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Has anyone used a Dremel for fine cuts and grind on body sheet metal?
I've been using my angle grinder and 3" cut off wheel to this point but there are some cuts I need to make to clean things up and grind where I can't use my grinder or cut off wheel.
I'm doing things at home, no compressor, so using battery or A/C powered tools.
I'm not sure how capable a Dremel is on 18 ga. sheet metal. Is that a good choice with sufficient power or is there some other tool in the 1" range I should be purchasing?
I've been asking a lot of questions...learning as I go so appreciate the inputs.
thanks, matt
Matt
83 Cherokee Laredo WT
L8T 6.6L, 6L90 GEN III LS Swap (LM7 block) 4L60E
It can work fine, but because of the limited size of cut off wheels that can work with them, if you have to do a lot of cutting, you will go through a lot of wheels.
18 gauge is pretty thin, so if your question is only "will it cut", the answer is yes.
Love the idea. A little concerned by the number of 1* ratings on the milwaukee website from long time customers who complain it won't run under load. Need to do some more research. Conceptually, like it.
Matt
83 Cherokee Laredo WT
L8T 6.6L, 6L90 GEN III LS Swap (LM7 block) 4L60E
'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.
Laredo Matt wrote: ↑Thu Feb 18, 2021 1:12 pm
Has anyone used a Dremel for fine cuts and grind on body sheet metal?
thanks, matt
Dremel is a company that makes electric powered hand tools. They are mostly known for their version of a 1/8” Rotary Tool or (Die Grinder)
I would not be trimming sheet metal on a vehicle with an 1/8” grinder by choice. A 1/4” grinder will provide much more power where finesse is not needed.
Don’t forget about metal snips. I have grinders of all types in my shop that I routinely use. I find myself forgetting sometimes that a snips would be better suited to some jobs.
I used to name my FSJ’s after their previous owners, I realized I had too many with five named Rick.
Depending on what you’re cutting and where you could try a jigsaw with a metal blade. I’ve used a jigsaw to cut flat patch panels, I’m a carpenter by trade so it was just easier for me. Never tried it on a body but I’ve seen lots of people use pneumatic reciprocating saws which use the same jigsaw blade.
You can go straight across a panel with it unlike shears leaving you with a roll of metal about 1/8" wide.
Sic friatur crustulum
'84 GW with Nissan SD33T, early Chev NV4500, 300, narrowed Ford reverse 44, narrowed Ford 60, SOA/reversed shackle in fornt, lowered mount/flipped shackle in rear.
Dremel is good for small project, I have used it for trimming and derusting, I know that some have done major body work and you can buy the cutting disk by pack of 20.
Air power tools are a good option -the air sheer is a good recommendation-, but you will need the better air compressor, check the notice for the amount of psi and gallon to keep up with the power tool. I have a air rotary tool, it is nice as the air exhaust cleans the area, but my compressor is not good enough, after 20sec it runs out of air.
Cordless grinder are weak, I have the M18 grinder, it ran out so fast that I could not finish cutting that FSJ roof at the junkyard, the cordless sawzall was much better.
Michel
74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
They do need replacing occasionally, but I only paid £30 (around 45bucks) for mine which has a double headed cutter and a spare cutter in the box.
Its done a fair bit of work on the truck bed repairs and its still on the original cutter
79 J20 258 4speed
Right hand drive built for the UK, where it and I live.
Artif wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 10:22 pm
They do need replacing occasionally, but I only paid £30 (around 45bucks) for mine which has a double headed cutter and a spare cutter in the box.
Its done a fair bit of work on the truck bed repairs and its still on the original cutter
Thanks Artif. I decided to purchase a die gringer and set of carbide tips for de-burring and grinding. I like the power of the die grinder so spent a little more and hopefully will use it for years to come...just not on the jeep. It needs to be done sooner or I'll go nuts
Matt
83 Cherokee Laredo WT
L8T 6.6L, 6L90 GEN III LS Swap (LM7 block) 4L60E