Anyone got a foredom? How has it held up? I've been using a dremel, but it just burned out (literally) after about 5 years of hard use and it is time to get another rotary tool. Will a foredom hold up to heavy use like chasing bronze sculptures or is it for more delicate use like with jewelry? Will dremel attachments work for it or does it only use the proprietary flex add on?
Chasing? Don't know what that means, but I think most foredoms have higher hp than dremels. All you need is a couple of collets and it should take it all. And most dremels can only take a max shaft size of 1/8 inch, where as foredoms can take 1/4 inch shafts. So more tools will be available! Patrick
Sounds like a better tool. 1/3 hp is nice too. Chasing is using a carbide burr to clean up bronze sculptures and grind away metal cleanly. There's a lot of vibration and sideways force on the collet and flex attachment.
Unlike the dremel flex-shaft, with the foredom set-up, the flex-shaft and handpiece are separate pieces, there are a few different styles of handpiece available, you can choose the ones best suited for you.
I've had the SR for 15 years. Its held up well. I've had to tighten down the flex shaft when I've gotten carried away grinding steel. I would buy it again and recommend it to anyone looking for a step up from a dremel.
Having done chasing AND used foredoms in the jewelry shop.... I'd get another dremel if I were you. Maybe ours are whimps, but I can stop one in it's tracks, which never happens with my dremel. Besides, you got 5years or severe service out of a dremel. I think you did damn fine. Mine is about on it's last leg and I'll replace it with another instead of a foredom. If you really want the flex shaft, get the dremel brand, I've got one and they are worth the money.
When I had my business it was used for finish porting 2 stoke outboard engines. Most of my castings are small stuff the needs little to no chasing. Personally I think you should buy a 1/4" electric die grinder over the foredom for the type of work you'll be doing with it...
If you have plenty of compressed air a pneumatic die grinder. You can also get a pencil grinder for small work. I am currently using Ingersoll rand. My straight is going on 20 years and my 90° maybe 10 years. I'm on my third 90°. The gears were out. I do have a Dremel grinder that is probably pushing 15 years old. I still use it in some light situations.
That dewilt die grinder is a nice tool, but it's VERY HEAVY to hang onto for hours. I agree, it's perfect for porting and would be good for grinding off sprues, but for detail work, it's too big. The dremel seems to be the right size for the work I do.
Love my 20 year old Foredom. Powerful and much more heavily made in the motor, shaft, and hand pieces than Dremels. Cost more but worth it. And remember the Foredom motor hangs on a hook, the Dremel motor is in your hand. You will notice that in pretty short order. The largest Dremel corded tool is 1.8 amps. The largest Foredom is 3.5 amps. It is true that the Dremel turns faster. But the Foredom is the tool you will see in pro jewelry shops prosthesis shops etc. One reason is the power and build quality and the other is the comfort and variety of hand pieces and bits available for the Foredom. Denis
I have a dewalt die grinder but they don't make flex attachments for it as far as I'm aware and I like being able to finely chase rather than chain-saw style sculptures. A pneumatic one would be ok but I can't use a compressor in my apartment due to noise. I also often have an issue with the dremel slipping on the grinding bits. It is pretty irritating to have to stop and tighten the thing up. So the foredom chuck would be nice.
Never had an issue with Foredom chuck not holding. It is a machine designed for industrial use. Denis
The reason your bits are slipping zap is because they are not the correct ones for the dremel. Something gets lost in the translation. I do the same thing and buy cheap as F junk from china for my dremel and occasionally get a slip. Just keep trying different collets, you'll find one that works. Ever notice the cheapo sanding drums you get by the gross for $1.95 fit strange on the mandrel? Same thing applies there too. I do think somethings actually made by dremel ARE worth the stupid money and those are one of those things. Diamond and "carbide" bits not so much.
If you're in an apartment, Forget about pneumatic tools. I believe my largest pneumatic die grinder goes through 12 CFM at 90 psi and it is loud. My 5HP air compressor (to keep up with it) has about 17 CFM at 90 psi. And it is loud too. When I was in the industry we would use Foredom's for polishing and grinding. You can get a reciprocating stone attachment for these and you can also get speed controllers and foot throttle's. If you are looking for hand control with low weight... Foredom's work great. The 3 foot or 4 foot extension is a little bit of a pain in the ass. I made up a little hanger out of aluminum and just C-clamped so it was hanging in the air close to wherever I was working. Many woodworking guys (I know) that have them have a designated downdraft table with more of a permanent set up. A lot of higher end polishing industrial companies use these. They are quiet and they have a good size motor. BUT... All the attachments and the initial upfront price is killer.
My Foredom hangs from a nylon rope that passes overhead through a pulley and is attached to an iron counterweight equal to the Foredom motor weight. There is enough friction in the pulley so that it stays at the height selected. When I am using it,I pull it down so the hand piece is where I need it. When I am finished I just pull the counterweight to raise the motor and hand piece. I do use a foot control with it. The whole set up is pretty convenient. I use it several times a week. Denis
We have 3 foredoms in the shop on foot pedals and they are awesome for jewelry stuff. I've just never sat down at ours and thought I could see me grinding my bronze with them. It would take me way too long. Bronze chasing can be really tedious, but not usually on a miniature scale.
