Thread: arbortech tooling

The Arbortech Industrial carver is the best blade for bowl work.
The 3 tips last a very long time.
The standard arbotech blade is ok with soft woods but blunts easy on our harder timbers,

The mini carver is good for detail work and again the TCT mini blade is a real godsend.

The arbortech is good for getting the bulk material out of the way then use the Saburr disc to refine the shape and get a good start before sanding.

Hello there:

I've used the arbortech mini-grinder a fair bit. I managed to wipe out the standard cutting blade for it on a bottlebrush log. But the tungsten carbide disk goes through everything and does not seem to have lost any of its sharpness. So I'd recommend getting the tungsten carbide disk if you are intending to carve Aussie hardwoods. And the larger arbortech, not the mini grinder is probably the better size for bowls.

And don't forget PPE, esp dust mask- that thing shreds timber at an impressive rate!

Long sleeved thick shirt and gloves are also necessary, my Arbortech TCT made me bleed from the high speed chips

I use a heavy leather apron, most serious accidents occur around the mid-section.

Thanks for the advice, I'm thinking I should get the safety guard with the industrial carver blade. I have a leather apron here, I'll wear that when i use it. the saburr disks look interesting, do they bolt straight onto a angle grinder?
I cant figure out, does the arbortech mini grinder come with the mini carver attached or is it just the grinder? Also I'm going to get the arbortech industrial pro kit, should i get the Arbortech grinder or a makita/dewalt grinder just for wood carving?

You should get the safety guard with the industrial carver blade. Apart from shielding yourself from a s**tload of woodchips, it also acts as a depth guide.

The arbortech mini grinder is the full set- grinder plus the mini-carver extension and associated blades and sanding disks.

I don’t have my arbortech pro-4 carver with me at the moment, but from memory it fits onto a standard 125mm angle grinder. So if you want to save money, you don’t need to buy the arbortech grinder for it.

I found the industrial carver easier to control than the original with the chainsaw like teeth.
I wouldn't use the original without the guard but I use the industrial without the guard all the time.
I find that I can get into more places at better angles & I often use it in a wiping action tilted over in the direction of the wipe, that is not easy to do with the guard fitted.

I got the mini angle grinder attachment for my foredom to use the sabuur burs 'cos the drive belt on my mini arbortech breaks often & it is VERY expensive.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

I found the industrial carver easier to control than the original with the chainsaw like teeth.
I wouldn't use the original without the guard but I use the industrial without the guard all the time.
I find that I can get into more places at better angles & I often use it in a wiping action tilted over in the direction of the wipe, that is not easy to do with the guard fitted.

I use my industrial with only the original grinder guard as I found it got in my way, but you do get a lot more flying chips, my (6mx6m) workshop gets thoroughly coated. The sideways action Cliff describes is really useful.

Originally Posted by asheddie

Thanks for the advice, I'm thinking I should get the safety guard with the industrial carver blade. I have a leather apron here, I'll wear that when i use it. the saburr disks look interesting, do they bolt straight onto a angle grinder?
I cant figure out, does the arbortech mini grinder come with the mini carver attached or is it just the grinder? Also I'm going to get the arbortech industrial pro kit, should i get the Arbortech grinder or a makita/dewalt grinder just for wood carving?

The standard arbortech blades will fit most 4" and 4-1/2" angle grinders.
The Saburr discs fit the 4" angle grinders.
You also have the saburr disc that fit the mini arbortech as well the 50mm discs

The mini arbortech is best bought these days as the full kit as there is so many variations of grinders out there now there is no gaurentee that the mini kit will fit directly to the grinder you have and it can be a PITA to set us and disassembe each time you want to use it.

As others have indicated the blades can be bought with or without the clear plastic guard the option is yours but I would always leave the manufacturers guard on the grinder to make sure my fingers do not slip on the body of the grinder. Make sure you use the side handle on the grinder, it gives you better control when using these cutters.
Another tip is to drag the grinder from right to left across your body , if you try to go the other way the cutter tries to go verticle with disasterous results. You can do verticle cuts but they have to be dedicated cuts.

Leather Apron and a set of welders gloves as well as a good face sheild are needed protection as the chips can fly everywhere, if there is a spot where you want mulch then set up there.

My experience is similar to the above. I use the pro wheel without the pro-guard... more control and greater options when in use but it does spit the chips! If humanly possible do this work outside. I use a Triton Super Jaws which allows me to set up outside the shop on the gravel where the extra chip mulch (very fine) just works its way into the driveway. Only used it once in the shop.... NEVER AGAIN!

I also use the Sabertooth burrs (different brand but work the same) on a 4 1/2 inch grinder. I really like the control and finish you get with these for more subtle shaping of your work but there is nothing like the Arbortec Pro wheel for removing material.

I have never tried one, but I like the look of those 50mm extened neck grinders with a smaller burr wheel rather than a chainsaw type. I've seen them over seas but the voltage was wrong for here. Didn't realise they were available in Oz.... hmmm....
Anybody want to comment on the advantages/disadvantages of these over the Arbortec mini wheel?

Whittling you still use the 50mm TCT arbortech wheel for your initial shaping and detail work then use the 50mm saburr discs fo final shaping and initial sanding like you do with the larger wheels.
All just on a smaller scale.

Another option for using the small wheels is the Proxxon mini grinder. I really like this because it gives me better control over where I want to use the cutters, the one problem with the Arbortech mini grinder set up is you are a long way away from the work if trying to do delicate work. You just have to remember it does not have the guts to do heavy work like a normal angle grinder,
We had one guy show us how he works on his bonsia and when I showed him the proxxon he was rapt, it gave him more control.

Sorry if I've caused some confusion about what info I'm seeking.

I understand that the TCT wheel would preceed the saburr tooth wheels regardless of scale (100+mm or 50mm). It also seems reasonable that the 50mm wheel would give better control and access for detailed work.

What I was looking for was a comment on the relative benifits (or otherwise) of the Arbortec Mini Carver vs the Proxon Mini Grinder.

I read Cliff's posting with some interest when he described a Foredom attachment that uses a 50mm burr wheel, but I would prefer to use these guys outside because of the dust they throw and moving my Foredom setup outside is more complicated than just plugging in a hand held unit. I've heard that the belts on the Arbortec mini carver can sometimes be an issue and liked the look of the Proxon and it's solid geared drive as a reasonable alternative.

Are there any other comments on the relative merits of these two units?

I use my Foredom on the veranda of my shed, I have a metal hook hanging from the roof to hang it on. (A chain would twist)
I set a a fan beside me to blow across the work & help take the dust out onto the lawn.

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

Whittling

Another option for using the small wheels is the Proxxon mini grinder. I really like this because it gives me better control over where I want to use the cutters, the one problem with the Arbortech mini grinder set up is you are a long way away from the work if trying to do delicate work. You just have to remember it does not have the guts to do heavy work like a normal angle grinder,
We had one guy show us how he works on his bonsia and when I showed him the proxxon he was rapt, it gave him more control.

I think this has answered your question ?

The problem with the belts is mainly the user.
They dont take care when setting it up to make sure the pulleys are parralell
They overload the cutter and the belt slips, this wears them out prematurely.

The foredom attachment is very good and not that much of a hassle to set up outside, probably the only glitch is the rigid cable for the drive, but you do get used to that