[kathrein]

I am an experienced wood carver but I have used only carbide bits and sandpaper. I do detailed relief carving. I have just discovered diamond, ruby and saphire bits. The diamond ones I have used seem to just burn the wood, not cutting much. The ruby is nice and I haven't tried the saphire ones.
No one at the store seems to know much about them. One man rather patronizingly told me diamond bits are only for etching glass even though the catalog says they are for wood.
I need tips about the properties of these bits.
Thanks, Kathy

[Donna_T]

Kathy,
The short answer is "it depends." Depends on what kind of relief you're carving. Are you roughing out a carving or detailing it? What are you carving? Birds, fish, animals, flowers, people?

Personally I like to rough out with silver carbide burrs and and blue bits that are similar looking--or even a silver stump cutter. I don't use diamond bits until I'm down to detailing because they burn at high speeds when trying to remove lots of wood.

If I'm carving with all power, I even use sanding drums to do the first cleanup after roughing with agressive bits. I also like to use flexible, soft sanding drums (Marsh) to clean up.

I'm certainly no expert, but I have tried lots of different kinds of bits. These work for me. I am attempting to learn bird carving--and I use white and blue stones to detail them--after using the above processes to get the carving ready for detailing and burning.

Donna T

[susieq]

Hi Kathy,
Are you using the bits in a micro motor or a shaft tool?
Diamonds are usually used late in the carving for part of the finishing (smoothing) process. It is a step up from sanding. Some diamonds are course but not course enough to do anything but fine details..... I use thin point diamonds to carve eyes and out line fine or tiny details. Rubies and Saphires are for doing more actual shaping of details, making the rounded grooves in "flowing robes" or what ever. Different shapes for different jobs.

Saphires are the courser bits and are good for the tougher jobs. But above all, remember that with diamonds, rubies or saphires, you don't bear down hard.....you let the rpms do the work or you will just burn them up. A light but firm touch is better.

If you need to rough out or do heavy shaping work, stay with a carbide bit for those jobs. You can bear down as much as the motor on your power tool will allow without dragging it down
I hope this helps.

[kathrein]

thanks to all, I carve flowers leaves and birds draped cloth and designs. I use a shaft tool. I will have to try the blue stones. I haven't seen those. I've been doing this a while but until now I have only using what I could find in a hardware store. I didn't even know about these other things.

[susieq]

You need to get a couple of carving suppliers catalogs. The bits you find in Hardware stores are not what you need for the most part.

Wood Carver's supply Christian Hummel Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers supply....just to name a few. Shopping on line is ok but I prefer to look at a catalog. Better yet, try to get to a show in your area sometime as many vendors set up at these and have lots of bits to choose from. I also recomend getting a Frank Russell DVD and watching it to get an idea how these various bits are used. It's the next best thing to being there.
Good luck.

[carver4130]

Hello I am a new member to this forum,

I have been reading in the forum for a while, and have learned a lot. I have just recently discovered that there is a kutzall closeout store on ebay with some very good deals on carbide burrs. I have been for a long time using solid carbide fluted burrs but wanted to try the kutzalls and looking forward to it. thought I would share this with you since it may be a low cost way to try some of these other burrs.

carver4130

[kathrein]

thank's Ill take a look

[louis]

Donna please elaborate sanding drums (Marsh) Thanks
Louis

[susieq]

Louis,
Sanding drums are sort of Drum shaped bit with sandpaper (of varying grits) wrapped around the exterior. The drum part is usually a soft foam or a firmer rubber material to form a cushion, which the sandpaper rides on and it has a shaft coming out of the bottom, to allow you to put it into your Foredom or Dremel hand piece.

They are a great help in smoothing down wood after roughing out. I know someone who uses a large drum sander with a medium course grit to do most of his shaping of the wood. They come in all sizes. Dremel makse them to fit their little flexshaft machines. They have a 1/8 shaft on them.


I have some that size that have a foam core and you cut cloth backed sandpaper (of what ever grit you need) to fit them. They have a slot running length wise in the foam and a "key" is inserted into the end of the bit, that turns and tightens the paper. These are ok but they are kind of a pain to use and I prefer the type that just takes a pre formed circle of sandpaper and slips it over the foam or rubber core. Some have a washer and a small screw that you put on the end to tighten and swell the rubber against the paper to hold it. Inspite of my long, drawn out explanation here, they really are simple to use for the most part. One word of warning. Sanding drums should be used at a much lower speed than the kutzals, diamonds and rubies.... and don't bear down hard with them...let the rpms do the work. That sandpaper breaking and flying off like a rocket if you are going too fast or pressing too hard, can really startle you big time....as always, wear eye protection when power carving.
have a great day

[louis]

Thanks Susieq, for that very clear discription of drum sanders. As it is I use a hard rubber type drum sander 13mm to 50mm but have never heard of Marsh or the soft type and kutzal burrs are completely new to me as well. This after at least 30years of carving. You can view my work in the gallery
Again many thanks Louis