Will the metal cutting disc on a Dremel actually cut through metal?

[Popeye the Sailor]

um, i dont think you should use a cutting disk in a drill, they ussually dont have the speed that you need to accually get the job done, prolly take you as long as the dremel will. grinders ussually spin 10k to 15k rpm, i dont know of a drill that spins that fast. plus a 4.5" dewalt grinder will only set you back like 50$. if you goto harbor frieght its even cheaper. 

I've been doing it for years on car restorations/bike mods.


A cheesy cordless I'd agree with you on. I have a high end makita that spins a metal cutting disc just fine.

[booger]

Just use the Dremel. Those tiny little tabs that the heel guards screw into are not heavy guage sheet metal. You will change disks, but that's supposed to happen. That's the way it works. I guess that's why Dremels come with a bazillion  of those disks in the box. The Dremel will enable you to surgically remove them(with the exhaust still on the bike), and not overgrind or otherwise screw up like you could with an angle grinder. You can use the little sanding disks that come with the Dremel to finish it off, and the polishing wheel if you want to go nuts. It's not like you are trying to cut an I beam or anything. An angle grinder is too big of a tool for that job, especially if you don't have metalfab finesse experience. People use Dremels all the time to core their exhaust cans with little difficulty. I once removed a bike boot from one of my friends' bicycles in college with a Dremel. It was a University Parking Nazi high-strength industrial nuclear bomb-proof padlock. Probably cost them $200. Dremel went through it like butta. Changed a few disks, but that's how it works.

I'd recommend you keep the heat shields right where they are. If your foot rests on the top of them now, they will rest on the exhaust pipe itself when you remove them completely. You will have melted footwear. I dunno, to me it just doesn't seem smart. Rearsets would be smarter in my view. Maybe even bigger heat shields.

[64duc]

I've been doing it for years on car restorations/bike mods.


A cheesy cordless I'd agree with you on. I have a high end makita that spins a metal cutting disc just fine.

I usually use an air tool, but my cheesy Craftsman 19.2 volt will do it too if no air supply is available.

[tangueroHondo]

I have the same prob with the heel as this crazy Norwegian.  I put a piece of wood up against the S-pipe and pounded it towards the wheel a bit so I had more heel clearance.       
I used a dremel for my tail chop.  It did take two cutting wheels and a quite a bit of time, but it did a nice clean job.

[stopintime]

Crazy Norwegian?  Who - me? In that case, we're all crazy up here - the girls too

It sounds like a Dremel is possible, like going touring on a 50cc. Things will break, you might not get there, but fun if you succeed. It is tempting to at least try the Dremel - if it fails I'll just get the angle grinder. Hmmm, or just have a professional do it in 10 minutes.

I have rearsets. That's why my size 12 feet are rearwards enough to be positioned outside the rear pipe - which is further out than the forward pipe.
My dealer loosened the pipe and pounded it a few mm in. We also repositioned the lower can to hang on the inside of the main/high bracket instead of on the outside. It helped, but is not enough.

Boot on pipe issue will be solved by using header wrap on that section. At least that's how I plan to proceed. As I see the ergonomics, this will align my foot along the forward pipe's heat guard and hopefully not touch the wrap on the rear pipe.

Thanks for all the input. It goes to the "educating Norwegians foundation"

[bigtime]

I used a dremel to chop the heat shields off my S2R and it took just a few minutes.  It was a while ago so I don't recall what bit I used, but I had no issues.

M

[stopintime]

I used a dremel to chop the heat shields off my S2R and it took just a few minutes.  It was a while ago so I don't recall what bit I used, but I had no issues.

M

First and knowledge - thanks!  If you don't remember which bit, it probably wasn't anything out of the ordinary I suppose.
(BTW It was the brackets and not just the shield itself?)

[A.duc.H.duc.]

If you're just using the regular metal cutting discs for the dremel, double 2 up at once, it prolongs their life considerably. The dremel should be able to handle this job, no big deal.

[tangueroHondo]

I didn't use the brittle brown cutting discs.  I used the 1.5" 'Metal' reinforced with the E-Z lock connector.  Come in a 5-pack withe the E-Z lock shaft.

[Bill in OKC]

I used a dremel and a combination of the brittle disks and the reinforced disks to core my exhaust cans. 

[bigtime]

First and knowledge - thanks!  If you don't remember which bit, it probably wasn't anything out of the ordinary I suppose.
(BTW It was the brackets and not just the shield itself?)

Yes, the bracket.  It was the bit that printman showed in an earlier thread. 

[aaronb]

cutting a few tabs off should not require a 4.5" angle grinder.  really not a big deal.  you should be able to get them off with 1 or 2 of the larger fiber reinforced disks.  just wind the dremel up to ten and cut slow, be careful to keep the blade straight once into the bracket, touching the sides will ruin the disk very quickly.  best bet is to draw a line with the disk right at the weld then work the disk back and forth over the line until you're through.  once the tabs are off you can clean them up with a sanding drum or cylindrical stone.  just take your time and it should be no problem.  5-15 minutes per tab depending on how clean you take the welds down to. 

use these, #456 1-1/2"fiber glass reinforced cut-off disk
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/AttachmentsAndAccessories/Pages/AttachmentsDetail.aspx?pid=456

and don't forget safety glasses, if (when) the disk comes apart fragments fly everywhere.   

[♣ McKraut ♣]

my cordless dremel seems to do just fine with the discs cutting metal...one handed even.

[erkishhorde]

If you do attempt the dremel remember to wear eye protection. Don't press too hard or you'll just burn through the little disk in 2 seconds. Also try not to push out of plane of the disk since they snap easily. Be careful once you get near the end of a disk since they tend to disintegrate and sometimes throw little bits around. Just be patient.

[Alex]

Don't listen to all these guys saying you need bigger tools. The dremel will be fine, and those discs cut for more like 20 seconds. I would be surprised if you needed more than one or two discs to cut through ANY part on your bike...

I used mine for my tail chop, and cutting the nub off my kickstand, and niether job used up a whole disk. Besides, the discs come in tubes of like 20 for a reason: it's OK to use two or three at a time.

Your job will take you less than 5 minutes, just get to it!

And definitely wear the eye protection... When those discs shatter (happens occasionally) it's like a small explosion of cutting material.