For the first post of this mini series I wanted to discuss the differences between the various flex shaft motors from @foredomelectric. Before I get into that I want to explain why I chose to showcase Foredom, they are the only brand of flex shaft I have ever used. My college had them, and I bought mine back in 2005 (still works great btw). I believe wholeheartedly they make a wonderful product and I just don’t have any basis of comparison! For this series I got a brand new SR motor from @aajewelrysupply so I will be showing that one off. Foredom primarily has three different motors that you will see: SR, TX, and the LX. The SR is going to be the best all around option for us jewelers. It goes between 500-18,000 RPM and gives you all the power and speed variability you will need for your jewelry work. The LX is high torque and low speed (500-5000 RPM) it is the most powerful motor they make and is ideal for using a hammer handpiece. You can use a hammer handpiece on any motor but it should never run faster than 5000 RPM or you will burnout your handpiece. So the LX gives you more variability at lower speeds which means more control. It’s not designed to do polishing at high speeds. For those that use a hammer handpiece on a daily basis an LX is a wonderful addition to your studio but I would not advise it as your sole flex shaft, it’s more of a secondary option. The TX has twice the horse power of the SR it’s designed for light industrial work like wood carving or stone carving. Great for grinding or anything where you are looking for high torque at both low and high speeds. It runs between 500-15,000 RPM. For us jewelers you want the SR motor because it’s a good general all purpose motor! I hope this helps people feel secure in their selection, please be sure to tune in next week where I will show how to set up your Foredom! Our friends at @aajewelrysupply are offering our community 10% off all flexshafts and micro motors with code METALSMITH 😁🙏 #sponsored #metalsmithsocietyminiseries