Dremel tool question for all the prop builders out there

I've just recently gotten my own dremel tool, and used it to cut a piece of polycarb tubing down to size. I found it kind of tricky to get a perfectly straight and even cut. Now I'm worried about cutting the sections of sink tubing for my lightsaber hilt. I need to cut three sections of a 1.5" diameter tube, and those have to be straight, since they're going to be very visible, part of the outer hilt.

What's the best way to cut tubing with a dremel to insure straight cuts with no wobbling? I'm debating rigging up something that will rotate the tube, so all I have to do is hold the dremel in one position. Either that or grabbing my dad's fine hacksaw and miter box.

 

I'd suggest using lined paper, matching up the lines so you can get a straight cut. This isn't a perfect method but it works well enough for me.

 

Another suggetsion is, instead of using the Dremel Tool to cut your pipe, use a saw and a Miter-box to guide it.

 

You're never gonna get a straight cut with a dremel. You need a Miter saw or if you've got a steady hand, a band saw.

 

yeah, best solution with a dremel would be to wrap a length of masking tape around it so the tape lines up and use it as a guide. Other than that, miter box.

 

I was thinking that a saw and miter box would be the best bet. I guess a dremel is best suited for doing things like cutting oddly shaped emitter shrouds, and doing cut-outs in the hilts with.

 

There is a dremmel stand that essentially makes your Dremmel into a drill-press. That might, Might, help.

Good luck

 

If you are just cutting the sink tube for length then I pipe cutter is your best bet. They are under $10 at most hardware stores. If you are trying to do some sort of angled design then one of the other suggestions whould work as well.

 

I pipe cutter is good, unless you just want to cut off the flange of a sink tube and not lose any more of the length than you have to.

You also need to go slow and steady, and don't borrow a used cutter that may not have a sharp cutting wheel, or you're going to end up crimping the chrome plated brass tube, not cutting it. I would also use tape on either side of where you are cutting so that the wheels of the pipe cutter doesn't scratch your chrome finish.

I have found that I can get a pretty decent cut when I use several layers of masking tape to provide both a cutting line and protection for the chrome finish. Essential when you are making cuts other than straight across the tube.

But if you want to make straight cuts and do it quickly, with a minimum of effort, the pipe cutter is the way to go. You should have that tool in your prop building "arsenal" anyway.

 

Dremmels are great. I bought a second one to repair my first one, and don't consider it a waste of $. The first was on a cord, the second on a rechargable battery. Very useful tools.

 

is a dremel a good tool to use for cutting PVC? i am designing my FIRST hilt based on some of the ideas i read on BYB, mainly the styles where a cutout black PVC is slid over the chrome sink pipe. it is going to be a faily elaborate cutout, and i need to know if a dremel works well for PVC. i'd hate for the PVC to burn from the speed of the dremel, but i don't see many other ways of doing it

 

I'm pretty sure that the BYB webmaster uses a dremel on his PVC.
When you're buying a Dremel, get one that has an adjustable speed setting. A slower speed is best for plastics, apparently. If you can't find one with a speed setting right on the tool, your next best bet is to get the foot control attachment that allows you to control speed- the harder you press, the faster it goes.

I suggest small cut-off wheels and drill bits for what you're planning, and lots of practice on spare pipe first.

 

I did my grip and emitter shroud in PVC, cutting it with a Dremel.
[image=http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/ed11f448.jpg] [image=http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/22b5d088.jpg]


Unfortunately, Cutoff wheels and cutting disks usually only come in one size. What I do is save my worn, smaller disks for making small, shorter cuts. These are the ones that I wear out from cutting metal. If I don't shatter them first!

I still over-cut on some of my cutouts, I just filled them in with some wood putty, since that's what I had handy, then filed and sanded everything smooth before painting.

I also found a great bit that works very well for carving curves in PVC, like I did with my emitter shroud. If anyone wants the part #, I can go look it up at the Dremel site.

This is also an EL saber. Here with a Lightech blade, before I started making my own.
[image=http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/26147bc7.jpg]

 

very nice saber! if you don't mind me asking, how did you secure your PVC emitter to the actual pipe? i didn't see any thumb screws or rivets in the pictures, and was curious as to how you did it.

 

(straight from my professional fiance) easiest solution... use a saw, even a hand saw otherwise you have to stuff around with the pipe or the dremmel to get it in a position to be able to make a straight even cut.

 

I always use a hacksaw to cut, and then I use a set of files to finish the edge because I never get it perfect from the start.

People have mentioned masking off areas you don't cut with masking tape. I want to point out that it is a very good tip. You will slip eventually, and you want to minimize damage as much as you can.
Another classic dremel rule is to have a firm grip and not press too hard - let the dremel's rotation do the work, even if it takes time. If you press too hard you increase the likelyhood of slippage or the bit eating too much into the material and getting stuck.

There are actually two kinds of rotary tools with variable speed. One that has electronically controlled variable speed but with the same high torque in both high and low speeds. The other type has just a variable power setting. The former type is usually more expensive, but the latter is harder to use at low power because it will slow down when it meets resistance and then it more easily get stuck.
I use my old $30 variable-power noname tool much more than my $100 electronic Proxxon, because it has more power (15'000 W to 10'000 W) and is more sturdily built and I work more with metal than with plastic.

 

Thanks, Darth_Scaloth! My emitter shroud is secured by one pop rivet above the blade thumb screw. You can see it in this pic, along with one of 2 that secures my grip. The other one for that is at the top of the grip in the other side of the hilt.

[image=http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/08889e8c.jpg]

 

ahhh yes now i can see it....very nice work! i cannot wait to get started on mine. i'm planning on having a grip style similar to yours with the cutouts of various sizes, but i am going to fill those cutouts in with broken pieces of red ceramic tile. i'm hoping it will give it a jagged mosaic kind of feel to it. i'll post pics up here as soon as i finish it