Thanks for the tip for foot maintenance. Only thing I can maybe suggest it have a spray bottle of water and spray your foot prior to sanding, maybe this would hold the dust down, or get you a clear bag and cover up the grinding operation.

your probably right about the fine dust.

Blow it out with compressed air if you have it available or try your vacuum cleaner as the next best alternative but my guess is that your bearings are running dry. Get yourself some bearing lube for high speed bearings, the type that you use on bearing piloted router bits and lube `em up. Unfortunately once bearings start to rumble it isn't long before they go south altogether, so lube only delays their pending demise. I'd line up a set of replacement bearings, and get the shielded permanently lubed type.

It makes sense that finely powdered protein would gum up a bearing. It must get heated, turn into goo, and then start to smoke. Its hard to get cooked egg off a frying pan, so I guess the protein sticks to the bearing in a similar way. I suspect it will be cheaper to start with a new Dremel, than to try and repair the one you have. In your situation, I would tape over the vents on the Dremel, and then take care not to overheat it.

Does it vibrate bad w/out the attachment in the collett? IE is the attachment tweaked rather than funky bearings? I've not had to split my Dremel - but I have other types of tools and have seen where they get so hot, the plastic housing gets melted.

I took the sanding drum out of the collect.
Then I took a can of compressed air (for computers) and
used it to blow out the dremel vents real good.
I turned it on full speed and it ran just fine; no vibration or noise.
It may have been the sanding drum. I found some thread
wound around the shaft below the drum (probably from a sock).
And I know all that dust can't be good for it, or me.
At least it is running just fine now after a good cleaning.

Yep, a dremel is great for foot care. My doctor sent me to
a podiatrist and he used a tool like a dremel. So I figured
I could do the same thing at home for a lot less trouble.
When I registered my dremel for the warranty it asked me to
checkmark the primary use for the tool. One of the options was footcare.
So apparently I'm not the first person to think of this idea.

Oh, and I have found that a small desk fan is great for
blowing the dust away while I'm sanding.

Thanks.

Pooh Bear

I was heavy epuipment mechanic for 36 years BAG BALM in small green can is best for dry and crack skin stops all pain as well. just take some time and rub in skin. you can move that dead skin with razor to stop dust. it dull them so don't try shave with safety razor after use to remove dead skin. Right after bath best time to remove dead skin.

I'm diabetic. I can't use a razor or knife on my feet anymore.
I used to do it that way all the time.
Even have one of those special tools that looks
like a plastic spoon with a razor blade in it.
But I risk losing a foot if I do it that way now.
A dremel with some medium grit sand paper works wonders.

Pooh Bear

This is kind of a funny topic. I used to abrade my ex-wife's feet with an orbital sander and medium grit paper. The sander I have has a dust bag attachment and it just occurred to me what a potential nightmare it could have been had my darling ex disappeared and then her dna was somehow found on one of my power tools! Yeah I know, silly, but I`m sure that stranger things have happened.

I have visions of the movie Hellboy running through my head, lol.

I'll have to tuck this one away for when our feet get to this point :).