How do we feel about Chinese made electrical tools?

[ShinyLauren]

One of my resolutions for this year was to get better at wax carving. Finally upgraded my two random and rusty dental tools to a set of proper wax carving ones, but I'd also really like a wax melty pen type thing.

I've seen the little battery powered ones, but they don't offer any temperature control. What I'd really like is one of the Foredom wax carvers, but (a) they are expensive and (b) the only place that sells them in the UK is Cousins.

So, I saw this little one on Ebay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321778970256?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT which looks just what I'm after. Has anyone tried one of these? Are Chinese manufactured electrical goods safe? Am I over-thinking this and worrying too much?

Help!

[enigma]

I have one of these from Suttons:
http://www.suttontools.co.uk/wax-carver.html
Works fine for me although tbh I barely use it as I only find it useful for removing large quantities of wax when I don't often have to do.
Mostly I use one single wax hand tool out of the whole set ( the rest are unused in the cupboard) and 2 needle files in medium and fine grades for all my work.
Maybe Im odd though….

[Goldsmith]

I also bought an electric wax carver like Sarah's one, which didn't get used much, I prefer my old stainless steel dental tools and a little spirit lamp for heating them when wax modelling. Just for info I get my modelling wax and tools from here;http://www.tiranti.co.uk/

James

[josef1]

I would save up for the Fordom one they are really nice to use I tried cheaper one and they don't seem to have the control either to hot or to cold

[Aurarius]

So, I saw this little one on Ebay, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321778970256?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT which looks just what I'm after. Has anyone tried one of these? Are Chinese manufactured electrical goods safe? Am I over-thinking this and worrying too much?

Help!
I buy Chinese electrical household goods all the time, as I suspect many others do. I wouldn't necessarily avoid buying them specifically for jewelry work, though pre-sale safety checks on electrical goods sold direct from China to the individual consumer aren't likely to be as rigorous as checks on goods sold under a recognised brand such as Foredom or Draper, for example. The Chinese manufacturer in most cases has no reputation to lose.

I wouldn't touch the one you've linked to there; though the seller gives a UK address the return policy stipulates that if a product is faulty on arrival you have to return it to an address in China for your refund. It's effectively a kind of lucky dip with all sales being final.

[Aurarius]

I would save up for the Fordom one they are really nice to use I tried cheaper one and they don't seem to have the control either to hot or to cold
It's important to be aware of the difference between Fordom and Foredom:
http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5864&highlight=fordom

[china]

I don't know about the wax carvers but the Chinese produce Fordom flex shaft kits they are a copy even down to supplying false warrenty papers and
they are complete rubbish

[josef1]

8735
8736


Sorry I spelt it incorrectly but thanks for the heads up this is mine I find it great to use

[Keia]

Ages ago I purchased a Saeshin quite cheaply from a chinese seller on eBay. I suspect it is a copy (if it is it's a very good one!) I use it every single day & no problems what so ever so far =) Truth is, most things are made in china anyways, it's just a matter of keeping your fingers crossed you don't find a bad seller

[Keia]

Also just a side note, and I'm sorry if this sounds harsh - but never return an item to a chinese address if the item does turn out to be faulty. They will always say they never received it =(

[china]

Keia yesI found out the hard way

[Dennis]

Sometimes Chinese does just fine and if you dont hate Amazon and Ebay, you deal direct with them. Dennis.

[china]

Yes dealing direct would be better as you know that you are buying to a price, the Foredom flex shaft I purchased at a gem show as a genuine item turnout to be a forgery
and of course the the seller has disappeared of the planet.

[ShinyLauren]

I would save up for the Fordom one they are really nice to use I tried cheaper one and they don't seem to have the control either to hot or to cold

I think I may do this then. I might get one of the cheapo battery pens for now, just to add bits together whilst I'm practicing.

[ShinyLauren]

Thanks for all the advice - I think I probably knew the answer before I asked the question!

[BarryM]

It is not that they are made in China being a problem (most iPhones are made there with very high quality) - it is that they are poor copies, which is not restricted to China, although the majority seem to come from there. If the real item costs £200 and you think you can get a copy that "is just as good" for £100, then don't be upset when you find it isn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dennis]

I know Barry, but for 'just as good', substitute 'all I need' and you have some money over to spend elsewhere. For instance, my spare micromotor seized up a year ago and I bought a Marathon via Amazon for just under £100 all in.
It turned out that I liked it so much that I have used it ever since. My main motor by Ram Products from Sutton Tools cost four times as much some years ago. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

I recently had a discussion with someone who reckoned they'd purchased a genuine Smiths Little Torch from China. It's got the serial number and everything... I suggested that that was not an indicator of it being genuine, but they were adamant, claiming that Smiths themselves had validated the s/n. I remain deeply sceptical.

While "good enough" quality might be achievable, if there are any problems - up to and including duff earthing that gives you a shock - then you have no protection at all. Things are still being marked as CE compliant that have been nowhere near appropriate checks - I can't remember if I've used this example before, but a (former) colleague of mine purchased some LED spotlights from China via EBay; when they arrived he discovered that a) the anode of the LEDs were floating at 220ish Volts (think there may have been a rectifier & smoothing cap, don't recall as it wasn't the salient issue) and b) there was no protective glass over the front of the lamps, so you'd have had a mains-level shock if you'd touched it. They were CE marked as well.

Caveat Emptor.

[Goldsmith]

If you are making a living from your work then always buy the best tools available as the cost of tools is totally reclaimable against any income tax you may need to pay on your manufacturing earnings. When I had a good earning year I enjoyed updating and restocking my workshop with new tools before any income tax papers were submitted rather than giving money to the government.

[ShinyLauren]

If you are making a living from your work then always buy the best tools available as the cost of tools is totally reclaimable against any income tax you may need to pay on your manufacturing earnings. When I had a good earning year I enjoyed updating and restocking my workshop with new tools before any income tax papers were submitted rather than giving money to the government.

At the moment I am still working for a law firm 4 days a week, so I am just reinvesting earnings from my jewellery in buying new tools (rather than paying extra tax on it), so that when I no longer have a 'proper' job I'll already have all the tools I'll ever need. And a PUK welder...

I am trying to buy the best I can afford, but was vaguely hoping that for something I might not use loads, like the wax pen, I could get away with a cheapo version!

[Goldsmith]

At the moment I am still working for a law firm 4 days a week, so I am just reinvesting earnings from my jewellery in buying new tools (rather than paying extra tax on it), so that when I no longer have a 'proper' job I'll already have all the tools I'll ever need. And a PUK welder...

I am trying to buy the best I can afford, but was vaguely hoping that for something I might not use loads, like the wax pen, I could get away with a cheapo version!

Have you tried using stainless modelling tools and a spirit lamp? like these;http://www.tiranti.co.uk/EdgeImpactShop/subcategory.php?Subcategory=46&Content=Wax+Modelling+Tools+ when I used to visit trade jewellery workshops, they always used these types of wax modelling tools along with cutting tools like scopers and scrapers, when they made the casting patterns. I must admit I didn't make many jewellery wax models as I was making larger stuff. This was the last wax model I made for an antique restoration job.

8748

James

[ShinyLauren]

Have you tried using stainless modelling tools and a spirit lamp? like these;http://www.tiranti.co.uk/EdgeImpactShop/subcategory.php?Subcategory=46&Content=Wax+Modelling+Tools+ when I used to visit trade jewellery workshops, they always used these types of wax modelling tools along with cutting tools like scopers and scrapers, when they made the casting patterns. I must admit I didn't make many jewellery wax models as I was making larger stuff. This was the last wax model I made for an antique restoration job.

8748

James

I've tried the spirit lamp and dental tool, but didn't find it quite hot enough to join two pieces together. I may just be doing it wrong though! My new years resolution was to get better at wax carving - I need a lot more practice.

[Goldsmith]

One of my professional modeller friends uses Super Sculpey to model items, it's a modelling clay that can be baked in a standard oven to harden. When he has finished modelling his pieces the caster makes a rubber mold to create the waxes for casting.
See;https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=super+sculpey+modelling&biw=1920&bih=979&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi7g9mq-aTLAhXGXBoKHSn7A4cQ_AUIBigB
Super Sculpey is quite cheap to buy, circa £10 on Amazon.
I use Scopas wax for modelling and Ferris file a wax for rings. I bought some Super Sculpey which my daughter swiped for a project she is doing, so I never tried it.

James

[pearlescence]

Hi
Not wax carving, but my chinese pearl drill has worked perfectly for many years now. I don't know whether the tools you want are made by them but a company called Boking Industries made the pearl drill and they have a range of jewellery tools.
If you are buying Chinese it is better to spend a little time tracking down the company direct- the mark-up put on some items by importers never fails to astonish me