My New Toy – Foredom TX

Patrice Lemée

Patrice Lemée

Joined
Aug 13, 2002
Messages
5,703
I had to share with you guys. I've shown people around here but not only did they not share my excitement, they looked at me like I was not really firing on all cylinders. :( Except my wife who is always happy for me. (Love ya Honey!) :D

So I finally got the Foredom TX, the one with the biggest motor (1/3HP). Sadly did not get to try it much yet but from the little I've used it, just one word, WOW! :thumbup: Makes using a Dremel feel like an angle grinder. And I can use tooling with 0.25” shafts which I could not with the Dremel.

foredomTX_1.jpg


foredomTX_2.jpg


I am one happy camper. I can finally strike it off my “Tools To Buy” list.
I see more metal and wood carving in my future. :D

Thanks for looking.
 
Ooooooooohhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! :D :D

That's awesome Patrice! Congrats! Selling knives has a benefit!! REINVESTMENT in tools!

It sucks when you excitedly tell those close to you how happy you are about a knife/tool/material purchase and see their eyes glaze over after 3 seconds.:(
 
You'll love the TX. They are great for wood carving. They will also run all day long without burning out.

BTW, it takes a matching foot pedal, so if the foot control goes bad ( about the only part that does), replace it with a SXR foot control (which is better than the TXR control).
Getting an extra shaft core is a good idea, because if you snag a large bit/burr, the shaft core will twist in half. Regular (monthly) maintenance of the shaft and hand pieces will make this tool last a lifetime. Check the brushes every year, and replace when they get short. BLOW IT OUT monthly. Dust (especially steel and abrasives dust) is the main enemy of a flexshaft.

For those doing serious wood carving or metal work, the TXH is worth the extra money ( heavy duty bearings and shaft). If buying a new unit, I recommend spending the extra bucks and getting the TXH with the SXR control, and the 25H hand piece from the get-go ( heavier duty hand piece). Your grandkids will probably be using them in 2050.

As in any tool, you get what you pay for, and these beasts are in a different league than the ebay $79 flexshaft units. My oldest TX is well over ten years old, and runs over 500 hours a year, some years pushing 1000 hours. Sure the whole setup cost me over $400, but it has only cost me pennies an hour so far.

Pat,
I don't see why your friends don't get the attraction:
Who doesn't like a powerful lady with a big top, long waist, and a bottom that feels good in your hand.....not to mention that she will play hard and dirty for hours on end without tiring.
Oh, and you can just drop her when your done ( no need to cuddle for a while), and not come back for a week - and she won't whine about it.
What's not to like?
 
I'm happy for you, Patrice. I doubt I'll be making an investment in one any time soon, though. I'm quite happy with my Dremel flex shaft.
 
Congrats Pat !

Learn everything about it so you can give me advice when the time comes ;)

I can relate too. Except for the rare exception your average Joe has no appreciation for fine tools. I've had someone actually say "What do you do with all that junk" ? LOL Shmuks !

I'm with Stacy though, She's a beauty and I'm sure your gonna make fine use of her !

-Josh
 
I have the lower powered version that I bought 1991, I still have the original shaft in it, I keep it well lubed. I have gone through several handpieces but I use it hard on a daily basis. It doesn't live in my dusty shop, it lives in my jewelry studio so it doesn't get the grit and steeldust. Once you have gotten used to a flexshaft you will never touch a dremel again. One caution, do not have a carving burr, especially a large diameter one in contact with your workpiece as you start the motor or take your speed down, with that much torque it will grab and pull and try to walk over your fingers, This situation hurts and tends to stain your handle material. Ask me how I know

-Page
 
What seperates these from pneumatic pencil and small turbine grinders? Just the foot control and variable speed? Are the lower rpm of these units necessary for wood or soft metal work?
 
Stacy and Page, thanks for the tips. As you can see in the pic Stacy, this came with the SXR foot control. The thing is as heavy as the Motor itself. :thumbup:
I will surely be getting a couple more handpieces eventually so I'll keep in mind the heavier duty one. This one with he pedal, handpiece, flex-shaft, and a few burrs and such was 400$.

I need to built a stronger stand as this motor really kicks when it starts.

PS: When you put it that way Stacy, I almost feel like buying another one. :D ;)
 
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Thanks for the links Mark. A link to the little blowing fan would be great.
Now about the enclosure, like I always say, if it's worth building it's worth overbuilding. :D;)
 
Awesome, I had one but sold it years ago when I had interest in Jewelry making, I still plan to pick one up since I have 3 or 4 Handpieces and a fair amount of brushes, Burrs, Buffs etc...
Best of luck with it, Foredom is the the best in my opinion.
 
javand -
These compare to pneumatic pencil grinders in the way that chainsaws compare to a battery powered sawz-all.

They are beasts for hogging metal and wood.

Pat,
The unit you have won't take the 25H handpiece ( only fits the TXH). The regular #25 handpiece fits it, and is a good one.
The carver handpieces are so-so, and not really worth it.If you want to carve with a flex shaft, use carbide wood carving burrs.

If you really want to get into power carving with chisels, the Automach is the way to go. Any serious woodcarver should have an Automach ( hand held self contained power chisel). I have carved everything from humming birds to full size bears with one.
For a hobby level, if you search around, someone sells a knock off. I don't know how well it works, but it is very similar to the Automach, and about half the $300 price of the real thing. IMHO, an Automach is worth every cent. One of the really neat features is that it does not cut until it meets resistance as you apply pressure to the chisel edge. Just like any hand chisel/gouge, the harder you press, the more it cuts. I demonstrate it by setting a sharp 3/4" gouge against my palm and pushing lightly....no cut. Then I set it to a carving block and cut a 6" curl out in one smooth sweep. You can use Flexcut chisels and tips in it, or make/modify your own. The ones that come as accessories for the Automach seem overpriced.

I built a carving bench, with a dust/chip removal fan. It has a wire mesh top area to allow the power carving dust to go in and follow the air flow. I built mine with a low and high fan. It works great for keeping the smoke out of your eyes when doing pyrography on birds.
 
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Foredoms are awesome! 1/3 hp sounds killer, mine is only 1/10 and it is great.

I have another flex shaft machine without the shaft (lol whatever that would be) you can set it one way and use it as a drill press or another way and use it as a stationary grinder and buffer. Lots of fun!
 
Thanks for the link Mark.

Stacy, the enclosure would be mostly for steel dust. Don't get me wrong, I want to get rid of wood dust also but it is easier since it is lighter. And metal dust is not a good thing to breath in. For now I use my Airshield which prevent the breathing in but I still get covered.
 
Congrats on the Foredom!

I had been looking at the Foredoms for a while, but didn't want to pay the $$. Procrastination in this case paid off. I found one at a garage sale for $25, hardly used. It is an older one, and has a smaller motor. I keep finding more and more uses for it. What a great tool to have in the shop. It sure handles different than my 30+ year old Dremel.

Ric
 
Great find Ric!

Just wanted to add that I used it a little more last night and all I can say is that I should have bought one long ago. :thumbup:
 
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