Steve Bory March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 So I'm not only a fish noob, but am also a tool noob. I bought a couple of heads of frogspawn about a month ago. Now I have five. I don't need to start fragging yet, but at this rate I feel like I should start getting ready (this is my first coral with a hard skeleton). I've been trying to find a cutting disc type bit that will work in my electric screwdriver, but apparently my Google skills suck. Do I have to buy an actual dremel tool for this or just a bit for my screwdriver. Is there a difference in my electric screwdriver and a dremel? Can someone point me in the right direction, please? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 Dremels spin much faster than an electric screw driver. Maybe even faster than a drill. I am remembering 20,000 RPM, but don't quote me. Frogspawn splits kind of like wood. So it will split like a tree branch. Pull the two heads apart and it will split. No tools for this one. Come to frag fest and you can see the pros do it (that would not be me). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Ivers March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 Well I'm gonna reply to this in a few different parts. First, a dremel tool is a much different animal than your electric drill or screwdriver. A dremel is like a dentists drill in that it spins anywhere from 2,000-35,000rpm. Your power drill or screwdriver probably tops out around 2,500rpm which is much too slow to make a clean cut with a disc. But what the electric drill lacks in RPM it makes up for in torque or its ability to muscle through thick cuts or materials. The attachment you want is a diamond cutting wheel but its ment to be used on a dremel tool at ~20,000rpm (what I personally set it to). Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Ivers March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 This video is a great instructional video for fragging a branching euphyllia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bory March 23, 2011 Author Share March 23, 2011 Wow. That 2 minute video was packed with good info. Thanks. I guess I really don't need a cutting disc after all. I just figured I'd emulate what the girl at the LFS did when she cut my frag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocko918 March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 or you can watch my video. In my opinion the dremel is more accurate then cutting and hoping you dont crush the skeleton. I have seen a skeleton fall apart using cutters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Ivers March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 actually I'd have to respectfully disagree. for lps corals I think its much better to use bone cutters to cut the skeleton partway and then break off the piece as it allows the coral to naturally sheer like it would if it broke in the wild. plus the dremel gets really hot as its cutting through the skeleton and while it just feels warm to the touch to us, our skin is not two cells thick. hope this helps you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bory March 23, 2011 Author Share March 23, 2011 hope this helps you out. This definitely does not help me out. Now there is a controversy! What to do, what to do. Just kidding. This is certainly a more interesting topic than what I originally asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 It's an easy frag, so don't sweat it. Clip it, Dremel it, snap it: They all work. If you cut far enough down, there won't be that much heat carried up the skelton. After all, it's very porous, cuts fast and a lot of the heat comes off in the debris. Another option is to start a cut with the Dremel to create a weak spot that you can exploit with wire cutters or bone shears. I've clipped and Dremel'd with success. For me, the most important step here is to ensure that the frogspawn has retracted fully (or at least a lot) so that you don't have a lot of unsupported delicate tissue swinging about during the procedure. Another important step is to have a soft landing for the frag. That is, don't let it go flying across the room or dropping to the floor after the cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bory March 23, 2011 Author Share March 23, 2011 don't let it go flying across the room or dropping to the floor after the cut. Haha. I can totally see myself doing that! I won't be fragging it for a month or two anyways, so I'm not too worried about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Ivers March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 I'm sure if you bring it by the spring meeting, someone would help you frag it if you're uncertain about doing it yourself. Possibly it could be a mini-demo for fragging? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocko918 March 23, 2011 Share March 23, 2011 (edited) actually I'd have to respectfully disagree. for lps corals I think its much better to use bone cutters to cut the skeleton partway and then break off the piece as it allows the coral to naturally sheer like it would if it broke in the wild. plus the dremel gets really hot as its cutting through the skeleton and while it just feels warm to the touch to us, our skin is not two cells thick. hope this helps you out. i have crushed many skeletons with my bone cutters. My dremel cuts thru just fine. NEVER lost a frogspawn, torch or hammer coral using my dremel. do it how ever you feel most comfortable. Edited March 23, 2011 by rocko918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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