I have just bought a Dremel and am about to cut my nice new case up Anyway everything I read indicates using Cutting disks, however the likes of the #9901 Tungsten Carbide Cutter using the Dremel 565 Multipurpose Cutting Kit seems to make more sense to me. Most of the cuts I have to make a straight slots and the idea of drilling a guide hole, slotting this cutter in and sliding it down to make a nice clean straight slot seems a better option. Particularly as you can use the Attachment to butt up against a guide and get it spot on. This I would assume would be the same with circular cuts, you could almost use it as a router once you have a good guide. Or am I just a bit mad
Personally, i dont own a dremel (shock!) i would make a small pilot hole in each corner of the line to be cut, and use a jigsaw / copeing saw.
if we are talking computer sheet steel, i would use the Dremel #409 cutting discs, you get 36 of those for not too much money, and they cut through thin steel like it was plastic.
Ahh yes I suppose it would have been an idea to point out what case it was. It's a Lian-Li so fairly thick Alu. I know I can use a Jigsaw but I don't have one. I also know I can use the cutting disks I am just wondering would the cutter above be a better option?
The carbide cutter will provide a while lot more kickback than you would think. Even if it were in a drill press and you only had to secure the object with your hand it can be quite a task. I recommend trying the bits on a few test pieces before you commit to anything.
don't use a router or milling bit to make slots in aluminium, they will clog up allmost immediately, aluminium is really hard to work, the only normal tools that work without clogging that i have found are drills, saws and axial friction cutters. (cutting discs) I would still use cutting discs i think, not sure if the Dremel #409 will work in thick alu or if you should get #426 for that. I would use a file only to finish the corners as files clog up badly form alu, they can be cleaned, but you end up spending more time cleaning the file than using it.
honestly in terms of time and cost a jigsaw would be the way to go, IT would be a minute or so cut on a jigsaw but a good 30 with the dremel and it in my experience the carbide bits are good for slotting but if I was in any hurry I definately wouldn't cut with them and yah they have plenty of kickback
Sorry to rain on a good idea but carbide cutters in steel on a dremel will not last 15 minutes and that's sad cause they're worth a bit i own a couple of those but i usually use them in dry stuff like ceramics and soft rock or metals To cut in steel circles or straight cuts go with fiberglass reinforced disks they work best.
I did some tests with straight cuts in normal case sheet steel, and for what you pay, you go further and faster with the same ammount worth of #409 than #426 (#426 is fiberglass reinforced, #409 is the thinnest uninforced disc) you get 36 #409 at the same price as 5-10 #426 depending on where you get them, and the workpiece gets less hot with #409 too. As for carbide cutters, you would not be able to use those in real ceramic, you need diamond coated tools for that, but they could work for the crap they make mugs out of and call ceramics. I have a bunch of carbide routers, they work great for smoothening metal, even hardened steel. But i would not use them for cutting slots in anything harder than wood without a milling coordinate table. (was that the right word?) You simply cannot hold the machine steady enough by hand. Or as a friend of mine said, a flesh and bone mill is no good.
