Airtact looks pretty cool.

Mike Cirelli · Jan 26, 2007

I don't know much about it but it looks like a winner. Has anyone tried it yet? http://www.airtact.com/
GRS just posted this and it looks like an I need one of those things

Mike

jimzim75 · Jan 26, 2007

Looks pretty cool. I'll bet the guys are trying in Reno right now. Something new to smuggle past the wife.

Ray Cover · Jan 26, 2007

SharpGraver · Jan 26, 2007

Ray, thats my assessment also

jimzim75 · Jan 26, 2007

There is a definite art to smuggling. They can't see it, when it comes in the house or the paper trail either. Then there's the
after denial, "Oh, I've had that for years". Listen, Zurich is a small town and not much happens here, so this keeps things
interesting.

jacques herbst · Jan 27, 2007

this looks good.if i understand it correctly it will open new doors for people that cant use there feet.let us know how it works.

Mike Cirelli · Jan 27, 2007

Okay I think this unit needs to be hooked up to a Max or Mach for it to work. You guys probably got it I guess I'm a little slower. I read it on the fly and didn't catch the retrofit part. It does seem great for a handicapped person because of it ability to run the hand piece with even the mouth. But I don't know if I want to learn something new. I just got used to the foot pedal for cripe sakes. Still a nice idea. I'm not sure if I was so debilitated that I had to use my mouth I would bother engraving, I got two hands and I still feel handicapped. But handicapped people are not a pus-y like I would be in that situation.

Mike

jimzim75 · Jan 27, 2007

Mike,
There used to be a company called Motif. There foreman was a wheel chair jockey. 60% of the crew were in chairs
also. There nick name was the wheel chair mafia and they were all really good at the bench. They did more innovating for tools
than I've seen anywhere else. There standard pedal was mounted on the arm support and activated with there elbow.
When I saw all this it was 1975-78. So will they use this? Ya, like white on rice.Will I use this? If there is a real advantage that
put me ahead of the crowd? Absolutely.

Marcus Hunt · Jan 27, 2007

I think I might give one a go. Firstly, I've always wanted to have a hand controlled unit but one where you can come off the pressure and pop the bur by hand. I may be wrong but the Palm Control always looks like it's going to go deeper if you try and pop the bur the English way (i.e. getting the tear drop shape in small scroll for example) because it normally means putting a lot of pressure on the graver to get the bur fully out. That's one of the few things that stopped me getting a Lindsay Palm Control. The 'trigger' would be perfect as you could come off the air at the last second and POP!

I find the foot pedal a bit of a pain and it used to trigger back ache after many hours use. I've discovered a way of stopping the 'pull' now though but even so pedal and hand never feels totally natural to me; so if something is totally hand controlled, as the old push graver was, to me this is the ultimate.

One thing that puts me off is another bloody great box to control the thing! Couldn't the boffins have come up with a slick, diddy unit to control the thing instead of something that looks the size of a Mach? Being an engraver aesthetics are really important to me and I must admit SL wins on that point.

The price looks good though and I'm really tempted to order one.

cheers,
Marcus

Mike Cirelli · Jan 27, 2007

Jim
My hats off to men like that. They are more a man than I.
Mike

Tom White · Jan 27, 2007

Opinion

First I will say I do not wish to start a war but being in Reno now and having tested one of these and also the Lindsay palmcontrol here are my opinions.

First off the tool is a little slow to respond and seems to take off in a jerk. After is is running it seems a little bit better. It seems that there is a time lag between the request and the response perhaps all of that tubing running about I am not sure but there is plenty of it.

I asked but did not get a clear answer as to air usage CFM I could not find it in the brochure either.

There is another box on the bench where I do not have enough room as it is.

The piece that is to be a foot control was difficult to feel under my foot and shoe maybe barefoot would be better but watch out for the metal chips.

It did seem to cut well after getting started.

It is too bad that GRS did not get into gear with improvements for engravers until they were forced to try to copy improvements that were the concept of another.

You know you can buy a kit car that looks like the real thing but once you drive it down the road you know it is just a kit car it looks good but it is not the real thing.

This message asked for opinions and this is mine after using this tool and the Lindsay in my opinion the Lindsay is still the tool I will buy.

Steve Adams · Jan 27, 2007

I've never met a tool I didn't like, and it is strange how they follow me home. It sounds like most of us share a common addiction.

Mike Cirelli · Jan 27, 2007

Well one thing about this forum you can say what you think. I guess that rules out all the BS that Sam started this for GRS. If you don't like something that's just fine. This is democracy at it's best.
Just my thoughts
Mike

Dave London · Jan 27, 2007

Tom Thanks for the show update, Steve A I have the same problem must be something about being from Pennsylvania

Ray Cover · Jan 27, 2007

Nope Dave it aint just a PA thing. I have been knonwn to buy tools I will never use just cause their sexy.

Dave London · Jan 27, 2007

Hi Ray
Glad I am not the only one, so many tools so little time

Sam · Jan 27, 2007

I'm sitting here in the Narita Airport in Tokyo, but wishing I was in Reno to participate in all the tool excitement! What a GREAT time to be an engraver (credit goes to Ray for that statement).

Tom: I can assure you that Airtact will operate with flawless accelleration. A person can engrave a gnat's eyelashes with it!
Tool wars: Ain't gonna happen! Life's too short for that.

Mike: If anyone said I "started this forum for GRS" they are sadly misinformed. The Cafe is about engraving, not which tool brand someone uses. I thought I made it quite clear that that was the case, but perhaps it should be repeated. Everyone here is free to discuss thier favorite tools as long as the discussions are polite. Few of us (if any) will be able to realize the full potential of the tools we use, so arguing about them is wasted energy.

If I have done something to make a any of you feel unwelcome here, please let me know.

Now I think I'll head to my gate and get ready to settle-in for the next 20hrs and think about how GREAT it's going to be to see my Abigail again! / ~Sam

Abigail · Jan 28, 2007

Mike Cirelli · Jan 28, 2007

Mike Cirelli said:
I guess that rules out all the BS that Sam started this for GRS.

I should have worded this as " rules out any BS" "not all the BS" sorry, sorry, sorry for mistyping.
Mike

Ray Cover · Jan 28, 2007

I know how you feel Abigail

Holly is away at a conference this weekend and I can't wait for her to get back either.

Ray

Airtact looks pretty cool.

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