[Jewelry making - Article 00530] - Re: [Orchid] Greasing a Foredom flex shaft

[Don Rogers]

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    Hi Kathy. You should opt for the Fordom grease.  The reason is that
    different greases are not always compatible.  If you mix greases,
    they will sometimes set up into a waxy sludge that provides no
    lubrication, and a lot of drag.  It is always best and safe to use
    the same grease that originally lubricated it. 

    To remove the sheath and lube the shaft, remove the handpiece.  Then
    unscrew the big nut that the sheath is mounted in.   This is a left
    hand thread on a fordom.  On the old Vigor motors, it was a right
    hand screw.  The left hand will have flats like a big nut, the right
    hand has a knurled collar.    Simply unscrew the nut, and slide the
    sheath down the shaft until you are clear.  Two notes of caution
    here.  First, at best, the shaft will be very dirty, and the grease
    on it will permanently stain you cloths etc.  Second, if you are
    getting strange sounds from the shaft, it is probable that your
    shaft is starting to come apart.  Watch for stray wires sticking out
    from the shaft.  They hurt when you poke one in your hand, and
    because of caution #1, they are slow to heal. 

    Now using the correct grease, apply a thin coat of grease on the
    shaft from end to end.  Watch #2 above. Slip the sheath back on the
    shaft and screw it back on the motor.  Apply a bit of grease to the
    keyed end of the shaft before attaching your handpiece.  If your
    handpiece has a compound spring in it, you need to lubricate it as
    well. 

    If you are doing commercial work, you should keep a first aid kit
    for your flex shaft.  It would include a tube of Fordom grease, a
    spare shaft and sheath (make sure you get the correct one for your
    motor), a set of brushes for the motor, again the correct ones, a
    duplex spring repair kit  (if you have a duplex spring handpiece or
    hammer), and a spare foot petal.  This can be an old sewing machine
    petal for temporary use until you can get a good replacement.  You
    won't have the control using one, but you can keep working.  Total
    cost of the kit would be around $35.00. 

Don

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