???
Hello to all.

I am a new carver that has been carving with hand tools for a while. My interest is small to medium size, animals, animal portraits and some relief. I want to get into power. I have two questions.
1) What power carver do I get : a foredom size or a micro motor? Do I need both, if I do which one should I get first?
2) What brand is better value/tool? Foredom vs. Master carver, or should I consider another brand. Since there are no retail locations closeby, I need advice.

Thank you

Hi Doberma -

The only power carving tool I would recommend would be a reciprocating carver. They're all over the board, price-wise. IMHO, Automach wins the prize. But then, I know nothing about carving with rotary tools, so maybe someone else can talk about that.

Teri

Hello Doberma
welcome to this forum
I am a powercarver , my first tool was Craftsman heavy duty rotary with flexshaft) important) special if you are new the flexshaft helps to avoid putting to much pressure onto the mashine there are so many wonderful burs available for you kind of work and you really wouldn't know if done by mashine or knife. there is a new system out I think it is called 'Weecheer 'if you go to 'Mountain Heritage Crafters' or 'chipping away chipcarving' or 'Lee Valley' or 'Sears' you will find all kind.I hope it helps if you have any more questions just ask.
agkubas

A friend of mine sells a unit that has rotary & reciprocating handles for it. It is pretty cheap and the guys that have used it say it is very good. I haven't personally used it (yet). You can reach him at woodcarver10@hotmail.com. He can at least tell you the name of it so you can look it up. I use a RAM Micromotor and have had good luck with it for carving basswood & tupelo. It seems to strain a little on oak. I also have a few cable units, one large Dremel with a 1/4' shaft and the others are smaller Dremels. I use these for the 'hogging out' work. I have a recip unit as well but it doesn't seem to work as well for me on detailing although I sometimes use it on roughing out large pieces.

[lorax]

Although it isnt my niche, the folks who carve animal usually use the Foredome type rotary tools (sorry Terri). Although I think there is a atachment that makes a flex shaft into a power chisel. The thing you may want to consider is that when you puchase your grinder, if you need replacement parts, how hard will it be to come by. I would consider that as importatnt as anything else. I couldn't reccoment a brand because when I grind away at something, it is with a rotozip (although I found out they have a flex shaft for Rotozips

Hi, I've been powercarving for ten years. Six years ago I got a Dremel heavy duty Flex shaft item #732, and ordered several hand pices. The Dremel turns 22,000 RPM, the Fordem only go's to 18,000. I have never had a problem with the Dremel, but have had to help a friend go through the bothersome step of seting up the drive shaft in the fordem. The Dremel was take it out of the box and hange it up and go to work. One of the things I found with all flex-shaft machines, if you use grease on the drive shaft you have to re-grease it every 40 hours of use, the grease packs down to the bottom of the shaft and dries out. I use STP oil treatment on mine and only check it once a year. No problems.