Any Electric motor experts.

[Paul Douglass]

I have an old sewing machine motor, that I have kept around for years. I have idea where or when I got it. It is a Kenmore model 117618, 8 amps, 65 watts, of coarse 110 volts. I do not knowhow to figure the power. Came for a Sears and Roebuck sewing machine I think. Would a motor like this be any good for power carving. I have the variable speed foot pedal also. It runs great, Have no idea of the horse power. I realize if the brushes (if it has them goes bad, I could not replace them, the things I though the brushes were in turns out to be wicks, for oiling, I thing. Anyway, worth messing with? as a carver. I figure it would cost about $50 to get what I would need to hook a flex shaft hooked up to it.

 

[Don Baer]

Paul IMHO I wouldn't waste my money. The $50 would go a long way to get you a real tool like a Dremel. The reason why I say this is most carving tools operate a a high speed I believe the sewing machine motor would be a much lower speed.. Again just my $.02 worth.

 

[Tom Niemi]

You can get a flex shaft rotary carving tool with all necessary components for $82 and up at amazon, I think you would be much happier this way, just my opinion

 

[Ted Calver]

It might work if you can figure out how to connect a flexible shaft and if it rotates fast enough without stalling.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

According to Google, it looks like sewing machine motors run anywhere from about 3000 to 6000 rpm. Rotary carvers go up to about 22000 to 23000. I'd echo Don's suggestion of not wasting the money on this one, although modern-day Dremels aren't built as good as they used to be. I have one that I bought in the 1970s and it's still going strong. The one I bought about 15 years ago has already let the smoke out and died.

 

[Charles Lent]

I use a version of a dentist drill for engraving and detail carving. It is air powered at 40 psi and turns about 400,000 rpm. When carving a straight line with it there is no side pull, like when trying to do the same with a Dremel or other lower speed carver. It uses the 1/16" shaft dentist drill bits that cost about $2.00 each online.
It's about the size of a fat permanent marking pen, with a fish tank type air line connected between it and a regulator and inline fine drip oiler. with a 4 cfm 40-60 psi compressor or larger feeding it. Being air powered, it runs cool and you can carve/engrave with it until you get tired of doing it. Unlike a Dremel or other electric motor powered carver, it never gets hot. If you want an air powered carver that uses the 1/8" Dremel type bits, there are air powered die grinders which work fine as carvers, but don't run anywhere near as fast, and consume a lot more air at higher pressures.

I made the cross in the photo, cutting it and it's vines on a scroll saw. Then carving the vines and leaves using my high speed air carver. The wood is mahogany with Tung Oil finish. The green is antique gold Rub-N-Buff. It's about 8" tall. I made about 16 of them over the last 20 years, all grabbed up by family members.

Charley