As much as we tout the Dremel as a tool for projects big and small, it’s easy to forget that the Dremel rotaries are slammin’ for tiny jobs — and when we say tiny, we mean it. A word from miniaturist Jim Pridham lets you in on just how much TLC goes into his work.

I am an artist of the old school. Inspired by the maritime history and novel architecture of the San Francisco Bay Area, where I’ve lived for over fifty years, I work through an old and universally popular art form: creating in miniature.

I combine extreme detail and realism to sculpt fictional environments. Like a Victorian neighborhood set in San Francisco and coastal villages similar to those I’ve been to. But I leave out the people and animals. I want people to see my work and use their imaginations to create their own characters and tales within my dioramas. Take a look at Maritime Life & Traditions to see some of my work.

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If you or your children are interested in crafting small derby cars, head to Lowe’s on Tuesday for a free demonstration. After they show you how to make a derby car faster and more aerodynamic, your kids’ll get an attendance badge, and you’ll receive a coupon for 10% off Dremel products. See more details after the jump.

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Question: how much Dremel gear can you buy for $125? Answer: a freakin’ lot! And right now Amazon’s encouraging you to stock up on that uber-bit-set or attachment — or maybe a Stylus? — that you’ve been eyeing all year by offering an instant 20% rebate at checkout when you purchase $125 or more worth of Dremel products.

As always, there’s fine print which you’ll need to read for yourself. The link below shows you some of the eligible gear.

20% Off $125 Dremel Purchase Via Amazon [What’s this?]

Check out Amazon’s sweet 10% off knives and multitools sale. A few gift-worthy items include the Gerber Paraframe set, Leatherman Micra and Squirt tools, and SOG’s combo-blade Flash, all also eligible for the 4-for-3 sale.

You can’t really go wrong with this kind of selection in tools. They are all solid toolbelt options for on the jobsite or around the house.

Gerber Paraframe Set Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Leatherman Micra Amazon [What’s This?]
Leatherman Squirt Amazon [What’s This?]
SOG Flash Amazon [What’s This?]

Looks like Dremel is jumping back into the Lithium-Ion scene with their new 7.2V driver, and while this tool isn’t revolutionary, it does include a few interesting features such as a motor brake and “ergonomically-optimized” body.

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There’s so much stuff packed in Dremel’s XPR 400 kit that it’s like a micro-shop in a box.  Hell, calling this a “hands-on post” isn’t really fair — it’s more like four or five separate hands-on posts.  Dremel uses literally every last part of the included toolbox to hold a Dremel rotary tool, six attachments, and over 90 accessories and bits.

Read on past the jump for our hands-on experiences with this massive mess of Dremel tools.

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The words “hand me the Dremel” call to mind a compact rotary tool.  But after spending some quality time with Dremel’s 18″ Scroll Station, that’s not necessarily the case anymore.  The Scroll Station is a full-featured benchtop scroll saw with plenty of power.  Read on past the jump to find out about our experiences with it with lots of pictures to boot.

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Dremel recently made some changes to their 10.8V li-ion cordless rotary tool.  Specifically, they modified the battery pack to deliver “25 percent more runtime” and changed the pack’s shape to allow the 10.8V to accommodate dovetail-attachments like the FlexLite.

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Long time TM reader Stuey writes: “For this very decent price you get get a Dremel 400, a case, a few accessories, a circle/parallal cutter, and a lawnmower blade sharpener.  Note: This kit does not appear to include a flex-shaft attachment.  If you want the flex-shaft, it’ll cost you another $30 or so.  Remember to add the coupon code ‘SAVEXTRA’ at checkout to get 20% off, landing the final price at $47 and change.  Also, I strongly disagree with the bad reviews of this tool on Amazon.  This exact tool has served me well for over a year now.  But if you buy the tool are are unhappy with it, Amazon has a pretty lenient return policy.”

Via Amazon [What’s this?]

In my continuing facination with Dremel attachements, I ran across this over the weekend: an attachment that converts your Dremel into a (very small) plunge router.  Included in the package is a circle-cutting guide and an edge guide as well.

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Incredibly, after using Dremel’s rotary tools for years I somehow never stumbled across the chuck accessory until today.  This replaces the standard quick-change collet to allow installation of most any accessories without the use of a wrench.  Not only does it allow for quick accessory changes, it opens up a bit the range of accessories you can install.

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Sanding curves can be difficult — especially if you want to use a power tool.  That’s where Dremel’s contour sander comes it handy.  A variety of contour shapes and detail pads fit into its grip, which then oscillates at 4,000 to 10,000 strokes per minute to do the hard work for you. 

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Dremel’s XPR planer attachement screws on to the end of your standard Dremel rotary tool, converting it into a tiny planer, perfect for taking a little material off a sticky door or fixing a not-perfect cut in laminate.

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While reviewing Dremel’s Multi-Vise, we discovered that the bezel (right behind the chuck) on most standard Dremel tools unscrews to aid in mounting the tool to stands and other large accessories.  Apparently Dremel offers small accessories as well, like this replacement bezel with two bright white LED worklights.  (Action pic after the jump.)

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Bowen writes: “This add-on turns your Dremel into a stationary tool with adjustable angle and plunge facilities, cable management, and quite a bit of storage for Dremel attachments.  I recently bought one to go with my 300 Series Dremel, and it’s opened up a world of new possibilities.  I can drill a lot more precisely.  The adjustable angle and stable platform makes long periods of polishing or grinding a breeze and allows more precise cuts with Dremel’s cutting wheels as well.  Moving the part around the wheel (instead of visa-versa) eliminates a lot of the flex and fragility issues with the basic cutting discs.”

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Like you, we were skeptical about whether Dremel’s Multi-Vise — a tiny vise and clamping system designed to hold small projects — could command its $30 street price.  But after spending some time with one this week, we were pleasantly surprised.  It works well as a clamp, and read on to discover another feature that makes coughing up your hard-earned cash for it worthwhile. 

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Dremel keeps punching out great accessories for their already-ubiquitous rotary tool — like their new “multi-vise.”  Think of it as a bigger, beefier version of the “third-hand” style vises you use for electronics work.

It has the same swivel-type base — which is removable to allow you to sit the unit on a bench directly — but its padded jaws can handle heavier objects. 

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