Foredom

james terrio

james terrio

Sharpest Knife in the Light Socket
Joined
Apr 15, 2010
Messages
22,618
OK, I'm mostly just bragging... my lovely wife got me a Foredom SR with handpiece, flex-shaft two sizes of collets and the foot controller for my birthday. :D

Rather than take up precious bench space, I'm thinking of mounting the motor under the bench. That would keep it out of the way and actually give me better reach with the cords. Any thoughts?
 
Yes, don't mount it under the bench. The Foredom uses a coiled wired shaft that will kink if there is the wrong angle on the shaft while using the machine. It is much better mounted, hanging above the bench. You can make a hanger out of 3/4 inch black pipe, a mounting flange, a short length of pipe and a 90 degree elbow. Fasten the flange to your bench where you will be using the machine. Screw a length of piper (whatever length you choose - I use 24" ). Screw the 90 degree elbow on and screw the short piece of pipe into the elbow. Drill a 1/4" hole into the end of short pipe and mount a 1/4 inch eye bolt. Attach the Foredom to the eye bolt, hook up the foot pedal, and have fun...
 
Thanks for your input! I also have exposed joists above the bench, perhaps I could suspend it from one of those.
 
I was just getting ready to reply and say that a drop with a hook from the ceiling works well,too.
 
My Foredoms are mounted both above and below the bench, both are suspended so they can turn and have worked flawlessly for over 30 years.

I blow the motors out with an air hose twice a year and oil the flex shafts.
 
I just checked and I definitely have enough access and material to make a drop from the joist to suspend it. That will require the footswitch being on the bench when in use... I think I can deal with that for now and just control it by hand. Are there any problems I should know about with longer cords for the footswitch if I keep it suspended that way? Not dealing with a whole lot of amps here, so I don't foresee any problem with making extension cords for it, but I thought I'd ask.

I'll make sure I won't have any kinks or twists before moving forward with an under-bench mount.

Thanks again guys, I'm excited about getting this into service :)
 
I was going to echo the second post James.

IDEALLY, you'd have a pivoting, adjustable height stand. Think -jib crane- that can be adjusted up and down in height, but also swing side to side.

A Foredom is head and shoulders above a Dremel in almost every way.... the one catch is positioning. If you have the motor mounted in a relatively "fixed" position, you will find yourself fighting to get your body, eyes, and the handpiece all in a comfortable position, especially with your height.

VERY COOL GIFT! :cool:
 
If you suspend the motor so the head is about 15-18" above the bench top height, the shaft should reach all places needed easily without binding or stretching. The foot switch plugs into the wall and the motor plugs into the switch, the cord is about 5-6 feet long, and should reach the floor with a couple feet to spare. There is no reason to put it on the bench top.
 
Stacy, the cords on this brand new model are not nearly that long. 18" above the bench, near the front where I need it, is not enough clearance for me. I've been measuring and mocking it up. Picture yours truly with the units plugged together and reaching up, down and sidewise to see how much slack I've got :)

NickWheeler said:
VERY COOL GIFT! :cool:
Click to expand...

I'm stoked! The only downside is that my wife's birthday is coming up soon too, and what I already got her is nice but not as cool as this... perhaps smooches and certificates for backrubs and extra household chores will help :D

I don't yet have a plan for height adjustment, but I can easily make sure the motor can pivot freely to avoid kinking. :thumbup: It will be set up within easy reach of my vise, where I need/use it most.
 
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Put a 4-5 foot long hanging pipe from the rafters. Put the hanger strap for the foredom on the pipe. Slide it back and forth as needed. That will allow it to go from bench to vise easily.
 
Aha, a horizontal drop/hanger... I can picture that. :thumbup:

See, I knew you guys would help me!
 
James, post a photo of the foot pedal and the motor/shaft unit. The cord with the plug from the motor should be between 18" and 48". The cord with the socket end from the pedal should be between 48" and 60". The cord from the pedal with the plug should be 48". If it is much different from that, something is wrong.

The shaft is usually around 36", so if the motor base ( shaft top) is 18" above the bench top, that allows 18" for the curve and movement. Mount it much higher and the shaft will kink at the handpiece.
Many folks who work down in the bench drawer mainly, hang the motor even closer to the bench top, because the drawer is often 12-15" lower than the top.
Trust me on these measurements, I have mounted and used dozens of these for over 40 years. If you mount it too high or too low, you will wear the shaft and/or handpiece out fast.

As Ed pointed out, regular maintenance and lubing ( quarterly) is a must if you want these to last.
 
I picked up a used one several years ago at a garage sale. What an amazing tool.

That is a great idea using a length of pipe to mount the motor. Thanks Stacy.


Ric
 
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