Texture & hammer handpiece

Some of you asked me about hammer handpieces. The only ones I
have ever used are Foredom. The styles with the duplex spring are
the most comfortable to use although I have worn out one or two
of them in 25 years. They can be serviced and rebuilt but I
usually try to fix them myself with success half of the time. I
currently have two in my shop. One with a duplex and an older one
without a duplex spring. They have an adjustable setting on the
handle to control how much impact they deliver. I usually use a
high number of strokes when using the tool. This is determined by
the sound. A distinct tap is too slow. It should be like the
sound when we were kids and put cards in the spokes of our bikes.
(I’m sure everyone’s done that!) In any event you can hear the
higher speed when you turn it on. Spring or no spring they are
the same tool. What is nice about this style is that they are
the size of a pencil which will allow control and comfort in
use.

The additional thing I would recommend is the manual rheostat
style control for use with this handpiece. A lamp (as in table
lamp) rheostat could be modified but I use the Fordom EM-1 Manual
Rheostat. You can set the speed on the dial and not start and
stop the motor which allows for a more consistent texture and
hand control. The handpiece does get warm after a while but I
just stop and let it cool down.

A note for all handpieces is that you should drop one or two
drops of light weight oil into them once a year (3 in 1 oil will
do). This will help the life of your machine. I have several old
flexshafts and handpieces (about 20 years old) that are just as
good as new. Take the handpiece off the shaft add the oil and
put back on. If anyone has not taken the handpiece off the shaft
of the flexshaft, just hold onto the handpiece grip the shaft of
the flexshaft and pull. Putting it back is a little tricky but
not too bad. If you look at the shaft there what looks like a
small tooth in the part that goes into the handpiece. This lines
up with the handpiece and goes in like a finger into a glove to
grip the corresponding part of the handpiece… Do this at a slow
speed until you feel the shaft go into the handpiece and then
snap it the rest of the way on top the shaft.

If your shaft is noisy or whines you should buy some shaft
grease and grease the inner spring of the shaft. This is reached
by unscrewing the top sheath set screw and sliding it off. You
don’t need a lot and it works like greasing a speedometer cable.
(Yea, like we all do that all the time!)

Foredom does sell the diamond tip I mentioned before. They call
it a Diamond-Sparkle Pave Tool. I have only made my own and not
purchased this but it sounds like the same thing.

Regards
TR the Teacher & student

TR:

I would add about the flexshaft that I thought I’d burnt up the
bearings in my fairly new #30, but it turned out all it was was
that I had put too much oil in the handpiece and/or the
flexshaft cable. Cleaned it out and the overheating stopped.

HTH someone,
Roy