new old foredom....

[susieq]

I have mentioned on here in the past, that my hubby is "the tool guy" and that he goes to a lot of garage sales and answers tool ads in the classifieds. Because of him, I have some great tools.

Yesterday, he returned from the hunt with some real treasures, including an old Foredom H motor shaft unit.....practically new. They don't make this unit anymore but I spoke to a friend who's a Foredom rep and a power carver. He said it was a great unit. It runs 20,000 (my old SR unit only runs 18,000). It is a 1/4 HP so it has a lot more power than the Foredom hanging out in my shop, which is probably only a 1/6 or 1/8 HP.

The handpiece that is on it, is one of those that takes a chuck key and of course the key was missing. But it doesn't matter since I won't be using that handpiece anyhow. It is a huge handpiece and yet only holds a small bit, nothing larger than a 1/8. So am ordering a new handpiece for the thing. Luckily they still make handpieces that work on this unit. It's a "square drive" so the handpieces I already had, will not fit. I new one is $62 but even with that, we won't have $100 in the tool.

I am really excited about the new tool. Can't wait to get the new handpiece and start hogging on some wood.

[cut up]

Susieq,
That's a good find on the Foredom. I have one just like it with the handpiece that uses collets, and the foot control. It' a great, tough motor. There have been a couple of times I'd wished I had the other handpiece, but I didn't know they made any for the H.
Michael

[susieq]

Hi Michael
I called Foredom yesterday after speaking with the friend who is a rep. The guy at Foredom recommended the H.44HT handpiece. If you go to their website and under the handpiece section, check out the "square drive" handpieces, you will find various handpieces that they say will fit several current models as well as the discontinued H motor...... they also still sell the shaft and outer shaft for these units too.

[cut up]

I just looked at the Foredom site and the 44T is the handpiece that I have.
Seems that they have made improvements to the website, and accessories for the Foredom. I was kinda excited when I seen this statement "Heavy duty models with square drive shafting can be converted into standard models with key tip shafts and sheaths. There are exceptions to this,......" Sounds like more of the handpieces may become useful on the H model.
Michael

[susieq]

Actually, when I spoke to the guy at foredom, I did ask if I could convert the shaft over to the same shaft that is in my old SR unit and he said no. He stated that because the H motor is so strong, you don't want to use anything but the heavy duty shaft in them. I'm guessing that the 1/4 HP motor would snap the lesser shaft...... anyhow, I did ask and he said absolutely not.

The handpiece that was on this one when hubby found it, appears to be the 28 HT. It is a large, cumbersome handpiece for only holding smaller bits.....
I will never use it. That's what I have Dremels for. LOL.

I will put the H.44HT handpiece on there when I receive it, put a 1/4 collet in it and that is how it will remain. With that kind of power, this unit is going to be my main "hogging" unit......

[davidinsarasota]

Congrats on the hubby's great find Q. I wish I could find good tools at yard sales, but I cant, because I don't go to yard sales. If I did go to yard sales I would feel compelled to buy something at every one I stopped at, just to prove it wasn't a wasted stop and also so that the yard seller does not think that I think all of their stuff is junk, which I do, because it is, since they never have used Foredoms.

That aside, this bit kills for 1/4 hoggin' Kutzall Extreme - Rotor Saw Burrs (RSX-114F) | eBay

[susieq]

Hi Dave,
Hubby buys and sells woodworking equipment...kind of as a hobby. He's always checking ads for equipment being sold off by both cabinet shops and private owners. Over the years, he's found lots of carving related things too.

He does garage sales but he moves quickly through them... He never stops at a sale on Saturday, if the sign reads "Friday and Saturday". He figures all the good stuff is gone already. He cruises through a sale, looking for specific things and also the unusual...hence the clock from the Russian nuclear submarine that he brought home right before Christmas.... Recently he found a beautiful straight razor, still in the box....a J.A. Henckels, no less. I'll be listing that on Craig's list soon. He is fairly disciplined..... usually sticks to what he knows or goes on a good hunch. He loves the hunt.....

I have had 3 bandsaws over the years...all found by hubby, during his travels. The first was a nice Delta 14". He put the riser in it for me so I could cut thicker stuff. Then he found a Mini Max 45 18". Had that for about 10 years and it was a terrific saw. Then the bandsaw makers came out with the detensioning lever. Set your perfect blade tension ONE TIME, then you just pull the lever to take the tension off when not in use, push it back to tighten it to your perfect pre set setting, to use it again. I said that I wanted one of those. A while later, here came a Grizzly 17" with the detensioning lever and practically new. I traded the Mini Max for the Grizzly in a heart beat. If I need something, sooner or later, he finds it.
Or some things I don't really need but they are too good to pass up....LOL

[rickm]

some guys have all the luck

[cut up]

Thanks for the info, SusieQ.
Guess I'll go back to the wishful thinking for a while.
In the meantime, I've still got projects to finish that will keep my mind occupied.
Happy Carving,
Michael