Duff Beer Man Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Well, i was looking around sears and picked up this. Its like a miny router type thing, least thats what im using it for. It has a lot of crap that came with it too. I can use it for just about anything at all. The thing i love most is it came with this cord thing that converts it into a dremal. Now i can do my own inlays!!!! woo hooo. I just used it for like 5 min, im going to use it more in just a little bit but im waiting for the sun to go down just a little bit more its really really hot out side lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 That's almost exactly like my SpinSaw. Probably the same OEM. Does yours have the angle-grinder attachment, too? Drawback with the angle grinder attachment is that it's proven annoying to find discs for it. BUT, the flex shaft and router functionality have been great. I actually much prefer it to the dedicated plunge router that I was using. She'll handle plunge router duties no problem, mate. As for inlaying-- I was all gung-ho to use the flex-shaft attachment for doing inlays, but I found that I really needed/wanted a mini router base to go with it... and there are none available commercially so you have to buy one. Instead, I went back to a borrowed Dremel when I was practicing my inlaying. It'd be more than adequate for cutting the MOP itself, but it might get a bit tricky doing the mortise part of the inlay by hand unless you're hella steady-handed. Great tool, though, especially for the money and everything it comes with! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 I have the Cdn Tire "Mastercraft" version of the Craftsman unit you bought. Just be careful how you use that dremel cable attachment. I was doing some cutting on light stainless with a small diamond disc and the disc caught in the work. As soon as it happened I just let everything go and stepped back. You can imagine what happens when its spinning at 30,000 rpm. The shaft of my cutting disc got bent at a 90 deg. angle and the drive shaft (square ended speedo cable inside the flex cable) broke in two. Otherwise, I've been using the machine for all my routing purposes and its doing a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Yea, I was gonna say, that thing looks like a Dremel tool hopped up on steroids. Looks fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted July 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Yeah i just got done doing somemore work with it and it took a little while to get used to (new tool and all) but once i got the hang of it it was great. I love it, great buy, and yeah it does have the angle grinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 The original maker called that thing a "Rotozip". The first advertised use was for cutting out the holes in drywall after you had hung it, not before. I've had one and used it for making cutouts in countertop backsplashes for years. It uses self piloted bits and relys on its speed to do the work. It will cut through darn near any construction material. It sails through plastic laminate and solid surface. I'd recommend sticking with a Dremel or a Foredom for the kind of stuff that gets kicked around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Is the router part any good? Thats what i'm gonna use to rout my guitar... Got the Mastercraft one too Haven't got a chance to actually use it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 The router part is fabulous. It'll give you no problems. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 alright man thanks... only problem is that a damned pattern bit costs $25 CDN round here (at least all those ive seen) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Yup. Cheapest I've seen them is about $18 CDN at Lee Valley; however, the extra $7 for something better might be $7 well spent. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 nah, i don't think the 7$ more will get me something better... since i saw that at home depot after all... (they had like 2 pattern bits) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Home Depot stocks Freud bits, which have a good reputation. Was the $25 one a Freud or a generic one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 (edited) I found a store that has an "Exchange-A-Bit" facility. I buy a 1/2" 'top bearing flush trim bit' (pattern bit) for $21.99 (Cdn) and then use it until its dull, damaged, bent or whatever. Then I can bring it in with my receipt and get a replacement for $12.99. Obviously, all the bits you are getting are "refurbished" ones, 'cept for one of mine w/ the bent shaft, , but I haven't had any problems. ie. the bits are balanced, sharp and good quality. Router bits get dull like anything else and sharpening them properly is an exact science, especially those bits with curved cutting edges. I'd rather have it done professionally than risk one that is a little out of balance at 30,000 rpm. And buying brand new ones can get SO expensive. Edited July 5, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Maybe I'm a little overboard with safty but there is no way anyone in my shop is going to chuck a pattern bit in a light weight 30000 rpm router like a rotozip and stay employed. Feel free to try it if you want to. Check the rpm rating on the bit that you're looking at, and diamonds to dollars it's not rated for that kind of speed. That's why a lot of routers are variable speed. Match the speed to the bit. Some time I'll post some shots of my left arm so that you can see what happens when a shank fails and the bit sails out of the workpiece and dances around the shop. After it climbs up the inside of your arm. Happens so fast it doesn't even hurt. For about a minute. But yourself a Porter-Cable or other router desgined to do this kind of work. This tool, in my opinion, is not safe to use for routing neck or pickup cavities. It could be used for inlay cavity routing, but nothing else. Do not chuck up a regular router bit and try to remove anything resembling a large chunk of wood. This is just my opinion. Remember, I've been doing this stuff day in and day out for over twenty five years. I've already made plenty of dumb mistakes. Take advantage of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted July 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 I found that it will work as a rounter just dont get really carried away with how deep you cut, dont try to do it all in one pass. Take little little passes and it works great. I only use it in places where my big router is too bulky and will tip or wont stay flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Safety is always a concern, especially when you have employees to worry about. The tool in question is NOT a RotoZip, however-- it is designed as a multi-purpose tool and includes a 'proper' router attachment. It has a switch to go from 30,000 rpm to 20,000 rpm. They cannot sell it as a router without it passing CSA standards, which it has. I respect a man with a head for safety, but this thing is designed to be used as a router. It works fine. Since it IS fairly light-duty, though, of course you want to remove only a bit of material at a time. Rough your shapes as close to the lines as you're comfortable with, use other tools to hog out the wood... everything else that's conventional wisdom even if you ARE using a 'dedicated' router. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 (edited) I just finished routing pickup cavities for my maple bodied tele with a spinsaw. I went with 3 passes, using a 1/2" pattern bit, down to 3/4" depth (1/4" each pass). I chose to use the slower speed 20,000 rpm as I wasn't in that much of a hurry. As Greg mentioned its all safety and making sure everything is adjusted, level and clamped down properly. You should also be comfortable with using the equipment. Yes, using a 3/4 HP spinsaw for one pass is folly. Definitely a good way to burn out your motor, burn your wood or cause a serious accident. If the bit decides to take too much of a bite things WILL fly around. That can only happen if you are spinning too slow and you are pushing too fast while the bit contacts too much wood. But I fully understand how a light HP spinsaw wouldn't fit very well in a production facility. If someone I was working with brought one in I would tell him not to use it as well. Strictly for the hobbyist. Edited July 5, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 btw, just a question... How would I rout the neck pickup cavity (on a neckthrough) with the fingerboard in the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Here's a idea. Make a template. Put two or three inch wide "skies" on the bottom that are just a scootch thicker than your fingerboard and a little further apart than the width of the fingerboard. Clamp in place and rout away. Can someone send me a link for the tool we're talking about above. I haven't seen anything like it down here and it seems pretty interesting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Here's a idea. Make a template. Put two or three inch wide "skies" on the bottom that are just a scootch thicker than your fingerboard and a little further apart than the width of the fingerboard. Clamp in place and rout away. Can someone send me a link for the tool we're talking about above. I haven't seen anything like it down here and it seems pretty interesting? ← This was the original one in the first post Everything else being discussed is pretty darn similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 How would I rout the neck pickup cavity (on a neckthrough) with the fingerboard in the way I usually use 1/2" mdf for my templates. Cut the template out to fit around the butt of the neck (fretboard) and 1/2" should be well off the fretboard surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbuilder Posted July 13, 2005 Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 do thoes things like dremels and rotozips really work it looks to me that you could only do small routs with them and nothing really big Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted July 13, 2005 Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 Once again: It's not a rotozip or a dremel. It has a flex-shaft attachment that allows it to be used much like a dremel. It has a router base and can be used as a router. It has an angle grinder attachment, and though you can use it as an angle grinder it doesn't have a standard-sized bolt, so I haven't been that pleased with finding discs. I have one, I have used it as a router on one project so far. Is that enough to predict whether or not it will stand up to several years' use? Nope. But I can tell you that I'm more confident in this thing as a router than I am in my 'dedicated' plunge router, which I have since retired. This thing accepts a 1/4" shaft (not 1/8" like Dremels) and is clearly designed with routing as a primary function not an afterthought. The last time this tool was mentioned, a few people also claimed to have had good success with it. I don't know what further convincing is needed. If you're not confident in it, you simply don't buy it. Otherwise, several people have already indicated in this thread and others that they have used it and quite like it. Just in case your question was a related question, a dremel tool is certainly NOT suitable as a router, beyond inlay work or light-duty work like purflings and bindings. I doubt a single-function RotoZip is, either; however, I've not specced one out in order to actually try it or see what kinds of attachments and what level of power it produces. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted July 18, 2005 Report Share Posted July 18, 2005 Little comment re: speed: if you've got the higher speed, especially if the unit's underpowered slightly, use it. Wood loves high speed, metal hates it. Let the speed of the bit do the cutting, taking small bites each time. Lower speed is only really necessary if your bit size (diameter) starts heading up, up up, since the angular velocity you can develop there can be a real bitca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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