Turbo-carver

[Doug Ridley]

Anyone here use a Turbo-carver and if so what are your opinions of it? What, if any, advantages does it have over the micromotors?

[Kenny_S]

Higher RPMs,some to 400,000 rpms, less noise, easier handleing, or smaller hand pieces.

No, I don't own one.

Look at the turbo Carver and mess with one a little, pricey! Have a friend who has one, He engraves Glass, not a wood carver.

[Doug Ridley]

Thanks, Kenny. I'm looking for someone who has used one for woodcarving and can give opinions on it compared to the micromotors. Is it really an advantage? if so, how? In other words, what can it do that I can't do with the micromotor?

[Marci MN]

Hi Doug. I have one. I bought it about five years ago. I used it on three projects and then packed it up. I use the burs from the turbo in my dremel now instead. I didnt like it for a few reasons.
1. The air compressor made waaay to much noise for in the house here. And it would spit water out the hose.
2. You had to stop every so many minutes to let the air compressor load back up with pressure. You had to wait longer for that then the time I actually got to carve with it.
3. It was hard to hold. The hand piece is so light that it would almost fight with the hoses it was connected up with. It was like your constantly fighting the direction that the hose wants to push your hand instead of following the pattern lines.

I bought mine thinking I wanted to carve on eggs. Chicken eggs works nice..but the heavier the shell of an egg the more the turbo had to be stopped to let air back up or it spit so much my patterns came off.

I did do two mirror etchings with it, two chicken eggs, and a one inch line on an ostrich egg before calling it quits.

I was much happier with my dremel tool with those turbo burs in it for carving.

JMO.

[fishcarver2004]

Hi Doug, i have a power crafter (400.000 rpms) and it is my favorite tool tool use
for details, even i big projects, ican move a fair amont of wood when i'm putting in details on my carvings, the T-C is made of plastic an is way too light not to mention that there turbo burns up realy easy, as the P-C and other brands are metal, the P-C is just the right weaght
and fits in your hand very nicely, i use
about 6 hours a day when i get going on the details of a carving. as far as an air compresser goes i have a 2.5 hp 4 gallon
tank, that runs mine all day with no problem. you also need a water trap on your hose, that will get rid of any water
spitting out! yes you can use the cutters in a dremel but you won't ever get the same cut as with a high speed cutter.
as far as eggs glass etc. it's not a problem, i have done alot of ostrich eggs,
glass etc. micro motors a never impressed me much, as for what they cost i can get a lift time supply of dremels! i 4 dremals at my bench all the time with differnt bits in then so i don't have stop and chqnge them all of the time. hope this helps a litte bit.
Stacey

[Kenny_S]

A filter and dryer would have helped the spiting water, Longer hose so compressor sets outside and a bigger compressor would eliminate the need to stop so often.

Fore the noise also, I have seen were users build boxes around the compressor and insulated it to keep the noise down. Since mine is in the garage, and an oil less kind, the noise gets to be umbarable sometimes.

Me, the hand piece was to small also for even my small mitts.

[Doug Ridley]

Thanks for the info. I don't think one of these is in my future. Been looking at them off and on for a while but I think I'll "dance with who brung me".

[Callynne]

Thanks for starting this thread Doug, I've wondered about the turbo carvers myself. I thought about one but got the RAM 45 micromotor instead. Glad I did, no water and very little noise! Talking Deborah

[Kenny_S]

Ok Deborah, They us about the Ram45 and what you like and dislike about it. Please!

[Doug Ridley]

I can tell you that the Ram 45 is a fine machine. However, that's not what I have. I use a Brasseler and an Optima. In ny opinion the Brasseler is the finest micromotor on the market but the price has gone thru the roof, now about $1000.00 and the others are really good nowadays. When I bought my Brasseler I believe it was about $700.00. The Optima, Ram, NSK, and Foredom are all micromotor machines that you can't go wrong with. If I were buying one for the first time today I would look at 3 things, the price, the price, and the price.That's how close I think they are in quality. My 2 cents.