[Jewelry making - Article 00465] - Re: [Orchid] Comparing flex shafts

[R . E . Rourke]

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    comparison means taking two or more things and objectively making
    statements, coming to conclusions based on some sort of standards
    laid side by side and observing the results, etc.. 

    While Mike Zagielski is a wonderful man, great salesman, and works
    for a fantastic sub company of an even better parent
    company-(blackstone industries) I did not get an iota of comparison
    from your post. Foredom does make great equipment backed by
    reasonable warranties, and tools and accessories that exceed others
    standards on the market ( a case in point is their Allset Master
    system, that I can't endorse enough for saving time, money and
    allowing even a relative novice bench jeweler, or hobbyist to
    achieve perfect results every time - when the equipment is used and
    maintained properly)... but so does Pfingst. Buffalo Dental, and a
    myriad of other pendant motor manufacturers. 

    All too often on Orchid i have seen the trend id to go with the most
    advertised name, as though it were the only brand acceptable or made
    to x tolerances and standards.. that is simply not the case.
    Pfingst, for instance makes pendant motors and backs their products
    for the virtual life of the product, and when inquiring about one of
    their tools, or motors refers to it's birthdate- that tells any
    consumer (or should at least intimate to the consumer) that Pfingst
    knows and cares about each item they produce. It is another American
    company that should at least be mentioned in any comparison. Price,
    warranties, functionality, and features make for comparisons, not
    just the mere suggestion of a popularized name that has a vast
    advertising budget, maximized by a brilliant salesman, and used by
    many - often because, like sheep, the herd presumes there is only one
    manufacturer that makes a machine that comes in a variety of
    configurations, with a variety of speeds, torque calibrations, and
    features, that are also available from other equally reliable and
    dedicated companies that stand behind what they sell, offer similar
    features and configurations ( sometimes more than the most well
    known) and are available at competitive or more reasonable prices off
    the shelf... My point is one must know first what they are looking
    for- if it is a single speed pendant motor or a variable speed model,
    what they intend to accomplish with a given motor, what HP is
    required to do a job to the best possible end, what maintenance is
    involved, what accessories are available, what factory maintenance is
    required and when..mere statements are not comparisons, but
    endorsements.. A more effective comparison may be to educate novice
    jewelers on the differences in motors, even if by one manufacturer,
    and what is required for stone setting rather than woodcarving,
    shaping and forming rather than setting, finishing, rather than
    shaping, and so on.. 

    If there is one thing lacking in the threads on various products it
    is any discussions of alternatives to the brands most heard of... we
    are not sheep, or at least i am not part of a herd... and I urge
    everyone interested in buying equipment to look past the big boys
    catalogues (RG) and discover some quite competitive alternatives,
    and then make an informed decision..just because ea jewelry maker one
    admires, or aspires to create works as original as theirs, does not
    mean that the jewelry maker has all the facts, or even some of the
    facts, on any given piece of tooling or equipment - particularly the
    basics f the industry like micromotors, powerhones, rolling mills,
    pendant motors, lighting, etc.. that all are derived from the dental
    industries original equipment needs- as jewelry making has changed
    little since the middle ages, if not before- with more options
    available to consumers, be a good consumer and don't just accept
    that if the herd says acme brand is the best, that it is in fact the
    best, or only thing available that will accommodate ones needs at the
    bench, and budget considerations as well.. 

R. E. Rourke
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