Power Tool Accessories

Power tool accessories are what let the tools you already own take on more jobs: bits and wheels for a rotary tool, blades for an oscillating multi-tool, sanding discs, dust collection fittings, stands and storage. The rule that saves trips back to the counter is simple: an accessory has to fit the tool’s mount and be rated for the tool’s speed. If it doesn’t, it isn’t the right accessory, however well it looks like it fits.

Rotary tool bits: Dremel and RotoZip

A rotary tool does a lot of different jobs, and each one has its own working end. WBC stocks these Dremel pieces:

Dremel accessory	What it does
115 and 194 high-speed steel cutters	Shaping and removing material
9901 tungsten carbide cutter	Shaping and removing material
106 engraving cutter	Fine lines and lettering
941 and 952 grinding stones	Grinding and sharpening
EZ456 cut-off wheels, five-pack	Cutting
EZ402 locking mandrel	Holds the EZ cut-off wheels
407 1/2-inch drum sander and 431 1/4-inch coarse sanding band	Sanding curves and tight spots

A cut-off wheel cuts; it doesn’t grind. Use it straight in the cut, and switch to a grinding stone for surface work. A thin wheel pushed sideways against a surface can shatter. If you’re just getting started, the 110-piece accessory kit covers most of these jobs; after that, buy the pieces you actually wear out.

For cutting drywall, use the RotoZip drywall bit or the 1/8-inch GuidePoint bit. The CT250 collet holds 1/4-inch-shank bits in a RotoZip. Collets grip a bit’s shank; mandrels carry wheels and discs. You need the right one for what you’re mounting.

The rules that keep an accessory in one piece

These apply to every rotary and oscillating accessory:

1. Use an accessory listed for your tool in its operator manual. A photo of a bit on a similar tool doesn’t make it approved.
2. Its rated speed must equal or exceed the tool’s top speed. An accessory run past its rating can fly apart.
3. Keep the accessory’s diameter and thickness within the tool’s capacity, and mount it with matching hardware; mismatched hardware causes vibration and breakage.
4. Use the guard, wear eye protection, and replace anything chipped or cracked.
5. Let the accessory stop completely before you set the tool down.

Oscillating blades: check the mount first

Oscillating multi-tool blades come in different mounting interfaces: Starlock, OIS and universal fit. Check which one your tool takes before you look at anything else. Then pick by the job: the FEIN carbide grout blade is the one for raking out old grout before you retile, and a blade made for wood with nails in it handles demolition and renovation cuts where you’ll hit a fastener.

Sanding supplies: PSA or hook-and-loop

Sanding discs attach one of two ways. PSA discs have a peel-and-stick adhesive back; hook-and-loop discs grab a fuzzy pad and peel off for reuse. Match the disc to your sander’s pad and its size. WBC carries 12-inch PSA aluminum oxide discs in 80, 100, 120 and 180 grit, two to a pack, and an 80-grit 6-inch by 50-foot sanding roll. Start coarse to remove material and step up through the grits to finish.

Dust collection for the shop

Montana’s winter is interior renovation season, and you’re cutting and sanding inside a closed-up house. Dust collection is worth setting up properly. Shop Fox fittings let you run one dust collector to several machines:

• Blast gates in 4-, 5- and 6-inch sizes, to close off the machines you aren’t using so the suction goes where you’re working
• 5-to-4-inch and 4-to-3-inch reducers to step between hose sizes
• 4-inch T, Y, elbow and double-branch fittings to route the run
• 4-inch by 10-foot wire hose

Match every fitting to the hose diameter at that point in the run, and use a reducer wherever the size changes.

Stands, supports and storage

Long boards and pipe need support at the far end, or the cut binds. The heavy-duty five-roller stand holds long stock level as it comes off the saw, and the Channellock folding miter saw stand gives you a work surface you can set up anywhere and fold away. The 3rd Hand extension pole holds up to 70 pounds overhead, the extra pair of hands when you’re working overhead alone.

For storage, StealthMounts makes separate tool mounts and battery mounts, built for specific brands. WBC carries Milwaukee M12 and M18 battery mounts, Milwaukee M18 tool mounts, Makita 40V XGT tool mounts, a Makita double-charger mount, Packout feet and magnetic bit holders. Buy the mount for your battery platform; an M18 mount won’t hold a Makita pack.

The Pick

For rotary work, buy the Dremel cutters, grinding stones and EZ456 cut-off wheels with the EZ402 mandrel, or the 110-piece kit to start. Buy the RotoZip drywall bit for cutting openings in drywall. Check your oscillating tool’s mount before buying a blade, and use the FEIN carbide blade for grout. Set up Shop Fox blast gates and fittings sized to your hose, put a five-roller stand under long stock, and hang your tools and batteries on StealthMounts made for your brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose power tool accessories that fit your tool?

Check the mount, the size and the speed rating. The accessory has to fit the tool’s mounting system, stay within its size capacity, and carry a rated speed at least as high as the tool’s top speed. If it isn’t listed in your tool’s manual, don’t assume it’s approved just because it goes on.

How do you use rotary tool accessories?

Pick the working end for the material and job, then mount it with the matching collet or mandrel. Use a cut-off wheel only for cutting and a grinding stone for surface work. Wear eye protection, keep bystanders clear, and let the accessory stop before you set the tool down.

What are oscillating tool accessories used for?

Oscillating blades cut, sand, scrape and grind in tight spots. Check the mounting interface first (Starlock, OIS or universal), then pick by the job: a carbide blade for raking grout, a blade made for wood with nails for renovation cuts.

What accessories do you need for a Dremel tool?

Start with the jobs you do most. High-speed steel cutters shape, the engraving cutter writes, grinding stones sharpen and smooth, and cut-off wheels cut, mounted on the EZ402 mandrel. A sanding drum handles curves. The 110-piece kit is a good way to start before you know which pieces you’ll use up.