roto zip flex shaft

[Gary Chapman]

I recently bought a roto zip flex shaft for my roto zip to have it fall apart after an hour or so using a 1/4 burr on some carving. i sent it back, had it replaced and then tried the new one for a minute to find it also fell apart. The flex spring comes apart at the hand device. Has anyone else had any problems with it> How about a flex shaft for a dremel? any problems with it coming apart? Thanks Gary

 

[john lucas]

I've been using flex shafts in my Dremel, Foredom and off brand flex shaft machine without any problems. The Foredom is noticeably better with easier flex and much smoother running.

 

[Mark Mandell]

I recently bought a roto zip flex shaft for my roto zip to have it fall apart after an hour or so using a 1/4 burr on some carving. i sent it back, had it replaced and then tried the new one for a minute to find it also fell apart. The flex spring comes apart at the hand device. Has anyone else had any problems with it> How about a flex shaft for a dremel? any problems with it coming apart? Thanks Gary

Gary,

You're going to find, I think, that putting that much torque on a Roto shaft (with a 1/4" shaft(?) burr) is taking the tool beyond its capacity. I have a 45 yr. old Foredom that will run larger carving burrs all day long. In all of that time, I've replaced one flex-shaft and one handpiece and have used it on wood and metal.

Keep the Roto for mini router jobs, but get yourself a true carver's flex shaft like the Foredom or Mastercarver units.

Link to a good source for either http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/Flexshaft-Tools/products/18/

Usual disclaimer 😉

 

[john lucas]

I think it's Woodworkers supply that sells a heavy duty flex shaft that can be connected to a motor or drill press. I have used one a friend had and it is very heavy duty. Because of that it doesn't flex quite as easily and is a little tiring to use over long periods.
What ever you get be sure replacement drive cables are easy to get. Sooner or later you will break one. I catch the burr's on my clothing about once every 3 or 4 years and break shaft. And yea I don't wear loose clothing but I tend to power carve with the piece in my lap. At least when using relatively safe carvers like the smaller carbide burrs. I'll catch them in the sleeve or belly of my shirt every once in a while. I do keep them away from my Levi's, I'm not that dumb. 🙂 Of course you can get a grap in the wood sometimes and have the same affect.

 

[waltben]

I agree with Mark for certain. I use a Foredom TX - the heaviest duty one they make - to carve out the center of hat brim blocks. I've made over a hundred of them and never had an issue save once when I caught a corner of a rag and broke the shaft. That was my bad, not the tool.

 

[Mark Mandell]

Gary,

We should, I think, mention the alternative of using an air-powered die grinder. While I'm not advocating running a real 3hp air compressor to power a small carving burr, a smaller compressor putting out 4 SCFM can be a viable alternative, and they can be fitted with colletts from 1/8" to 1/4" which should be more than enough for small carvings and turnings. Caveat, you will have to watch the oil and they won't have the torque that an electrically driven shaft will have.

 

[bhask]

Roto Zip Bit Carving

I have a number of rotary carving tools, a flexible shaft, micro motor, and a micro die-grinder are the main ones. I have found that micro die-grinder with a roto-zip bit to be superior to a flexible shaft with the same roto-zip bit. Because the micro die-grinder operates at a higher speed, I remove about 3/4" off the roto-zip bit so it will be shorter and less likely to wobble at high rpm. The micro die-grinder is obviously a lot less expensive than a flexible shaft set up, assuming you already have the air supply. Here is the micro die-grinder I use and have used for about 10 years. A drop of oil or two each time it is used has kept it it good operating condition.

 

[john lucas]

Bill which micro die grinder would you recommend. I bought one of the Harbour Freight pencil die grinders that runs 57K and it was useless. It didn't have any power at all. I know there are some that people use successfully and I don't want to blow more money on a piece of crap.

 

[bhask]

John,

I'm not sure I would trust the Harbor Frieght micro die-grinder, but having said that, they all seem to look like they come out of the same Asian factory. I bought mine at an abrasives supply house. Metal working tool stores also have them. I found they typically run between $50 and $80, which is more than Harbor Freight. There are a host of brands out there and I think they are all pretty much the same, so I don't have a specific brand to recommend. I even found one that has three different collet sizes, including 3/32".

This tool does not have a lot of torque, so it doesn't work well with the roto zip bit on heavy or thick wood. I use it to shape/pierce my hollow forms (after a 1/8" starter hole) that have wall thicknesses in the neighborhood of 1/8" - 3/16" and it works really well there. I have the Presto that Binh Pho uses, but that tool will only work well on much thinner walls. A wall thickness over 1/4" will be more of a challenge. But I also use it with various carbide burrs for material removal and it works well there in small controlled sweeps. I like the higher rpm than a flexible shaft has.

I used the micro die-grinder on this koa piece with a burr to achieve the secondary level, then with a 1/8" short drill for starter holes, then with the roto zip bit to shape the pierced holes.

 

[john lucas]

Bill I do agree they all look the same. Internal parts must be different. Mine would never do what yours apparently does. It had almost no torque. I was hoping I could use it for step between the Dremel and the Foredom. Hopefully the higher speed wouldn't follow the grain as bad and would cut easier through thick wood (if your idea of thick is 3/16")