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Dremel Tool

Dremel tools, or any other brand of rotary tool, can be used with polymer clay for a variety of purposes.

Some uses reported by polymer clay artists and hobbyists include the following:

  • Buffing (usually with a homemade wheel)
  • Sanding
  • Grinding away rough edges
  • Evening out uneven places (in flat pieces)
  • Drilling holes
  • Engraving/carving
There are times that the attachments that come with the tool may not be appropriate for use with polymer clay. For instance, the buffing wheels are too small and rough to be ideal for polymer clay, so you'll probably need to make your own buffing wheels if you want to use a Dremel tool for buffing. You may find that another tool is more suited to what you do with clay-for instance, if you're mostly interested in buffing, you might be better off purchasing a bench grinder or tumbler-- but if you already have a Dremel or can use it for other hobbies, it can be a useful tool.

Related Links

For more information on uses and modifications of Dremel tools and attachments, visit the following websites:

Making a Better Dremel Buffing Mandrel
By Desiree McCrorey
http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_TLDremelMod.htm

Making a Better Dremel Buffing Wheel
By Desiree McCrorey
http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_TLDremelPolish.htm

Polishing Polymer Clay with a Dremel
By Desiree McCrorey
http://desiredcreations.com/howTo_CAivoryHorn.htm
Skip down to the last part of the page.

Small Stuff: Dr. Bob's Dremel Tutorial
http://www.miniature.net/smallstuff/dremel.htm

Glass Attic: Tools, Work Surfaces, Etc.
Compiled by Diane Black
http://www.glassattic.com/polymer/tools_Dremels_worksurfaces.htm
There's a section on this page that's just about Dremel tools. Click the link at the top to jump right to that part of the page.