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Author Topic: Dremel  (Read 1756 times)

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Offline manpace

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Dremel
« on: August 22, 2013, 02:29:12 am »
I am trying out  a little dremel tool for cleaning coins, and it does wonders starting out getting junk and crust off the coins via a soft brass bristle brush.

However, when I put a precision tool on there, the tip oscillates noticeably.  Not a whole lot but enough, at least, that I can see it.  Seems like that would be harder to use in a close, careful fashion.  Do the dremels tend to be like that?  Perhaps I'm putting the tool/collet in incorrectly? It looks like it happens with any bit I put on there.

Offline SC

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2013, 05:09:03 am »
No, it should not oscillate.  It can be tricky getting it in the chuck depending on the model you have but it should end up very steady.

Shawn
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Offline Danny S. Jones

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2013, 10:03:45 am »
Despite what some may say, the small diamond dusted tips are an easy way for beginners to completely ruin a coin and for expert forgers to unscrupulously tool details into a coin. I am not, however, completely averse to using a dremel tool to clean ancient coins. Using a soft brass bristle brush on a low RPM should not damage a coin with a stable patina. This is a safe way to remove dirt and encrustations from your coin. The bristles are soft enough that they will wear down rather than damaging the patina. Put hard tips on your dremel and, in my experience, you're looking for trouble.

Danny

Offline SC

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2013, 10:28:59 am »
I mainly use them with the nylon brush as a substitute for manually brushing the toothbrush.

Shawn
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Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2013, 12:34:53 pm »
I mainly use them with the nylon brush as a substitute for manually brushing the toothbrush.

Shawn


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Offline Lee S

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2013, 03:47:17 am »
Quote from: Danny Jones on August 22, 2013, 10:03:45 am
Despite what some may say, the small diamond dusted tips are an easy way for beginners to completely ruin a coin and for expert forgers to unscrupulously tool details into a coin. I am not, however, completely averse to using a dremel tool to clean ancient coins. Using a soft brass bristle brush on a low RPM should not damage a coin with a stable patina. This is a safe way to remove dirt and encrustations from your coin. The bristles are soft enough that they will wear down rather than damaging the patina. Put hard tips on your dremel and, in my experience, you're looking for trouble.

Danny


   Practice makes perfect... So I did a LOT of practice on slugs .... ( and still managed to bugger up a few coins along the way!! ) But I do find that some of the grinding tools, when used with a steady hand, are very useful for grinding down those bubbly red encrustations that I find from time to time, ( usually over spots of BD.. ) and also for getting through the hardest layers of  mineral encrustations, such as can be found on those Green/Blue Ptolemaic coins that are floating around at the moment....

  But one has to be careful......

Offline Tony A

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Re: Dremel
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2013, 03:43:37 pm »
Manpace -

You need a smaller chuck for the small tips than for the brushes. You might have to buy the smaller chuck, although they usually come with the Dremel.

And please follow Lee's advice! It sounds like you're new to cleaning with a Dremel so practice on slugs is the best way to get some experience! Don't make the same mistake I did when starting out and grinding down a good coin when it was tragically unnecessary - and avoidable - by being patient and taking your time to learn your tools and learn your technique first.

Tony

 

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