Hammer handpiece

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi all, is there anyone who knows if there is a hammer handpiece
available for the Dremel? Would any of the other handpieces fit
on a Dremel flexshaft ?

Best Regards
Lars Dahlberg/Sweden

2

Hello Lars:
This is the Dremel www address
http://www.dremel.com/Dremel.html

I did not notice a hammer handpeice, but you can email them direct and
ask.Hows weather in Sweden?

Michael Mathews Victiria,Texas USA

3

Lars: I’ve never heard of a hammer handpiece for the Dremel
system. But here’s a cool tip–the Dremel engraver model 290
which costs about $15 can be made into a small hammer handpiece
for setting small stones. All you do is remove the engraving tip
and ut a piece of 1/8 inch brass rod in it and make a hammer
tip. The hammer action can be adjusted for stroke length and damn
if it doesn’t work pretty well. Dave

Kickass Websites for the Corporate World http://www.kickassdesign.com
Crystalguy Jewelry
http://www.opendoor.com/stephensdesign/crystalguy.html Recumbent
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http://www.opendoor.com/stephensdesign/bent/rcag.html

1 Like
4

Hello Michel, thanks for your tip - I can’t find any handpieces
at the dremel site either but I will certainly ask. I’ll let you
all know if I get a response.

About the weather - terrible! It’s damp/wet and a few degrees
centigrade. All the snow we had just went away (we had approx. 35
centimetres on morning). I trust you’re better of in TX?

R G D S Lars Dahlberg

5

Anne, the Badeco is maybe the best hammer handpiece you can find. In
my description there is no advice to not screw tightly the tip; in
fact, you have to do that to avoid that it falls out. The stroke
strength is to adapt to the material; the harder the metal, the harder
the stroke in order to get it to move. The stroke speed: to create a
uniform surface on the setting border and to work quickly, it is
better to raise the speed. When it comes to delicate parts, I like the
slow stroke, almost single strokes. But that has to achieve the motor,
and not all motors manage to turn so slow to make single strokes with
the hammer. The only thing you have to take care about is, as with all
hammer handpieces, not raising the speed beyond 2000 or 3000. Good
luck!

6

Dear Michael…ARE YOU READY FOR A HAMMER HAND PIECE ATTACHMENT
THAT COSTS LESS THAN TWENTY-FIVE CENTS ?..Inasmuch as I do
consultancies in jewelrymaking in under-developed nations, the ever
present challenge is to find ways to get along WITHOUT the overpriced
gadgets that we take for granted in Western Societies. In the typical
isolated African country you most often cannot buy even the simplest
necessities for making jewelry. And, when you can find them, they are
being sold at prices which not even we could afford. The last time I
looked for boric acid in Zambia it took me many days just to locate
it and the price was twenty times what we pay for it! Necessity is
the mother of invention. The hammer handpiece I alluded to is
available at any hardware store and it is called a SCREW EYE! The
principle use for this very basic little piece of hardware is that of
suspending objects from ceilings, but, for me it is the preferred
method of hammering bezels. You simply insert it securely into your
foredom handpiece chuck and have at it! Because it is open in the
middle you can easily see where you are working. And, as with most
hammering procedures, it works best when the object is mounted on a
mandrel, or, as in the case of a flat backed object, against a block
of steel. I had a hammer hand piece but I gave it away ! P.S. The
size I use is about five-eighths of an inch in diameter ) Ron at
Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.

1 Like
7

Dear Ron ,MillsGem@aol.com

That sounds like a great tip with the eye screw ,probably more
successful then the modified bent bur for burnishing pits , If one
does not do a lot of setting a few well shaped chasing tools with a
chasing hammer is great and cheap, I like to insert my punches into
a clear plastic tube so that one has a little more to grip on ,simply
heat the plastic in hot water and slide over the steel shaft .

One other tip I have not seen many use are those great little
automatic center punches ,they are spring loaded and adjustable.They
come with a flat end which is useful for riveting and channel setting
diamonds( experienced pros only please) ,they can move alot of metal
quickly .Really I have never chipped or broken any diamonds this
way.I am sure to only set well cut diamonds this way.The aluminum
handle one usually blue,has a nice amount of pressure.

You must be congratulated on you effort in Africa ,we have tried to
send items to my daughters pen pal ,the only thing that is safe to
get thru are seed packets ,so many troubles in that part of the world
.We are all truly blessed.

Michael Devlin

8

Dear Mike, I thought you might pick up on the usefulness of the
screw eye as a bezel setter. However, you were also astute enough to
see that it could be equally useful for burnishing surface porosity
on rough castings…right you are!..works like a charm.
Thanks, Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.

9

I’ve not tried the screw eye yet - but have been using my engraving
tool with great success by replacing the engraving tip with a rounded,
polished piece of heavy brass wire (old steel bit may work too - less
distortion over time) and cranking it up to the highest setting -
thanks to whoever suggested this (cannot find posting)! Great for
hammer texturing! Vibration does get to you after awhile but beats the
"hammerer’s elbow" - try eye screw next! Thanks a bunch!

Jennifer Dewey -Pereira Jewelry Designs
New Orleans, LA - USA
(504) 945-0939
@jennsjewels
Happy 2000 :slight_smile:

10

Ron, Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA. I tried your “screw eye in the flex
shaft” idea for burnishing porosity in heavy bracelet castings. It
worked great. I liked it better than anything else I have tried.

Timothy A. Hansen

TAH Handcrafted Jewelry
P.M.B. 131, 305 N. Second Ave.
Upland, California 91786-6028
U.S.A.

11

I’d like to “ditto” what Jennifer Dewey-Pereira said about the
engraving tool’s use as a setting hammer. I was setting some honker
marquis citrines and topaz, and that darn “V” tip needed to be
brought down to the stone. HATE those things and always swear never
to do another :frowning: Anyway, thought I’d give it a try.

I calipered nails until I found one the same diameter as the
engraving tip. Cut it off and filed the nail tip to the right size,
polished it and put my modified nail into the engraver. Slick as
snot. The only problem I had was that the vibration eventually
loosened the nail tip and it would fall out. Bottom line, SOOO much
easier to ease that gold down on those fragile stone tips. THANK
YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Thank you also Hanuman; without you,
grand ideas like these wouldn’t get out to everyone. Judymw Judy M.
Willingham, R.S. Extension Associate 221 Call Hall Kansas State
Univerisity Manhattan KS 66506 (785) 532-1213 FAX (785) 532-5681

1 Like
12

Hi orchidians, Please could anyone tell me from where it is possible
to find a ‘hammer handpiece’ and Diamalite points which can fit my
Dremel Flexshaft tool? To be honest I have made contacts with
RioGrande and Kassoy, but curiously enough, the ones they have they
said that they won’t fit my Flexshaft!!

Any help?

Thanks
Joseph Tanti
http://jostanti.cjb.netDr. E. Hanuman Aspler
Webmaster
https://www.ganoksin.com
support@ganoksin.com

		[ G a n o k s i n . C o m ]
13

What is the make of your Flexshaft? I would suggest you move to a
Foredom type flexshaft. What ever you get you will need tips and
parts. So before you invest you should look at the broader picture.
Kenneth Singh

14

Joseph, What kind of connector does the dremel flexshaft use? I made
a hammer handpiece from the woodcarving handpiece that Harbor Freight
sells for $19.99. The only modification I had to make was to cut
down the engaging spring so that it took less pressure to engage the
hammer. It works great for everything except texturing since the
hammer action is engaged by applying pressure. I have an off-brand
flexshaft and it fits it fine

Shane Morris
Druid’s Grove Unique Gifts

15

Joseph I have the foredom hammer piece on my pfhingst flexshaft with
a triangular point that I made out of a file and I have mirror
polished every face of the triangular file taking care not to loose
the temper in the file by overheating . I also have a Dremel with a
flexshaft and I have found that Foredom Handpieces are not compatible
with Dremel at all.

I have also compared that Foredom and Pfingst have way more torque
and better performance than Dremel and they last for decades of
everyday use. I also have an engraver from Dremel and it works very
similar to my Foredom hammerpiece and you can make a point and bright
mirror polish it for steeple (lasser finish)and can be easily
attached to the engraver with the screw fastener. Very important
point. when I first bought the Foredom hammerpiece I was disappointed
when I found out that there is no way to attached custom made points
cause the hammerpiece has a threaded nose instead of a screw or bolt
fastener system so I had to make a special small device to hold my
handmade points .

Regarding the diamalite points ,I had one long time ago and I could
not get the rougher finish I wanted but a very fine steeple finish.
Marco

16

Dear Joseph,

I’m hooked on portable Dremels myself; I love to finish my pieces
outdoors. I don’t think that such a thing exists. The closest thing
would be Dremels engraver but that really doesn’t compare. That is
why I also own a low torque Foredom.

Pauline

17 
  'hammer handpiece' and Diamalite points which can fit my Dremel
Flexshaft tool?

Hi Joe,

This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but you may have to buy a
Foredom, or more professional flex shaft machine than a Dremel, to
use some of the more “exotic” handpieces. When spending $100 or more
on specialty handpieces, investing $200 in the flex shaft doesn’t
seem so ridiculous (to me, at least). If the hammer handpieces don’t
fit, neither will jump ring cutters, quick release handpieces, or I
suspect, all the accessories that depend on a #30 Foredom handpiece.

Hope this is of some help,

Dave

Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans’ Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave@sebaste.com

18

for the dremel accesories i would try the hardware and craft stores
as that that is the intended market of dremel. though i don’t know if
dremel has produced a hammer yet. Rob

19

Hi,

I recently acquired a hammer handpiece by foredom. I only have one
tip (round and flat) and was thinking about buying the diamond and
carbide tip. Again, I was looking in Rio. I have also looked into the
Badeco tips that Frei & Borel sell which they state will fit a
foredom. The tip for the badeco does not seem to have the sharp point
Rio has.

Any feedback on your expereince with either companies tips for
texturing would be very appreciated.

20

I have the Badeco handpiece and I just took the standard tips and
ground and filed them into the shapes I wanted. They work quite
nicely. The texturing one has to be sharpened from time to time but
not often.

Deb Karash