If you plan on cutting wood, you of course have many different tools at your disposal, potentially dozens. One tool that you may choose to use for cutting wood is the Dremel. No, it’s not something that you would use to cut wood all of the time, although it does have its advantages.
Let’s figure out why you might want to use a Dremel to cut wood, as well as how to cut wood with this tool.
What Is a Dremel?
Before we can talk about how to cut wood with a Dremel, and what it excels at in this regard, it’s important for you to know what exactly a Dremel is. This can be a bit confusing because Dremel is actually a brand name, not a specific tool.
However, when people say Dremel, they are usually referring to the multitool that this brand produces. In other words, it’s a tool that can handle many different attachments and perform different tasks. Dremels can cut, saw, grind, polish, and more.
Is a Dremel the Best Tool for Cutting Wood?
OK, so when people think of cutting wood, they usually think of things like table saws, miter saws, circular saws, and other such tools. Dremels are more often used for smaller jobs such as refining cuts of wood, sanding, polishing, grinding, and more.
However, with the right attachment, which could be a long and thin saw blade or a circular cutting wheel, it is possible to cut wood with them. What you do, however, need to realize here is that Dremels are quite small, as well as the attachments they use to cut wood. All of this to say, this tool is not something you would use for large cutting jobs. You’re not going to be ripping boards or doing big cross-cuts with a Dremel.
However, due to their small size, they are ideal for fitting in tight spaces. These tools can fit in spaces that you just can’t get larger cutting tools into. They’re also ideal for making relatively small and precise cuts. I wrote more about that in my article about how to cut wood in tight spaces.
Due to the nature of the Dremel, they also excel at cutting curves and irregular shapes, especially where precision is required. Of course, they aren’t as big, functional, or as capable as much larger saws, such as circular saws, but they do have their benefits.
How to Cut Wood with a Dremel: Step-by-Step
Now that you know that a Dremel is something that you can use to cut wood, let’s figure out how to do so.
1. Do Your Safety Check
Using a Dremel can be slightly dangerous in the sense that it might send dust and debris shooting out all over the place.
Therefore, it is recommended that, at the very least, you wear safety glasses to protect your eyes and a face mask to protect your lungs.
Some people may also recommend wearing earplugs. You then just want to do a quick inspection of your Dremel tool to make sure that it is in working condition.
2. Prepare the Work Area
You now need to prepare your work area. More than anything else, make sure that you work in a well-ventilated area, as Dremels can produce a lot of dust. They can also be quite messy, so if you have some sort of additional dust collection system, this would be the time to set it up.
Additionally, due to the way in which a Dremel works, you’re going to have to clamp your workpiece down onto a table. Therefore, get the appropriate clamping tools to securely attach the piece to a table, workbench, or anything else of the sort.
3. Choose the Dremel Attachment
One of the most important steps here is choosing the specific attachment that you want to use. Generally speaking, you have three options at your disposal here.
First of all, you have a relatively long saw blade that can be up to four inches in length. These are ideal if you want to remove a lot of material and just make a quick, clean cut two separate a piece of wood into multiple pieces.
The second option you have at your disposal here is to use the router base along with the router attachment on your Dremel. This will effectively allow you to cut apart a piece of wood, as well as route channels, lines, and holes into a piece of wood.
There is also a small circular cutting blade that you may use. This is going to be ideal for just cutting apart small pieces of wood. It may also be used to cut curves and shapes, as long as the cutting wheel is small enough. You need to choose which one of these three attachments you are going to use.
4. Measure and Mark
With everything set up and ready to go, the next step here is to measure and mark the wood. Of course, unless you are some sort of skilled woodcarver, you do need some kind of template to follow.
Therefore, use something like a pencil to mark the line or curve that you are cutting. This will allow you to make a precise cut with ease. Make sure to measure twice, because once you make a cut, there’s no going back.
5. Make the Cut (and Regularly Remove Sawdust)
You are now going to start up your Dremel tool and get it to full speed. With your cutting attachment of choice moving at full speed, slowly touch it to the line that you marked in the previous step. Apply a very small amount of pressure, and once your cutting attachment starts to penetrate, keep applying more pressure until your cut has been made.
Remember, when using a Dremel, you don’t want to use a lot of pressure, because you risk breaking your attachment. You don’t want to put too much stress on your Dremel.
Simply keep moving it along the line until your cut is done. Make sure to regularly remove sawdust as well, or else you may not see where you have already cut and where you haven’t.
6. Perform Some Fine Tuning
If you want, now is the time to attach your buffing or sanding attachment to help add a finishing touch to your piece. A Dremel might not always result in a very clean cut, so a bit of sanding or polishing might be required.
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Lastly, here’s some extra things to keep in mind:
- Dremels don’t have their own dust collection systems, so having one on the side is recommended
- Always make sure that you are using an attachment specially designed for cutting wood
- Never apply too much pressure on your Dremel, because those accessories break relatively easily
Summary
There you have it, you should now know exactly how to cut wood using a Dremel. In case you need to cut door hinges with the tool, make sure to check out this article.