still seem to be all but incapable of controlling the flex shaft,
each time I need to set a stone. In the hands of all my
right-handed colleagues and former instructors, this invaluable
tool seems relatively easily controlled: just squeeze the fingers
tighter and stiffen the hand into a vise-like grip, and away you
go! The only problem is, when the *(%$^&)tool's in the left hand,
there aren't enough opposing fingers,
Hello Doug Flexi-shaft is very friendly with lefties…I find it
difficult to understand your difficulties. Unless you are sitting on
a right-hand person’s bench? and so having your flex-shaft motor
hanging on your right…? I’m left-handed, there are some difficulties
with certain tools, but flex-shaft, hanging on your left side, and
held with your left hand, should give u the same control as
right-handed has. In case your flex-shaft is a general purpose one
[like Freedom] then it might takes more getting used to. Or, perhaps
you need a more fancy machine… meant for precision work…? Using a
Micro-motor, is a much more flexible and precise option…no
jerk-start, no limitation of working angle, minimal distance from
bur tip, to the holding fingers…and it leaves the lefties to
their creativity.
I'm left-handed, there are some difficulties with certain tools,
but flex-shaft, hanging on your left side, and held with your left
hand, should give u the same control as right-handed has
Only to be Left Handed when working with the Flex-shaft. When
buffing, grinding or other operations with the flex-shaft in the
right hand, the turn of the wheel throws everything in your face.
Holding the tool in the left hand will throw it into the pan. When
it comes to using the flex shaft, I sure wish I was left handed.
Don
Just some thoughts on the flex shaft handpieces, first, the way
the cutting surfaces on a bur are set up, are such that, when it’s in
your right hand, and you are pulling it towards you, this is called
conventional milling(flutes, spinning counterclockwise[ccw] moving
into the cut), and is an aggressive cut, which works well if you have
control of the stroke., this is my carving stroke also because for
one thing, you can see where the burr comes off the material.( coming
onto the material is important too, that is estimated when pulling
with the right) Then moving the handpiece away from you(in the right
hand) is called climb milling, used for taking off a smaller
amount, or cleaning , same as pulling with the left, mind you. You
can
get used to working it with either hand, by experimenting,
especially for cleaning tasks(rotary stones, sandpaper, fine burs)
and of course if you’re using it as a pen, you use your left if your
lefty.( As for dust, i work under a dust collector hose, dust mask,
shield, glasses, etc. if i want to get rid of it, or with no
collector if i’m carving gold and i want the dust. But of course, to
make yourself totally ambidexterous(#1 definition of dexterity is,
Right- Handedness, yea, right) and the machine too, use a collet
handpiece and a motor with a reverse switch, then you get either
rotation with either hand. dp