| Hand
Tools | Coming
Soon |
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These should not be underrated. A big hand held gouge with a hefty mallet in the
other hand can remove a surprisingly large amount of wood in a relatively short
space of time. The smaller tools are indispensable for putting in fine detail
that just can't be done with a chainsaw.
Here's an advert from "Woodcarving"
magazine to show the kind of range available.
|
Electric
Drill |
 | Again
often overlooked and underrated. It's amazing how many other accessories are available
that fit a hand held electric drill. I've pictured a couple of flat bits with
this drill because I find them to be incredibly useful for boring holes into areas
of the carving that I intend to cut deep, tight trenches or bigger holes, they
give me a space into which I can cut and remove chips that would otherwise take
ages to excavate. |
It's
worth experimenting with some of the other accessories, certainly some of the
sanding and smoothing attachments (e.g. drum sanders on flexible drive shafts
etc). Pick a machine with as high a wattage that's available. This usually translates
into sufficient torque to drive relatively large diameter drill bits. A variable
speed is also very desirable. |
Generator |
| Without
this you won't be able to run your angle grinders, electric drills etc. in woodlands,
or otherwise miles from the nearest mains power supply. This one is a 2.2kva generator
which would, if required, run up to 3 angle grinders. It also switches from 240v
to 110v. Some even have a 12v facility. See if you can find one with a built in
circuit breaker that activates in the event of overload or major short circuit
(cutting through the cable by accident). |
This size generator doesn't seem to produce enough of a surge current to get an
electric chainsaw to immediate full revs. Nor does it get my compressor going
immediately. It will when the air pressure has dropped sufficiently to allow it
an easier start, then it manages to keep the compressor topped up perfectly well.
Apart from that, everything else works really well.
|
Compressor |
| It's
missing half of the top cover, but this doesn't seem to make much difference to
it's performance. It has an oil sump which means that it doesn't produce "oil
free" air. This is fine because I use it for mainly driving air tools and
I have an oiler as part of the air line to keep these properly lubricated anyway.
Very very useful for blowing away the woodchips from all the tight little
places on a carving. |
If
using it primarily for driving air tools pay attention to the rated delivery of
air in cf/min (cubic feet per minute). Make sure it's delivering a high enough
volume for the rated cf/min of the tool you want to drive. Mine only gives 3cf/min
which wouldn't be enough to drive a tool rated for 5cf/min. The pressure rating
is another thing to watch. This compressor is set at a maximum of 112lbs/square
inch which is ok as all my tools run at 90lbs/square inch pressure. |
Wrecking
Bar or Jemmy |
 |
Inexpensive, small, easily carried. Invaluable for weedling out those stubborn
little chunks of wood you thought you had cut free but still refuse to budge.
Can be used in combination with wedges to separate sections of wood. Try creating
a double burr on the straight end, it will help to grip the wood when using as
a lever. |
Breaking
Bar |
 | Very
useful as a large "jemmy" for levering out blocks. It also doubles up
as a "Cant Hook". The hook digs into the side of a log, the bar acts
as a lever to turn the log. Good for up to about 2ft dia logs.
These
are available from most chainsaw suppliers.
There are larger versions
for bigger logs. |
For the moment, that's all I have to comment on. I will be adding to this section
in the near future as I continue to experiment with other tools. I will also include
other peoples experiences as they are relayed to me.
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| | Coming
Soon |
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