Dremel....standard flex shaft vs fortiflex

Oh- those $50 flexible shaft machines work great. I use them, as well as Foredoms.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Oh- those $50 flexible shaft machines work great. I use them, as well as Foredoms.
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Really? Good to know because they are about 1/4 the price of the Foredom. Some of the cheapo stuff works great and other stuff is just crap. I buy the noname dremel tools for about a 1/3 of the price of a dremel and they last just about as long. I am pretty hard on them trying to carve.

I've been playing with my foredom I just bought. WOW! The change in power is amazing. I can't believe how simple carving is and the way it hogs off wood without bogging down. And the quick release! I wish I bought this 5 years ago. I'm in love.
 
The $50 HF units lack power, and longevity if they get regular use. For a hobby setup and light use, they are fine. They are between 1/15Hp and 1/10HP. The fact that the listed .5 amps and 15,000 RPM speed are stated at "No Load" would suggest that 1/15HP is about right.
You just replace it when it goes bad.

The initial cost savings would not equate to anything in my situation, as I probably would burn one out every week. Also, the 1/3HP I need would not be provided by these units.
 
Stacy- you gotta admit that the Chinese Flex shafts are better than Dremels, though.
They generally come with a Jacobs handpiece (copy of Foredom #30) and they have more power than the Dremels, and they are more heavy duty.
I have Foredoms that are 40 years old that are still running fine.
 
Foredom TX300 kit arrived today with the H300 handpiece. I've only had a chance to play with it briefly but I'll say this...I never knew what a real rotary tool was until today. :D Lots of raw power, lots of speed. Now to accessorize! I think I see an angle grinder attachment in my future. Anyone been using one of these?
 
I just got my foredom TX yesterday. And holy crap i love it.
My first thought was "MAXIUMUM POWAH"(said in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice)
I never went fill tilt with it yesterday but i probably went to 1/2 speed and just blasted through the micarta. Even cleaned up grind lines on the underside of a knife handle.

Used the purple 1/2 inch sanding drums, way better than the dremel ones. I think the manual said that they are the 3M cubitron abrasive. I had the ceramic cubitron belts for grinding on my 2X72, and now that they come in sanding drums im hooked. Gotta place an order for more! Havent even worn out the one i was using!

Definitely worth the money. I dont think mine is the square drive, just the keyway version with the 3 foot shaft, may upgrade to the 5 foot one in the future. Like another person said, "buy once, cry once." Totally worth the money. First use and im a believer.
 
Is it possible to use the Foredom to rough out handle shapes from wood or micarta? I assume there must be wheels that do the job--but maybe it's a poor choice? I've been using a coping saw, but it's tedious as heck ... and a band saw isn't a possibility quite yet.
 
I use my foredom for rough shaping handles, for carving wood, for all sorts of stuff. You can hog off a lot of wood fast with a foredom and a good bit.
 
matthewhoffman said:
Is it possible to use the Foredom to rough out handle shapes from wood or micarta? I assume there must be wheels that do the job--but maybe it's a poor choice? I've been using a coping saw, but it's tedious as heck ... and a band saw isn't a possibility quite yet.
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YES! For about 5 years when I only had my Coote 2 x72 with no small wheels I used my Fordom 300 with the 300 hand piece to do all of my handle Sculpting with Woods, Micarta, Corian and every other handle materials and to shape steel with a Carbide Burr on hardened steel! ——-////////——————————————-Still use that Fordom for many of the same & different chores in the shop!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Go Fordom, and don’t look back!!
 
A good trick is to put a hook on the end of the shop-vac hose and hook it on your belt, drawer edge, etc. when carving out the handle shape so it directly sucks up the dust. A foot switch to turn the vac on/off is also a good thing to have in the shop.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Tony,
....loosing control of the handpiesce while hogging away wood when shaping a saya, and having a 1/2"X1" cylinder burr grab you pant leg. It will wrap it up in a tight wad, and maybe give you a little bite. It usually doesn't do much physical damage to you ( beyond another hole in your work pants), but it will usually make you have to change your shorts.
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This one happened a couple monthss ago with my wool sweater. Lost control, burr grabbed my sweater. I got a good sized hole in my sweater and a purple nurple out of it. Pretty startling.
 
If I ever do buy another Fordom Flex.. I will buy the one with the reversible motor. It will help with some mirror imagine work on both sides...and cut down on the grit & chips kicked at me...
 
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