High quality rotary tool

[farlsborough]

I’m increasingly getting frustrated with the limitations of my dremel, in terms of wood carving with carbide burrs and sanding drums. Using the tool itself is cumbersome, and using the flex-shaft seems to introduce quite a lot of drag.

I had a go on someone’s Foredom micromotor last year and it was fantastic, but looks like these are USA manufactured and can’t find for less than £500 + expensive postage plus the inevitable import duty.

Is there a halfway house? Is there something with more power, and perhaps (like the foredom) generated from the handpiece whilst remaining slim, that isn’t quite so costly? Or, are there better ways to source a Foredom?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I suspect there are loads of copies on the market so go with a reputable firm.
https://www.cooksongold.com/category_select.jsp?channel=uk&query=foredom
If they don't have the one you want they could quite possibly source it.

 

[Sideways]

Badeco ?

 

[stuart little]

Proxxon, they have a long-nose drill / engraver etc.

 

[Jester129]

Have you tried an ordinary wired drill with a flexible tool attached? Seems to be the cheapest, most logical idea to me? Just thinkin'?

 

[cowtown_eric]

Oh, I have three or four dremels and they are portable, but sizes of tool shafts is a limitation, the shafts are sooooooo very thin that they aren't capable of any even moderately heavy loads.

Have three Foredoms, with substantially morepower and a diveristy of handpieces, but they are also primarily shop bound, although you could take em on site if you had to! Their flex shafts require attention too.

But die grinders, which I've only used with 1/4" cutting bits of various types, have more power and suitable and usable out of the shop. HSS steel cutters will work for short term, but solid carbide , typhoon gritted cutters (they all come in various formats/shapes and are not inexpensive

Even more power are the arborteh stuff...from down under

a lot of their stuff fits on angle grinders for even more power (also read "Caution-DANGER")

Last weekend I had volunteered as a director of local makerspace to assist in fabrication of a desk from this pleasant lady....

https://www.arbortechtools.com/ca/what-s-happening/stories

She had some of the arbortech stuff, while I had others, so we played with them for a bit. I think she intends to edit her videos and post them at some point

So there are lots of step-ups to the original query, but I think if I had to summarize it, I'd say to move wood, you need power!

But I do use Dremels with a diamond wheel for rehabbing concrete drills, sharpening brad-point drills, and sharpening carbide metal lathe tools to0

Eric in calgary