Although power rotary hand tools are very portable, they tend to be bulky. For a finer feel in delicate work, a good flexible shaft tool has many advantages. Basically it consists of a motor and hand piece for chucking bits or work, connected by a flexible shaft. Having large externally supported motors, they can provide greater power and torque than hand helds. With hand pieces about the size of a thick pencil, they are very easy to manipulate for accurate freehand work. Shafts and hand pieces are available separately as accessories to power tools or for make your own.
There are a few criteria in selection, which optimize use. First the motor should be of good quality with sufficient power to handle intended work. It should be securely but flexibly mountable to avoid wandering but should not interfere with shaft movement. Some have heavy base mounts that swivel, while, for a better choice, others have bails for hanging. The shaft must be flexible enough, so as not to interfere with delicate movements. Durability and ease in lubrication are very important. The Handpiece should provide quick and easy change of bits with different sized shanks up to the maximum used. Including heat, it should be comfortable in the hand. Dremel's and some others grow uncomfortably warm under extended heavier use. A speed control is an absolute essential to avoid burning bits or work and to eliminate flying cutoff wheel fragments or wires from polishing wheels, due excessive speed.
After evaluating many over the years for our hobbyshop only the Foredom was stocked. Also a manufacturer of pulley and belt, dental machines (drills), they provide a wide range of motor, shaft and hand pieces plus bits burrs, wheels and accessories; more often less expensive than competitors. Motors range from light duty to very heavy gear reduction types. Hand pieces include very light jewelers types with collets to heavier Jacobs chuck and some with quick change, even while running.
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1. Medium sized series A Motor on hanger.
2. Handpiece at rest. Motor post hight adjustment knob at upper right.
Bench clamp w/ hight adjusting column at center.
By adjusting motor hight properly, most of the shaft is vertical and thus the weight is not on the handpiece. Also it does not interfere with lateral movement. The chuck key is suspended from the shaft within easy reach. On the floor, a foot speed control adjusts from zero to 14,000 RPM. The price is about half that of Dremel's and they work well with the my lathe and mill.
A very useful accessory , the handpiece bench clamp positions work or bits securely for freehand filing, deburring , turning, brushing or buffing.
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Filing chamfer with Jacobs chuck handpiece in bench clamp.
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