Carving

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akivory

Joined
Feb 5, 2001
Messages
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I have made a living carving for the last 33 years. I now work mostly in mammoth ivory and teeth and
ancient whale bone. I started out carving fossil walrus that I bought from St Lawrence Island.
After roughing out a piece I use Foredom tools and then dental lab style DC micromotor hand pieces.
When I first started using these hand pieces they cost over $700. You can now buy the hand piece and controller for under $150. I use Marathon style motors that I buy off Amazon. I used to have my motors rebuilt but now can buy the motor with out a controller for under $100. I have two of them on my bench one with 3/32 and another with a 1/8 collet. Most of them are 35, 000 rpm but you can get them that run faster. There are many for sale on Ebay . I have not bought or sold there since they banned ivory.
If you do not use it all day for a little more than the price of a Dremel you can have a tool that will last for many years.
 
Another way to go is a ultra high speed Lab Handpiece (350,000 rpm ) for carving. They are pricy also. About $400.00 for a good quality handpiece and then you need a small compressor. Great for fine work. Used one for 20 years.
akivory said:
I have made a living carving for the last 33 years. I now work mostly in mammoth ivory and teeth and
ancient whale bone. I started out carving fossil walrus that I bought from St Lawrence Island.
After roughing out a piece I use Foredom tools and then dental lab style DC micromotor hand pieces.
When I first started using these hand pieces they cost over $700. You can now buy the hand piece and controller for under $150. I use Marathon style motors that I buy off Amazon. I used to have my motors rebuilt but now can buy the motor with out a controller for under $100. I have two of them on my bench one with 3/32 and another with a 1/8 collet. Most of them are 35, 000 rpm but you can get them that run faster. There are many for sale on Ebay . I have not bought or sold there since they banned ivory.
If you do not use it all day for a little more than the price of a Dremel you can have a tool that will last for many years.
Click to expand...
 
oldwolf said:
Another way to go is a ultra high speed Lab Handpiece (350,000 rpm ) for carving. They are pricy also. About $400.00 for a good quality handpiece and then you need a small compressor. Great for fine work. Used one for 20 years.
Click to expand...

I've looked at those. They look like a fantastic setup if you can swing it, but I don't see much use for them with knifemaking, unless you guys are talking fancy carved handles?
 
I have used the high speed air hand pieces and find them very useful. The nice thing with them is if you know a dentist you can hit him up for his used bits. I made a few knives and find the creative possibilities of carved blades and handles limitless.
It does not look like I am able to post photos.
 
Strigamort said:
I've looked at those. They look like a fantastic setup if you can swing it, but I don't see much use for them with knifemaking, unless you guys are talking fancy carved handles?
Click to expand...
Yep, Fancy handles and will carve steel also. I prefer the new bits. They have diamond also.
 
Strigamort said:
I've looked at those. They look like a fantastic setup if you can swing it, but I don't see much use for them with knifemaking, unless you guys are talking fancy carved handles?
Click to expand...

I have had a Foredom flex start since i started knife making in 98 and they are an invaluable tool for thumb ramp jimping, enlarging drilled handle holes and handle sculpting with a 3/4" or 1" rubber sanding drum attachment and cuts of 3/4" or 1" x 6" long tubes from an osculating sander.

The unit I have sells for about $220.00 shipped. Worth every dime.
 
20121213_145534_zps6eaf4e80.jpg.html


If could have only one tool it would be a Foredom.I have four of them hanging. One I run full bore with out a foot pedal. I usually have a carbide bur in it. In another I have a 2 inch course roloc disc. The others I have two types of sanders. I also have a tray with hand pieces with my favorite burrs in them.
 
I recently bought a Proxxon hand piece and 12 volt controller. Its nice but still just a little heavy. Could you just show me what you are talking about on amazon?
 
I have used a great variety of handpieces and flexshaft motors. My top choice is Foredom.
I have a high speed air tool, 400,000 RPM, and while it will carve egg shell and finer details in ivory nicely, it isn't the right tool for 95% of what I do. I have a few electric micromotors around somewhere, but they just can't deliver the power of a flex shaft. I do have a couple of larger hand held electric 120VAC units, a Woodhog and a die grinder, which are nice for larger wood carving, but too unwieldy for knife handles or metal carving. The Woodhog has a 1/4HP motor....it is a beast at hogging out ( pun intended) excess wood in a large carving, but you can't really hold it in a pencil grip.

For those who want a bench mount of hanging high power flex shaft, Woodcraft Supply now makes a 1/2HP flex shaft version of their 0-30,000 RPM Mastercarver series. It is made to take punishment in tough carving...and is very affordable.....the whole package runs about what a Foredom costs. I have the 1/3HP version, and it will carve steel. They come with both a heavy duty handpiece and a fine detail handpiece.
http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/Flexshaft-Tools/products/18/

Final note:
In tools like this you always get what you pay for. I have Foredom and Woodcarver tools that have been used heavily for 30-40 years and still work fine. I have had imports burn up in a year or two. Saving $50-100 on a hobby unit or ebay import is not really saving anything at all if you have to buy two or three of them over a fairly short period of time.

akivory,
to post photos as a registered user, you will need to upload them to a photo hosting site first, then link that photos URL into the post.
More info;
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...FIRST!-How-to-ask-questions-that-get-answered
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/731714-how-do-i-add-photos!
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/863633-Can-someone-tell-me-how-to-post-a-picture

Of course, you can always get a paid membership and post directly, too :)
 
I have worn out 15 Foredoms and would not be without out one. I have had dental lab handpieces that cost $900.The reason I posted this information is that I have found you can now buy a quality tool at a reasonable price. I have had 400, 000 rpm Turbo Carvers and find them useful but I like the torque of the high speed dental lab hand pieces.
 
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