Foredom - understanding the different options.
JEWELLERY MAKER? LOOKING TO INVEST IN A FOREDOM MOTOR?
DOWNLOAD PETRA'S INFORMATION BOOKLET HERE
Which FOREDOM® is right for me?
There are three Foredom Hang-Up/Bench motors available in 230V; the most common are the SR and the LX motor, followed by the PGX motor which is a specialised stone setting and engraving motor kit. For clarity, there is also a TX motor but this is only available in 115V.
Download our information booklet to the left for a breakdown of some of the different options available.
THE FOREDOM SR MOTOR
80-90% of our customers should get an SR. This is the most popular motor with the power and speed needed for most jobs without stalling or slowing down while under normal load.
- 1/6 HP
- Fast with speeds up to 18,000 RPM.
- Run in both forward and reverse - handy for symmetry, left-hand users, and maximising the lifespan out of many rotary accessories.
- Universal ball bearing motor.
THE FOREDOM LX MOTOR
The LX motor is a more specialised motor. The 1/10HP LX motor is slow but strong, it is Foredom’s most powerful motor. It has full strength from the start at 500RPM, all the way to the max speed. It is designed for low speed jobs, like drilling, wax modelling, stone setting, chisel carving, and other slow speed applications. For a jewellery maker the slow LX would be a good choice if you are mainly planning to use the motor for with a hammer handpiece (if you're only doing that occasionally the SR would a better all-round choice and you just need to slow down the speed, either by using the foot pedal with care, or by adding a desk dial controller).
- 1/10HP
- A max speed of 5,000 RPM, so less than a third of the speed of an SR motor.
- The most powerful of all Foredom motors at low speeds.
- There is no reverse rotation on this motor.
- Permanent magnet motor.
The Foredom motors above come in three styles;
1. Hang-Up (also called Pendant Motor)
2. Bench (or Desk motor)
3. Bench with Built-in Control
The speed controls for these motors also come in three styles;
1. Foot operated in plastic housing
2. Foot operated in metal housing
3. Table-top dial operated in plastic housing.
And finally, there are three styles of Flex shafts (available in different lengths and some further variations);
1. Keytip (standard). The keytip flex shaft can handle most types of work from jewellery fabrication, to woodcarving and industrial use. There are 17 different handpieces available to use with the Keytip shaft.
2. Square drive (heavier). A thicker, less flexible, flex shaft design. Few applications require square drive shafting, it is mainly for unusually large or difficult jobs where the 50 in.-lb torsional breaking point is useful. There are only 4 handpieces available for square drive shafts.
3. Slipjoint (also called European). This is a connection sometimes used in Europe. There are 7 handpieces that work with this style.
