Anybody use dental high speed air turbine drills for carving and detail work?
How do they work and do you have a source for them, preferably used!
Regards, Lewis
-- Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. W. C. Fields (1880 - 1946)
In an earlier life as a diemaker I frequently used a high rpm pen turbine with a rear exhaust. They are a joy to use, usually cutting nearly effortlessly.
That said, buy a good oiler, a good supply of air tool oil and an air regulator (along with plumbing bits and pieces to join them together) when you buy an air pen. Tools running that fast are counting on a steady supply of oil ... mine wanted 3 drops per minute, no more and not much less. I mounted my regulator / oiler inside a cheap plastic tool box. It was a good place to stash a small can of oil, the necessary wrenches, an assortment of tool bits and the pen itself when I wasn't using it.
Bill
I've not used them myself, but know of a number of people who do use them with good results.
I'll go out on a limb here and say "A dentist?" You can buy them new from a dentistry supplier, but your regular dentist would likely give them to you, since they throw them away.
-- Chuck *#:^) chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply. <
September 11, 2001 - Never Forget
According to my dentist, they are rebuilt, not thrown away. I tried to invite him to offer me an old one but no dice.
they are available on line for approx US$3 carbide should last a very long tome carving wood
Dale
Dale, What is for $3.00? the handpiece or the drill bit?
I bought a 450,000RPM angle turbine drill, hose, chuck wrench, and variable speed regulator (foot pedal) on eBay for $100. Used, but completely rebuilt. Works fine but lacks any torque. Good for VERY THIN wood, but not much power for hogging out things.
Peter Teubel Milford, MA
Maybe different styles? They're not really that expensive, and I have a dentist acquaintance who assured me that he tossed his out when they were worn. I can't remember the name of the dental supply company whose catalog I used to have, but I bet it would be easy enough to find one.
-- Chuck *#:^) chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply. <
September 11, 2001 - Never Forget
Did you put an extra zero there by any chance? If not, _wow_.
I bought a 450,000RPM
Did you put an extra zero there by any chance? If not, _wow_. >>
That's right, 400,000 RPM. That's the PowerCrafter, which is an air-operated dental-style turbine drill. It works great for fine carving and piercing, but it is high RPM, low torque. The high RPM makes it more stable for delicate carving since it doesn't walk as much as a lower RPM tool like a Foredom. The low torque means it will stall if not used delicately. The Foredom style tools (Cable operated) are low RPM, high torque tools and they won't stall when hogging out large areas or using sanding disks. I have both tools, each for different applications. If you want a Powercrafter you can check out TwoPaw studios at Twopaw.com. They are very helpful. Incidentally, you don't need an automatic oiler for the PowerCrafter. Just 2 or 3 drops of oil every 30 minutes or so is all you need. The automatic units tend to over-oil and you get oil all over your hands. It's very difficult to regulate the oiler to deliver the oil that slowly.
-Jim Gott- San Jose, CA
Thank you, sir. I did not even imagine that such things existed.
Nope. It really spins that fast. Do a search on eBay for "dental handpiece" and you'll find alot of them for sale.
Peter Teubel Milford, MA
Did anyone else kinda pucker up when reading
particuarly when reading about dental tools. Somehow the thought of my dentist hogging out a large area causes a bit of a reaction.
This should do the job.
ITEM 47869-1VGA $29.99
$19.99
ITEM 34640-2VGA
$12.99
You might want to read the whole thread. Looks like 56,000 RPM is low speed by dental standards.
This unit is too slow to be compared to a dental turbine drill. High speed turbines revolve at 400,000 rpms. It really depends on what you intend to carve. I own a Powercrafter 400,000 rpm unit and like the speed, no wander caused by hard/soft wood or wood grain.....Ralph
composites,
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