need help in PCB fabrication

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Cheaper alternative...........

Don't know about the Dremel but my Chinese knock off (cost $20-25) has no slack and runs at 8000 - 2500rpm, continuesly variable, no load. Most of the time I run it at about 3/4 of max, in order to keep the noise down. Have never broke a drill bit.
 
Drilling really does go a lot better at the higher speeds of a dremel, if you can stand the noise. I did originally use my big hundred-pound traditional drill press, but it really doesn't even come close to spinning fast enough; I had to go through the board quite slowly to avoid breaking bits, and it never left clean holes.

By the way, Rolf, I saw the current model of the craftsman drill press at Sears the other day, the one you were talking about. Just like most of their rotary tool stuff, it is basically just a re-branded version of the actual Dremel stuff - and in this case it seems to be exactly the same as the (good version) dremel model 220 that I have! Hopefully the craftsman version doesn't get "updated" to the piece of junk that Dremel has now replaced the previous model 220 with...
 
most of the small "dremel" type units start out good but aren't really engineered for the long run. You should see the run-out increase over time.

good point on the quality issue, evan. there is just no comparison between the 3K rpm holes and those made at 30K.
 
If the sale is still on I am going to get the $19.95 4 speed HF dremel tomorrow. I have the day off. I will let you know, but I am sure it will do 25Krpm.

But my very old ones (like Chemelec says) work fine. My new dremel does not. I think it is a disposable age now and thing are built cheap and they want you to throw them out and get another as they are cheap.
 
Model No. please..........

mramos1 said:
(snip)But my very old ones (like Chemelec says) work fine. My new dremel does not. I think it is a disposable age now and thing are built cheap and they want you to throw them out and get another as they are cheap.
Click to expand...
In order to save others from getting one that you are not satisfied with, please post model # and problem. Maybe this will also put a little bit of pressure on the manufacturer(s) to quit selling junk tools.
 
again, the bearings in the dremel designed to take more of radial load then axial (or trust) load making it good (??) grinder/router/cut off/anything but drill. but if it suits your need , it is fine with me.
it is very possible though that the ones that were made 30 years ago had different construction, designed during those nice times when the quality was the paramount and not the low cost of construction.
 

The dremel I have is about 20 years old and has seen light duty. I measured the run-out on it a while back. I think it was around 20 mils which is pretty sloppy. That's about the width of a pencil line which may not seem that much but it's pretty significant. It may not break a carbide drill but it's tough on them. I couldn't feel it move when I flexed it with my fingers but my micrometer showed it.

By the way, my delta drill press is a bit worse than that. I probably need to replace the bearings.
 
Rolf said:
In order to save others from getting one that you are not satisfied with, please post model # and problem. Maybe this will also put a little bit of pressure on the manufacturer(s) to quit selling junk tools.
Click to expand...

They one I never use due to flakey switch at low RPM and noise is a Model 395 type 5. I did it from day one, I thought it would break-in.. Did not use it a lot as I had my old one I tended to save that one. Years later. It is just a flakey unit. Might just be that one though, since I only have one type 5.
 
tankist80 said:
again, the bearings in the dremel designed to take more of radial load then axial (or trust) load making it good (??) grinder/router/cut off/anything but drill.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but if you're running your carbide bits at high speed like you should be, the bits go through PCB almost like a hot knife through butter, at least for all the small bits (that make up 95%+ of the holes drilled in most PCB's) so there shouldn't be significant thrust load on the dremel bearings anyway.
 
no problems with my cheap-o dremel and an old sloppy drill-press attachment using solid carbide bits. The only bits I've broken were because I carelessly snapped them off readjusting the press. At $8 ea, I'm really careful now
 
justDIY said:
no problems with my cheap-o dremel and an old sloppy drill-press attachment using solid carbide bits. The only bits I've broken were because I carelessly snapped them off readjusting the press. At $8 ea, I'm really careful now
Click to expand...

Electronic Goldmine has boxes of 50 for $29 (sale). I got a box about a year ago ($40), broken 4 so far. Yeah, re-adjusting is a killer on bits...
 
Safety stop.......

HarveyH42 said:
Electronic Goldmine has boxes of 50 for $29 (sale). I got a box about a year ago ($40), broken 4 so far. Yeah, re-adjusting is a killer on bits...
Click to expand...
A little bit of electrical tape and a small hose clamp will make a fine stop on the column to prevent the unit from accidently siding to far down and breaking the bit. Have to admit I have not got around to getting the hose clamp yet. Just the tape is doing fine for now.
Not perfect but far better than nothing.
 
Last edited:
HarveyH42 said:
Electronic Goldmine has boxes of 50 for $29 (sale). I got a box about a year ago ($40), broken 4 so far. Yeah, re-adjusting is a killer on bits...
Click to expand...

I picked up a box on clearance and have not broken one with my OLD dremel.
They are a bargan, you just have to buy other items to justify the shipping.
 
Although I have used the carbide ones, Mostly I just use the Cheaper Steel Bits. When they get Dull, I sharpen them with a really fine grained Grinding wheel.
"Under a Good Magnifying Glass".

Overall, this works very well and when all is done, I get better than 10,000 holes per bit. Not bad for a $1.50 bit.

Another thing, Next time you go to the DENTIST, ask him for some of his worn out Bits.
There Great for Routing and Enlarging holes.
 
electronicsgoldmine.com has steel ones for 60 cents as well (clearance when I picked them up as well, it was like 15-20 bits in a little metal case).
They flex but they work fine. With my bad eyes, I like the flex a little and I can choke up on the bit if I want to get rid of it, I have a far amount out of the chuck.

I have a steel one on there now. I save the good ones, but the cheap ones work fine, then bad I pitch them. Maybe I will send them to chemelec, but the price of a stamp will not make it worth it by the time I have enough to mail him. Chemelec is right, steels ones do work fine as well.

Not sure I could sharpen one though, they are small.
 
I bought a set of carbide bits on ebay for around $20 I believe. It was a carefully selected set (rather than just a bunch of random ones) and included several of each size, covering essentially every single size I've ever needed for drilling PCB's. It included about 30 bits total, with more of each of the more popular sizes.

I also bought a pack of 50 carbide bits that were resharpened industrial bits, I believe they were #71, but they're the right size for IC legs, and most small discrete component leads, and I paid about $20 for this set as well. I bought the extras of this size because I use it the most, and the bits are among the smallest I use so they're easier to break when I'm not being careful. At a cost of around 25 cents apiece, I don't even need to worry.
 
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