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Piercing Instructions?

Richard Baker

Richard Baker

RIP
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
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Location
Wimberley, Texas
Kurt's question about ornaments led to the WoodCentral gallery of ornaments, including Mac Ray's very cool pierced ornaments. Further searching led to many examples of piercing, but zero info on how to go about it. No doubt one needs an appropriate high speed tool with carbide bits. Not a problem.

My questions are --- How does one achieve that pseudo-random pattern, and how to avoid tear out when the tool bit exits the other side? If the answer is "You gotta be a arteeest", then I am SOL.
 
Use only sanitary needles?

Seriously, the more speed you have to the tool the greater the precision. The slow ones bounce between ridges. The 15-25K Dremels with the urchin-look prickly burrs are sanding tools which leave little fuzz. Nicer would be the pneumatic types at 50K +. Of course people might think you were practicing dentistry without a license if they overheard.

As to randomization, I guess I'd Pollock it. Color on a stiff brush, retract and splatter. Maybe sniff some sawdust and sneeze?
 
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Piercing

Richard,
Although I haven't done any piercing yet, this product was advertised recently in the AAW Journal: www.onegoodturn.ca. It's a 400,000 rpm dental type handpiece. There's others out there as well, but I don't know them.
:)
 
Random Holes

If you can dry stack a rock wall it is the same thing. Just make a hole then fit the next one closr and the next one fits up next to the first two. Make each hole slightly different shaped and just keep doing it.

Ed
 
If your interested in piecrcing I would also suggest Binh Pho's DVD. He is an excellent instructor. As far as the pattern goes that's up to you. I tend to make things to structured so I have to really concentrate to make a random looking pattern.
High speed grinders are the way to go. I mean really high speed. I've used my dremel which is 30K and it wants to follow the grain. It's tricky and tiring. I've used a pencil sized die grinder that runs 50k and didn't find it any better. When I used Binh's 400K grinders it's like writing with a pencil. You have so much more control. There are two other differences. The 400K leaves a black edge, or course this also burns off the fuzz so that's good. The dremel leaves a natural color edge but you do have to sand away the fuzz. To pierce an ornament with a Dremel takes about an hour and your exhausted. To do the same with the High speed tools takes about 15 minutes and your much more relaxed.
The Dremel is $50 the High speed grinders run $350 to $400.
 
Question

Question if I may

I have a PowerCrafter, can I use the same oil that is used for pneumatic air nailers to lube this tool?

TIA
 
Hard to answer definitively because only you know what you have for your air nailer. I've used lots of different oils in my air (brad) nailer over the years and it's still going strong after 15 years. Of course, I don't really use it that much...............

I THINK that a lot of different oils (soy, mineral) get sold as turbine oil so maybe any very light oil will work. The way I look at it is turbines are expensive to replace, "turbine" oil is cheap and a little bit goes a long way (2 drops every 20 minutes). Why take a chance? I bought 8oz of turbine oil for $6 and it will probably last me for years.

Ed
 
Piercing instructions

I am not an agent for this product but have used one for years. The name "TURBO CARVER" on Google will bring up the home page. It is a turbine tool that turns 450,000 rpm. Needs NO oil. Comes with everything except more bits that you will think you need. Uses dental burs only. Takes .5 hp compressor at a max pressure of 45 lbs. When I first got the tool it looked pretty cheesy but I have used it a lot and it still runs as good as new. I think the cost was around $260.00.

My advise to you would be, get good at thin first. Anything much over 1/8" will cause burning of the wood, plus wear you out for something that dosen't look good.

Ron
 
Thanks to all for your replies. 'Fraid the 400K is about $1 per K out of my league, but sounds like the best way to do it. Dunno about that sniffing sawdust and sneezing, Michael. Think I best just try the ole Dremel on a piece of scrap and see if it shows any promise at all. Too many things to try and not enough time. Also not enough $$$. Thanks again guys.
 
The thinner the wood the easier it will be. I've done about a dozen items using the dremel. Just relax do a little bit until you get tired. put it way and come back later when your rested. Then it's not to bad.
 
piercing

Hi Richard.
At Richmond I also bought the powercrafter, Not had chance to try it yet. My sattellite dish (see in my gallery) Was done totally with a dremel As many other thread replies say that is quite slow and takes a lot of care my piercing on that piece alone took over 50 hours. I'm sure with the powercrafter it will be a breeze.
Happy piercing and Best from Jeff.
 
Powercrafter may need to run at higher pressure....

Just after I got my Powercrafter some months ago, I talked with Andi Wolfe about the requirements for the air regulator, etc. and she told me for much of her carving and piercing work with the Powercrafter, that the recommended 45 psi operating pressure doesn't produce enough torque to do consistent cutting without bogging-down, and that she often runs her Powercrafter between 55 and 60 psi (using a full-time inline oiler). Just this afternoon, I was running mine at 58 psi on some ziricote, and it was working just fine (i.e. without bogging-down).

Other suggestions......I've been in Binh Pho's class (in Omaha) on turning, piercing, and air-bushing his vessels, and would also recommend his two DVD set. He turns a lot of box elder...VERY thin; he also bleaches the wood and thus produces a fairly stable, thin-walled blank 'canvas' for his piercings and ultimate air-brush artwork. Lots of very specific technique hints in both his live class, and in his DVDs.

At the AAW symposium this year in Richmond, I was a demo assistant for Malcolm Zander, and if you want to see some absolutely outstanding piercing, check-out his on-line gallery: http://www.malcolmzander.com -- something to aspire to! He uses an air-compressor-driven dental drill and refines his piercings with 'standard' needle files, rifflers, and diamond needle files. His pieces are exquisite, especially his "lace" series (IMHO). Note that he turns a lot of pink ivory - I assume, 'the harder the wood the better', more or less. I got A LOT out of his very well-organized and clearly presented demonstration.
See him if you can!

Good luck on your piercing, from another beginner....

Rob Wallace
 
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Lots of folks out there piercing stuff. Whowouldathunkit?
Ron, looks like the basic TC is still 260. Does indeed look a bit bogus, but so does most of my home made stuff that works pretty well. I can do "thin". Will keep it in mind pending results of Dremel practice. Not sure if I have the artistic "attachments" necessary to do it well. Jeff, great looking sat. dish, but 50 hours? Hope your Powercrafter will be much easier and faster. Rob, gonna look up Malcolm Zander now. Thanks guys.
 
The link did not work for me, but just google "malcolm zander". A couple of his pieces are way past amazing. Must require a unique personality to begin his "mouse" piece, confident (I assume) that it can be successfully completed.
 
Piercing examples.

Hi Texian!

There is one more piercing expert whose work is outstanding. His name is Gordon Pembridge in New Zealand. Look at his and Terry Scott's work in their web site www.timberly.co.nz

Happy piercing! Bill
 
Hi Bill,

Thanks for the link. That's some amazing work by Gordon Pembridge. Requires a keen eye and a steady hand, no doubt. One little muscle twitch and hours of work is ruined. That takes a lot of courage and self confidence, not to mention just a tad of artistic ability. Am still going to try it on some scrap pieces, but think I better keep the Dremel away from the good stuff.
 
Richard, Gordon is just out of most of our leagues. Just thought you might like to see what can be done if you are talented, patient, good eyesight, no arthritic joints, no shakey hand movements etc. I have been wanting to get a better piercing system at 250K or so myself, but have opted for just the Dremel tool instead. With good Foredom burrs - it is doable but not as efficient as the dental type air units. They are expensive. Happy turning and piercing. Let us see some of it soon.

Bill
 
Bill, Unfortunately I lack most of those important qualifications you listed, but still will try it. Should be feasible to trace a suitable pattern onto the substrate and create at least an imitation of art. No doubt the $400+ tool is a good investment for some, not for others.
 
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