‘DREMELING’
Awoke this morning to find a note from Mary Loquet, somewhere out there. She said she and her husband are retired and have been ‘dremeling,’ in her words, on glass and wood. She gave no details other than that.
Of course most know the Dremel as a marvelous, multi-purpose $75. tool about the diameter of a Texas cucumber with an electrical cord coming out of one end and a big burly bur on the other. A little dial the size of a dime adjusts the speed from creeping to 30,000 rpm. It’s a drill, buffer, reamer, carver, and handy gadget to have in the tool drawer. By contrast, the PRESTO dental drill I use does ten times that at 300,000 rpm.
As an experiment about 10 years ago, and as a tool one could use for rudimentary S L O W – S P E E D engraving, I engraved a wine bottle with a Dremel. It was like swatting a fly with a shovel.
No disparaging words here about the Dremel, however. It has its place but its place is not for what we engravers do on crystal, jewelry, cremation urns, golf clubs, wood items, and a thousand other things. Oh! And an occasional wine bottle or jug of bourbon.
Mary mentioned a friend had given her a ‘dentist’s tool.’ A safe assumption would be that it’s a lab hand piece, the kind we engravers use. She should keep the Dremel for house repair and heavy hobby work. The dental drill is the ticket to earning a nice income by personalizing items in a beautiful script.
I suspect there are lots of folks out there with Dremels, and even the dental drill, who are salivating to make them profitable. Rare birds we are who can inscribe sentiments and dates on items traditional engravers must turn away. Mary mentioned a keen interest in our Seminar but had no details. They’re all right here.
Without exception, during the wine bottle and fragrance events I do in the retail store and places like SAM’S CLUB, someone will say, “Is that a Dremel tool you’re using?” My response is always the same:
“Yep. It’s a Dremel on steroids.”
I also have used a dremel Ken, like you said the presto is for engravers. Your Seminar is the best investment I ever made. Thanks’ for all that you do for us.
Tony
Ashland VA
Tony…..Glad you took the leap of faith last year and came to learn your new skill. It will serve you well for many years to come. Congratulations on your resounding success.
Ken
Finally bought a Presto. Used my other tool so much the bearings froze. Glad I wasn’t at an event when it happened. I really should buy a back up one.
Haven’t heard about my tablets yet!
Is this the Tony that was in the class I took with you last year.
Doing many hours of engraving. What fun.
Clint,Reno