Hello to you all

[joella]

Hi, what a great forum, so interesting and friendly. I've really been struck by how generous you all are with advice, help and supportive encouragement. I started a silversmithing jewellery course as a hobby about a year ago and really love it (but I'm not very good...must try harder). At the risk of making you all want to jump out of the nearest window, as xmas is coming and santa might bring me something, I hesitate to bring it up, as it's such a frequent question - but, I don't have anything that drills or polishes/sands etc and the more I read about what to go for, the more confused I get.

It seems that I could go for a dremmel/proxxon with flex shaft attachment type set up, the cheapest option, but my understanding is that its not terribly good although as a beginner it may suit my needs for now.

Or I could go for an axminster pendant drill which is cheaper than others, but would have to know what handpiece to go for and decide what bits n pieces I would need to work in it ?.

Or I could bite the bullet and spend quite a lot more on a foredom SR with jewellers kit, which looks great but maybe overkill plus I'd also have to understand which handpiece would be best of the two

Or there is a strong 209a micromotor similar in price to the foredom but without all the bits n pieces. It says it's got 280gf.cm torque - but I haven't a clue if that's appropriate for my needs or not, and IS very expensive, and as far as I can see, it looks like if you want a micromotor then you should be expecting to pay at least £4/500 for it (which Im not going to do) for a good one.

Maybe I'm just getting bogged down for no reason - I have no experience of power tools, never having used any for anything before I started this hobby.

On the other hand, Id love a doming block and punches, or a barrel, and I really need a decent light, luckily I have a birthday not long after xmas!

Ps, I'm new to forums - Joella's not my name, it's Sue, but it already had that so I had to pick something else. Hope you can set me straight, and UNconfuse me!

[CJ57]

Hi Sue, I'll say hello :)
I can't give advice on pendant motors because in 30 years I've never had one, always had a bench polisher and recently bought a Proxxon bench drill. All other work was done by hand. You'll find the others have loads to say on their preferences for pendants

It depends what you want to make, a basic tool kit is always a good start and good lighting. Everyone is always happy to help but many will be busy with their Xmas orders so it might take a while for everyone to pop in

[Patstone]

Hello Sue, I took up making silver jewellery as a hobby too, my daughter and I went to a local college for a beginners course and both are well and truly hooked. My daughter is on a limited budget and hasnt got a pendant motor, she gets by with a drill and polishes everything by hand apart from her tumbler which she is very pleased with, she only has files and a saw. I love tools, so I eventually went for the Foredom after using a small motor that my husband used to clean out computers with. That lasted me for a couple of years but it was more hassle than it was worth so I splurged out. You can get cheap Foredom copies from China, dont know what they are like. Just out of interest, Foredom is spelt differently.

[Dennis]

Hi Joella, here are some past discussions. They might help if you have not read them already:

http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6380&highlight=pendant+motor.
http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6137&highlight=Microm+Motor.

Welcome to the forum, Dennis.

[Vos]

Hi Joella. I have the the dremel flexshaft and i use it a lot. But I am also a hobbyist AND a beginner so have nothing to compare it to.

Welcome to the forum


Vos

[lorraineflee]

Hi Sue and welcome! I started with a Dremel but moved to a Foredom so that I could have a foot pedal and be able to use two hands more comfortably.

[ssssue]

Hi Sue.
Hello from another Sue! I just introduced myself too. I also started out with a dremel and flex shaft. It was ok to a point but frustrating having to turn it off and on manually and not have a lot of control.. It was all I could afford to start with. I have now progressed to a pendant motor with foot control and wow, what a difference it's made. You can spend a fortune on tools and still find things you 'need'. Listen to the experts on here; they do know what they're talking about and are so helpful. Good luck!
Sue.


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[joella]

Hi all, thanks for your responses, Dennis, if you have a minute to spare could you have a look at the picture below and tell me if its the same as the one you bought, its described as '45k rpm handpiece marathon micro motor speed pedal control polisher dental lab by Hot Dental £159.99 If it's the same one, does it drill as well as polish? if so, I think I'll get this as its a lot less than the foredom pendant and so if its capable of the same things I think it would be a better buy. Also, I've decided to be big and brave and show you all a selection of the things Ive made since starting this hobby. I made the ring first...it took me from September to Christmas! (please don't judge me too harshly). Thanks to you all for your comments. Sue.
70697070707170727073

[Tabby66]

I love your designs Joella.....you obviously have lots of creativity :)

[enigma]

Hi Sue

Its lovely to see your work, thanks for sharing !
I really like the heart pendant with the cabochon.

As far as tools go I started out with a Dremel with flex shaft, the biggest issue for me was the lack of torque for drilling, burring and carving, they are crap at it tbh.
Fine for sanding and polishing etc but just no torque.
I bought a foredom pendant motor in the end and wish I had bought that first instead of wasting money on the Dremel, its great and I also love the foot pedal and hammer hand piece, makes life so much easier.
But it does depend what you want to do.
Lighting is essential, get yourself a decent daylight lamp, I have a big one on a stand from my painting days but Cookies do a good little one thats really cheap which I also use:
http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Compact-Flexineck-Lamp-prcode-997-1408

[Dennis]

Dennis, if you have a minute to spare could you have a look at the picture below and tell me if its the same as the one you bought, its described as '45k rpm handpiece marathon micro motor speed pedal control polisher dental lab by Hot Dental £159.99 If it's the same one, does it drill as well as polish? comments. Sue.

Joella, I'm not sure what goes on under the heading 'Marathon Micromotor', or why the prices vary. The design of the control box also seems to change,but I don't think that affects the function. The optional foot control on some is a simple on off switch, or on others a variable speed control. On either they can be used without the foot pedal.

I bought mine as a spare, but like it so much, that I use it daily. However mine is no longer listed by Amazon, and was a lot cheaper. Remember you will possibly have to pay duty and certainly an administration fee to the carrier.

E bay have had some cheaper ones recently too. I cant' really advise you as I don't know whether they are different or all the same. However if you find one at £100 or so and is sold directly by Amazon or E Bay, you at least have some guarantee that they will be delivered.

Basically, they will polish with tools mounted on 2.35 mm shanks and screw mandrels, will fit standard burrs and and will drill with mounted drills on 2.35 mm shanks. Dennis.

[Nick martin]

Hi Sue,

I've got a Dremel that I started out with and a Foredom SR.

Although I don't really use the Dremel anymore, it is fine for polishing tasks but not any drilling or stone setting tasks due to not having a decent level of torque, or a foot pedal for controlling its speed.

Foredom SR motors are available for around £300 or possibly less, so they're not terribly pricey and I wouldn't be without mine now. Extra hand pieces are great too for different jobs but to start out with you really only need the quick release its supplied with.

Not a fan of micro motors myself, but each to their own as there are others who swear by them.

Great designs too by the way, they look great!

Nick


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[Patstone]

I bought a Foredom as the Dremel wasn't powerful enough. I had a bit of a problem with the handpiece as some of the burrs would slip in the handpiece. I emailed Foredom in America and they replaced it without question. A good company to deal with.

[Cripple in Heels]

Hi Sue

I still use the cheap nonDremel with a flexi shaft that I started with two years ago! I know I'd be happier with a Foredom but want a rolling mill first, I think..... Love your designs.


Mel

[joella]

Thankyou everyone for all your responses. You are all so helpful and encouraging.
Tabby, thanks so much for your lovely comments, I hope one day I will be better at creating a more professionally finished product than I currently am! practice makes perfect. I love the beautiful jewellery on your phoenix tree site, its all so gorgeous and exciting! thanks for the advice.
Enigma, I don't think I'll go for the dremel now, but I quite fancy cooksons light with 2 daylight tubes. That heart pendant was my 1st attempt at saw piercing.
Thanks for your explanation Dennis, I'm much clearer now, you must think I'm really dim but I'm getting the hang of what these tools are all about now so thanks for your help, it really cleared things up for me.
Nick, I'm interested in what you don't like about micromotors. The only reason I started to consider them was having been told that flex shafts need a lot of maintenance and care, and I don't know anything about tools or how to look after a flex shaft. It sounded like it needs as much care as a pet! which put me off and not having a flex that 'pulls' sounded like a good thing, but I'm not going to spend £500-600 or more so a cheaper micromotor might not be up to the job, I guess it would be a gamble as I wouldn't be sure what I was getting until I had already bought it, whereas the Foredom SR would definitely be more than up to it, and no gamble at all, so I'll probably go for that. Thanks again to you all for all your responses, especially at what is a very busy time of year for you all. P.s. Ive never used a forum before, so if I'm doing it wrong or not adhering to usual protocol, just let me know.
Sue.

[Dennis]

Hi Sue, Not a fan of micro motors myself, but each to their own as there are others who swear by them.Nick
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I was puzzled by that too. I'm not an advocate of cheap micromotors, except as a standby, or in case of a tight budget. But among UK jewellers, micromotors have not become popular, partly because of an innate conservative outlook and partly because from the usual suppliers, the price has been high. Also the cheaper ones do not offer a selection of hand pieces, or adjustable collets.

However world wide, micromotors can be fairly described as the modern successors of the flexshaft and in the sister profession of dental technology, flexshafts were phased out more than 25 years ago. Asking a dental technician to work with a flex shaft, would be analogous to giving him a penny farthing to ride. Dennis

[Nick martin]

I've used an expensive micro motor that a friend of mine has and I wasn't impressed. It felt flimsy, and he's already returned it three times due to it not working properly. It most certainly wasn't a cheap model either which is worrying.

Perhaps I've gotten used to the pendant motor, but have to admit that once I get used to something ( and I've no complaints ) then I tend to settle and become content with it. As for maintenance Sue, the flexshaft needs a quick wipe with a rag and a thin coating of lubrication after every 40hrs of use or something, and to be honest it's a very simple five minute job.

As for 'drag' then I really don't see it as a problem. The flexshaft is undeniably heavier than a micro motor cable, however I tend to use mine from behind and over the shoulder. Combined with a controlled close grip, then it doesn't present a problem for me.

Think that a Foredom pendant motor in a dentists looks a lot scarier and is noisier than a micro motor Dennis which I'm sure has played a bit part in their replacement, as well as on a hygiene level.. But I take your point.

As I said before, each to their own and suppose that applies to all the tools that we use doesn't it.

Nick


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