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Merlin Carving Tool...

W

Wally Dickerman

Joined
Apr 27, 2004
Messages
60
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3
Location
Green Valley, Az.
I'm thinking about buying a power carving tool. I'm interested in the Merlin tool to use for light carving.

Any comments aboout the Merlin, pro or con, woud be appreciated.

Wally
 
Hi Wally

I have a friend who worked at Woodcraft for a few years. When I was looking for a power carver, he told me that the Proxxon and the Merlin both were returned on a regular basis by most people who bought them. Some, because they quit working, some because they just didn't hold up very well.

I bought the Arbortech, (the whole thing, not just the extended arm that you can attach to an angle grinder) and have been very happy with it. I use it primarily for roughing out work. It is very aggressive; I clean up cuts, when necessary with either hand-held carving tools, or a reciprocating carver. I also have a Weecher, which is both a rotary and reciprocating carver. For an inexpensive carving tool, it's not bad, and the Weecher is fine until I can afford the Foredom.
 
Wally I have the Lancelot and it works well but I would buy the 4" arbotec if I was doing it again. I believe it cuts better and is easier to control.
I've always been interested in the Percivil and will probably try one sooner or later. Because of the extension on the shaft it looks like it would reach into areas that the proxxon and small arbortec would not.
 
I've had the Lancelot for several years. Any of these have a learning curve, to become familiar with their responses. The Lancelot is just a big brother to Merlin, originally developed for trimming livestock hooves. With a lot of practice, I can get a Lancelot finish almost as good as a belt sander.

The Lancelot and Merlin can be sharpened; I don't know about Arbortech.

1. Identify your objectives.
2. Select an appropriate tool.
3. Become familiar with it and its Safety limits.
4. Make stuff.
5. See what else it can do.
6. Make more stuff.
Repeat as necessary.

Joe
 
I suppose it depends on your skill level with the tools. I agree that the Merlin is lighter and would take a more delicate cut but I roughed out the heart to my cardiac lamp with the arbortec to the point that I could use the dremel and hand tools for finishing.
 

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Wally Have you thought about calling some of the carving suppliers that sell the tool and asking their opinion. It might be a little biased but if they have had a lot of problems they would probably tell you.
I looked at one real hard at one of the symposiums and they let me play with it and I was impressed. It cut well, was very controllable and the size was nice. After I got on line and found out about some of the problems I passed it by. I still wonder if they only have a few problems and they just got amplified on the web the way things get passed around like gossip. Surely they aren't that bad or places like Woodcraft would have dropped them by now.
 
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