Piercing tools

[Graham]

i have this whole series of turnings in my mind that will need extensive piercing. I have a Dremmel but doubt that it will be up to the job. What do you all use ? I have heard of machines that spin at 300.000 RPMs rather than just 30.000. Where do they come from ?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Graham I do quite a bit of piercing and the tool I use most is the Axminster foredom type tool. Just a hanging motor with a flexi drive. You can get machines that go faster, I think most of them are air operated but I could be wrong but probably out of my wallet reach anyway. I am waiting for the new Dyson vacuum to start going wrong and ending up on the tip as according to the TV ad the motor goes pretty fast.

[bodrighywood]

Binh Po and a few others use the NSK mach9ines which go up to 400,000 rpm. Driven via a compressor they are either dental tools or based on them. Not cheap though by the time you get a compressor as well. One example

Pete

[Dave Atkinson]

Hi Graham
You could consider the piercing tools from John Woods http://www.woodart-products.co.uk/

Cheers Dave

[Graham]

Hi Dave.
Is this the system that was being shown on the end table at Loughborough ?

[georg]

     We have a  Mastercarver  Micro Pro Graham ....  it was bought in about 2013 from Classic hand tools and ( touch wood  
     have had no problems.... Used to use a flexi one but had trouble with the weight, this is quite light in comparison and can
     go up to 45000rpm... If you go to page 27 there is a thread started by BHT Piercing Tools.... and a link on there to a Review
     by Richard Kennedy, Price wise it is though a considered purchase.
     Kind Regards
     Di & Tony

[edbanger]

Hi Graham

Yes the Woodart piercing tool was the one at Loughborough.

I have a Dremel and also the Foredom as well I like the Foredom for heavy carving/piercing if you are doing the Stuart Mortimer type spiral work.

The Dremel did not have enough poke in it so I got the Woodart and it's a great machine worth the money.

I've not use the compressor type.

Ed

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

From a H&S point of view this might be interesting to read.
https://carvingonwood.com/understanding-burrs-and-their-uses-the-basics/

[Graham]

An interesting read John. Thanks for that.
I quite like the look of the micro pro and the wood art version which seem much the same and will have a good look at them.
Thanks everyone.