wizer]

You certainly get the best demonstrators up there Neil. I'm considering going on one of Mick's courses at the end of the year.

I like your piercing work. Nice shapes, seems to work very well.

 

[Neil Dyball]

Hi Tom,

Mick is an excellent demonstrator and I'm sure a course would be both informative & entertaining. I've been lucky enough to see several good pro's in the 20 months or so since I started turning, the very first one was Jimmy Clewes and he's going to take some beating!

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[wizer]

The vast majority of the pro's seem to be in the north. Must be something in the water up there.

 

[PAC]

The cutters I've got were acquired from Mick Hanbury at a recent all-day demo I attended

Hi Neil, can you provide a link to the type of cutters you are using?

Thanks...

 

[Neil Dyball]

Of course!

http://www.mickhanbury.com/MHC01-CuttingBits.html

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[wizer]

Neil I take it they fit in the flexi-drive (3.2mm) with no alterations?

 

[Neil Dyball]

They do indeed Tom.

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[stevebuk]

i like the look of this, we had a demo at our club last wednesday, it looks realatively easy to do and gives a good impression regarding shape, something i will be trying in the future, should i manage to ever get back into the cabin :roll:

 

[Neil Dyball]

Hi Steve,

It's certainly not overly difficult, just requires patience, a steady hand and time. This was just done freehand and 'random' but a regular pattern requires a bit more forethought. The hardest part is getting the wall thickness uniform as the piercing really shows this up if it's inconsitent.

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[shedhead]

I think Mick Hanbury is a great demonstrator. I saw him at my local turning shop last year. I also have his DVD's and they are excellent, he spends a lot of time decorating his turnings, texturing, colouring and as Neil said, piercing.

 

[gasmansteve]

Nice bit of piercing there Neil. Its something I keep thinking of trying. I`m just pleased if something turns out the right shape and in one piece at the moment :wink: never mind piercing or even texturing :lol: :lol: Echo what folk say about Mick and his dvd`s. I once phoned him asking about lathes and he couldnt have been more helpful, very nice bloke!
Steve

 

[cornucopia]

nice work neil- the wood looks like it could be brown oak

 

[Neil Dyball]

Hi George,

Good call, I thought it was probably oak from a furniture offcut but I do now remember having a couple of small pieces of brown oak given to me a while back.

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[Dalboy]

That looks great. The pierce work looks like it could be some form of ancient script :-k

 

[Jonzjob]

That looks really good Neil and you have given me the shove I needed to try it!

Several years back I bought a 50 piece carbide bit set from Axminster tools, they don't seem to do them any more. They look identicle to the bits you are using with a mix of drills and rotary rasps. They were used by the electronics firms in Sillycone Valley (?) in the States. When they became blunt they sharpened them and sold them on to places like Axminster who then sold them for £15 a set! How you sharpen something 1/2 the thickness of a pin beats me!

I have used them for all sorts of aero modeling jobs, but they could do that job just as well me thinks?

Did you do the piercing on the lathe with the spindle locked or on the bench and was it done from the inside or outside?

 

[Neil Dyball]

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitely be doing more of this now I've got the flexi-drive.

John, I did the piercing off the lathe but still on the chuck... if that makes sense! I've got a small 'jig' I made with a bought 3/4" x 16 tpi threaded 'stud' that matches my lathe. I just screw the chuck onto this and pierce at my bench. I personally did it from the inside, for no particular reason, although from memory I think Mick Hanbury did it that way. I then hand sanded very carefully(!) and oiled it. I didn't actually need to return the chuck to the lathe, but could if necessary, and it holds the piece perfectly for piercing whilst allowing me to turn or tilt it for ease of access.

I look forward to seeing your pics now I've "given you a shove" onto the 'piercing slope'

Cheers,

Neil.

 

[Jonzjob]

Yes Niel, that makes perfect sense. I do the same for various things including pyrography on bowls. It makes it a lot easier to control the beast! Such as this dish for a christening

I have had a flexi drive for my Dremel for years now and I made a 'stick' to hold the Dremel instead of buying one and it is worth its weight big time. So much easier to hold a 'pen' rather than the drill. I also have the same setup for my power sander where the drill is mounted in a horizontal clamp that started out life as a Wolf drill powered lathe and the flex drive has the little 2 inch sander in it. So much easier than trying to hold a bloody great drill against a spinning object :roll: !

I've also got a battery Dremel, fantastic machine, and the last time I used that was a couple of hours ago to start to clean up a very specially shaped grape vine given by a lovely neighbour to make a lamp from. I will post a couple of photos when it's done but don't hold yer breath waiting please? A round nosed router bit in it is doing a wonderful job of getting rid of the 'merde' on it!

Edit :- I meant to ask what diameter is the pierced dish Niel?

 

[Neil Dyball]

Diameter is 125mm, or 5" in old money.

Neil.

 

[Philip Streeting]

You can also buy these style of cutters on E-Bay.