For this week’s
#metalsmithsocietyminiseries post I wanted to discuss my
@foredomelectric micromotors! I have the K1030 Portable Micromotor and the K1070 Plug In. I will discuss the differences between these two units but first I want to describe the differences between flexshafts and micromotors. Flexshafts have more power than micromotors, they are great for tasks that require power like stone setting, hammering, and drilling. Micro motors are great for detail work as they are very flexible and fast. The handpiece is where the motor is so it allows them to have a very lightweight cord. The cord is like a phone cord very flexible and is easy to move around with. The faster speed provides smoother cuts with fluted burs. This difference between the micromotor’s lightweight cord and the flexshaft’s flexible shaft (hence the name 😂) is significant. After experimenting with my Foredom Micromotor K1070 (the larger, plug in unit) I quickly noticed how wonderful the handpiece is to work with. Super gentle on my wrists! Generally I also find the micromotor does allows me to have greater accuracy with some of my more detailed work. The speed dial allows you to set a maximum RPM, you can still control the speed with the foot pedal but it won’t go faster than the speed you select! Now to dive into the Plug In Micromotor vs. the Portable: both micromotors have speed dials, both have a foot pedal option (it is sold separately for the portable) however the K1070 micromotor has a variable speed foot pedal, the portable has a foot pedal option but it’s simply for on and off. I absolutely love that you can charge the battery on the K1030 and take it with you to trade shows to do demos, or be super flexible about where you use it in your studio. For those that live on the road the portable will give you 6 hours of work time or you can also just leave it plugged in! The K1070 (plug-in) is definitely more powerful than the K1030 (portable) though and if you aren’t planning to move it around I’d go for the plug-in! Our friends at
@aajewelrysupply are offering our community 10% off all flexshafts and micromotors with code METALSMITH
#sponsored#flexshaft
