Dremel Mini-Mite

Tools 'n' Tips Article by Steve Bamford

 

Three main pieces make up the Dremel Mini-Mite....pretty straight forward.

 

Well this is it.......my all time favourite tool!!!  I bought this tool a number of years ago (8 or 10?) and it's been a treat to use.  The newer units now have a slightly larger battery, but the rest of the tool seems unchanged....no sense redesigning  a tool that works so well.  We've all heard of the Dremel motor Tool.  Well this is the little version of the big 'plug in the wall' unit.  The larger Dremel tool has many drawbacks when it comes to using it for plastic scale modelling.  The biggest problem is the larger unit spins too fast and with too much torque (power) to properly work on plastic.  The end result is the larger unit instantly melts the plastic instead of gently grinding away the plastic.  I have heard of people successfully reducing the speed of the larger units and then they can be used for plastic scale modelling, but I have to question the value of doing this unless you already own the bigger Dremel unit.  The bigger unit is more expensive, nosier, heavier and has an annoying cord.  Even set at the slowest speed the larger 110volt Dremel melts plastic with franticly disastrous results.  I own both units, so I know what I'm talking about here.....I NEVER use the bigger unit.  If you read the labels on the two versions of the Dremel tools you'll notice the speeds listed on them say they are similar in rpm's....don't believe it....the 110volt plug-in unit spins much faster and with much more torque than the rechargable battery Dremel Mini-Mite.    

My favourite attachments.  

A: Drill chuck.....great for holding small drill bits or the smaller tips at bottom of this picture

B: Sanding Drum.....ideal tool for grinding edges of scratch built sheet styrene parts....works very fast but controllable......excellent for metal as well

C &D: Cutting tips......the sides of these cutting bits can be used for a variety of jobs as well as grinding away the edges of sheet styrene......giving finer results than the sanding Drum.  The flat end can be used to smooth high spots in plastic....very much like a woodworking router tool 

E: Saw blade......I love to use this one to all sorts of cutting jobs....but the coolest use for this 'saw blade' is removing clear canopies from the sprue trees....this blade permits a steady hand to get VERY close to the canopy when cutting it free from the sprue trees.  Then a tiny bit if filing and sanding an the canopy is perfectly removed from the sprue tree....and it very quick as well.

F: Bur tip......I have 2 sizes of this tip.......I used this tip to thin plastic when I'm installing aftermarket resin items and the kit parts requiring thinning....a combination of this tip and sand paper can create perfectly thinned kit parts (engine cowls etc) but this does take time and patience to do. 

G:  Metal Cutting wheel......this is the tip you use  for cutting metal....such as piano wire for scratch building etc.

H: Spare Discs for G....

I:  Tiny tips for delicate work....see photo below for more info...

 

The problem with the Dremel Mini-Mite is it doesn't come with any attachments.  The larger Dremel unit is sometimes sold with a variety of attachments, but a modest selection of attachments will be all you'll need to get full use out of your Dremel Mini-Mite.  In the photo above and below I show you the tips and attachments I've found most useful.   

Tiny finishing bits made by Dremel...must be used with drill chuck

These tips are too small for the Dremel unit and require the use of the Drill Chuck attachment to permit them to be used with the Dremel Min-Mite

1: Hole enlarger bit....I use this tip if I want to enlarge the diameter of an existing hole  

2: Rounded Burring tip.....same as tip F in above photo except this tip is very tiny.

3:  Angular burring unit.......this tip is perfect for more angular jobs that tip #2 is not suited for.....I don't get too much use out of this tip...but it does have it's uses.

So should you buy a Dremel Mini-Mite?.......that depends.  If you add resin or Photo-Etched detail items to your models, then the Dremel Mini-Mite will save you countless hours of frustration and work and will become your favourite tool.  If you build your models  out of the box, then the Demel Mini-Mite will be a fun tool, but it won't be  a critical item in your 'tool box'.  Basically if you've ever hacked or shaved plastic with an X-Acto knife or if you cringe when you see the word "Grind" in instruction sheets....then you NEED the Dremel Mini-Mite and you need one NOW!!!  Quit torturing yourself.  

And finally....DO NOT use this tool on resin....Resin dust is very bad for the lungs......always wet sand resin parts whenever possible and wear proper protective gear....do not ruin your lungs for a hobby...it's not worth it.

Steve Bamford

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford