Hi chaps,
Many thanks for the very comprehensive replies!
The Proxxon is looking pretty good at the moment. However, the only thing I'm put off by is that the speed seems to be variable only from 5000-20,000 rpm.
I'd be looking for something very like the Proxxon, but with a foot control to vary speed across the full range (i.e., from 0 - 20,000 rpm), in much the same way as a sewing machine's speed is infinitely variable.
Would the foot control for a sewing machine be compatible with the transformer for the Proxxon, do you think? I notice that the footswitch that Proxxon make is exactly that- a switch, not a control.