Right-Left handed folks!

geez, I’m at it again, Have on my bench a “Fordom, Micro Motor” it
has forward and a REVERSE motion. This is just for either
right-handed and for left-handed folks. not cheap though! This machine
is to me a “Rolls-Royce or a Rolex” of electric motors, no long flex
shaft to keep tethered to a motor…the motor, per se, is in the
mini-handle. If there is no bur in, the motor doesn’t work, extra
silent and you get what you pay for. Its either a foot pedal OR
bench-top mechanism activated…Gerry, who is also a setter-instructor!

I've on my bench a "Fordom, Micro Motor" it has forward and a
REVERSE motion. This is just for either right-handed and for
left-handed folks. not cheap though! 

Hey Gerry, Your comments inspire a question I’d never thought to ask
before! As a Leftie who’s decapitation record (of prongs, that is)
still causes blushes, I’m wondering: are there any “traditional”
flex shaft machines (i.e. not in the upper stratosphere, price-wise)
that offer reversible rotations? If so, can you or can anyone else
on the list point me in their direction? After watching what seems
like umpteen jillion setters brace their burs with fingers (a little
more difficult when those fingers are behind the direction of
rotation, instead of in front of it), I’d all but given up hope of
ever finding a way to control the tool efficiently…

The next question, of course, is whether anyone knows of a source
for reverse-cut burs…

Many thanks,
Douglas Turet
Turet Design

Rolls-Royce or a Rolex" of electric motors,  

I just looked at this on the web site. I am a toolaholic and this
machine might just be worth my taking out another mortgage! I’m only
dreaming of course, but if I win the lottery… I will
add it to the wish list.

1. Motorised rolling mill
2. New micro flame- one that actually works
3. Diamond ring
4. Polishing bench with extractor
5. Diamond ring
6. Foredom micro motor.
7. Customers
8. Dia......

Ruth. Fat Cat Jewellery in the UK.

Doug, Reverse rotation will not work because none of the burs or
drills will cut the threaded mandrels will unscrew the tapered
spindles will not hold the buffs and for that matter the chucks and
handpieces will not stay together because they are all done with a
right hand threads. The flex shaft its self would unwind as it is a
right hand spring. So I am afraid you will not have any luck in
looking for left handed flexshafts it would require a total redesign
of almost every item in the flexshaft ansd its accessories not to
mention all the tooling used to make it.

James Binnion Metal Arts Phone (360) 756-6550 Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160 http://www.mokume-gane.com @James_Binnion
Member of the Better Business Bureau

Hi, Doug, I have one. It is 1/3 hp and reverible. I bought it at a
tent sale in the parking lot at my local Home Depot, with foot pedal
and handpiece plus a box of burs (that don’t, oddly, all fit in the
machine) for $150. I bought that baby and got out of there before
they could say “Excuse me, sorry, we made a mistake…”

I think I’ve seen the same machine in the catalogs, or at least did
at the time. Contact Foredom?

–No�l

Leftie here!

Perhaps being a bit dyslexic and ambidexterous is the reason this
question has never surfaced for me.

My solutions: I have an ambidexterous bench; torch on the left
flexshaft on the right.

I notice that most people hold the flexshaft with their palm down
thumb toward bit. I hold mine between thumb and index finger, palm
up using my other 3 fingers to brace against same 3 fingers on the
left hand which is holding the work (I don’t use clamps, freehand
everything). This allows me to put a finger behind the prong I"m
working on.

When I can’t get into a place because of the direction of rotation
of the wheel or I’m grinding and don’t want the grit in my face, I
turn my chair to face the flexshaft and use it in my left hand,
still palm up.

Jay

    ... I'm wondering: are there any "traditional" flex shaft
machines (i.e. not in the upper stratosphere, price-wise) that
offer reversible rotations? If so, can you or can anyone else on
the list point me in their direction? 

Douglas, Foredom offers (offered?) a reversible model called the SR
(0.9 amp motor, don’t know what the works out to in horsepower). I
have one and love it. I tend to do a fair bit of toolmaking and
being able to reverse for certain handheld grinding operations is of
great value to me. When I bought mine 2 years ago it was about 10-15%
more expensive than the regular Foredoms.

I understand this model has been discontinued but I know they are
still widely available. All the replaceable parts are common to
other standard Foredoms so if you can get one the “discontinued”
business is probably of little consequence.

Cheers,
Trevor F.

Just found another option for reversibility. Foredom’s new machine,
the TX series, offers two reversing switches for the basic TX
machine. The TXR is a foot pedal with a “reverse” switch on it and
the RX is a small in-line switch box that goes between the motor and
the speed control. See
http://www.foredom.com/pdf_files/PL/SeriesTX_TXH.pdf for details.

I’ve heard that the TX unit is a really nice machine, noticeably
superior to the older motors I’m told, and has the obvious advantage
that it’s their flagship unit. Not likely to run into “discontinued”
problems there.

Should also mention that all of these reversing motors carry the
same warning: the motor must be stopped before one throws it into
reverse. Seems perfectly sensible, I know, but when you’re busy and
thinking too far ahead it’s sometimes not as easy to remember as one
might think.

Cheers,
Trevor F.

Perhaps being a bit dyslexic and ambidexterous is the reason this
question has never surfaced for me. My solutions: I have an
ambidexterous bench; torch on the left flexshaft on the right. 

I notice most people hold their flexshaft palm down, thumb toward
bit. I hold mine in the right hand, palm up between thumb and index
finger, the other 3 fingers out straight. I don’t use clamps for
work. I hold the piece in the left hand between thumb and index
finger with other 3 fingers out straight. Using straight fingers to
brace against each other enables me to move the work instead of the
flexshaft. This enables me to brace prongs with a finger behind.

When direction of rotation won’t get what I want or kicks grindings
in my face, I turn my chair toward the flexshaft and hold the
flexshaft in the left hand, palms up.

Jay

What about this? Foredom’s bench lathe, albeit the max. rpm is only
7000. I use a flex-shaft attachment (Flexade) + 44T handpiece +
diamond burs for all my carving and LOVE it. Seems that a leftie
would be able to use the same set up and just attach the Flexade to
the other end of the lathe’s shaft, hence reorienting the spin in the
direction that could accomodate her/him.

www.lopacki.com Daniel Lopacki has great prices and carries a full
line of Foredom equip. & accessories, one of which is the BL-1A bench
lathe. The toy that I simply couldn’t live without!

Yet another great thread, Carol