Pendant motors vs micromotors

[ps_bond]

At the price, let's hope it is a great piece of kit! It's going to have to work for its living.

[Dennis]

It will be worth it for the sheer pleasure of using it. What's more it has all the features I said you couldn't get with the models generally on offer: interchangeable hand pieces, variable-speed foot control and a brushless motor. I'd be surprised if your flexshaft didn't end up in the back of a cupboard. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

I've now been using the micromotor for a week - I haven't used the hammer handpiece so far, but that's only a matter of time. I've got the controller mounted just under the bench edge; I might move it slightly to make the controls more accessible. Having it under the bench means a) I'm not dragging the handpiece cable across the bench knocking everything for 6 and b) it leaves me more space (always in short supply). In use, it's definitely much more convenient than the flex shaft for the fiddly stuff; being able to limit the speed is nice in setting - a lot of the time I want to run the burrs *very* slowly. Running flat out is interesting - if you find an edge while using 3M bristle brushes at the high speeds they quickly get a bit smaller... It's not a desperately high torque output, which means I have bogged down some .8mm drills while using them; not too much of a problem, but slightly irritating.

The flexshaft still has a lot of uses - I can't chuck anything other than 3/32" in the micromotor giving rise to the primary one (used the flexshaft to sharpen one of my scribers yesterday, for example). It's higher torque, which is sometimes needed; I can bolt the #30 handpiece to the bench so I can use it hands-free (is it still a handpiece then?). Other than those, the micromotor does seem to have the edge.

[Dennis]

The torque problem is well known to technicians who trim acrylic with those large pink stones, hence the reference to it in my first reply. Theirs do quite often have brackets for mounting under the bench, and some have variable knee control. Dennis.

[ps_bond]

On the other hand, when the drill bit did bind the micromotor didn't immediately shear the bit, so there are upsides. Using it flat out for material removal with burrs is quite effective - there's no skipping - so it should be interesting for mokume patterning.

[Nick martin]

Out of interest Peter, did you buy your Foredom Micromotor from the UK and if so, which supplier if you don't mind me asking?

Nick

[Wallace]

If you are looking for a brilliant supplier for the motors, here is a great place to go. A husband and wife team, excellent customer service. My micro motor hand piece failed one day before the warrantee was up on it. They took it back, with a view to repairing it and actually sent out a nephew replacement. They are suppliers of and work with Foredom. One of the best businesses for customer support I have experienced. Their prices are as you see them, they already include VAT, so what you see is what you pay. But, cheaper than Cousins or Sutton's for some things.

[ps_bond]

I did... And from a supplier I'll no longer use. Luckily - as pointed out elsewhere - I can rely upon Foredom to sort things out without any quibbling. Hasn't needed anything to date, and the hammer handpiece has seen quite a bit of use. It'd be nice to be able to plug both handpieces in simultaneously, but we can't have everything.

[Wallace]

That hammer action scares me!

Have tried it out, but still end up going back to tapping a little rod with a hammer. Must set some of my free time aside to do some practicing.

I think I might have some reluctance in using it also, because (as mentioned before, but still having troubles in letting her forget it) my cat chewed through the curly wires when she was a naughty little kittens do it was something Foredom could not fix! When I would use it, she would try and jump at the wires, so must resemble a scurrying mouse! Insurance replacement was a farce!