[ddt]

Hi,
Santa needs some help! Well at least I need some help, which in turn may influence Santa. I would like to hear any and all comments about power rotary tools. The good and bad features/points/etc, of Foredom, Wecheer, Mastercarver, and any others I may not know about. Thinking of coaxing Santa that one of these would be a great idea for the 25th! Thanks for you INPUT. just me ddt

[squbrigg]

I use a Foredom and a Dremel. I moved to power carving to rough out my work after an accident took away my strength and endurance to remove large amounts of background. I finish off with edged tools.

The Foredom is a great tool, I have a SR reversable model and three handpieces, small #8, medium #28 and large #44T, and use all three in various situations. The key, I feel, is good burrs. I use Foredom Typhoon carbide coarse (red), and medium (blue), then Kutzall fine (Silver), and finer (Gold), and then go to Ruby and Diamond for sanding. I have some steel cutters, and use them some , but not as much as the carbide typhoons.

The Dremel is a good tool as well, and I use it in different situations, where the flexable shaft might get in the way or isn't as comfortable. (ie: shaping a cane shaft) I don't use the flex-shaft with my Dremel, but you certainly can.

I haven't used any of the other models or makes, sorry, so can offer no opinion on them. I love my Foredom! Expensive to first set up, , motor, burrs and all, but they last for a long time, and I feel the investment was well worth it.

Bob

[whitecree]

When it comes to rotary tools, and you KNOW you're going to use it a lot, skip the hassle of the $100 special out of Sears, and go straight to the high-end Foredom. I really wish I had.

I'm now using my 3rd Sears $90 special rotary tool, and it has developed over the last year or so a pronounced wheeze, just like the last two shortly before they died. Altogether, I have spent almost as much on the cheaper tools as a good Foredom would have cost, and the Foredom would have lasted a lot longer.

Santa is going to bring me a Foredom, either this Xmas, or shortly after the new year.

At least, he darn well better!

[Donna_T]

I tend to agree with Bob's comments, as well as Whitecree's. I started with a Dremmel with a flex shaft the added an older used "C" Foredom and use it extensively in roughing out a carving with the same series of burrs that Bob mentioned. The Dremmel I use mostly for detailing, cleaning up a carving, and backup.

When I started using power to do birds, I took the leap to a micro-motor Ram to gain better hand control to get better detail. I love it.

If you can afford two--get a good Foredom with a handpiece that fits your hand and the size of burrs that you want to be able to use (many of the larger roughout tools come in 1/4" shafts)--then if you're going to use power extensively for fine detail use, get a Ram or Detail Master. The NSK is awesome for comfort and operation, but the price is a bit stiff for recreational carvers.

I even have a Dremmel mini-mite which is a battery operated, rechargable tool that uses all the traditional bits. I do cleanup and light spot detailing with it. And it's handy to keep in my carving box.

In addition to the burrs that Bob mentioned, I use blue ceramic stones for fine detailing.

Donna T

[heineda]

DDT,

I would also highly recomend Foredom. The new SR motor is 1/6 HP, so there is plenty of power. I would suggest the 5240 kit to start. It comes with the SR motor, foot control and 44 handpiece. The 44 handpiece comes with a 3/32, 1/8 and 1/4 inch collets, so you can use it with almost any bur. I have heard some people posting problems with the Mastercarver, but I have never owned one myself. I think the Wecheer is a pretty good tool, but I would stick with Foredom. My dentist even uses a Foredom!!! You can find brand new 5240 kits on ebay for about $200.00.

Good Luck,
Dan Heine

[susieq]

Hello ddt,
I started carving as a gouge carver and after a few years, made the gradual switch to power. Dremel makes the little 5 speed unit that you can put a shaft on and I started power caving with one of those. They are a very good tool to start out with to see if you really want to carve. At their highest speed they are 30,000 rpms and for fine detail you want speed. I always jokingly called the small dremel, the poor man's NSK. One year for Christmas I got the Foredom SR unit. It is good for roughing out or "hogging" a piece. You can bear down hard and remove LOTs of wood with one of these things and a large cutzall bit.
After a few more years I invested in a Foredom micro motor for carving delicate, fine details. A friend of mine was a Foredom rep and I got to try one and also compare it to a Ram before I bought it. I chose the Foredom over the less expensive Ram because after 20 minutes of carving, the Ram handpiece heated up in my hand. I carve for hours at a time and the Foredom never gets hot in my hand.

Micro motors are not for hard carving. They are strictly for fine details, texturing etc...and if you abuse the hand piece of a micro motor, it will cost you big bucks to fix it.

I also have the large dremel that compares nicely with the Foredom SR unit. It has a more powerful motor but is not reversible.

I currently use the Foredom Sr, the large Dremel, and two small dremels....all hang from an old IV hanger from a hospital. The Foredom micro motor sits on the table ready for use to detail eyes and texture beards.... I hear good things about the NSK micro motor too. Very good quality tool from what my friends tell me. I hope some of this has been helpful. I always tell someone interested in power, to start out small with a little dremel outfit. Decent tool for a low price and you find out with that tool, if you really want to power carve or not.
Best wishes,
susieq