John & Gayle,

The Dremel tool I have has an in-built speed control, however could I
suggest an alternative machine when cutting bone and that is a variable
speed SCROLL saw, (Dremel do one but there are many other makes too).  A
large selection of blades are available for these machines from fine blades
which jewellers use to coarse cutters.  The bone would have to be mounted
on a plastic or thin ply-wood base and supported by something like
plasticine if it was small, but larger bones could be cut easily on this
type of saw and certainly much safer to use than a bandsaw.  Prices for
scroll saws vary greatly and it is well worth while searching the market.

Jim

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At 15:40 05/02/99 -0800, you wrote:
>Gayle and Histonetters,
>Being a woodturner in my other life I use a Dremel tool. I have a speed
>controller, made by Dremel that is external to the tool and allows me to
>control the speed from 0 to max rpms. If I were using this with one of their
>newer cutoff blades rather than the older metal saw blades I might feel
>comfortable cutting tibias, but  the thickness of  the blade would cause the
>loss of a lot of bone.
>John Tarpley
>
>> ----------
>> From: 	Gayle Callis[SMTP:uvsgc@msu.oscs.montana.edu]
>> Sent: 	Friday, February 05, 1999 2:47 PM
>> To: 	histonet@Pathology.swmed.edu
>> Subject: 	Dremel tools for cutting
>>
>> The worst thing about a Dremel tool, is that the speed is TOO fast.
>> I presents a danger in that you can cut the heck out of yourself, plus
>> you need to wear good safety glasses, possibly cutproof gloves.
>>
>> If you can stabilize the bone, keep it immobile, then it seems safer, also
>> long term cutting creates big time heat!  Hopefully Dremel could address
>> the fast speed even on low settings.  Just be very careful, four hands is
>> true, the fourth chases the specimen when it jets off across a counter.
>>
>> Gayle Callis
>>
>
>
>
Jim Hall,
MDA Equipment Evaluator,
Department of Histopathology,
University College London Hospitals,
Rockefeller Building,
University Street,
London, WC1E 6JJ

Tel: 0171 209 6042
Fax: 0171 387 3674
e-mail: rmkdhjh@ucl.ac.uk