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[jakesrocks]

I have a couple of hand pieces that I use in mineral & fossil prep work. In a second I'll post a pic. In front is the #30, and behind is a spring type that my old hands find quite comfortable to work with. Mine was made in Austria for Foredom many moons ago, but they are still made. They are a quick release type, but are very limited to the size of tool shanks you can use It's about as big around as a fine tip Sharpie.

[Debbie K]

Nirena:

Just checked your posting history and read about what caused the rust. Since I dabble with chemicals, too, I wanted to know exactly what happened.

What kind of pickle did you have in the crock pot? Where did the ferric chloride come from and what did it get on? You fumed with HCL acid, was it a dilute solution? And you added kosher salt.

What an awful nightmare. I stupidly put my pickle pot under all of my hammers and the predictable happened, but nothing like what you're describing.

Re: the mill. Depending on what kind it is and how pitted/rusted your platens are there are some things to do and try. I bought an old rusty mill and restored the rollers: I took them off and turned them on a lathe and sanded them. If the rust is light and all over, not dripping down in one spot, you can try a polishing cream like Simichrome. Unfortunately for me, mine had been stored in a garage and condensation had dripped down and rusted and pitted the bottom of both rollers, so I had to reduce the diameter of each roller quite a bit.

Wax will help to stop steel from rusting, too, for the things you don't want to soak in oil. I hope that this has really and truly stopped.

Debbie

[gemfeller]

Debbie, have you checked out the Faro quick-change handpieces?  That's the one most of the professionals I know use.  It's pretty slim and the only drawback is it's limited to 3/32" bits.  You might like the duplex spring option but it's pricey.  I think these are still made in Italy.  I know there are cheap Chinese knock-offs which I'd avoid in favor of the former if they're still available.

http://www.gesswein.com/p-2001-faro-handpiece.aspx

I've had one of the Austrian duplex-spring handpieces like Don's for years but it's always given me problems -- it doesn't tighten enough and won't hold bits securely.  Maybe I got a lemon but I gave up on it after sending it back to the factory once and having the same problem again.  It's limited to 3/32" bits too.

[Debbie K]

Thanks, yes, I have. The price deterred me, and the fact that I use all sizes of bits and burs. I finally settled on having 2 tools with different size collets, it saves some time.

I actually got a couple of dental handpieces, and I had always been convinced that these would be the "magic tools"; you know, the ones that will make you a better carver by some mysterious method. Well, not so much. Only works well in really specialized circumstances.

The older I get, the more I use hand tools. That way I get to make my mistakes really slowly.

Debbie

PS: Don, are you snowed in?

[jakesrocks]

LOL, Nope Debbie. Frozen, but very little snow. About 30 miles north of me it's been one blizzard after another.

[gemfeller]

The older I get, the more I use hand tools. That way I get to make my mistakes really slowly.

Debbie

Now that made me laugh!  I really identify with it because it's been exactly my own experience.  I bought a hammer handpiece for bezel setting but after a coupe of rather sad experiences I immediately went back to my original engraving block/hand-held setting tool and hammer.  I've had similar experiences with other "automated" procedures.  Too much speed!