High Speed Air Carvering tool advice Please

[65GTMustang]

Hello all
I am new to the forum, actually new to any forum really so this is a learning curve for me to begin with.
I researched past threads finding most of them on this topic were discussed some time back and was dated information....as in well over a year.
If I have overlooked something please let me know where and how to find the information.
I have been power carving for many years. I started wood turning on a Jet lathe1220 about two years ago.
I am interested in combining the two hobbies.
I will be turning thin hollow forms - turnings from a 1/4" to 1/8" thin. The professionals that I admire so much, as you may know can turn pieces thinner than this...Seems like a 32nds would be too thick in some cases...lol
Pieces you can almost see through some of the turnings...There are some amazingly talented people out there.
I would like to have the equipment to at least give me a good starting point.
If you could please advise me on;
Name brand of tool
And possibly some or your preferred suppliers for the tool and extras needed like burs etc....any detail is not too small.
I will say at this point I am partial to the NSK Presto
The best price I have found on this unit only is $350.00 or combination packaged with a pressure regulator is $450.
I greatly appreciate your help and look forward to being a part of the forum.
Thank you

[Speeronline]

Hey 65GTMustang
I play around on a Lathe also... Usually making wood tops and teaching my girls to make them also.
I have a high speed air turbine also... I have the Turbo Carver. I have been really pleased with it. I think it was $350ish also and came with a couple of burs and a foot pedal. The Presto is a nice looking hand piece but I haven't used one to know any useful information. I have been getting my burs from Treeline... They ship really fast and seem to be good quality and price. $2.50 carbide & greenstone and $6.50 for diamond burs

I just got started on this forum also... What are you going to be carving with your handpiece?
I have been doing gunstocks, memorial plaques, and jewelery boxes.

[65GTMustang]

Hey there Speeronline,
Thanks for the response - I have watched several demos on the Turbo carver it looks great and certainly has a much more appealing price point - from the wood turners that have been turning 5-10-20+ years I have spoken with, they all have the NSK Presto. So I think I will be saving up for that unit.
To answer your question about the type or style I want to carve pretty much covers the board…I would like to learn gun stocks for sure, mostly however I want it for piercing hollow form turnings. I would like to try carving a few eggs eventually too – carved eggs-like the larger emus and ostrich eggs are awesome. Anyway the type of carved turnings I would like to work into my current style of turning would be best illustrated by Trent Bosch you can check out his site at http://catalog.trentbosch.com/browseGroup.cfm?item_group_id=87276
His site does not have much in the way of his pieces, at least not this one...Go to the AAW 2010 Symposium Gallery and look up his work - or just Google him...you will get two full pages of his turnings...I had the privilege last Saturday at my monthly Turning Association meeting to meet him. Trent was our Demonstrator - He is a super nice guy - His tools are great and priced fairly, if I did not already have a hollowing system I would have purchased his. Be sure to check out his carving clamps on the website I posted prior. He has a new carving vise that is air driven. It has a foot petal with the air hose leading up to the vise, which looks and acts the same as a regular vise with the two adjustable handles...The huge plus which is a SUPER idea is the post accepts the threaded chuck directly from your lathe - So all you do is on screw the chuck-leaving the turning in the chuck- thread it onto to clamp and your ready to go....This helps with keeping the piece true. You know if you take a piece off it's original chuck position you can never get it back exactly like you had it...so you have to go back and true it up again-which means taking more material off which you may not have or want to be taking off?
Back to the clamp – When you step on the petal it release the air pressure and the carving clamp moves any direction you want it to. Once it is in the position you want you let off the petal and bam it has a rock solid grip on it again. I would like to have one but it will be a while – That is a $450 toy as opposed to the $150 regular clamp
Terry Scott is Super – His site is amazing at http://www.timberly.co.nz/ - In fact I emailed him this afternoon asking a few questions about is winged turnings – as I was downloading my email I saw your response and started this essay response back to you….but noticed he sent me about 6 emails with attachments – I look forward to seeing what he has sent…probably step by step instructions to guess.
Tucker Garrison Is very good as well as Tina Collinson However the KING of Turned Carvings is hands down Bin Pho - If you have not seen his work please do yourself a huge favor and check it out ASAP! I would personally consider him THE BEST
I am in the shop everyday – I have many different items I “try” to sell to offset my addiction of a hobby – I would like to be considered a professional turner one day – That is my long term goal. I am in some local jewelry stores, gift shops and galleries in my town and a couple of neighboring cities….Thursday I started building a eBay store – I have only started to list items – It takes 4-EVER, Please check it out at
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Making-Shavings
Also take a look at the Carolina Mountain Woodturning association at http://carolinamountainwoodturners.org/galleries/cmw/2010/201007/ig1007.shtml
This link takes you directly to the member gallery for this month – Trent has several pieces posted along with Tucker and Tina. I have three turnings posted myself, they are towards the bottom they are titled; “The Tower” “Creedite” and The Palmetto” Because it looks like a palmetto which is SC state tree.
Sorry to be so long winded – I would love to see your work as well – please keep in touch – I will check out Treeline and the burs I will be needing Thank you