{"id":538,"date":"2008-09-22T19:21:16","date_gmt":"2008-09-23T02:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/?p=538"},"modified":"2008-09-22T19:21:16","modified_gmt":"2008-09-23T02:21:16","slug":"dremel-tool-safety-tips-for-polishing-polymer-clay-beads-and-jewelry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beadsandbeading.com\/blog\/dremel-tool-safety-tips-for-polishing-polymer-clay-beads-and-jewelry\/538\/","title":{"rendered":"Dremel Tool Safety Tips for Polishing Polymer Clay Beads and Jewelry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Polymer<\/p>\n

Learn How To Use a Rotary Tool Safely with these 8 Tips:
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For many polymer clay jewelry artists, a Dremel Multipro or other comparable rotary device is a favorite tool for drilling, carving and buffing Fimo beads. But as is the case with all power<\/span> equipment, there are some safety issues to keep in mind. Warning…<\/em> some of the descriptions listed below are dramatic, graphic and sometimes even silly to emphasize their importance:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) <\/span><\/strong>Read the safety info that came with your machine. There are also cautions posted on the machine itself… read those!<\/span><\/p>\n

2)<\/span><\/strong> Always wear safety glasses even if they make you look like a geek <\/span>(or regular glasses if you wear them)<\/span>. Loosing an eye because a bead hit you at high speeds is one of the poorest ways to get good at your craft!!<\/span><\/p>\n

3)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Tie loose hair into a pony tail. Accidentally winding your long hair into a machine that turns at 30,000 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) is guaranteed to hurt.<\/span><\/p>\n

4)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Don’t dress fancy while working with a Dremel. Guys don’t do it and there’s a good reason for it. Take off scarves, ties, long necklaces, shirts with drooping sleeves, bracelets and rings that could get all wound up in your buffing wheel! Do wear clothes though. You don’t want to be one of THOSE kinds of artists!<\/span><\/p>\n

5)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Unplug the machine when you change buffing wheels, drill bits and any other accessory for your rotary tool. You could get hurt should the machine accidentally turn on when you weren’t expecting it!<\/span><\/p>\n

6)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Buff on the right side of the wheel. Look at the direction the wheel is spinning on your machine. When I hold my Dremel in my left hand with the wheel facing the ceiling, it turns counter clockwise. This means if you hold the bead on the right side of the wheel and you accidentally let go of it, the wheel will throw the bead away from you. Alternatively, if you hold the Dremel in your right hand and the bead is polished on the left side of the wheel, the bead will fly into your face. And you are all too pretty to have a bead permanently embedded somewhere where it’s not supposed to be!<\/span><\/p>\n

7)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> If you do drop your bead, make sure to turn off the machine before you bend over to pick it up. Like I mentioned before… bad things happen when you get your hair caught in any high speed buffing tool. Not a pretty site!<\/span><\/p>\n

8)<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Think… don’t drink! When you are using any machine it is important to be focused. So if buffing beads makes you stressed, make sure to have your Martini after you’re done using the Dremel. That also goes for any other prescribed drugs that may impair your alertness.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information on how to use a Dremel MultiPro Rotary Tool, here’s a 3 additional articles:
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