[Jewelry making - Article 00761] - Re: [Orchid] Flexible-shaft tools

[Trevor F]

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>         These factors have me wondering whether Dremel is a good
>     choice for a flexible-shaft tool, or if it is something a
>     metalworker wouldn't be caught dead using. What brand would you
>     recommend? I especially would like to identify the tools that
>     produce the least amount of noise! 

    I'll just add a few personal anecdotes to this well-covered thread. 

    I used the little hand-held, multi-speed Dremel tools for years. In
    fact about 20 years. In that time I went through about a half dozen
    of them. They were cheap and, for me, incredibly useful. I found that
    having a cutting/grinding tool moving at high speed had a utility
    second to none. We're talking everything from polishing stones to
    shaping hammerheads. If you want to grind, cut, drill, polish, sand
    or shape a variety of materials including stone, glass, ferrous and
    non-ferrous metals, plastic, rubber, bone, horn and wood then these
    types of tools simply cannot be beat. Admittedly I used, abused and
    over-used my Dremels but I got a lot done and I learned a hell of a
    lot about what to use, where, how and why. 

    That said, I now own a Foredom SR (reversible). It's quieter, much
    more durable, much easier to maintain, runs cooler and, because of
    interchangeable handpieces, has a much wider range of "bits"
    available. It has easily quadrupled the range of tasks that I was
    able to handle with the old Dremels. Simply put the Dremel is the
    scooter and the Foredom is the SUV: totally different league of
    machine. And worth every penny! 

    For me the Foredom is one of those "desert island" things. I'd
    probably want it with me just in case someone ran power to the
    island 'cause then I'd be back in business. 

    A few personal thoughts: 

    - don't cheap out on the machine itself. Good ones are great and
    cheapos often are not. The cheapos machines usually run hotter and
    can get scary hot if you run them for long durations (Dremels too by
    the way). Not true for the better machines. The cheapo handpieces run
    too hot so you end up buying a proper Foredom handpiece. The
    flex-shaft itself doesn't last as long as a good quality one so you
    end up replacing it. Brushes wear out, can you get replacements? The
    foot controls on the cheapos are often pretty inferior too. If you
    want cheap I'd say buy Dremels until you can afford a Foredom (or
    equivalent). 

    - think about what you _really_ need before you buy a good machine.
    Do you just need a straight 2000-18,000 rpm? Maybe 0-5000 rpm would
    suit you better, and you'll need that range if you're using a hammer
    handpiece. What about reversible? If you cut and grind a lot it can
    make your life noticeably easier. 

    - 1/10 vs 1/8 vs 1/4 horsepower only matters if you have a habit of
    doing comparatively heavy grinding and cutting (read "tool making").
    1/10 is fine for all typical jewelry making activities. 1/4 is much
    better if you're into cutting steel, doing a lot of wood sculpting,
    reshaping hammers, mirror polishing your silversmithing stakes, etc. 

    - foot controls are not all created equally. The basic and heavy
    duty models are simple rheostats and have two weaknesses: poor slow
    speed control (as in "not") and they've got kind of a hair trigger so
    they have the tendency to "jump" speeds rather readily. Fine speed
    control is not their forte. Digital foot controls are more expensive
    but they're a lot more responsive. Hand speed controls (just a dial
    in a box that sits on your bench) can be quite useful if your work is
    best done at single, steady speeds (such as drilling). If you do
    decide to go the hand control route consider getting a "dead man's"
    foot switch so you don't have to reach for the power while the
    machine is running. 

    - if you're like me you'll end up spending several times the value
    of your machine on handpieces, bits, burrs, cutting wheels, polishing
    tips, polishing compounds, etc, etc. The machine itself will be a
    relatively small part of the overall monies spent. Plan for it
    because there's a million things your machine can do nicely _if_ you
    have the right handpiece/bit/bur/whatever for the job. 

    - don't forget safety gear! Goggles --or better yet, a full face
    shield-- are mandatory. Also recommended is a dust or particle mask
    and some kind of sound protection (earplugs or the earmuff style ear
    protectors). These are just part of your setup costs. A faceful of
    steel shavings can really put a damper on you day --or career!-- if
    you are not properly protected. And don't think that your eye
    glasses will be enough eye protection. They'll get pitted with hot,
    flying metal dust faster than you can imagine. I went through more
    pairs of glasses than I did Dremel machines exactly because of this
    unfortunate habit. 

    Ok, enough!  Hope some of this was useful. 

Regards,
Trevor F.


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