Doing nothing this morning I thought I would compare Amazon and Wood Carvers Supply with the same 1/8"bits I use all the time since Woodcarvers supply has the original numbers beside their numbers in their catalog.. These pictured on the left side of the page are the ones I use most ll the time... the 1/4" bits are too big for getting into tight places but some are okay for starting the process. I think I ordered these in the middle of 2015 so they have lasted through all my clocks and still look like new once I get them out of the bottle of lacquer thinner and clean them up with a real fine bristle brush..

  The second set of numbers and letters are the ones Amazon uses like the T-18D and T-14D and you have to be careful for they also have other numbers and letters added here and there so the prices will vary up  so be aware . These pictures here are of a light grey with no color added.

 

 

I did order more different kinds but only use the 4 numbers circled so I spent money on some not necessary in my carving... When looking at Amazon they do have the second set of numbers but not all the bits are available for sale. The number RS-34E is listed for 25.50 at Amazon where Woodworkers Supply has it for 14.50. I had to keep looking for Amazon has lots of identifying letters and numbers close with all kinds of prices so be aware. Some of their items are fine grit where all these woodworkers supply numbers are course grit.. Some of the exact number bits are the same price as each supplier but if there is any difference, Amazon is higher.

  The machined cut carbide bits are good for some places but the real course models will dig fox holes before you can blink your eyes.. so change out  the bits before a screw up can't be repaired. The finer cut models will make a smoother surface on the wood than the nugget type bits.

 

These Saburr and also Nugget brand are long lasting and clean up good.

When first starting I like to use the 2" Carbide Nugget brand wheel which has to use a 1/4" shaft so I have to switch to my air tools for the first wood removal.. This is on page # 3 of the Woodworkers Supply catalog.

I just mentioned this because anytime I go to Amazon I just assume their prices will be cheaper than anyone else but that's not the case when comparing these exact items!!! 

  

Thanks for the info, Jesse. I just ordered their catalog. Gonna be needing some burrs soon. 

Gene I just bought a Wen Grinder there on the right and is the same as the Dremel

 

It came with the flex shaft and was 19.95 from Amazon but then I found out Home depot has the same one for the same price. The grip is a tad smaller on it and easier to hold and control... If it last as long as the Dremels that would be great.

 This is the 4 I use most all the time. When not being used I soak them in lacquer thinner then clean them with the wire wheel in the picture. Not spinning , hold the wire wheel in my hand while dobbing the wires into the carbide burrs. They looked this good in the middle of 2015 when I started carving with the grinder...I guess maple and ash are harder on them than what most of the real carvers use as I think they use a softer wood...but not pine for the sap. These mostly have been used on maple which is what I use for it is 1" thick plus the extra 1" I add on to some of the places for that added wow feature..

  The only place I could find this thin tempered wire wheels is Mc MasterCarr.

 

These two angle grinders are from HF and are much easier to handle and control than the straight  air grinders...When I bought them they were 13.99 and 19.99. Funny for when I use to sell tools the cheapest angle air grinder I could find to sell cost me over a hundred dollars and this was between 1965 and 1980. And these two grinders has 1/4" collet chucks also..another plus!! Oh yea, and for grinding on wood it is best to have a grinder with a rear exhaust than the one that blows forward. I know blowing the saw dust away from your work is good but not when you need to put a few drops of lubricant through the grinder to make it last......They even have a place for a sharp pointed grease sert. A little sharp pointed adapter is available to slip on a regular grease gun for those.....

 

After I wore out the flex shaft on the Foredom I started mixing a little wheel bearing grease and some synthetic 20-50 together for the shafts and since 2004 I haven't wore another out yet... and I didn't use the Foredom near as much as I use the Dremels..

  I don't get to use the 1/4" bits too often but  they do last longer than the small 1/8" bits.

You have quite an arsenal of air tools, there. My upholsterer swears by those HF angle grinders. He uses them to contour the heavy foam for seats. 

My use of power carvers has been limited to smaller items like box lids and some glass engraving. Low relief stuff. As soon as that catalog arrives, I'll look for some small burrs and points. Do you use any smaller than the four you mentioned? How about diamond and/or carbide? 

Thanks again for your helpful info.

Edited October 2, 20187 yr by Gene Howe

Diamond for glass etching and the largest round top diamond 1/8"for smoothing the area where the 4 burrs were used. This is the biggest problem when using real course burrs for smoothing after the diamond bits comes lots of hand sanding....

  I have some carbide bits almost down to nothing in size but they don't last very long..They are only used when I am finished and am trying to make a distinctive line between a tall and short piece.

  I meant to mention Amazons prices on machined cut solid carbide bit sets are much cheaper priced than Woodworkers supply and not knowing anything about the companies mentioned, they might not last a week when used...I only talked about the carbide burrs I like for the numbers are cross  referenced  in Woodworkers supply catalog which Amazon bits of the same brand uses.

 

  Dremels 9000 series structured carbide bits look exactly the same as the 4 bits I use and the rest of that set look the same but right now Dremel only has a picture of the 9936 I think is the number and all the rest of the bits in the set are a blank page...I have ask Dremel about that saying that is the best bits they sell but what gives with not having any pictures to show.... They haven't answered my question yet....Then I chewed them out for still selling high speed steel bits for they wear out in a week or less so maybe that is why they are not answering my questions....

  Gene those black and red air grinders are from the sixties and still running. But the old ones have a regular keyed chuck and I don't like that. Buffalo brand was coming from Japan as was the mechanics wrenches. If a little light weight oil is added ever so often they will out last many electric tools..I didn't have any customers using electric anything.

  All the american made air tool vanes were of a fiber content where the foreign made air tools use a plastic type vane with no re-enforcement in the plastic. So a water trap - filter is a good idea to help the vanes last longer. Small pieces of rust from inside the tank will chip away on those vanes. The right angle grinders gears will probably be the first thing to wear out but hey,  a price of less than 20 bucks thats still good.

  I don't buy sets of any or anyones bits anymore for some bits never get used and seems a waste of money.  I prefer two each of the ones I use instead....

   Woodworkers Supply charges freight of about 8 or 9 dollar so be aware!

    

 

 

Edited October 2, 20187 yr by Smallpatch

Gene if you want to etch glass the best thing is an electric engraver with a carbide tip. That's what I sold to all the mechanics to put their marking on their tools. Was also more preferred than the number-letter punch sets... This is also an item very low priced at a garage sale....or HL or Michaels!

Edited October 2, 20187 yr by Smallpatch

Jesse, for etching glass I use a high speed air tool and tiny diamond tools. It's been a while but, I think it's a Turbo brand. Hafta dig it out to be sure.

What ever makes you happy! The glass lady says the engraver pleases her...

Hey @Smallpatch & @Gene Howe - how about posting up a few pics of glass that you have engraved?  I would really like to see what these bits will do.

You must have to wear some good googles while using these on glass?

Sorry Cal. All my engraved glass items were commissioned and long gone. 

I used magnifying goggles and a water misting system. The fine glass dust is contained by the water. Probably shoulda used a dust mask, but, I didn't.

 

Cal this is all I got.

 

 

 

 

 

We can keep the electric engraver more under control than the spinning bit.

 

I noticed Walmart has a Wen for 10.78 and its adjustable....... I think they pay the freight on 5,683.00 purchases or more with cash...

  Make sure it has a carbide tip if and when you dole out that money...

Thanks for the pics... I think

 

Gene, you had asked that I do up a little how-to on my glass work.  I took a bunch of pics a few months ago on a project and then got called off on some out of town stuff.  I will try and get the write up done and posted.

Edited October 4, 20187 yr by Cal

@Cal, this video shows how I did glass etching. Mine were done on flat glass. Most were on 1 1/2" thick glass so they could be free standing. The majority were on colored glass. And, most of those were dark smoke glass. 

Often, the customer would supply a photo to use as a pattern. That involved a trip through Inkscape. I tried once to adhere the pattern to the back of the glass. The thickness resulted in parallax and made that impossible. 

 

Thanks Gene.  Never considered myself an artist - even trying to copy the pic underneath would be difficult for my talents (or lack of!).

1 hour ago, Cal said:

Thanks Gene.  Never considered myself an artist - even trying to copy the pic underneath would be difficult for my talents (or lack of!).

Cal, I'm sure no artist either. But, I can follow a line. Jesse is the artist when it comes to power carving. And, scrolling. 

Hey guys when I think of an artist he would not need any lines to go by. The lines are somewhere in space. This is certainly not me. I have to have something for the scroll saw blade to go down then after the pieces are cut free anybody can pick up a piece and let the Dremel do the rest of the story...I just happen to be the person sitting there holding that spinning thing in my hand..I am doing exactly what you are doing when you drive a car, do your grocery shopping for your wife or or playing games on you phone... There are certain procedures that has to done in some kind of an order....   Or then you end up like me on the computer,,, honey will you please come in here and fix this crazy computer.....

  

"An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only."

Jesse...you certainly qualify. 

 

Excellent topic, featured, shared (FB, Twitted), and promoted to the www! Thanks Jess!

Frequently when we spot a topic that is eye catching and full of great information, we'll promote it to our home page here on TPW, and we'll shoot out to the masses on Facebook and Twitter and other social venues, this is one of them, great job sir.

29 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Jesse...you certainly qualify.

Amen to that!