Bob Cleek

As said above, there's no comparison between the Dremel MotoTool and the Foredom flex-shaft tools. I have several Dremels, which are handy for many jobs, but they can't hold a candle to the Foredom for modeling. (My wife finds the Dremel with a sanding drum mounted to be perfect for doing her show-dogs' toenails!) Dremel does have a lot of accessories for their MotoTool "platform," but, in my experience, they are pretty much junk, most lacking the rigidity to produce consistently accurate work. There are after-market providers of much better accessories which may be powered by either the Dremel MotoTool or the Foredom flex-shafts. (See: https://vanda-layindustries.com/) It's a lot easier to mount the 1" diameter Foredom flex-shaft to the tool post of your lathe for milling and grinding than it is the Dremel. ' Foredom has a large selection of hand pieces, including hand pieces for chisel carving, pencil sized ones for very fine work, and a mini-belt-sander, if one's so inclined. There's no comparison in terms of quality between Dremel and Foredom. There's no plastic anywhere on a Foredom tool, except perhaps the electric cord plug's body.
 
The Foredom products will cost more than the Dremels, but you do get what you pay for and, with the Foredom, you would be buying the "industry standard" tool for the job. The Foredom flex-shaft machines do come up on the used market. I got mine, with two hand pieces, from somebody on Craigslist, a local "flea market" website, for $75 and it's served me well for years. They seem to be a bit more on the used market currently, but you can still get a used Foredom for about what a new Dremel would run you. There are always some used Foredoms for sale on eBay. I recommend getting the clamp-on hanging stand for the Foredom motor. That keeps the flex-shaft out of the way of your workspace.
 
Keep in mind that the Dremel relies on speed for its effectiveness, while the Foredom flex-shaft tool relies on torque. Torque wins every time in that contest. The Foredom has a very convenient foot pedal speed control which, unlike the Dremels, will allow you to start slowly and work up to speed. With the Dremels, even if it has a speed control, you start it and it's instantly running at that speed until you change the speed or turn it off.
 
If you get a Foredom, be sure to get the hand piece that has the three-jawed chuck, as well as the basic collect-holding chuck (like the Dremel.) If you're moving up from a Dremel, all of your Dremel tooling will work in the Foredom without any problems.
 
If you plan to do fine carving, the control possible with the right Foredom hand piece is unequaled: 

 
 
 

I'd snag a laboratory dental engine if I came across one, just to have it, but I suspect the "tooling," with a few different handpieces, and a selection of burrs and what-not would probably cost more than I'd want to pay for a tool that doesn't really do anything more than my Foredom flex-shaft machine does. Then again, I could always use it for DIY dental work on the family and in such fashion make it pay for itself.    

Perhaps it's asking too much. I've had the same problem over the years. I've been annoyed repeatedly by my copy of Chapelle's American Small Sailing Craft, which is a later printing at a time when the plates were, apparently, somewhat worn, sometimes making it very difficult to decipher the plans notations and tables of offsets. (These are otherwise available in much larger format from the Smithsonian in most instances.) Magnification can make things bigger, but it can't replace what isn't there. If a character is too "fuzzy" to read, making it bigger only results in a bigger character that's still too "fuzzy" to read. In many instances, for modeling and research purposes, the earlier the printing, the better because the type impressions are crisper and the paper quality sometimes better.
 
This seems to be a particular problem with reprints of old, long out-of-print volumes that are reissued in paperback format. They seem to have a penchant for reducing the size of diagrams and drawings or, in some cases, simply omitting them when convenient. 

Now that's a clever trick I've never heard of before! Thanks much! It's really quite amazing what one can do with an iPhone. Now, along with everything else I'v'e figured out, and probably a lot more I've yet to discover, I've got a 12X magnifier in my pocket all the time. I learn something new on MSW every day.

As said above, there's no comparison between the Dremel MotoTool and the Foredom flex-shaft tools. I have several Dremels, which are handy for many jobs, but they can't hold a candle to the Foredom for modeling. (My wife finds the Dremel with a sanding drum mounted to be perfect for doing her show-dogs' toenails!) Dremel does have a lot of accessories for their MotoTool "platform," but, in my experience, they are pretty much junk, most lacking the rigidity to produce consistently accurate work. There are after-market providers of much better accessories which may be powered by either the Dremel MotoTool or the Foredom flex-shafts. (See: https://vanda-layindustries.com/) It's a lot easier to mount the 1" diameter Foredom flex-shaft to the tool post of your lathe for milling and grinding than it is the Dremel. ' Foredom has a large selection of hand pieces, including hand pieces for chisel carving, pencil sized ones for very fine work, and a mini-belt-sander, if one's so inclined. There's no comparison in terms of quality between Dremel and Foredom. There's no plastic anywhere on a Foredom tool, except perhaps the electric cord plug's body.
 
The Foredom products will cost more than the Dremels, but you do get what you pay for and, with the Foredom, you would be buying the "industry standard" tool for the job. The Foredom flex-shaft machines do come up on the used market. I got mine, with two hand pieces, from somebody on Craigslist, a local "flea market" website, for $75 and it's served me well for years. They seem to be a bit more on the used market currently, but you can still get a used Foredom for about what a new Dremel would run you. There are always some used Foredoms for sale on eBay. I recommend getting the clamp-on hanging stand for the Foredom motor. That keeps the flex-shaft out of the way of your workspace.
 
Keep in mind that the Dremel relies on speed for its effectiveness, while the Foredom flex-shaft tool relies on torque. Torque wins every time in that contest. The Foredom has a very convenient foot pedal speed control which, unlike the Dremels, will allow you to start slowly and work up to speed. With the Dremels, even if it has a speed control, you start it and it's instantly running at that speed until you change the speed or turn it off.
 
If you get a Foredom, be sure to get the hand piece that has the three-jawed chuck, as well as the basic collect-holding chuck (like the Dremel.) If you're moving up from a Dremel, all of your Dremel tooling will work in the Foredom without any problems.
 
If you plan to do fine carving, the control possible with the right Foredom hand piece is unequaled: 

 
 
 

I'd snag a laboratory dental engine if I came across one, just to have it, but I suspect the "tooling," with a few different handpieces, and a selection of burrs and what-not would probably cost more than I'd want to pay for a tool that doesn't really do anything more than my Foredom flex-shaft machine does. Then again, I could always use it for DIY dental work on the family and in such fashion make it pay for itself.    

As said above, there's no comparison between the Dremel MotoTool and the Foredom flex-shaft tools. I have several Dremels, which are handy for many jobs, but they can't hold a candle to the Foredom for modeling. (My wife finds the Dremel with a sanding drum mounted to be perfect for doing her show-dogs' toenails!) Dremel does have a lot of accessories for their MotoTool "platform," but, in my experience, they are pretty much junk, most lacking the rigidity to produce consistently accurate work. There are after-market providers of much better accessories which may be powered by either the Dremel MotoTool or the Foredom flex-shafts. (See: https://vanda-layindustries.com/) It's a lot easier to mount the 1" diameter Foredom flex-shaft to the tool post of your lathe for milling and grinding than it is the Dremel. ' Foredom has a large selection of hand pieces, including hand pieces for chisel carving, pencil sized ones for very fine work, and a mini-belt-sander, if one's so inclined. There's no comparison in terms of quality between Dremel and Foredom. There's no plastic anywhere on a Foredom tool, except perhaps the electric cord plug's body.
 
The Foredom products will cost more than the Dremels, but you do get what you pay for and, with the Foredom, you would be buying the "industry standard" tool for the job. The Foredom flex-shaft machines do come up on the used market. I got mine, with two hand pieces, from somebody on Craigslist, a local "flea market" website, for $75 and it's served me well for years. They seem to be a bit more on the used market currently, but you can still get a used Foredom for about what a new Dremel would run you. There are always some used Foredoms for sale on eBay. I recommend getting the clamp-on hanging stand for the Foredom motor. That keeps the flex-shaft out of the way of your workspace.
 
Keep in mind that the Dremel relies on speed for its effectiveness, while the Foredom flex-shaft tool relies on torque. Torque wins every time in that contest. The Foredom has a very convenient foot pedal speed control which, unlike the Dremels, will allow you to start slowly and work up to speed. With the Dremels, even if it has a speed control, you start it and it's instantly running at that speed until you change the speed or turn it off.
 
If you get a Foredom, be sure to get the hand piece that has the three-jawed chuck, as well as the basic collect-holding chuck (like the Dremel.) If you're moving up from a Dremel, all of your Dremel tooling will work in the Foredom without any problems.
 
If you plan to do fine carving, the control possible with the right Foredom hand piece is unequaled: 

 
 
 

Perhaps it's asking too much. I've had the same problem over the years. I've been annoyed repeatedly by my copy of Chapelle's American Small Sailing Craft, which is a later printing at a time when the plates were, apparently, somewhat worn, sometimes making it very difficult to decipher the plans notations and tables of offsets. (These are otherwise available in much larger format from the Smithsonian in most instances.) Magnification can make things bigger, but it can't replace what isn't there. If a character is too "fuzzy" to read, making it bigger only results in a bigger character that's still too "fuzzy" to read. In many instances, for modeling and research purposes, the earlier the printing, the better because the type impressions are crisper and the paper quality sometimes better.
 
This seems to be a particular problem with reprints of old, long out-of-print volumes that are reissued in paperback format. They seem to have a penchant for reducing the size of diagrams and drawings or, in some cases, simply omitting them when convenient. 

Perhaps it's asking too much. I've had the same problem over the years. I've been annoyed repeatedly by my copy of Chapelle's American Small Sailing Craft, which is a later printing at a time when the plates were, apparently, somewhat worn, sometimes making it very difficult to decipher the plans notations and tables of offsets. (These are otherwise available in much larger format from the Smithsonian in most instances.) Magnification can make things bigger, but it can't replace what isn't there. If a character is too "fuzzy" to read, making it bigger only results in a bigger character that's still too "fuzzy" to read. In many instances, for modeling and research purposes, the earlier the printing, the better because the type impressions are crisper and the paper quality sometimes better.
 
This seems to be a particular problem with reprints of old, long out-of-print volumes that are reissued in paperback format. They seem to have a penchant for reducing the size of diagrams and drawings or, in some cases, simply omitting them when convenient. 

While I was investigating malfuntioning, I found that I missed key factor to run ropewalk. Tension must be tight to get a firm result. I planned to add tension control system to the right direction only, but it had to be bidirectional strong tensions...
 

 
At first, I tried to reinforce the wood bolt R-clip with washer, but it didn't help because the bobbins need delicate tension control. They should have not tight and not loose tension.
 

 
Probably the best tension control device is this. However, I can't add it to Domanoffs' because it needs extra space. Domanoff's bolts save spaces and relatively simple.
 
I decided to use another bolts to get tension for now and postponed additional (huge) modification till next months.
 

 
Looks like I finally read Domanoff's manual correctly. I'm running it at 0.5 Drive speed which is very slow and quiet. (The threads are Amann Serafil 300(200/2), 10 Tex, poly 100%.)

Perhaps it's asking too much. I've had the same problem over the years. I've been annoyed repeatedly by my copy of Chapelle's American Small Sailing Craft, which is a later printing at a time when the plates were, apparently, somewhat worn, sometimes making it very difficult to decipher the plans notations and tables of offsets. (These are otherwise available in much larger format from the Smithsonian in most instances.) Magnification can make things bigger, but it can't replace what isn't there. If a character is too "fuzzy" to read, making it bigger only results in a bigger character that's still too "fuzzy" to read. In many instances, for modeling and research purposes, the earlier the printing, the better because the type impressions are crisper and the paper quality sometimes better.
 
This seems to be a particular problem with reprints of old, long out-of-print volumes that are reissued in paperback format. They seem to have a penchant for reducing the size of diagrams and drawings or, in some cases, simply omitting them when convenient. 

Until you suggested it, not so's you'd notice.  Thank you for the additional possibilities.   In sniffing out your trail, I found that Amazon has 2" disc sanders -at least.  I am not sure that the chucks are all that I would need,  I will have to think on this.  I did put a couple of manicure motors on my Amazon wish list a while ago, but I have Dremels, so no need for them.
 
For drilling inside a hull, I have more than enough small DC motor with chucks that will fix +/- #70  drill bits. 
Most of my plans have lines for top of the beams/bottom of the deck at the side.  I include that data on my frame patterns.  All of this has lead me to possible way to site the clamps. Cut a series of strips of wood that are the thickness of the deck beams. Pin them at the sirmarks for the bottom of the deck and push the clamp up against the bottom and bond it.

Glad to be of help @Bob Cleek  Am I asking too much to make the numbers visible or does anyone have an idea to what magnification I would need? 

Thousands of years from now, archaeologists will be dumbfounded by those wire springs on clothespins. They'll keep finding them with their metal detectors, but there will be a raging debate over what they were actually used for.  

I recall reading with some surprise that Hahn did indeed use those blades back when he built his models "in the days of wooden chips and iron men." Finish wood was a lot less dear and more widely available back then, as well, so the kerf width wasn't so much of a consideration. The depth of cut on those Craftsman blades was 1 and 1/4", which probably explains why Hahn devised a jig to cut the pieces for gluing up his frame blanks... that was as wide a sheet stock as he could get. Interestingly, on the other side of the pond in Hahn's time, Gerald Wingrove was cutting his strips on the table saw attachment on his Unimat SL. 
 
I checked those Craftsman plywood blades out on eBay. I'm not so sure about buying used circular saw blades on eBay. With the high tooth count, I expect the saw sharpening shop would charge a bit to sharpen one. I expect they didn't get a lot of "mileage" out of one cutting plywood, which can be hard on an edge. I'll have to check, but I may even have one in my stash in the shop, inherited from my father decades ago. Delta and others currently make comparable high-tooth-count, (relatively) thin-kerf plywood-cutting blades, some less expensive new than the used ones on eBay. StewMac makes a 6" "fret-slotting table saw blade" with the outer 3/8" or so  of the edge hollow ground down to .023", but its depth of cut is very limited. That puppy will set you back around $150.00. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/saws/fret-slotting-table-saw-blade.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-03-gp&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5fEdm8TK9oqsPrp2m7Lu8AeI0SXQvFi4cnuQ9byVdTiKgVLVwa3EIoaApVqEALw_wcB Freud has a 10"x80T thin kerf "Ultimate Plywood and Melamine Blade" with a 3/32" kerf for around $75.00 on sale. https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Ultimate-Plywood-Melamine-LU79R010/dp/B000GJTIIK
 
I have a 1950 Craftsman/King Seeley 8" tilting arbor table saw that was my father's. It gets little or no use these days, since I have a Delta Unisaw and a Byrnes saw, but when it was all I had, I got a lot of use out of it. I still have all my fingers, no doubt due to my Guardian Angel working overtime. I always feel using it is a bit like playing with a pet rattlesnake. (Not that I don't feel the same about the other saws, though less so with the Jim Saw.) The fence on the Craftsman is very fiddly to set up and keep set and with the relatively small table, I have to set up infeed and outfeed roller supports for stock of any length. I have a good selection of molding head cutters for it, though, and I occasionally use it for that. Someone who had the smaller Craftsman tilting table saw with a thin kerf, high tooth count, blade for it wouldn't go far wrong, if they had a fence that didn't drive them crazy. What's scary about  these "widdowmakers" is that there is the tendency for the work to slide "downhill" when sawing with the table tilted, but that can be compensated for with caution and a jig if you need it. It's just that with a 3/32" kerf, cutting 1/16" strips will cost you more in sawdust than you're getting in stripwood, which is okay for some, I suppose. Everybody's mileage differs.
 
 

The safety issues of a tilting table circular saw aside (Can you say "kickback?") these are good little machines. I doubt, however, that one can source thin-kerf slitting blades for them. If you can, then they can work for modeling, although you will have to use "zero-clearance" blade insert plates and arrange some sort of highly accurate fence system to ensure the repeatable accuracy of the cuts. 

Assuming there are suitable collects or chucks on the handpieces, and I'd expect there must be...
 
Have you checked out the units designed for dental lab and nail salon applications? There are some remarkably inexpensive units on the market these days. Not that I'd want my dentist cutting corners on the quality of his instruments, but for hobby work, they'd probably be fine.   The same goes for old fashioned dental engines.  I'd think there'd be a fair number of really good ones on the used market as air-driven and micro-motor-driven units replace them.
 
On FleaBay, for about  a hundred bucks  - the blue things are teeth polishing cups:
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dental-Lab-Marathon-Polisher-Electric-Micromotor-Contra-angle-10-Prophy-Cups/143944111592?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3Decf7e111aad647b1985bed3d18e771b3%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D142686199499%26itm%3D143944111592%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseUnbiasedWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851
 
Refurbished-with-warranty lab dental engine with handpiece: $145 on FeaBay: 
 

 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/231467107100?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=231467107100&targetid=1068323857870&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032112&poi=&campaignid=11612431353&mkgroupid=114626995633&rlsatarget=pla-1068323857870&abcId=9300456&merchantid=113796506&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5eye0YMcPhG8phlwV1UQO8AaFuou0qcn_IVcFcnFaS94NenfJQmR9YaAi3KEALw_wcB
 
 

I recall reading with some surprise that Hahn did indeed use those blades back when he built his models "in the days of wooden chips and iron men." Finish wood was a lot less dear and more widely available back then, as well, so the kerf width wasn't so much of a consideration. The depth of cut on those Craftsman blades was 1 and 1/4", which probably explains why Hahn devised a jig to cut the pieces for gluing up his frame blanks... that was as wide a sheet stock as he could get. Interestingly, on the other side of the pond in Hahn's time, Gerald Wingrove was cutting his strips on the table saw attachment on his Unimat SL. 
 
I checked those Craftsman plywood blades out on eBay. I'm not so sure about buying used circular saw blades on eBay. With the high tooth count, I expect the saw sharpening shop would charge a bit to sharpen one. I expect they didn't get a lot of "mileage" out of one cutting plywood, which can be hard on an edge. I'll have to check, but I may even have one in my stash in the shop, inherited from my father decades ago. Delta and others currently make comparable high-tooth-count, (relatively) thin-kerf plywood-cutting blades, some less expensive new than the used ones on eBay. StewMac makes a 6" "fret-slotting table saw blade" with the outer 3/8" or so  of the edge hollow ground down to .023", but its depth of cut is very limited. That puppy will set you back around $150.00. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/saws/fret-slotting-table-saw-blade.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-03-gp&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5fEdm8TK9oqsPrp2m7Lu8AeI0SXQvFi4cnuQ9byVdTiKgVLVwa3EIoaApVqEALw_wcB Freud has a 10"x80T thin kerf "Ultimate Plywood and Melamine Blade" with a 3/32" kerf for around $75.00 on sale. https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Ultimate-Plywood-Melamine-LU79R010/dp/B000GJTIIK
 
I have a 1950 Craftsman/King Seeley 8" tilting arbor table saw that was my father's. It gets little or no use these days, since I have a Delta Unisaw and a Byrnes saw, but when it was all I had, I got a lot of use out of it. I still have all my fingers, no doubt due to my Guardian Angel working overtime. I always feel using it is a bit like playing with a pet rattlesnake. (Not that I don't feel the same about the other saws, though less so with the Jim Saw.) The fence on the Craftsman is very fiddly to set up and keep set and with the relatively small table, I have to set up infeed and outfeed roller supports for stock of any length. I have a good selection of molding head cutters for it, though, and I occasionally use it for that. Someone who had the smaller Craftsman tilting table saw with a thin kerf, high tooth count, blade for it wouldn't go far wrong, if they had a fence that didn't drive them crazy. What's scary about  these "widdowmakers" is that there is the tendency for the work to slide "downhill" when sawing with the table tilted, but that can be compensated for with caution and a jig if you need it. It's just that with a 3/32" kerf, cutting 1/16" strips will cost you more in sawdust than you're getting in stripwood, which is okay for some, I suppose. Everybody's mileage differs.
 
 

The safety issues of a tilting table circular saw aside (Can you say "kickback?") these are good little machines. I doubt, however, that one can source thin-kerf slitting blades for them. If you can, then they can work for modeling, although you will have to use "zero-clearance" blade insert plates and arrange some sort of highly accurate fence system to ensure the repeatable accuracy of the cuts. 

Now that's a clever trick I've never heard of before! Thanks much! It's really quite amazing what one can do with an iPhone. Now, along with everything else I'v'e figured out, and probably a lot more I've yet to discover, I've got a 12X magnifier in my pocket all the time. I learn something new on MSW every day.

Thanks for everyone’s help. I tried a 12x magnification with no luck. What magnification would I need to be able to read?  Recommendations are appreciated 
 
Clarifying that the 12x was through an IPhone zoom on the camera, 3x through a magnifying glass. 

Assuming there are suitable collects or chucks on the handpieces, and I'd expect there must be...
 
Have you checked out the units designed for dental lab and nail salon applications? There are some remarkably inexpensive units on the market these days. Not that I'd want my dentist cutting corners on the quality of his instruments, but for hobby work, they'd probably be fine.   The same goes for old fashioned dental engines.  I'd think there'd be a fair number of really good ones on the used market as air-driven and micro-motor-driven units replace them.
 
On FleaBay, for about  a hundred bucks  - the blue things are teeth polishing cups:
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dental-Lab-Marathon-Polisher-Electric-Micromotor-Contra-angle-10-Prophy-Cups/143944111592?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3Decf7e111aad647b1985bed3d18e771b3%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D142686199499%26itm%3D143944111592%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseUnbiasedWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851
 
Refurbished-with-warranty lab dental engine with handpiece: $145 on FeaBay: 
 

 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/231467107100?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=231467107100&targetid=1068323857870&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032112&poi=&campaignid=11612431353&mkgroupid=114626995633&rlsatarget=pla-1068323857870&abcId=9300456&merchantid=113796506&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5eye0YMcPhG8phlwV1UQO8AaFuou0qcn_IVcFcnFaS94NenfJQmR9YaAi3KEALw_wcB
 
 

The safety issues of a tilting table circular saw aside (Can you say "kickback?") these are good little machines. I doubt, however, that one can source thin-kerf slitting blades for them. If you can, then they can work for modeling, although you will have to use "zero-clearance" blade insert plates and arrange some sort of highly accurate fence system to ensure the repeatable accuracy of the cuts. 

I recall reading with some surprise that Hahn did indeed use those blades back when he built his models "in the days of wooden chips and iron men." Finish wood was a lot less dear and more widely available back then, as well, so the kerf width wasn't so much of a consideration. The depth of cut on those Craftsman blades was 1 and 1/4", which probably explains why Hahn devised a jig to cut the pieces for gluing up his frame blanks... that was as wide a sheet stock as he could get. Interestingly, on the other side of the pond in Hahn's time, Gerald Wingrove was cutting his strips on the table saw attachment on his Unimat SL. 
 
I checked those Craftsman plywood blades out on eBay. I'm not so sure about buying used circular saw blades on eBay. With the high tooth count, I expect the saw sharpening shop would charge a bit to sharpen one. I expect they didn't get a lot of "mileage" out of one cutting plywood, which can be hard on an edge. I'll have to check, but I may even have one in my stash in the shop, inherited from my father decades ago. Delta and others currently make comparable high-tooth-count, (relatively) thin-kerf plywood-cutting blades, some less expensive new than the used ones on eBay. StewMac makes a 6" "fret-slotting table saw blade" with the outer 3/8" or so  of the edge hollow ground down to .023", but its depth of cut is very limited. That puppy will set you back around $150.00. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/saws/fret-slotting-table-saw-blade.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=2021-03-gp&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5fEdm8TK9oqsPrp2m7Lu8AeI0SXQvFi4cnuQ9byVdTiKgVLVwa3EIoaApVqEALw_wcB Freud has a 10"x80T thin kerf "Ultimate Plywood and Melamine Blade" with a 3/32" kerf for around $75.00 on sale. https://www.amazon.com/Freud-Ultimate-Plywood-Melamine-LU79R010/dp/B000GJTIIK
 
I have a 1950 Craftsman/King Seeley 8" tilting arbor table saw that was my father's. It gets little or no use these days, since I have a Delta Unisaw and a Byrnes saw, but when it was all I had, I got a lot of use out of it. I still have all my fingers, no doubt due to my Guardian Angel working overtime. I always feel using it is a bit like playing with a pet rattlesnake. (Not that I don't feel the same about the other saws, though less so with the Jim Saw.) The fence on the Craftsman is very fiddly to set up and keep set and with the relatively small table, I have to set up infeed and outfeed roller supports for stock of any length. I have a good selection of molding head cutters for it, though, and I occasionally use it for that. Someone who had the smaller Craftsman tilting table saw with a thin kerf, high tooth count, blade for it wouldn't go far wrong, if they had a fence that didn't drive them crazy. What's scary about  these "widdowmakers" is that there is the tendency for the work to slide "downhill" when sawing with the table tilted, but that can be compensated for with caution and a jig if you need it. It's just that with a 3/32" kerf, cutting 1/16" strips will cost you more in sawdust than you're getting in stripwood, which is okay for some, I suppose. Everybody's mileage differs.
 
 

Assuming there are suitable collects or chucks on the handpieces, and I'd expect there must be...
 
Have you checked out the units designed for dental lab and nail salon applications? There are some remarkably inexpensive units on the market these days. Not that I'd want my dentist cutting corners on the quality of his instruments, but for hobby work, they'd probably be fine.   The same goes for old fashioned dental engines.  I'd think there'd be a fair number of really good ones on the used market as air-driven and micro-motor-driven units replace them.
 
On FleaBay, for about  a hundred bucks  - the blue things are teeth polishing cups:
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dental-Lab-Marathon-Polisher-Electric-Micromotor-Contra-angle-10-Prophy-Cups/143944111592?_trkparms=aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20201210111314%26meid%3Decf7e111aad647b1985bed3d18e771b3%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D142686199499%26itm%3D143944111592%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv9PairwiseUnbiasedWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851
 
Refurbished-with-warranty lab dental engine with handpiece: $145 on FeaBay: 
 

 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/231467107100?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=231467107100&targetid=1068323857870&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9032112&poi=&campaignid=11612431353&mkgroupid=114626995633&rlsatarget=pla-1068323857870&abcId=9300456&merchantid=113796506&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1pyCBhCtARIsAHaY_5eye0YMcPhG8phlwV1UQO8AaFuou0qcn_IVcFcnFaS94NenfJQmR9YaAi3KEALw_wcB