Chuck J
Well-known member
Hey all,
Been dreaming of an Illinois River Carving Knife (IRCK for short, or some might refer to it as a Sandrite machine) for a while. Haven’t found a deal on a used one close enough to home, so Paully recommended checking out the drum sander that Lee Valley offers:
http://www.leevalley.com/...5190&cat=1,42500
Got the “carvers size” (they offer bigger ones too):
Slide the sleeve on and pump it up:
Hogs wood pretty good:
I really like the way it smoothes the transitions in neck joints:
I was quite comfortable sitting on a stool holding the workpiece with both hands. It is not an IRCK, but it is FAR better than a padded sander...in fact, I'm quite sure my padded sander will stay on the shelf for all but a few jobs with very tight curves. You can mount these in flex shafts, but I wouldn't mount it in anything as light weight as a Foredom, besides, it has a 5/16" shaft. You can get a flex shaft to chuck in your drill press, or them make designated motors to run either with the drum chucked direct or through the heavier flex shaft...but I figure by the time you invest this much, you might as well just get a Sandrite.
All in all I am happy with my investment, it utilized a stationary tool I already have in space that is always at a premium.
Chuck
Been dreaming of an Illinois River Carving Knife (IRCK for short, or some might refer to it as a Sandrite machine) for a while. Haven’t found a deal on a used one close enough to home, so Paully recommended checking out the drum sander that Lee Valley offers:
http://www.leevalley.com/...5190&cat=1,42500
Got the “carvers size” (they offer bigger ones too):
Slide the sleeve on and pump it up:
Hogs wood pretty good:
I really like the way it smoothes the transitions in neck joints:
I was quite comfortable sitting on a stool holding the workpiece with both hands. It is not an IRCK, but it is FAR better than a padded sander...in fact, I'm quite sure my padded sander will stay on the shelf for all but a few jobs with very tight curves. You can mount these in flex shafts, but I wouldn't mount it in anything as light weight as a Foredom, besides, it has a 5/16" shaft. You can get a flex shaft to chuck in your drill press, or them make designated motors to run either with the drum chucked direct or through the heavier flex shaft...but I figure by the time you invest this much, you might as well just get a Sandrite.
All in all I am happy with my investment, it utilized a stationary tool I already have in space that is always at a premium.
Chuck
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