does anyone own and use a paracarver

[supershingler]

im looking for alittle imput on the paracarver. there is one for sale in my area on craigslist. i watched a little video on it but would like some real life imput if you know what i mean. it looks like it would be a great addition to clean up and add depth to a carving

all imput appreciated.

thanks

kendall

[Digitalwoodshop]

Never seen one.... Do you have a link?

AL

[supershingler]

al

ill try to find one and post it tomorrow...

i have to be up at 6 am and shingle in the morning so off to bed for me

here is their website www.paragrave.us

kendall

[rickyz]

never used one before but looks very interesting.

[mark1945]

I tried one out at the woodshow in Katy Tx in April.Its one thing I gotta get when I can afford it .will have to go thru a learning curve but seems to be really easy to control your cut. much faster and smoother then a Dremel or Foredom.

[earlyrider]

I have used them, and most of my employees for removing rock matrix on fossils. The diamond tips are the most versitile. In the tool, they can grind sandstone off of delicate dinosaur skull bones (often the thickness of potato chips), they engrave glass easily, and work great for adding fine detail to wood carvings.
You need to be diligent about lubrication (sound familiar?) and be careful to not drop them, as the tips will bend and break. Filter the air, and regulate the pressure to 40 psi. You can get an inline lubricator and regulator with a switch that would be valuable.
I have had personal experience with this company and see them often at the local woodcarving shows (in SLC and elsewhere). They are personable and helpful with a good product.
Also, I live in Provo, a short distance from their business. Another local wood carving equip and supply business, Treeline, sells several makes of the air turbine carvers.
Ron

[bjbethke]

The Powercrafter is an high-speed air turbine tool that cuts and carves any surface with ease. You no longer have any surface limitation. All wood, bone, stone, glass, ceramic, metal, and even delicate eggshell can be sculpted like writing with a pen.

http://www.powercrafter.biz/products.html

This is like that unit. May be cheaper.

I purchased a carver from HF; it works like a Pen, just like drawing. Mine needs 4 CF @ 90#, air to work at max speed. Works great for clean up.

Dura-Grit is made with steel and carbide grit.

[earlyrider]

The most significant difference between the HF tool and the Paracarver is the speed of the tool bit. The Para spins around 3 to 400,000 RPM, whereas the HF tool is somewhere around 50,000. The HF uses fiber vanes in their mechanism, whereas the Para impeller is machined metal. The weakness of both types is the bearings, you must be sure to keep the air supply clean and the tool lubricated. The vanes in the HF tool will wear and break down, often messing up one of the bearing at the same time. I reccommend spare parts for both.
A couple of months ago, a friend at Treeline let me try out a new turbine that didn't require additional lube, I don't know about its durability, but it ran so quietly, I couldn't tell it was on until the tip touched a piece of wood.
Ron

[bjbethke]

The most significant difference between the HF tool and the Paracarver is the speed of the tool bit. The Para spins around 3 to 400,000 RPM, whereas the HF tool is somewhere around 50,000. The HF uses fiber vanes in their mechanism, whereas the Para impeller is machined metal. The weakness of both types is the bearings, you must be sure to keep the air supply clean and the tool lubricated. The vanes in the HF tool will wear and break down, often messing up one of the bearing at the same time. I reccommend spare parts for both.
A couple of months ago, a friend at Treeline let me try out a new turbine that didn't require additional lube, I don't know about its durability, but it ran so quietly, I couldn't tell it was on until the tip touched a piece of wood.
Ron
Very true, but the HF unit was only $14.00 on sale. I didn't really have a need to carve egg shells. You also need good bits to take that speed.

[earlyrider]

Yeah, we buy them too. They are good for roughing out shapes in the plastics we use for reconstruction of missing parts of dinosaur bones. At less than $35 each (and at times on sale) its no heartburn to to toss one away when its toast.
All in all though, the most useful tool for me is the flexshaft tool (Foredom and others) with the three different collets. They take any shape toolbit out there. If you don't have one of these, buy it before the high speed turbine, its cheaper and more versatile.
The bits for the turbine run between $5 and $15.
Carving fossil eggs is more of a challenge!
Ron