[Woodcarver]RoroZip- How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding groove

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Larry,

My Rotozip is an old one and I have 2 size colletts for 1/8-inch and 
1/4-inch shanks. My 1/4-inch collet broke years ago but it still works by 
putting both pieces in.

I also have a Laminate Trimmer but I use the Rotozip most of the time when 
I'm doing power carving.

Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
http://www.carvingmagazine.com/chat/chat.shtml Live Chat for Carving 
Magazine.
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
http://www.citizenactions.org
**************************************************

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Robertson" <workinginwood at hotmail.com>
To: <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 2:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver]RoroZip- How to carve a deep , long , narrow 
,winding groove



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> Hi Joe,

>

> I've been thinking of getting either a RotoZip or a Trimmer to have more 

> power than the Dremel.  The available info I could find on the RotoZip is 

> a little sketchy.  I believe a plunge router attachment is available which 

> would be advantage in doing string inlay but from what I could understand 

> the bits are restricted to one shank size (something like 5/16") which 

> would greatly limit it use.  Is this true?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Larry

>

>

>

> Larry Robertson, WorkingInWood

> Colchester, Ontario, Canada

> http://www.picturetrail.com/workinginwood

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>  From: "Joe Dillett" <jdillett at thecarvingshop.com>

>  Reply-To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

>  To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

>  Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding 

> groove

>  Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 10:55:29 -0600

>  DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be made using PayPal OR 

> regular mail. Click this link: 

> http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

>  Hi Robert,

>

>  I just tried it and it works. I used my Roto-zip with a 1/8-inch diameter 

> Standard Point Drywall bit designed for easy control. I cut a 1/8-inch 

> wide (3.18 mm) to 1/4-inch (6.25 mm) depth in 4 passes in cherry. There 

> was no chatter and very easy to control. I tried it at full speed 30K RPM 

> with just a little burning. I tried it with a speed reducer, reducing the 

> speed to about half, with no burning.

>

>  The Roto-zip is not the type of motor designed for speed reduction 

> however I've been using a speed reducer on mine for years. I will say that 

> it is not recommended and could shorten the life of your Roto-zip. The 

> speed reducer I use is cheap. It a Router Speed Control 110V/15Amp for 

> universal (AC/DC), series DC, motors (15 Amps max).

>

>  These dry wall bits are high speed steel, not carbide, so you'll be using 

> a few to cut all those grooves.

>

>  Joe Dillett

>  The Carving Shop

>  645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3

>  Somonauk, IL. 60552

>  (815) 498-9290 phone

>  (815) 498-9249 fax

>  http://www.thecarvingshop.com

>  jdillett at thecarvingshop.com

>  http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers 

> Forum

>  http://www.carvingmagazine.com/chat/chat.shtml Live Chat for Carving 

> Magazine.

>  http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett

>  http://www.citizenactions.org

>  **************************************************

>

>  ----- Original Message ----- From: <RbrtHillier at aol.com>

>  To: <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

>  Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 6:50 PM

>  Subject: [Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding 

> groove

>

>

>  >DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be made using PayPal OR

>  >regular mail. Click this link:

>  >http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

>  >

>

>

>  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

>  >I'd be grateful for advice on this : I want to carve into the

>  >outside of a

>  >turned wooden bowl ( say 300mm or twelve inches in diameter ) the

>  >pattern of a

>  >jigsaw puzzle . The figuring of the wood will then be the jigsaw's

>  >pattern .

>  >In between the "pieces" of the jigsaw will be the deep , long ,

>  >narrow ,

>  >winding groove that I''ll carve . I'll then fill the groove with a

>  >coloured resin

>  >. The groove must not penetrate through to the bowl's inner surface

>  >, so I

>  >can't use a saw . I want the groove to be narrow , say 3mm or an

>  >eighth of an

>  >inch maximum . Depth of groove about 5mm or two tenths of an inch .

>  >The "pieces"

>  >of the jigsaw will be about 25 by 40 mm or one by one and half

>  >inches in size

>  >, so the groove between the pieces will be quite wiggly in order to

>  >form the

>  >classic knobs and sockets of the "pieces" .

>  >

>  >Now for some questions - am I right in thinking that the only way to

>  >carve

>  >this groove is using a router ? I don't think that hand tools could

>  >do this .

>  >

>  >I've tried it with a full-size router - the problem is in shifting

>  >the

>  >heavy beast around with enough precision so that I can do the fine

>  >detail of the

>  >wiggly knobs and sockets .

>  >

>  >I've also tried it with a Dremel - here the problem is that the

>  >router is so

>  >light that ( with the bits I've tried ) it tends to get dragged

>  >off-course

>  >and the groove has lots of little wobbles in it or places where the

>  >groove

>  >has suddenly widened . Keeping the tool at right angles to the

>  >surface ( this

>  >is needed - it's all part of a cunning plan :>) which I'll unveil

>  >when I get

>  >it to work ) is also difficult for me . Removing the wood in one

>  >pass along

>  >this ( relatively ) deep and narrow groove seems like too much of a

>  >challenge

>  >for Dremel bits , and the tool itself . It's hard enough to guide

>  >the bit in one

>  >pass that I recoil at the thought of having to take two bites at the

>  >cherry

>  >to get the necessary depth .

>  >

>  >So......what would you recommend ? And if the Dremel approach ,

>  >which bits

>  >would you suggest ( and where do you source yours - I'm in the UK )?

>  >If I botch

>  >the groove , I'll just turn another bowl , so I'm prepared for a

>  >method which

>  >has its failures , but I want to produce a crisp and neat jigsaw

>  >effect .

>  >

>  >I'd be grateful for any advice on this , apart from the obvious one

>  >- to give

>  >up ;>(

>  >

>  >Robert,

>  >Poole,

>  >Dorset,

>  >England

>  >

>

>

>  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

>

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