# Chinese rotary tool question



## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi all!

I'm hoping one of you can help me with my conundrum.

I'm new to woodworking, and I've amassed a small number of tools. One of my newest is a Wen model 23 rotary tool. I like it a lot actually. The only problem is that the nose/neck is smaller than the Dremel's, so the 565 cutting kit I bought won't fit. 

This is my tool:










Now, I've noticed other tools with the exact same plastic molding (in different colors) being sold under other names, such as *Buffalo Tools, Trademark, Neiko, Enkay, Northern Tool,* and* Clarke*.......so I'm thinking they're all coming from the same Changzhou factory and are just being rebranded. Good for them, as far as I'm concerned, cos this tool was the best $30 I ever spent....so if the internals are the same as mine, that means there's a lot of good rotary tools floating around.

As I mentioned, the only problem is the attachment issue. Does anybody have one of these and know what the screw thread size is? I actually bought a metric thread pitch gauge today, and if I'm doing it right, the threads are a 16......but 16 what?

I wanna ask a plumbing or machining company to make me a simple adapter, with 3/4" 12 tpi (Dremel) threads on the outside and whatever kinda threads the chinese tool has on the inside, but I have to get the thread right first. One of the China wholesalers I found on google seemed to have an identical flex shaft to mine, and it said it was 17mm across, but that tells me nothing about the threads. One of the flex shafts even had adapter rings so you could use it on the Dremel, but of course that's the opposite of what I need.

Does anybody have one of this tool's many cousins? 

I really wanna screw the adapters on and be as safe as possible, rather than rigging something and risk having an all purpose cutting bit go through my arm or something when I least expect it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thoughts?


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Sounds like it might be easier to buy the Dremel. :smile:


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

mdntrdr said:


> Sounds like it might be easier to buy the Dremel. :smile:


Easier, yes, but not cheaper. I have a fine (fully) variable speed tool and a small pile of Dremel-brand bits and accessories, plus the 40 fully serviceable bits, sanders, cutting wheels, and mandrels (plus an excellent flex shaft) that came with my tool, and I still spent less than you would for a midrange Dremel that's probably not as versatile as the one I have. Hell, a Dremel flex shaft costs as much as my whole original kit. It's held up well over the past couple months I've had it, and I've used it a lot.

As with every technical hurdle I've faced, this one will be overcome with a bit of persistence and a lot of research. I'm betting somebody out there has invented this particular wheel before me. I just have to find them, or make it happen on my own. 

(that's why I'm here)


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## padcarroll (Jul 26, 2011)

Have you tried Harbor Freight.


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

padcarroll said:


> Have you tried Harbor Freight.


It's funny, I hadn't actually! I hadn't been back there since I decided that their cheap rotary tools were a bit _too_ cheap for me. I'll go check it out!

Edit: I'm back. This one appears to have virtually the exact same flex shaft mine has, and I'm betting it's the same size. Considering how they're saturating the market with this chinese stuff, I'd be surprised if an adapter like the one I am looking for is far behind. Alas Milescraft doesn't make one yet.


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Billkwando said:


> It's funny, I hadn't actually! I hadn't been back there since I decided that their cheap rotary tools were a bit _too_ cheap for me. I'll go check it out!
> 
> Edit: I'm back. This one appears to have virtually the exact same flex shaft mine has, and I'm betting it's the same size. Considering how they're saturating the market with this chinese stuff, I'd be surprised if an adapter like the one I am looking for is far behind. Alas Milescraft (the king of dremel accessory ripoffs) doesn't make one yet.




The reviews are not very good for that tool, especially the battery life. The thread size is different than a Dremel.:

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-...le-speed-rotary-tool-kit-92880.html?hftref=cj


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

H. A. S. said:


> The thread size is different than a Dremel.:


Weird...I don't see that. One of the reviews says it's the same. Odd.


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## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

One of my customers is a pawn shop. They get a multitude of hand power tools used but working and usually pretty cheap. I regularly see dremels in there and a ton of bits. I think I paid 40 bucks for their digital model with a box full of bits and attachments. 
If you have a pawn shop close check them out.


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

slicksqueegie said:


> One of my customers is a pawn shop. They get a multitude of hand power tools used but working and usually pretty cheap. I regularly see dremels in there and a ton of bits. I think I paid 40 bucks for their digital model with a box full of bits and attachments.
> If you have a pawn shop close check them out.


I live in a pretty urban area, and all the pawnshops charge nearly (and sometimes over) retail. Their business is based on suckering people too lazy or ignorant to use the internet or check prices.


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## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

Billkwando said:


> I live in a pretty urban area, and all the pawnshops charge nearly (and sometimes over) retail. Their business is based on suckering people too lazy or ignorant to use the internet or check prices.


I disagree, Pawn shops are like garage sales or car lots or even real-estate. List price means nothing.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

There is an entire side building devoted to clearing out excess tool stock at my local hardware store. They have enormous dremil sets, accessories galore, for $40-$60... I have no use so never bought one.

I can go by tomorrow and see if they do any on-line selling... Snap a few Picts...

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Howard Ferstler (Sep 27, 2007)

Black and Decker has a three-speed, corded rotary tool that I purchased at WalMart (of all places) for $25 some time back. It can handle all of the Dremel accessories I have on hand for my Dremel version. The B&D unit seems to work as well as my variable-speed Dremel, since its three speeds are more than enough to cover all rotary requirements.

The photo shows my Dremel unit on the left, an older Craftsman unit on the right, and the B&D unit in the middle.

Howard Ferstler


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

Howard Ferstler said:


> Black and Decker has a three-speed, corded rotary tool that I purchased at WalMart (of all places) for $25 some time back. It can handle all of the Dremel accessories I have on hand for my Dremel version. The B&D unit seems to work as well as my variable-speed Dremel, since its three speeds are more than enough to cover all rotary requirements.
> 
> The photo shows my Dremel unit on the left, an older Craftsman unit on the right, and the B&D unit in the middle.
> 
> Howard Ferstler


So all of them have the standard 3/4" 12 tpi threads? The craftsman looks narrower in the pic.

I appreciate everyone's helpful suggestions. I'm just really intent on figuring out the answer to my original question...cos there's probably thousands of rotary tools out there that are just like mine, and probably plenty of other folks who were disappointed to discover they couldn't use the dremel attachments. If I can find the answer, at least the next person who comes along with this issue will benefit.

Besides this one, can anyone recommend another similar forum where I should ask this question? I figure the more people that see the question, the more likely I'll be to find an answer. 

Then if I come up with a solution, I can reply back to each place I've posted. That's one way good info gets disseminated on Google. :smile:


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## Howard Ferstler (Sep 27, 2007)

Billkwando said:


> So all of them have the standard 3/4" 12 tpi threads? The craftsman looks narrower in the pic.
> 
> I appreciate everyone's helpful suggestions. I'm just really intent on figuring out the answer to my original question...cos there's probably thousands of rotary tools out there that are just like mine, and probably plenty of other folks who were disappointed to discover they couldn't use the dremel attachments. If I can find the answer, at least the next person who comes along with this issue will benefit.
> 
> ...


I never have tried the Craftsman with any of the Dremel accessories. I got it from stepfather's collection of tools when he died years ago, and it is a single-speed device of limited adaptability. However, as I noted, the B&D dovetails fine with the Dremel accessores. It is not quite as powerful as that Dremel model in the photo, however.

Another good woodworking chat-group site is Lumberjocks, at:

http://lumberjocks.com/forums

Howard Ferstler


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

Howard Ferstler said:


> However, as I noted, the B&D dovetails fine with the Dremel accessores. It is not quite as powerful as that Dremel model in the photo, however.


Mine is 8000 - 30000 RPM. How does that compare to the B&D? Thanks for the link btw. :thumbsup:


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## Howard Ferstler (Sep 27, 2007)

Billkwando said:


> Mine is 8000 - 30000 RPM. How does that compare to the B&D? Thanks for the link btw. :thumbsup:


I went out to my shop and checked the spec sheets for the Dremel and B&D units. 

There apparently are "two" versions of the B&D unit: one with variable speed (8 k to 30 k rpm), and a second with only three fixed speeds (12 k, 24 k, and 30 k rpm). 

The Dremel 400 series unit that I have is variable (5 k to 35 k rpm).

Howard Ferstler


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## Billkwando (Jul 25, 2011)

Thanks for the info, Howard. I prolly will get a Dremel or a B&D when this Chinese one craps out, but for now I'm on a mission. Haha. I just lithium greased the flex shaft core yesterday, so hopefully it'll last longer.

I sent a nice email to Milescraft (a shorter version of my OP) asking about the possibility of them making adapter rings to accomodate the many Chinese rotary tools out there.

Injection molding is expensive, so who knows what they'll say. I figure it's worth a try!


Edit: I got a reply from the Milescraft people, and I like them. No dice on my idea so far though. Here's what they wrote:


Hello Bill,

Thanks for your mail.

Milescraft has been looking into the very situation years ago. If I remember correctly, there is not enough material to convert the “off brand” threads with standard set by Dremel.
Actually, some of the off brands sold in Europe are now using the same thread as Dremel.

Bill, you seem to be very knowledgeable about the rotary tool market in general and in China. We are still looking for a good manufacturer in China. Do you have any contacts to these firms?

Milescraft is headquartered in Hampshire, IL, however, all our manufacturing is done in China in our own plant, or/and by contracted manufacturers.

I would like to hear from you again.

Joe Karkosch
President
Milescraft, Inc.


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