Rotozip

LAST EDITED ON Feb-09-04 AT 06:14 AM (CDT)
 
Sort of in a power tool searching mode at this time. I just bought a largish bench mount drill press, and am now looking for other stuff.

Are Rotozip spiral saws any good? It looks like you can get attachments to turn them into routers, and other such things. They ought to be able to work like a large dremel tool - or do they?

See:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=55169
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=46954
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00917252000

Isky,
I would believe that the larger bits could be used in a manner similar to a pin router when mounted in a drill press. I was thinking of cutting the wing opening in profiles. I was looking at them Friday night at the local "Wally World".
Bill <><

Bill,

Great idea on the pin router. I set up my drill press to cut 10 fuselages for the club once and even at the highest speed the drill press wasn't fast enough to give me a clean cut.

I have had a Roto-Zip for a couple of years, Christmas present, but haven't really found a good use for it in modeling, may be a diferent story now.

Rog aka: 66ragman aka: ROF aka: several other non endearing names per Mrs. 66ragman

I have a Dremel with a flexshaft and I use a roto bit much like a pencil grinder or a dentist drill. It's great for hog work or trimming webs in tips and ribs. Works wonders on rough shapin' profiles.. IMHO FWIW

Rog

A laminate trimmer is a more useful tool the same size. It is a small router.

Very true, Howard!
But, if a person already has a rotozip, I might not want to purchase a laminate trimmer, also.
Also, any ideas on my Impact based small stunter?????
Thanks,
Bill <><

Go to topic # 6294 which dealt with lost foam wings. Gary Weaver jumped in with a great use of rotozip type tool.

Kreth McKee

Don't like the rotozip. Weak collet design, returned it after ONE use. Well, actually it was a friend's. Broke the first time we tried it.

Love their bits, very handy. I think a higher grade electric die grinder, cutout saw or laminate trimmer would be better. A 1/4" collet should have a provision for getting hold of the shaft directly with a wrench, not a little pin housed in plastic that engages a little detent.

Considering what it sounds like you might like it for, a decent smaller router and table might be useful. Veritas makes a neat gadget that makes a table mounted router useful in the same manner as a pin router. Lots of modeling applications there.

Tools

I have a dedicated Dremel tool in a Dremel router table with a Roto-Zip bit. Comes in real handy especialy for cutting the hinge relief slots in the flaps and elevators. Better than a scroll saw for inside cuts, just push the piece down to cut a starter hole and go at it.

I take it that Dr. Taib has neither. The laminate trimmer has a nice little router base, which is quite handy, particularly for trimming Formica. Mine has only a 1/4" collet, though, so it couldn't take 1/8" R-Zip bits.

As for the small Impact, my disclaimer is that I am merely an Impact user. I haven't seen any little ones, nor would I know how to scale one down. It would be cute with a .25VF and wee flap balance tabs, wouldn't it?

LAST EDITED ON Feb-09-04 AT 09:11 PM (CDT)
 
Its interesting what's available here (in Kuala Lumpur). Angle grinders are plentiful and cheap, almost as plentiful and cheap as electric drills (maybe US$15), no idea what people use them for. I've been tempted to get one just to see what I can do with it. The place that sold me my drill press had a laminate trimmer for about US$60, so that would likely be my first choice in power tool. I came across the Rotozip while browsing Harbor Freight, and found some more stuff on sears.com, and I was wondering if it'd serve as a heavy duty dremel, apart from everything else. If I get the laminate trimmer (or even an angle grinder), I'd likely make a table for it for doing such things as cutting spar slots in foam wings (use a router blade made for fiberglass work).

Things I can't find easily and cheaply:

Bandsaw. I have a three wheel Sears, but I will be needing parts for it soon and Sears hasn't sold that model in years. So I was looking for one locally that could take the thin 1/8" blades. No luck. The machine tool shop CAN sell me a German-made tabletop bandsaw for something like US$400, but they can't get blades narrower than 9mm. Cheaper to buy a Sears and have it shipped over, I think. My best bet would be to see if I can get replacement parts from Sears. The good news is the blades are still available.

Lathe. I want a small mini-lathe, the only Chinese ones are the big ones.

Disc sander. A friend wants one. The only thing available is a belt/disc combi, with a 6" wheel (a little on the small size). Anything above this is "industrial grade", and around US$500.

I must say, I really like my new drill press (about US$75). It's not a mini drill press by any means - about 4 feet tall, weighs a good amount. I got an "American-style" vise (that's what they called them in the catalog) but it wasn't square, so I shimmed the base with tape until it was. Makes drilling Combat center blocks a breeze. Might get a milling table for it (another US$100-200). The guy at the shop was teasing me about getting a rope for the cow that costs more than the cow.

Incidentally, what is the difference between a "plunge" router and a regular router? And what's a "pin router"?

I set up my old router and router table with a 1/8 inch bit in it and a Colet adapter. I tried to cut out some ribs and did not like the results.

The Rotozip bit with it's 1/8 kerf made a lot of dust and mess. Also the bit tended to wander as the wood density varied making it hard to follow a line. My problems may be the bit and colet adapter flexing.

I like a properly set up scroll saw much better for the things I do. Less mess and smoother edges.

I gave the router table away.

I do use the dremmel router table attachment for my moto tool. I use it for slot cutting, shaping flaps, LG blocks and some inside cuts. It shapes flaps in a jiffy.

So Isky, unless you have another use for it I would stay away from this tool. The rotozip works great for house type stuff but I did not like it for making toy airplanes.

Yep, Howard, I think it would be cute! As well as being a pretty good flier. The flap tabs might be an issue I will hound you about if it turns out ok.
A smaller good flying airplane might have a use for someone.
Bill <><

I have a full, well equipped wood shop. Band saw, scroll saw in three different sizes, drill press, lathe, router table, etc.
The idea of a Rotozip in a table is intresting..........Kind of a minney router.
Could add it to the router table very easley........

Router motors are essentially the same, high speed motor with a collet.

If it's mounted on a base with two rods, so the motor pushes straight down onto those rods, it's a plunge router. They're really great for using your router to do joinery, like mortises. Also good for when following a pattern with inside cuts, just plunge through and go to work.

A "regular" router is one where the depth is set by screwing a big nut that goes around the whole motor. They're easier to use outside of a table, because they're more stable usually. Harder to set the depth and therefore not as handy when table mounted.

Can't remember who mentioned it, but you can get collets that hold 1/8 shanks in devices that usually hold 1/4 shanks. Look through the local selection of rotozip stuff, they may just have one. I got mine through a place that sold me my pneumatic die grinder.

A pin router is a table mounted device that has a pin opposite the bit. The pin follows the pattern and the bit cuts the material attached to the pattern. This way you don't have a rotating "follower". Router bits with bearings practically precluded their introduction to the home market, although there are things it will do that a router bit with bearing won't. Most have the pin in the table and motor above it. Radial arm saws can be configured this way (but not very fast bit speed). Most homebrewed ones use a router table with a overarm pin.

Tools