Bits

[Nick77]

I'm just getting into power carving and i wanted to know what are the essential bits to have.

Nick

[Claude]

It depends on what power carver you have, what type of carving you want to do. For example, chainsaw carving on trees needs different equipment than powercarving miniature animals out of jade...

Claude

[Nick77]

I want to miniature animals and other small things,


Nick

[Mudbone]

IMO, I recommend "KUTZALL" Simply because I get them cheap off ebay and they work very well. http://www.kutzalltools.com/kutzall_products.cfm
There are other similar carbide burr manufacturers like Saburr Tooth Saburr-Tooth :: Carbide Coated Rotary Tools
I have read that they dont clog up, but I never used them.
Do a google search on "Carbide Wood Carving Burrs", as its probably not fair for me to tell you just what I like.
Tom.

[Claude]

You didn't say which power carver you have, but if your carvings are small, it really shouldn't matter. You'll have collets for 1/8 inch and 3/16 inch burr shafts. This place Wood Carvers Supply, Inc. has lots of different burrs, quick service, and prices are fair. As a starting point, I'd recommend a flame shape, a cylinder, a ball, and a cone. You can refine the mix after you've tried these...

Claude

[Donna_T]

Nick,
I like a cylinder blue typhoon to rough out carving. They, plus Kutsalls, remove lots of wood (and skin and clothes if they get in the way) as you rough out a carving. I try to use as large of a bit as will get the work done--you'll get less "chatter" or uneven bumps in your carving with a bigger bit as compared to a smaller one. I have both a rounded tip and a squared off tip and use them to help with shaping the carving.

Then I switch to diamond tips for refining the carving-I have a safe-end cylinder and one with grit on the end--and use either depending on what I need--a clean edge without removing any more from the side, or doing additional shaping.

I also have an 3-4 different sized flame bits and rounded tips to do detail work. Even further, I have several small blue and white cylinder stones which I use for detail work in birds and animals. I have a small shaping stone to use to keep a sharp edge on the blue and white stones (I can't spell it's name but it's a carburindum).

You could get by with 6-8 bits if you mainly do small animals and things, but be careful, like buying hand tools, it's contagious and before you know it, you'll need another toolbox just for your power carving supplies.

Oh yes, I love, love, love my soft sanders--they're usually called Marsh sanders because Wanda Marsh invented them. They come in different sizes and they are a great way to clean up and further refine your carvings. I also use little Guge paper cone-shaped sanders to clean up nooks and crannies, too. See...the list goes on and on.

Donna T