"Tools of the trade" for carving

[Taffy]

Jamie, if you can get them for round about that price you mentioned, I'll take two - Definite!

[alpineart]

Hi alpineart,

Thank you for your initial thread. I do have a very good angle grinder -- made in Hungary.

I just did not know you can use it with a blade! This is new for me.

(But that will not mean I have nerves to use a blade on it yet! It spins so fast.)

Regards.

Hi Viet , Jamie has given almost right advice .If it doesn't have a guard "DON'T" use it until you "FIT ONE" . If its fitted with a side handle make sure you use it until you are confident enough to be able to use it with one hand .You won't get a second chance with a saw spinning at 10.000 rpm's , i use 2-3 blades in the grinder {SEATED PROPERELY } and find it safer and smoother to operate .

It tends to cut with 1 blade but planes and carves with 2-3 blades .Grab a big solid green block of wood and get the swing of the machine or you might end up a few trunks with no leaves or a hand with no fingers . Let the cutter do the work not the machine .Take you time and the results will speak for themselves . Cheers AND safer operating .Alpine

[senseijames]

Hello all, for those of you whom have a Dremel can you give me some idea how good they are and which model / kit, do you have / use, I am thinking of getting one, I would only be carving on a small scale so I figure the Dremel would be big enough to do the work that I would wish to do, any help would be much appreciated. Cheers
James

[Jamie]

gday james, i have an ozito rotary tool which is exactly like a dremel and it works a treat, i can bring it down to show you at the next meeting if you like?

i have found it works well and was the right price, i havent used an actual dremel but can see it being any different. i have heard that the lithium battery ones are a little touch and go..

jamie

[senseijames]

gday james, i have an ozito rotary tool which is exactly like a dremel and it works a treat, i can bring it down to show you at the next meeting if you like?

i have found it works well and was the right price, i havent used an actual dremel but can see it being any different. i have heard that the lithium battery ones are a little touch and go..

jamie

Hey G'day Jamie, yeah mate, I was checking the rotary cutters out this morning and got a price from Bungy-rings on the Ozito
$ 39.50 but then I checked online at wikitool and there are a lot of people whom reckon they wont last very long, became very confusing after a while so I gave up and turned the computer off. So how long have you had yours and has it done much work ??
James

[Taffy]

I bought one of those $39.50 Ozito kits from the B-store, and the very first time I used it, the motor decided to pack up after about 2 minutes - you could see it arcing inside! I wasn't punishing it, in fact I was using a very small wire brush to clean up some of my bonsai tools.
I took it back because it has a 3 year replacement warranty on it, and I got it completely changed for a new one. I mainly got it for the flexible drive - a Dremel one was about 3 times the price of this whole kit.

I've also got a Dremel - had it for about 10 years now. About a year ago it decided to stop spinning, although the motor was still turning. I pulled it apart and to my great surprise, the drive connection from the armature to the chuck - is A PIECE OF CLEAR PLASTIC HOLLOW TUBING! It had hardened and broken into pieces. I've got heaps of different size tubing (for covering bonsai wire were necessary) so I found the right size and replaced it. It hasn't missed a beat since. Wonder what that part from Dremel would cost?????

[Loretta]

this must be the most discussed subject I've seen so far,,was there a tree mentioned in any of the replies ???
Loretta

[daiviet_nguyen]

Hi alpineart,

Thank you for your advice. "Hand with no finger" -- I will remember this

Best regards.

[alpineart]

Hi alpineart,

Thank you for your advice. "Hand with no finger" -- I will remember this

Best regards.

Hi Viet , guards are there to protect the unwary .I have seen many tradies cut legs and arms to pieces wiring guards back to save time .Suicide is what it is , no second chances .Cheers Alpine

[alpineart]

this must be the most discussed subject I've seen so far,,was there a tree mentioned in any of the replies ???
Loretta

Hi Loretta , we all need tools to carve the trees , and we need fingers and hands to hang onto the tools to carve our trees .Cheers Alpine

[Taffy]

Agree with all you've said Alpine.

All power tools WILL bite back if not handled with respect. Being in engineering for a fair few years I saw quite a few 'accidents' that really didn't need to happen because of machinery abuse. Saw one brainless idiot using a hand grinder (not the angle grinders we have these days - a straight shaft one with a 6 inch x 1 inch thick wheel). Those thing were heavy, and this goose was holding it with one hand and resting the back on his knee while he was attempting to sharpen a drill with the other hand. Umm, he lost his thumb! That's only one of many I actually saw happen.

I've been on this chunk of rock we call earth for 63 years now, and in that time I've handled a lot of power tools. I was taught at an early age not to be afraid of any hand, machine or power tool - but make sure I respected it! I've stuck to that principle ever since, and I still have every finger, thumb, toes, ears etc completely intact. I must admit, I had absolutely top class tradesmen teaching me when I was an apprentice, and I'm grateful to them for what they taught me.

[Loretta]

I didn't mean to offend anyone, I want to talk about these tools but it's all double dutch to me. I first saw this carving by watching Graeme Potter and was facinated...I want to do it too. So how about it...could I do it. Would the OZITO ROUTER be a good handling size for me, it looks to be much the same thing that Graeme Potter uses and I like the look of it. It doesn't look too heavy Loretta

[Taffy]

Hi Loretta, I do hope I didn't come across as being offended, because I certainly wasn't.

I guess no trees were mentioned because this topic is about tools for carving.

I don't know about the Ozito router being ok for you to handle. It's quite a big machine compared to the Dremel or Ozito rotary tool - and you need to remove the guard to be able to use it as others do. Unless you've used power tools (and I don't mean just a drill), I'd suggest you start off with either a Dremel or the Ozito rotary tool. They are smaller in diameter and far easier to handle. They are also very light. The Ozito set at $39.50 come with a flexible shaft that can be connected to the tool that makes it much more versatile. It also had a small kit of bits for grinding, carving and polishing as well. There are many bits such as burrs and carving tips etc that you would need as you progress and all you need do is ask the questions here, and someone will be sure to give you advice on where to get them. I've just bought myself a set of ten carbide tipped burrs to fit my Dremel and Ozito from a Gem supplier in Ballina. They cost me $50.00, but well worth the price - they should outlast me!

Another thing I'd suggest when you do start, is to get a discarded piece of timber - maybe even a dead tree or shrub to practice on first. If you 'stuff it up', you can go "Oh well", and start again

[Loretta]

Thanks Tman, I really appreciate your advice and now at least I know what to ask for when I go looking.

[Glenda]

Agree with all you've said Alpine.

All power tools WILL bite back if not handled with respect. Being in engineering for a fair few years I saw quite a few 'accidents' that really didn't need to happen because of machinery abuse. Saw one brainless idiot using a hand grinder (not the angle grinders we have these days - a straight shaft one with a 6 inch x 1 inch thick wheel). Those thing were heavy, and this goose was holding it with one hand and resting the back on his knee while he was attempting to sharpen a drill with the other hand. Umm, he lost his thumb! That's only one of many I actually saw happen.

I've been on this chunk of rock we call earth for 63 years now, and in that time I've handled a lot of power tools. I was taught at an early age not to be afraid of any hand, machine or power tool - but make sure I respected it! I've stuck to that principle ever since, and I still have every finger, thumb, toes, ears etc completely intact. I must admit, I had absolutely top class tradesmen teaching me when I was an apprentice, and I'm grateful to them for what they taught me.

Hi Tman,

Even drills can be lethal. I bought my husband a lawn locker kit, which sat in the box in the yard so long the box fell apart and the pieces started to get scattered. Decided to put it up myself, and proceeded to drill straight through my finger. Drove myself to the ambulance where the officer said he had seen lots of people who had drilled themselves, but I was the first woman. Still play with them from time to time, though, but with more respect.

Glenda