This project uses a small DC motor recovered from a printer to create a mini drill or 'Dremel' tool. It is powered from a low-voltage supply and uses a DC motor with (in this case) a 2mm shaft. This size motor is known as '180' and can often be recovered from printers, fax machines, scanners and similar devices. Similar motors are found with shaft sizes up to about 5mm. They are powered with voltage from about 8V to 12V and spin at up to 5,000 RPM.
The chucks that are available are either collet or 3-jaw. This example is a collet chuck because it is primarily intended for use with a particular set of bits with a common shaft size. For use with drill bits a 3-jaw chuck would be easier to use. This example is also intended to be used with a PWM variable speed DC motor driver, in order to achieve the best surface finish for each particular tool.
The motor is mounted in a 3D-printed enclosure. A simple hollow tube grips the motor firmly, with two machine screws through the end of a tube and into the face plate of the motor. A rounded cap fits into the top and is held in place with two coarse self-threading screws from the side. The cable hole in the side of the tube is sized for a 5mm grommet. The cap is a very tight fit and some sanding will be required in order to insert it into the tube. The overall size has been kept as small as possible in order fit conveniently in the hand. The cap is shaped internally to minimize the need for supports for 3D printing.
This page last updated 1 November 2024
