snow flies off my ice as I cut designs with a conical end mill on a die grinder
updated 9/2/23 with repaired links, more links, a new title, a pic, more info, formatting, and seo
conical end mill bits and ice sculpting
WARNING: This article and video talks about specialty ice sculpting tools. These tools are dangerous and can easily cause serious injury or conceivably even worse to yourself or others in the vicinity. I have seen experienced ice sculptors injure themselves with bits similar to these. Should you choose to use the tools described, you do so accepting and understanding these risks. Be careful!
This video is a quick look at 3 conical end mills: the 7 degree cone endmill, the 10 degree cone endmill, and the ice needle. (The ice needle doesn’t really look like a conical end mill, but it is. It’s just small.) The 7 and 10 degrees both have 1/4 inch shafts and fit standard die grinders (the Makita GE0600, for example). The ice needle has an 1/8 inch shaft and fits a Dremel tool (or a die grinder with an 1/8 inch collet).
The 10 degree bit is large, aggressive, and quite dangerous. It works well for strong lines and shaping. It’s also fantastic for removing templates frozen onto your ice. The 7 degree bit is smaller and is my choice for most of my detail work and even some lettering. The ice needle is tiny and appropriate for small lettering or the finest details.
All three conical end mill bits (especially the 10 degree end mill) can cause serious injury if used improperly and should be used with great care. Novice carvers should only use them under the supervision of an experienced carver. As of this writing, the bits are available at Ice Crafters. (10 degree endmill: $87; 7 degree: $62; call about the ice needle.)
If you have trouble viewing videos on this site, you can check my YouTube channel, as I post them there also.
links and things
This post shows up on the ice sculpting techniques page and the ice sculpting tools page. Plus, the video also shows up on the ice sculpture videos page.
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