New
New Dremel Blueprint Oscillating Multi-tool For Diyers
Dremel has launched another new Blueprint series tool, the Project Multi-Tool.
The Dremel Project Multi-Tool is, in my words, a cordless oscillating multi-tool with training wheels. That’s not a bad thing, I just felt it necessary to frame the new tool with clear context.
This is a cordless oscillating multi-tool for DIYers, and it was designed to be approachable, affordable, and feature-packed.
As with other OMTs, the Dremel Project Multi-Tool can be for a wide range of cutting, sanding, scraping, and grinding applications.
This model, which is powered by a Dremel 12V Max Li-ion battery, features an ergonomic hand grip, LED light, tool-less blade change system, and “project selector.”
The project selector essentially lets you adjust the tool’s speed based on what you’ll be using the tool for.
It looks like the new Dremel Blueprint multi-tool can be used in all of the same ways as other cordless oscillating tools.
This is part of the Blueprint family. Dremel says:
DIY Differently with Dremel Blueprint
Your tools should match your lifestyle. Meet the new family of easy-to-use, versatile 12V tools, designed for people who are redefining DIY.
- 12V Max platform
- Brushless motor
- 7,000 – 20,000 OPM
- Lock-off button
- Weighs 1.75 lbs without battery
The MM12V-S1 kit comes with the tool, 2Ah battery, “65 minute charger,” and a sampling of starter blades and accessories.
Price: $139 for the kit
Discussion
For a tool marketed as your “DIY BESTIE,” I think it’s okay to have some training wheels.
Dremel sought to make this and their other Blueprint tools “approachable,” and I think they succeeding in doing that.
Following my post about the Blueprint series’ introduction, Dremel’s President shared some fantastic insights.
One of the points they made is that DIY spans a much broader range than most people realize, encompassing all kinds of home improvement, crafting, and hobby projects.
There are plenty of products aimed at more advanced DIYers and pros. Dremel’s goal for Blueprint is to:
bring more people into DIY with approachable, intuitive products.
Blueprint can be a “gateway” for DIY, “helping users build confidence and skills for more advanced projects.”
There will be more to come; Dremel is committed to Blueprint, with more tools and innovations on the way. Rotary tools and accessories will remain their core business, with more on the way there as well.
Blueprint isn’t replacing their other tools, and certainly isn’t shifting their focus, it’s expanding it.
At the start of the post, I wrote that the tool seems to have training wheels. You can change the speed according to accessory or application type, and that’s it.
Looking at the user manual online, there’s a section on “learning to use the tool.” Here are some excerpts:
The first step in learning to use the tool is to get the “feel” of it. Hold it in your hand and feel its weight and balance. Depending on the application, you will need to adjust your hand position to achieve optimum comfort and control.
Concentrate on guiding the tool over the work using very little pressure from your hand. Allow the Accessory to do the work.
Usually, it is better to make a series of passes with the tool rather than to do the entire job with one pass.f
There is also a section on different accessory types and sections on sanding, cutting, and scraping techniques.
Here’s a closer look at the speed selection interface:
It took digging into the user manual, but the Dremel Blueprint oscillating tool does have a variable speed trigger switch.
The application-specific speed settings lets users select the optimal speed for different tasks, but you can also control the speed manually.
Dremel took a very different approach with their Blueprint series tools. I’ve seen “training wheel” versions of different tools where brands sought to sell stripped-down tech as being more beginner-friendly.
From what I can tell, Dremel has been very deliberate in their approach. This tool isn’t for me, and probably isn’t for you either, but it does have a brushless motor and other modern features.
Companies have been shoehorning hand-holding tech into all kinds of things. No, I don’t want AI Copilot when opening a Microsoft Word document! No, I don’t want factually inaccurate AI Overviews when I’m searching for something! Just today Google’s automatic AI Overview told me that a cap of 200 can’t fit 15 of something.
I think that Dremel’s approach is interesting, or at least the care they put into it. They are being very deliberate.
I find myself being a little critical about the lack of clarity regarding blade compatibility. Does it have a universal interface? What other brands’ blades or accessories can it fit, if any?
And, it took more digging than I’d like to find the actual speed range.
Still, the entire design seems carefully engineered. I see this as a tool for beginners who need a little encouragement and hand-holding to get started, rather than a construction tool that’s sold at a value price. I think Dremel created exactly what they sought out to do.
Dremel’s 7V cordless Stylus and Driver tools were among my favorite of all time, and I hope they revisit that form factor one day.
Here, it seems they’ve created a tool for users who might find construction-grade tools to be a little intimidating. Thus, although not for me and probably not you, I think this is a tool that helps beginners get their feet wet and projects done now rather than putting it off for “someday.”
