[Lol999]

After having some good results from my mum's under powered Black and Decker Wizard I splashed the cash on a Dremel copy, and it was the best £21.87 I have ever spent!

It has a 160w motor that runs quiet and cool, a flexishaft that makes working a dream, a selection of tools and a hanger for the motor body whilst using the shaft.

Definitely worth a punt!

You get a lot for your money:

 

[Gloops]

Sure looks a good buy, are you going to use it for general work or power carving of stick toppers ?

 

[Lol999]

I use it in my wood working, when I get to carving toppers it may come in then but at the minute it does a spot of finishing on some comfort crosses I am whittling for a hospice, I love the way I can easily get the profile I want with it in no time at all!

 

[gdenby]

Nice looking set. I used a Dremel at work for years, way better than any other brand I tried.

 

[CV3]

There are a number of good rotary tools on the market. Dremel,Craftsman and others. If you believe you are going to do a lot of work with this type of tool I would encourage look in to investing in a Foredom tool. I have had a number of different rotary tools over the last 30 year. I find I always go back to my Foredom I have had it for 18 years. I am going to upgrade this month to a newer model with more power. My old one is still working and will have it for back up and other uses. The one show in the picture below. It has a variable speed foot control this is very handy for control of the burr. They are a investment they run about $230.to $350 depending on Kits. You will see some tools that look like a Foredom fo less money but most are not built like it.

 

[Lol999]

There are a number of good rotary tools on the market. Dremel,Craftsman and others. If you believe you are going to do a lot of work with this type of tool I would encourage look in to investing in a Foredom tool. I have had a number of different rotary tools over the last 30 year. I find I always go back to my Foredom I have had it for 18 years. I am going to upgrade this month to a newer model with more power. My old one is still working and will have it for back up and other uses. The one show in the picture below. It has a variable speed foot control this is very handy for control of the burr. They are a investment they run about $230.to $350 depending on Kits. You will see some tools that look like a Foredom fo less money but most are not built like it.

71OrF3iDf6L._SY355_.jpg

Believe me I have looked at Foredom et al but just can't afford them at the present. I'm cutting my teeth on this chap and then if the bug bites and it's worth it then I'll invest what I can, but at the moment this bargain does everything I need

 

[cobalt]

I use some cheap rotary tools from Aldi the cheap and cheerful ,well worth the money . not to worried if I burn them out. But having four on a flexi shaft with different carbide burrs in is very handy.

The selections of burrs is very handy some with diamond tip .I use a few rasps to get to the basic shape after I cut the basic shape out on a band saw then use the rotary tool for detail, Its not brilliant on lime wood as it doesn't cut clean so there's a fair bit of cleaning up to do after. A knife however gets a good clean cut and always have a few on hand

 

[Gloops]

Got to agree with CV3 the Foredom is tip dog, but I purchased the Axminister Tools equivalent on advice from Tom Fitzpatrick stickmaker and judge when he was doing a demo at our club.

The axminister one is £128 (Foredom approx £240) and all the attachments are a lot cheaper without loss of quality (note all Axminister attachments and hand pieces also fit Foredom)

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-heavy-duty-flexible-drive-unit-300228

 

[Lol999]

Gloops that is a seriously sexy power tool! I've had quite a bit of Axminster stuff over the years, including a particularly ferocious 10" chop saw that left me with 16 stitches and severed finger tendons (still got it in the shed, I call it "Mr Bitey"). At the price they are asking it's a natural progression from the Dremel knock off if use dictates. I have a number of burrs, some cheap and nasty off the market, some not quite so cheap and nasty from Hong Kong and some carbide steel ones from the UK. Not really played with many of them yet but, as they say, watch this space

 

[cobalt]

Axminster looks the job thought about getting one better quality of burrs available for it with a thicker shank

 

[Gloops]

Good morning, Hi Cobalt, yes I have recently invested in a selection of more aggressive Burrs in the 3mm shank range, I purchased some in the 6mm shank range when I got the Axminster power carver,

I use the smaller shank ones both in the Axminster and the Dremmel and are super for roughing out.

I must also stress the need to wear a leather apron and glove if holding the wood in hand as these burrs can grab clothing and skin, and this is speaking from expierence, when I first started using the Axminster it grabbed my clothing and in an instant wrapped it round the bit and the inbuilt safety function kicked in ie. the flexi drive inner shaft broke thus stopping drive so that cost me a new drive inner shaft, I now carry a spare for any future accidents.

A n adjacent dust extractor is also an advantage with these type of burrs as they remove material at a good rate and the workshop can covered in dust in an instant, I initially used an old Dyson vac with one of the end attachments mounted through a piece of wood clamped to the bench top so that the inlet was between me and the burr, it worked well.

FYI I purchased Sabbur tooth burrs from Woodworks Craft Supplies as I have dealt with them before and thier pricing is very competitive, link below

http://www.woodworkscraftsupplies.co.uk/saburrtooth-burrs-discs-wheel-c-482.html?osCsid=uid2e4gonae3v1571dgd2bhul7

 

[cobalt]

A leather apron is essential for protection ,I have also hand the same trouble with the burrs grabbing clothing .

I haven't a dust collector but its something I need as you say the dust gets everywhere but I do wear a dust mask, .Its a nuisance having to constantly dust everything down and coming in the house covered in dust. A extraction system is the answer .I have a vacuum cleaner hooked up to a ash collector fitted to the band saw but need attachments to hook up to the disc and belt sander as well.

The sabbur burrs are tempting to get they do have a good reputation.

The axminster power carver is tempting to get , has it the ability to reverse as sometimes it would be handy to get in awkward places

 

[Gloops]

A leather apron is essential for protection ,I have also hand the same trouble with the burrs grabbing clothing .

I haven't a dust collector but its something I need as you say the dust gets everywhere but I do wear a dust mask, .Its a nuisance having to constantly dust everything down and coming in the house covered in dust. A extraction system is the answer .I have a vacuum cleaner hooked up to a ash collector fitted to the band saw but need attachments to hook up to the disc and belt sander as well.

The sabbur burrs are tempting to get they do have a good reputation.

The axminster power carver is tempting to get , has it the ability to reverse as sometimes it would be handy to get in awkward places

Hi Cobalt I'm not sure the Axminister is reversible, power carving is allways safer carving agais the direction giving resistance to cutting, reversing is normally for Left handed use as carving with rotation the burr runs away from you, sometimes a bit of ambidexterity is handy.

 

[Gloops]

A leather apron is essential for protection ,I have also hand the same trouble with the burrs grabbing clothing .

I haven't a dust collector but its something I need as you say the dust gets everywhere but I do wear a dust mask, .Its a nuisance having to constantly dust everything down and coming in the house covered in dust. A extraction system is the answer .I have a vacuum cleaner hooked up to a ash collector fitted to the band saw but need attachments to hook up to the disc and belt sander as well.

The sabbur burrs are tempting to get they do have a good reputation.

The axminster power carver is tempting to get , has it the ability to reverse as sometimes it would be handy to get in awkward places

Hi Cobalt I'm not sure the Axminister is reversible, power carving is allways safer carving agais the direction of rotation giving resistance to cutting, reversing is normally for Left handed use as carving with rotation the burr runs away from you, sometimes a bit of ambidexterity is handy.