Foredom Flexades - Manual (Page 2)

The sheath is flexible, tough, long-lasting and
impervious to oil and grease.
Handpieces are easy to attach and remove, and
can be interchanged with any of Foredom’s 20+
quick disconnect (QD) handpieces. The different
style handpieces for use with your Flexade are
shown on the back of this manual. For more
information visit www.foredom.com.
The B Flexade has a 30 ″ shaft with either a stan-
dard or more flexible neoprene sheath. It comes
equipped with a ball bearing 5/16 ″ coupling for
attaching to a 5/16 ″ dia. motor shaft. Other
coupling sizes are also available for attaching
to 1/4 ″, 3/8″, 1/2″ dia. motor shafts.
Installation
The Flexade can be attached in a number of
ways. When used with a lathe, motor, or any
The Flexade converts the BL Lathe into a flexible
shaft machine. It is shown here with H.44T and
H.50 handpieces that are available separately. The Flexade converts a Drill Press into a flexible
shaft machine. It is shown here with an H.8
handpiece that is available separately.
Operation
Your Flexade can be used for any small job of
grinding, cutting, polishing, deburring, drilling,
etc. Handpieces and accessories for all types
of grinding, deburring, polishing, finishing,
cleaning, and other applications are
available from your Foredom dealer or at
www.foredom.com.
The best results will be obtained with a fairly
light touch. Heavy pressure will slow down
your tool and, if the motor is actually stalled
because of heavy pressure or snagging, you
may damage the flexible shaft. Let the speed
of the tool do the work. Avoid using too much
pressure. Generally, slower speeds are used for
rougher, heavier work or when greater control
over the accessory is required for precise,
delicate work.
Voltage Decreases
Never operate a power tool during a percepti-
ble power decrease. Turn off tool and unplug
until full power is restored.
Always wear proper eye and
face protection
when operating
a Foredom
power tool.
Do not bend
shaft and sheath
at tight angle
Shafts and sheaths last longer when they are
used without sharp bends. If used at angles or
loops, wear will occur at the points of greatest
friction. When operating your power tools be
careful not to bend the flexible shaft too much
at either the handpiece or
motor shaft connections.
Excessive heat and wear
will occur if the bend
is too great.
Follow these guide-
lines for trouble-free use:
a 4 ″or larger radius, as
shown, should be maintained for
flexade shafts.
set screw
dowel pin
The Foredom Series B Flexade ® is suitable for
use with any motor, drill press, or electric drill
which operates between 1,500 — 15,000 RPM.
It is ideal for Foredom’s BL Bench Lathe which
runs at speeds up to 7,000 rpm.
For best performance, the speed should be
3,500 RPM or more.
Only run the motor or other power source
in a forward direction.
Do Not
Do This!
4 ″
radius
4 ″
radius
Minimum
Operating
Radius
Always turn the flexade
power source off
and wait until
the tool bit or bur
comes to a
complete stop before you
let go of the handpiece.
Flexade Lubrication
The flexible shaft should be lubricated after every
50 hours of operation.
To lubricate the shaft, first take off the handpiece.
This is done by giving the handpiece a sharp pull
(shown above). Next, loosen the set screw (see
illustration at bottom of page) and pull the shaft
free of the outer sheath. Apply a VERY light film
of Foredom’s MS10006 grease along the entire
length of the flexible shaft.
Replace the sheath, being sure that the flexible
shaft tip projects 3/4 ″ beyond the sheath at the
handpiece end. When this is correct, tighten
set screw. Run the Flexade slowly for several
minutes. Turn off the power source, wipe any
excess grease from the tip of the flexible shaft
and attach the handpiece.
Handpiece Lubrication
Nearly all of Foredom’s 20+ different interchange-
able handpieces have permanently lubricated ball
bearings and should not be lubricated. The
exceptions are handpieces with duplex spring
connections such as the H.8D, H.10D, and H.18D.
The spring connections require oiling approxi-
mately every 20 hours of use.
Each Foredom handpiece comes with complete
instructions for use and maintenance. This can
also be downloaded from www.foredom.com.
IMPORTANT
3/4 ″
other rotating shaft, simply attach the cou-
pling to the shaft. Be sure to tighten the set
screw firmly. Check the rotation. Your
Flexade should run counterclockwise.
To install your Flexade in a drill press or
electric drill, you need to insert a dowel pin
or short piece (2 ″) of round steel into the
Flexade coupling. Tighten the set screw after
inserting. Then insert the exposed part of
the round steel into the drill chuck and close
the chuck. Check to be sure that it rotates
counterclockwise or in the forward direction.
Attach the handpiece by pushing it on the
grooved QD fitting on the shaft. Be sure
that the keyed tip of the flexible shaft is
properly lined up with the keyway slot in the
handpiece by looking into the rear of the
handpiece (see illustration below). If it is
not in line, turn the shaft or handpiece to
the correct position.