Proxxon Vs. Merlin 2 Long neck angle grinder for carving woodturnings?

[Roger Chandler]

Been thinking about getting into some power carving......I have some Weecher equipment for rotary bits and recipricating knives. I was thinking about the 2" tungsten carbide Merlin bits from KING AUTHUR, but was not sure if the Proxxon unit was a better unit than the Merlin 2 unit is, and if one was more versatile than the other. They look similar to me, but I know nothing about these tools.....could use some perspective from some folks who do have experience with these types of power grinder/carvers.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Roger,
For safety sake stay away from the chain saw style cutting discs. They are too grabby and you really need two hands to hold the tool. Work pieces need to be secured so you can hold onto the tool. Have you thought about Arbortech. Great tool, fast material removal. Buy the carbide cutter disc and throw away the discs that come with the tool.
faust

[Bruce Lewane]

I could be mistaken but the Merlin 2 is an improved version of the original Merlin as the higher end Proxxon unit is the improved version of the original Proxxon.
There were so many complaints about both they went back to the drawing board. I doubt they are made by different companies. I have the original Proxxon and have never had nearly as many problems with it as some have but as so often happens folks expect more of these things than they can deliver. My Proxxon is NOT heavy duty but does what I need it to do. With th carbide wheels I never use it for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time. It also works great for power sanding bowls.

[Bruce Lewane]

Roger,
For safety sake stay away from the chain saw style cutting discs. They are too grabby and you really need two hands to hold the tool. Work pieces need to be secured so you can hold onto the tool. Have you thought about Arbortech. Great tool, fast material removal. Buy the carbide cutter disc and throw away the discs that come with the tool.
faust
Actually the 2 inch chain saw discs aren't that bad. The 4 inch ones for a full size grinder are kind of scary. I won't use them anymore.

[William Bachtel]

Both are ok for small jobs, but if you are after removing wood fast, they won't do it, and if you work them hard they will over heat, they are for small jobs. Arbor Tech is better as Faust has mentioned.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Will your Weecher run Foredom handpieces? Foredom makes a real nice angle grinder. They sell a carbide disc for it which I have not bought yet. It's on my list of toys, er, I mean tools to buy. I'm assuming that you're looking into light finishing and not heavy stock removal. Carbide burrs they make are real nice too. NOT cheap though. I've tried a couple other brands of carbide burrs and they not as nice as Foredoms. Just my $0.02.

[Roger Chandler]

Thanks for the input guys! You all have given me some things to consider, especially the light duty aspects of this. I got basically the same advice from Terry Scott down in NZ about the Arbortech, so I will take a close look at that unit as well! Much appreciated all! :)

[Geoff Whaling]

Roger, Isn't Proxon the brand of the power carver/grinder? & Merlin the product name of the mini chainsaw cutter? Pretty rough when the manufacturer goes and confuses the issue.

I have a Proxon long neck angle grinder (carver), 230/240v for our market, which is supplied as a kit with the Merlin cutter from King Arthur Tools. It is a very capable machine within limits. I make rocking horses occasionally so the Proxon has its place for finer detail and finish / refining tasks but it is not a work horse. I use conventional angle grinders with sabur cutters, coarse sand paper, and a Ryobi variable speed angle sander (not sure if they are still available.)

I see King Arthur Tools have a similar package deal to the kit I purchased but the 110v motor would be a very different beast to the 230/240v versions so not much point giving a run down on performance.


ps please follow the advice in the manual on setting up the guard correctly & two hands for beginners of all levels, TWO hands folks, and please use a carvers clamp or hold in a chuck & use the indexing pin on the lathe. These Merlin cutters are great BUT they can kick back just like any chainsaw and they can remove flesh surprisingly fast. I don't speak from personal experience of injury but I have used them for a considerable time and I have seen some graphic images of very nasty injuries caused by not following recommended safe operating procedures.

Please follow the safety warning about the ON/OFF switch position - stupid design IMO.

[John Keeton]

I just bought Jamie Donaldson's Proxxon, and have yet to use the chainsaw blade. Not sure I will ever have a use for it, but it certainly is intimidating! I really like the carbide toothed wheel. It can do some fairly delicate work, which works well with the stuff I do. IMO, most of the negative reviews, and there are plenty, arise from expecting too much from a very lightweight tool. It is the perfect size and weight for its intended use, but I would agree with the on/off switch. Really easy to set it down and hit the on switch!

[Joe Bradshaw]

I have both of these tools and they work great for me. You have to understand that they require a light touch. You can't hog wood off with them. I like the carbide discs that are available for them. I also have the Weecher rotary kit and it is also good. My girlfriend has the Arbortech and it works well. If you want to hog off material quickly, use an angle grinder and then clean your cuts up with the smaller tool. As an aside for you single guys, if you find a woman that likes angle grinders and has a lot of them, grab onto her. She is a rare treasure.
Joe

[Roger Chandler]

I just bought Jamie Donaldson's Proxxon, and have yet to use the chainsaw blade. Not sure I will ever have a use for it, but it certainly is intimidating! I really like the carbide toothed wheel. It can do some fairly delicate work, which works well with the stuff I do. IMO, most of the negative reviews, and there are plenty, arise from expecting too much from a very lightweight tool. It is the perfect size and weight for its intended use, but I would agree with the on/off switch. Really easy to set it down and hit the on switch!
Terry Scott told me the Proxxon unit was pretty light in the gears, and that he had burned 2 of the units up, and said he thought the Merlin 2 was marginally better, by about 30%. He recommended the Arbortec mini grinder that is much more heavy duty.

I doubt I would ever use the chainsaw disc, but would like to have the red Merlin disc and the yellow Merlin disks....both are tungsten carbide and will take away wood at a pretty good clip, yet give a lot of control for power carving, from what I hear.

[Geoff Whaling]

Roger check out Saburr carving burrs - http://www.saburrtooth.com/

[Jason Ost]

I just use a regular chainsaw. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done. With some practice you can make some delicate cuts.

[Kevin Groenke]

+1 on Proxxon and Merlin being the same handpiece. We've had a couple of the control boards on these burn up which is quite frustrating on a $150 tool. Have since switched to a Harbor Freight "extended reach cutoff tool" which takes the Merlin cutters and seems to take abuse much better. We also drill out the hub on Roloc flap discs for use on this tool which is much less $ than the Merlin discs. We have unlimited air supply, so consumption is not a big deal.
354997 355000

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-high-speed-extended-reach-air-cutoff-tool-67996.html

[John Hart]

I just use a regular chainsaw. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done. With some practice you can make some delicate cuts.

Lol...It's all in the touch. :)

[Olaf Vogel]

Have since switched to a Harbor Freight "extended reach cutoff tool" which takes the Merlin cutters and seems to take abuse much better.
354997 355000

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-high-speed-extended-reach-air-cutoff-tool-67996.html


I found most air tools have RPMs too high for most sanding wood. Maybe works ok for metal
A few expense versions are slower, but I've been too cheap to spend $500 on one.

Obviously you find this is ok on wood?

[Kevin Groenke]

We use more for rough shaping with the merlin burr disks in wood and foam. The sanding is also more shaping than finishing. Haven't noticed the high rpm being a problem four this. We're using 40-80G, so the abrasive clears pretty effectively rather than clogging/burning like it might if it were 120G+.

[ALAN HOLLAR]

Proxxon and Merlin 2 are not the same handpiece. The original Merlin package used the Proxxon mini grinder but the Merlin 2 is quieter and cooler. The Arbortech is a good tool but since it is powered by a full size 4.5" right angle grinder, it is heavier and more tiring to use. Flexshaft right angle tools are handy, but less nimble due to the need to avoid too tight a loop on the shaft itself, and they require a light touch more that the Proxxon and Merlin 2 do, to avoid twisting the cable that powers the tool. Air tools require a substantial air supply, which is great if you already have a large compressor, and don't mind powering a 1/4HP air motor with a 3-5 HP electric motor. Pluses and minuses with all the tools.

[lynn cranmer]

I cast my vote for the Arbortech minigrinder. Lts of power and easy to control.