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Air turbine carving

Joined
Apr 7, 2011
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Location
Asbestos Québec Canada
I just purchased a powercarver and I find it ok but it turn at 400,000 t0 500,000 R.PM. and it is burning the wood. Is there any way to avoid this and if not what is the best way to clean the carbon formation.[/B]
 

john lucas

AAW Forum Expert
Joined
Apr 26, 2004
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Cookeville, TN
Raymond I don't have one of the High speed carvers but have played with them. What I found helped was to make one final cut in the opposite direction. Usually the bits turn clockwise when viewed from the top so I run the tool counter clockwise around the cut line. This helps clean them up but not all of it. I can't help on the clean up. Binh Pho uses interference colors to change the color of the cut line.
 
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
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Location
Apopka, FL
Website
www.docwks.com
Raymond I have a powercarver and a Microcarver. I find that a few light passes work better than one deep pass. It can still burn but not usually as bad. It depends on the wood and thickness. The thinner the wood the less burn you get. Getting the cutters clean, I use a brass brush and chemicals. Sap cleaner like for table saw blades works well. I sometimes use a torch if they get too messed up and burn it off. Have to be careful with that one. I find light cuts work the best. Oh don't forget to oil. doesn't take much and I let it run for a few seconds afterwards before going to work. A bunch of folks will rag that you can get oil on the wood and ruin the finish...blah, blah, blah.. use common sense and watch what your doing. I've used it on Grapefruit and holly without messing up the wood or finish. The NSK are a great tool, it doesn't require oil, but it ain't perfect either. Watch your fingers that bit doesn't care. Don't get any of the power carvers around a glove. MTCW.
 

Donna Banfield

TOTW Team
Joined
May 19, 2004
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Location
Derry, NH
Radial Bristle Discs

Raymond, the radial bristle discs made by 3M, and sold by The Sanding Glove, Woodcarvers Supply and probably a few other sources by now, are very good at both cleaning up the fuzz that's left after carving, and light burn marks. Your original carving must not have the heavy burning to begin with, for the discs to be effective. They come in several different sizes and grits up to 400.
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Messages
164
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1
Location
Niles, IL
Powercarver

I just purchased a powercarver and I find it ok but it turn at 400,000 t0 500,000 R.PM. and it is burning the wood. Is there any way to avoid this and if not what is the best way to clean the carbon formation.[/B]

The powercarver is intended for fine detail not removal of wood. The high rpm's are intended to minimize runout for fine detailed work, but there is a tradeoff. High speed means high friction. But it can be minimized as you learn to apply the right amount of pressure and right speed of movement.

Burning usually happens for one of several reasons. The carving bur may need to be cleaned or it may be dull? , Your attempting to carve more aggressively than tool is designed for? Or you are moving the tool too slowly, causing it to heat up the wood in one spot. With softer woods like boxelder anything other than texturizing will cause burning. Also endgrain will respond differently than sidegrain. The best way to remove the carbon scoring is to complete your carving, then go back over it touching the surface lightly and moving the burr around quickly to carve off the thin top layer of burnt material. Eventually you will develop a feel for the right amount of pressure and speed which will minimize the burning.

The interference paints that Binh uses to cover the burnt area is required because the NSK was used for piercing rather than carving and used in small slots that make removing the burnt wood too time consuming. And in that case it is only used to pierce 1/16 inch thick (or thinnner) boxelder.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
16
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Location
Montville, Me
Website
www.mainewoodturners.org
the right bits help

I too use the tool for carving. I have found that using dental bits really help. They are designed for the high sped and yes a little touching up after finishing by going over the cut lightly helps eliminate the burns.

I don't use the tool as much as I would like to because I find the high pitch whine of the tool very annoying, even with good hearing protection. Not sure if I've got a bad one or what. I always keep it well-lubed. Anyone else having this issue?

Bob
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Messages
164
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1
Location
Niles, IL
Tool Noise

I use the NSK for texturizing, and it has a high pitched sound also, but lubing it is never an issue. It's just the sound of the turbine spining at 300,000+ rpms. It does take some getting used to. Eventually you tune it out mentally. I usually work with it for 2-3 hours at a time, as a minimum. So I turn on the stereo when I am working with it. The music does not cover up the sound, but it does give you something else to focus on. As you work with the tool more and more it gets easier to mentally tune it out.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 7, 2011
Messages
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Location
Asbestos Québec Canada
Hello All,
I have been using the powercarver and the powercrafter for the past few weeks and I have a lot of difficulties to control the tool. I like to keep the spaces between piercing as even as possible but......¸
I use sugar maple, white birch and cherry.
Am I using type right wood?
I have improve a lot the burning problem by using interference paint butt still the product is not to my satisfaction.
Thanks to all for your advices.
 
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