Micro motor or rotory tool

[James Nugnes]

Well I was going to get a smallish band saw just to cut out wood carving blanks. However they are so roundly criticized here, I no longer think they are even capable of doing that. So now I don't wonder if I should just use a coping saw to cut out blanks.

My carving is in the main small sized projects...usually animals of some sort....4"-6" long and maybe 2"-3" wide. Actually that is in part why I thought one of the small band saws (9"-10") would work out for me.

I thought I would get a better rotory tool with flex shaft than my Dremel and then also get a micro motor tool for detail work.

However it almost seems to me that as long as I have the right burrs and do not try to push the micro motor through the work, there is so much detail work to small animal carvings, such as the animal's coat that I might be better served occasionally using my Dremel for some tasks but in the main, once I have a blank, using a micro motor tool like a Marathon or a Foredom for for the power carving.

If I just go with a good micro motor maybe I can think about getting a larger, 14" band saw to use for blanks.

So the main questions are...any suggestions besides using a coping saw to cut out blanks since the 9"-10" band saws are so roundly criticized. Is there any power tool worth considering for cutting out blanks besides a larger band saw?

and,

Does it make sense to think I can mainly use a good micro motor for small carvings such as I have described occasionally using my Dremel or do I really need to think about a better rotory tool with flex shaft AND a micro motor tool?

Any help on either question....much appreciated.

[Jerry Wright]

Small bandsaws are fine for cutting small things. Go for it. Remember, some will complain about a 1/2 ton pick-up because it breaks hauling 2 tons!

[joe milana]

Small bandsaws are fine for cutting small things. Go for it. Remember, some will complain about a 1/2 ton pick-up because it breaks hauling 2 tons!

Couldn't have said it better myself. For your needs, I would browse your local craigslist. I sold a craftsman 12" bandsaw for $20 with about a dozen blades a couple years ago. That thing would cut wood all day long. Not with any precision, but it got the job done.

As far as a handpiece, I've got a couple of these, and they are amazing tools. Consider it a lifetime investment, because they just never wear out.

[James Nugnes]

Wow, I have done so much research in the last couple of weeks. i will always search before posting anything up just out of courtesy as much as anything else. this is the NSK, right? They seem to have maintained a position at the top of the market for these micro-motor type tools for a very very long time now. Surely there are brands that are much less expense and some that are close in price. However this is the only brand that I can find threads and posts about that claim it to be at the top of the market years ago and throughout the period till today.

I don't wonder if over the years, the real technology advances have been made in burrs, allowing people to use fewer basic tools as long as they have a really complete set of burrs. Not saying I would attempt to hog out a bunch of material with any micro-motor. However if I can get the outline of the blank cut pretty close and then maybe just use a Dremel for those first efforts to cut away some material, I think I can get away with a micro-motor given the kind of carving I have described (small 4"-6" long animal carvings).

Am I misreading the effect that all this burr technology has had or has it really allowed fewer basic power tools to work across a wider spectrum?

[Jim Finn]

I have a "Mastercarver" tool which is similar to a" Foredom". "Wecheer" is yet another brand of a similar tool. I have a carving hand piece that will fit any of these tools. It operates like a mini jackhammer with small gouge type bits.

[James Nugnes]

Now thats a neat sounding adaptation to the basic tool. Is the tool you are referring to a micro-motor or a rotary tool with a flex shaft?

[joe milana]

James, the NSK handpiece comes under several names, and has been THE handpiece for a long time. They have feedback circuitry to prevent overload, have incredible torque at low RPM, and short of throwing one at a brick wall, ( which may not hurt it) are bulletproof. I wouldn't hesitate to use it to "hog-out" material. The shank usually bends before the handpiece fails. Typically one can be had for about $900...less than many 14" bandsaws.
I'm not sure burr technology has improved all that much, but rather high quality burrs are more attainable to the general public. Typically German carbide burrs are "top of the food chain", so to speak. Lots of Chinese copies and steel junk out there as well. There are some interesting new diamond impregnated abrasives available, but not sure they apply to wood carving.

[Jim Finn]

http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/NEW-1_2-HP-MASTERCARVER-BENCHTOP-BASIC-SET/productinfo/797432
.................................................. ............./I have one like this plus the hand piece that works like a mini jack hammer. There are smaller sets at this site also.

[James Nugnes]

$900 would make the NSK hard to resist. However so far I have only seen that NSK handpiece on the NSK branded units.

I have been looking at the Marathon Handy 700 vs the Foredom 1050 as the control unit is the same but I think the handpieces might be different. I can't tell because the Foredom.

For those looking at the Marathon vs the Foredom I don't wonder if Foredom offers a different handpiece as its standard. There is a pretty big dif between the price of the two units. There genesis is clearly the same. I am sure Foredom customer service and support has something to do with the dif in price but the handpiece situation is tough to figure out. There is so little information on those handpieces, some of it apparently from the Korean maker. The Foredom handpieces are pretty obviously from the same place but they are Foredom branded. The technical data is not presented the same way and the Foredom part numbers are all their own.

A number of the dental supply houses offer something described as an upgraded handpiece for the Marathon but who knows if that headpiece would work out for wood carvers.

Without question, all things considered the NSK would be very difficult to pass on at anything around $900. at least in my case. Now that I know there are other brands offering it...I am gonna' try to find it if I can.