Foredom advice

Fish30114

Fish30114

Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
1,495
Well I have been thinking of upgrading my Craftsman dremel type tool for while, and I figured the Foredom tool was the way to go. But...when I started looking at them there are a dizzying array of those suckers! So in short I am looking for input/advice on which one to get, and also what accessories are 'have to have' type stuff. Also, where to buy, preferably from a BF's sponsor dealer. I've been looking at them on Rio Grande, not sure if their a site supporter or not.
 
I have had and used my Foredom flexshaft for over 16 years and LOVE IT! I use it with carbide burrs for Jimping, 3/4" sanding drum and bands for handing sculpting and there are so many things that you can do with one.
If I was going to buy one today?
Get the hand piece with the chuck key, H30, 5/32". Forget the collet hand piece. They make one now that has a 1/3hp motor and it will go in reverse.

This is from www.riogrande.com I suggest you call them and talk with someone in Technical, They all make Jewelry etc and know these machines.
http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Foredom-TX300-Flex-Shaft-System/117558?Pos=4

The reverse is the one thing I would now get that I didn't before so you don't eat the chips and you can do two sided matching work easier.

I hope this helps.
 
Laurence, thanks so much, that was exactly the kind of info I was after. Really appreciate it--

Don
 
Hey Laurence,

How do you do jimping with a carbide burr? I have been jimping my skinners as a standard but may start charging for it because it takes so long.

Tim
 
Foredoms seem pricy, but they're worth it for many reasons. I got mine a couple years ago and love it - use it almost daily. If I had gotten one a few years earlier, it would have paid for itself by now, instead of replacing a Dremel or Craftsman every dang year... even if it didn't work much much better (which it does). As Laurence alluded, they're pro-level working tools, not disposable hobbyist junk. :thumbup:

Remind me later and I'll post the model number I have.
 
For knife making purposes I would get a Foredom TX model. The have ton's of power even at slower speed and the cable used in the shaft is much heavier duty then the standard Foredom models. There seems to some great deals on them if you watch for them on the bay.
 
tim37a said:
Hey Laurence,

How do you do jimping with a carbide burr? I have been jimping my skinners as a standard but may start charging for it because it takes so long.

Tim
Click to expand...

I find 1/8" carbide burrs on the Bay mostly and put the blade in a padded vise, after I have made my black marker lines where I want the Jimps and come in slowly with the hand piece and the foot petal at about 1/4 speed and jimp away! It takes a while to get the feel for touching the burr on the thumb ramp, but I do it on hardened blades. It they aren;t even? It's back to the small wheel to smooth them out and make my starter marks again. Once I'm happy with the start marks, all 4-8 of them, I then go back and make them all deeper until its done.

Brett may have a point with the model he has mentioned, they do make a lot of them and If I ever do upgrade I will do the research and talk with the nice folks at riogrande before I buy. I would get a reverse and the largest motor they have. My little 1/6th HP has done fine. A new set of brushes about every five hundred hours and I've gone through two cables inside the shaft. Remember to keep the cables well grease with lithium and the machine just purrs along! The brushes aren't hard to change and not expensive ether. You can read up on keeping it running smooth at http://www.riogrande.com/Product/Fo...nge-Handpiece-Flex-Shaft-Systems/117535?Pos=3

One of the best tool purchases I've made. Foredom's actually cost less now than they did when I bought mine. Mine was made in the USA. I think they still are?
 
The list of accessories that will run in a flex shaft type machine is mind boggling. A small drill press, a 3 x 10" belt sander, a jeweler's saw, a 2" disk sander, and a vertical router/trimmer are some that come to mind. A flex shaft machine was my right hand when I was working in my studio.

There is also a variable speed control that will give you a constant RPM, like a variable speed grinder --aside from the variable speed foot control.
 
I literally couldn't do my work without a Foredom flex shaft...or two...or three....or more.

As Smitty pointed out, there are accessory tools made for the flex shaft that boggle the mind. Power carvers, mini-belt sanders, power engravers, hammer handpieces, even powered checkering carvers.
 
Thanks Laurence. Will try it next time. I use the Grobet pillar checkering file, cut 00, 20 LPI, available at b2bprofessionaltools.com to amke evenly spaced lines in the steel.

Tim
 
If you can start your little spacer lines with the file you could cut them in with the Carbide burr very quickly.
Try it and let us know how it works?
 
Any recommendations on the accessory kits? There are a bunch of them out there, some big, some small, as well as the individual pieces. I'd really like to hear opinions from the folks that use them and tell us which accessories are must have and which kits/tools are best to buy for the knife maker. Thanks
 
Accessory kits are how suppliers sell the items no one wants/needs. Buy only the items you really use, and buy them in six-packs.
 
The Foredom SR model is what I have, and I use it nearly every day. It's plenty powerful, easy to maintain, reversable, and it came with the flex shaft and foot-pedal to control speed. I paid a bit extra to get the hand-piece I wanted (sorry, don't have the part number on the tip of my brain) but it was worth every penny. :thumbup:

Foredom also sells accessories/"bits" for their tools (sanding drums and mandrels and cut-off discs and so forth), and I've found most of them to be good bargains that perform well.
 
Anybody like the table top speed control? It seems the foot one is much more popular. Can you make it reverse without flipping a switch on the foot model?
 
I use the table top speed control to run my accessories like the belt sander and the router. It gives better control than the foot pedal. For everything else I use the foot pedal as it is 'faster' than continually hand adjusting the table top speed control.
 
I use both.....together.
The table top ( mine is mounted on the wall) rheostat feeds the foot control. That way the rheostat control sets the max speed and the foot pedal acts as the on and off switch for low speed uses ( power gravers, belt sanders, etc.)
 
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