A good flex shaft is a staple at every jeweler's bench.  It is hard to go very long without one because flex shafts have many uses including: • Polishing • Stone Setting • Drilling Flex shafts generally come in three parts: • Motor You want to elevate the flex shaft motor so it doesn't allow any kinks to get in the line that connects the motor and handpiece. The motor is generally controlled by the foot pedal. Foot pedals are not all created equal. Nicer ones can control the speed at which your handpiece spins. This can really come in handy when setting stones. • Handpiece This is where all the action happens. A standard handpiece uses a chuck key to tighten the jaws around any polishing tool or setting bur you may be using. There are some quick change handpieces that do not require a chuck key. If you have a little extra to spend, I was recently given a  quick change handpiece  and it seriously changed my world. I am so in love with it! • Footpedal ......