Replies

1. 
   Brooks_Yates | Dec 10, 2021 01:49pm | #1

   Corded for sure, unless you have a need for it to be cordless, I like my Proxxon MicroMot 60/E, I had 3 Dremel's before that but they all burned out so I went looking for something better that was still affordable. You'd need a transformer for it as well, NG 2/S, I'd also recommend getting one with a toolless collet, makes swapping bits much easier. As for bits, burrs and other consumables, Dremel has some okay stuff but I think they burn up quick, there are more specialized wood carving bits/burrs out there that I find tend to last a bit longer, most mine are Kutzall.

2. 
   jharveyb | Dec 10, 2021 11:32pm | #2

   I'm not sure that this will be helpful, but here's my input:
   I had a friend who got into woodcarving, who loved his Dremel. The work proceeded rapidly until he was "almost done", at which time he started the long and tedious task of sanding out all the tool marks from the Dremel.

   Meanwhile, my partner and I had a Dremel, which we used occasionally. He used it to rout out the recesses for mother of pearl inlay in musical instrument necks and peg heads. (He made a miniature router base for it.) We were doing more and more carving, and got a big carving job (I'll post a picture) making a 3/4 size reproduction of an antique English pulpit. The Dremel seemed a bit small, so we purchased a Foredom tool, that has a separate motor and cable to the hand piece. Tried it out when we started, and almost immediately went back to the chisels and gouges. Two reasons: the shapes we were duplicating were created by guys using gouges, and were easiest to duplicate that way; and, the carving involved deep V-cuts to define shapes and give them depth. When you put a cone shaped cutter into the Foredom and try to make a deep V shaped cut, the tip speed of the point of the cutter is functionally zero, meaning that it won't really remove any wood.
   So when we were doing the carving, if we felt a lack in our equipment, we bought another carving gouge instead of another rotary cutter.
   To make the openings in what is pictured, we did make a pattern and then used an overarm router with bits we ground to needed shapes to do the bulk of the work, but then used gouges for the rest.
   Full disclosure: before we did the serious carving, I had bought any gouges I found used at flea markets, yard sales, and auctions, so I had some on hand to start with. You can tell my preferences: I now have over 90 carving tools and haven't even considered buying a new bit for my Foredom or Dremel for over 30 years. Buying a bunch of new carving tools now can be quite an investment, tho there are always some used ones for sale on eBay.

3. 
   jharveyb | Dec 10, 2021 11:36pm | #3

   Oops, forgot to upload the picture:

   
4. 
   Lyptus | Dec 12, 2021 07:16am | #4

   I have been transitioning my time from woodworking to carving over the past few years. I own an entry level dremel, a few gouges, and hoped to buy a foredom. However, I quickly realized that I much prefer the act of carving with chisels over the dust and noise of rotary tools. I rely on a chainsaw, bandsaw, and grinder for hogging away wood when needed but a mallet, gouge, and podcast playing in the background is my happy place. The challenge with gouges is finding ways to secure your work and appreciating grain direction, but that’s all part of the fun too.

5. 
   lat_axe | Dec 13, 2021 10:35am | #5

   As others have noted from their experience (always best) the Dremel carving can't match the precision and clean-cutting of traditional carving tools. Looking at various Youtube vids, it becomes clear that the carvings that can be made with the Dremel are always rather rough and often crude. Even sandpapering can't produce the sort of crisp definition possible with traditional carving tools.

   A Dremel is useful for this and that. I've just bought a battery-powered one to make thin stringing on little boxes and the like, as well as a few simple incised-line "carvings that can be filled with paint or coloured epoxy. A Dremel is easier than even a trim router to use for these tasks - although I felt the need to buy a Veritas base and fence rather than use the cheap, flexy and imprecise Dremel version.

   I have owned a corded Dremel in the past but sold it as I found the cable exerted to much pull on such a small tool during some operations. I find the cordless version far easier to use freehand.

   If you still want to use one for carving (with kutzall or similar TCT-burr tools) it might be a good tactic to buy also the flexi cable that gives you a slimmer pen to hold with the Dremel driving the bit in it via the flexible cable.

   A useful tool for other things, the Dremel, so if you can use it for those other things it may be worth getting as you can then at least try it for carving tasks.

   Lataxe