Flex Shaft question

Hi Everyone,

This isn't a beading question but it does have to do with making jewelry. I would like to get into working with metal and am reading about the tools that I need to get started. The book suggests getting a flexible-shaft machine for drilling holes in the metal. I already have a dremel, is that the same thing?

Thanks.

Regina

In addition to the good answers here, I will mention that Dremel is a hobbtist's tool. It's decent quality, and affordable. If I had my druthers and a huge work space, etc, I'd get a Fordham --eventually. Both tools also have a variety of of accessories to stablize the tool for specific applications.

If you're getting into metal smithing though, you'll have a much bigger set of tools.

Tina

You are the only person, other than my late mom and myself, who has used the word 'druthers'. People look at me oddly when I use it, and dont believe that its a contractualized form of Id rather. Now I know Im not nuts...thanks! Diana, who, if she had her druthers, would be soaking in a cool pond about now. :-)

-- "Christina Peterson" < wrote If I had my druthers

If you have a Dremel and you're just looking to try out techniques then that's great, you can get a flexshaft attachment for it fairly cheaply. Once you've built up your confidence and decided (as you will!) that a flexshaft tool is indispensible then you'll probably want to scale up to a Foredom. Personally I started off with a Dremel but eventually found that it just didn't have the power that I needed so I persuaded hubby that a Foredom would be a lovely idea for a Chrissy pressie (he so good at picking up on my subtle hints, hahaha) and now I can't understand how I ever lived without one - the Foredom has a lot more torque than the Dremel and is *much* easier to control! I use it mostly for polishing small pieces and stone-setting or drilling teeny tiny holes, for general drilling of holes I find the pillar drill much easier to use than the flexshaft (and significantly cheaper to buy)

Most definitely and not only are they more expensive but collecting tools can become a hobby all of its very own!

good luck, Cat

Count me in! I use it a lot!

Suedo (like "pseudo", though I'm no phony baloney!)

You LUCKY GRRL!!!!! I want a flex shaft SOOOO much!

.I druther not use it, but I do.

If your workplace is on Grand, I think I've passed it a few times after dropping Genny off at work, and on my way to Sheridan Fruit on MLK.

Is that the right place?

I'm assuming you are on maternity leave right now, but once you are back at work, it would be really easy for me to drop in on you there. What do you say?

Deirdre

Totally! I'm slated to go back as in September, probably Sundays and Tuesdays. That'd be cool! And yes, that's where I work!

It would be really cool if we could get together before then, too... actually, things are way less hectic for me than they were. How about next week sometime? I'll email you.

Sounds good. This weekend is booked to the back teeth, but after that is fairly open.

I'll watch my email. Glad things are settling down a bit. Hope that means Ophelia is becoming acclimatized to life in the Outside World, and allows you a moment to yourself from time to time.

Deirdre