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[Jimbaloney]

Cheers everyone! I'm not sure if this is the right place for this topic, but...

Once again, turning to the best collection of experience and insight on lapidary that I can find on the Internet: the members of this forum.

I am looking to get into some stone carving and see how that works & to try to add some uniqueness to my cabs (for now). When I started working with rocks awhile back, I used a Dremel with the diamond saw wheels and sandpaper for smoothing the work, and used mainly soft stones. I wore out 3 Dremels by the time I got my first cabbing machine and haven't really gone back to using a Dremel since, although I still have one in working order.

I know that a Dremel will not hold up (nor will a stone to intense carving due to heat using the standard Dremel), and it is also bulky and without the flex shaft attachment, I don't see how it can be used with water to keep the stone cool. Foredom's obviously the most preferred- if not the best - from what I have read in terms of equipment for lapidary carving, but I might have to work up to that to justify the cost. Also the attachments & process confuses me. With a cab or slab, I work my way up the grits to get the smooth polish, but not sure what to do in terms of polishing the crevices and inner details of a carving. I obviously will start with what I have on hand, which is the Dremel. I will be working with stones of a 7-7.5 hardness on down. So,

What recommendations are there for a good, better and best type of carving tool (or attachment for a Dremel, if that will even work)? What should I look for in buying one that I will not have to return right away - HP, volt rating, water resistant? (Looking quickly online, I see Amazon has some hanging flex shaft ones that have some good reviews around the 60-90 dollar price range)? any specific recommendations? I hate buying cheap or useless stuff and then realizing I could have simply used that money to have bought something that was of better quality in the first place.

What type of bits and grit numbers will I need? Are some bits better than others in terms of quality? What should I look for?

How can I get the polishing done with a bit? Do I need to use diamond pastes on different felt wheels? What is the process/steps?

Anything I am missing here - other considerations, do's and do not's, noob mistakes, 'starting out' ideas, tips and tricks, etc.?

If there are any websites that have this info or will help, please let me know. Also, if anyone knows any small business online stores/dealers that carry the equipment for a reasonable price, I would prefer that immensely to going through Amazon.

Many thanks in advance! I respect and appreciate your experience and insight!

--Jim

[lithicbeads]

A higher horsepower Foredom tool is an excellent start. Bits are catch as catch can they change often. Sintered will last the longest by far. Between Jade Carver and Kingsley-North you can find tools and bits. Both have sold me great products over the years.

[Jimbaloney]

Awesome lithic - thanks for the tips!

[gunsil]

I have been researching sintered diamond carving burs and I think some of the best selection and deals are from Inland.

[Jimbaloney]

Thanks Gunsil - I will check there.

[Slabbercabber]

Don't waste time and money on cheap substitutes that will just frustrate you.  Spend the cash on a Foredom right from the start.  You will eventually get there anyway or become so frustrated you drop the hobby.  Burrs and bits are disposable so feel free to try lots of different ones.  Sintered will last a very long time compared to plated.  In general, more expensive bits tend to be more economical in terms of material removal per dollar, but there are lots of exceptions.

[ToTheSummit]

Yeah, spending the money up front on a Foredom is a good idea if you can afford it.  I already had a dremmel and started carving with with that but knew right away I needed something better.  I bought a Foredom with a reversible motor because I am ambidextrous and will switch hands depending on what I am working on.  I primarily use my left but am comfortable enough with my right that I often switch to that hand if it is more ergonomic for that particular job.  Unfortunately the reversible motors are not as powerful, but it has served me well.  Also remember that this tool will do much more than carve your rocks.  I use my Foredom for all types of projects and repairs outside of my lapidary hobby.

[Jimbaloney]

Lithic, SlabberCab & Summit - thanks, I tried the Dremel for about 30 seconds and I knew it wasn't going to cut it (ugh, pun not intended). Gonna save for the Foredom...now, it's a question of what model. Looking to use it on stones 95% of the time at this point. Any model recommendations? They have a lot of them. I guess the question is, do I need a Ferrari to get to my job and back, or will a well-built reliable pickup truck serve the same purpose for less money?

[Slabbercabber]

Motor size will depend on how big your carvings will be.  If you expect to do a lot of large pieces with 1/4" bits, then you will want the larger motor.  Handpiece is up to you.  For carving only, a collet style with 1/4" and 1/8" collets will handle pretty much every bit you are likely to need.  If you think you might use it for other things, like drilling, then a geared chuck is nice.  Be aware that the geared chick is not as positive as a collet style.  I like a foot control but that is definitely a personal choice.  I like it because I can put down the chuck any time and not worry about it still running.  The motor mounted control gives better control of speed.

[southerly]

The Foredom is excellent and the SR model works well as a general machine, there are cheaper clones some seem to use with success. You will love the torque after the Dremel.

If you are serious about carving and will have a high through put, Google 'point carvers', they are more versatile and robust than flex shafts and can take large bits, they are the mainstay of the Chinese jade carving industry and can be quite cheap or even home built.

Also rig up a decent water supply system regardless of what you choose, to keep the heat and dust down and increase the life of your bits.

If you have not done a lot of carving I would recommend buying some of the boxes of mixed plated diamond bits, they are cheap, and last remarkably well. Once you settle on the style of carving you like doing, you will discover which bit shapes work for you (most of us favour 2 or 3 bit shapes almost exclusively), you can then consider sintered etc for those shapes.

Enjoy caving and share you work on the forum.

David

[gunsil]

Foredoms are decent but when I started making jewelry professionally forty years back I got a Pfingst flex shaft machine which had a bigger motor with more torque than Foredom offered. Pfingst is still as good or better than the Foredom machines. I have a question for the carvers here. I am looking for a carving machine that has a fixed motor and spindle, not a flex shaft. I saw one once that had a nice plastic shield and a water drip supply but I don't remember where I saw it. Somehow the Asian method of moving the stone to the bur appeals to me and I'd like to try it. Does anybody know what I am referring to and where I could find such a thing. Google search hasn't helped much, I keep getting sent to flex shaft and bur sellers. Thanks Guys (and/or gals)!!

[gemfeller]

Foredoms are decent but when I started making jewelry professionally forty years back I got a Pfingst flex shaft machine which had a bigger motor with more torque than Foredom offered. Pfingst is still as good or better than the Foredom machines. I have a question for the carvers here. I am looking for a carving machine that has a fixed motor and spindle, not a flex shaft. I saw one once that had a nice plastic shield and a water drip supply but I don't remember where I saw it. Somehow the Asian method of moving the stone to the bur appeals to me and I'd like to try it. Does anybody know what I am referring to and where I could find such a thing. Google search hasn't helped much, I keep getting sent to flex shaft and bur sellers. Thanks Guys (and/or gals)!!

Diamond Pacific used to make a carving machine like that.  Don't know if it's still produced. It's fairly simple to make a fixed-point carver.  Henry Hunt's book "Lapidary Carving for Creative Jewelry" has plans for such but the book is out of print and is quite costly in used book venues.  I have a copy and would be happy to share details with you but I've just made an interstate move and all my books are still packed.  Maybe you can find a library copy.  I'm sure I've seen plans elsewhere and will wrack my brain trying to remember where.

[gemfeller]

Foredoms are decent but when I started making jewelry professionally forty years back I got a Pfingst flex shaft machine which had a bigger motor with more torque than Foredom offered. Pfingst is still as good or better than the Foredom machines. I have a question for the carvers here. I am looking for a carving machine that has a fixed motor and spindle, not a flex shaft. I saw one once that had a nice plastic shield and a water drip supply but I don't remember where I saw it. Somehow the Asian method of moving the stone to the bur appeals to me and I'd like to try it. Does anybody know what I am referring to and where I could find such a thing. Google search hasn't helped much, I keep getting sent to flex shaft and bur sellers. Thanks Guys (and/or gals)!!

Diamond Pacific used to make a carving machine like that.  Don't know if it's still produced. It's fairly simple to make a fixed-point carver.  Henry Hunt's book "Lapidary Carving for Creative Jewelry" has plans for such but the book is out of print and is quite costly in used book venues.  I have a copy and would be happy to share details with you but I've just made an interstate move and all my books are still packed.  Maybe you can find a library copy.  I'm sure I've seen plans elsewhere and will wrack my brain trying to remember where.

I found this in a couple minutes' search.  All you need in addition is a suitable motor equipped with a chuck.  https://suvalapidary.com/products/diamond-pacific-carvers-station

[gemfeller]

gunsil, I did a little more searching and found this complete carving station.  It's available here:  https://arrowheadlapidarysupply.com/products/the-carvers-choice/4163/c57/

[bilquest]

Harbor Fright has a flex shaft tool (Foredom wannabe) for about 50 bucks.  I've been using one for years, it might be a good step for learning what you like to carve with.

Now for something really perverse...

I posted on here months (maybe a year or two) ago about using dentist drills for rock carving.  Dremels run max at about 35K rpm while air driven dentist drills run up to 400K rpm.  You'd need a 2cpm compressor and the turbine drills are all over the place for price and availability   (see China).  I don't recall ever getting any responses to my query, but I still get the urge to try some super detailed carving when I see intricate stuff at the shows.

Anyone tried dental equipment?