[arbarnhart]

I just got one for Christmas; hope to break it out later when the kids are down. Anyone using one? Or a Ryobi or some other recipricating carver? Just looking for tips and tricks. I have been told to expect it to be better for roughing than details.

[Mark N. Akers]

Yes I have been using one for several years,have not had a least bit of trouble out of it.I use it mostly when roughing -out dogwood walking sticks.

[decoycarve]

I use the Skill reciprocating with the flexcut chisel set. I too mostly use it for roughing. When using a V tool in it use light pressure and take baby steps at first. A liitle too steep of an angle at the wrong pressure and it will dig in deeper than you want to go real quick. One thing I do find about the reciprocating carvers is the length of time I can carve with it. My wrist and fore arm ache pretty bad if I dont stop every couple of minutes. Sometimes I think i can remave as much wood with a good fishtial gouge by hand in the same amount of time with less discomfort. But then Im getting older and grumpier and complain about ahces and pains more than I used too. Have fun with your new toys.
Goody

[arbarnhart]

Goody and Carolina,

Interesting. I just sat down to write my first impressions of it and they were so similar to yours it almost seems redundant to offer them. I atually compared it to carving with a fishtail and on the soft mahogany I have, the two alternatives are pretty comparable. But I also tried some pear and walnut and the power carver zipped through that much faster and with more control than I could rough it manually. I did try the V briefly and that was pretty impressive. It's pretty easy to stay on the line. But it does tire you *very* quickly and changing blades is a pain. It also made a lot more noise in hard wood (or at least more tansferred to the bench). It's a little bitty jack hammer. One thing I hoped was true did work out - no dust and no burning. I fashioned a temporary hanger for my Dremel. If I do this a lot, I will want a better hanging system, a dedicated rotary tool and a foot switch.

I wondered if maybe I was pushing or gripping too hard because of how my forearms felt, but if you relax much at all it quits cutting (literaly - they push that as a safety feature - you can touch the end of the blade with it running and not get cut).

I am glad I have it, but it certainly will not be the only way I carve.

[muffy]

Hello Arbarnhart, You Might Want To Keep Your Eyes On The Rubber O-ring That Holds The Bearings In Place.the Rubber Keeps Splitting And The Bearings Are Real Hard To Find In All The Wood Chips And Or Sawdust..i've E-mailed Them Allmost A Month Ago And They Have Not Answered Me Yet.i Think Its Defective Rubber They Are Useing..it Happens To Me Quite Often.your Weecher Is Useless Without The O-ring..other Then That, I Like My Weecher Very Much..