Easy There Partner
Throttle the speed down or use drill bit oil, so you don’t smoke your bit like we did.
Last updated March 2019
Disclaimer
ProteShea, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
Some links may be affiliate links, in which ProteShea, LLC earns a commission if you use that affiliate link. Please note that this is at no additional cost to you and helps us in creating more content.
Full speed ahead! Not so fast, young grasshopper. You almost never want to go full speed with any power tool. The increased speed causes more friction, heat, and stress which is a recipe for breaking tools. In this case, we were using a Dremel rotary tool coupled with the Dremel drill press workstation.
Be the Tortoise, not the Hare
The rotary tool was set to maximum power (on the 4000 model, the dial goes up to 35) and the downward speed of the drill press is dependent on the operator. When we first used it, let’s just say we were the hare and not the tortoise. As a result, we had to smell that not-so-sweet aroma of burning wood. Luckily, we didn’t break anything, but that poor drill bit was smoking hot. Yes, I gave in to my conscience telling me it can’t be that hot.
To avoid what we did, set your drill torque to a lower setting (15-20 on the Dremel 4000) and let the tool do the work. You don’t have to apply much downward force on the drill press. You can also use drill bit oil to keep your drill bit cool, like how oil keeps your vehicle’s engine cool. This is necessary if you’re doing thicker cuts.
Power Tool Injuries
Injuries from power tools are way too common. It can be caused from going too fast, not paying attention, not wearing the right protective gear, not having the right training, or simply having way too much confidence. How do you avoid injuries? Easy. Slow down, minimize distractions, wear eye and ear protection, and gloves, learn how to use the tool from someone with experience, and keep your confidence level in check.
Close Calls
I’ve had a couple close calls with power tools. One time I was cutting tree branches with a miter saw for a bonfire later that evening. The branches were less than 1” in diameter and they were cutting like butter. I got confident and sped up the process. Not too long after that, one of the pieces didn’t slide out far enough and I hit the chunk at an angle. That chunk went flying, hit the blade guard, and the guard pivoted 180 degrees missing my arm by an inch. If it hit my arm, I would have been going to the emergency room.
I had just gotten a CNC router setup, and was learning how to use it. I learned quickly that you must always pay attention. I was trying to keep the stock down as the router was carving out the outline. I was also chatting with my brother about how sweet the machine was and soon lost focus of where my hand was. When the router was done cutting that piece out, it moved to the next piece and well, my hand was in its path. Luckily, it just nicked the top of my finger nail, but I could have easily lost a finger.
What did we learn?
- Be patient when using power tools and let the tool do the work.
- Avoid injuries from power tools by slowing down, minimizing distractions, wearing protective gear, and getting the right training.