Lasco Diamond Products Carving Tools

Starter Set

Reviewed by Dave Morrissette #33653

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Being part of the IPMS Reviewer Corps, sometimes you come across a review item that changes the way you do things. This is one of those items. The Lasco starter set is a 12-piece carving set made to fit Dremel (or other) motor tools that accept 3/32” shanks. Included are 11 various shaped carving burrs and one rim saw. What makes these above and beyond are the average is that the pieces are coated with industrial grade diamonds on the burrs and around the edge of the rim saw. To test this, I decided to cut one of the toughest things I regularly use, 3/8 inch hardened steel rod (I use this to support some of the larger figure kits I build). Usually, this takes a while with the standard fiberglass cut-off wheels and generates a lot of heat. I also have to go to my larger, AC-powered Dremel to get it done. I used my cordless and cut the steel rod off in a little under 15 seconds and with no wear on the rim saw. Wow!

On a lot of the figure kits I build, the burrs are great for removing seam lines. I’ve used other sets for a few years and have gone through several replacements on the most commonly use parts. The Lasco set has burrs shaped like pen points, round balls, cones, small disks and more. All have the diamond coating, which provides for virtually no wear and great consistency. Compared to the other burrs sold, these will last a very long time. They reduce the need to push and that allows for better control when grinding…and a higher degree of safety.

All of the burrs, cut off wheels, rim saws and carving parts are available in grits ranging from 40 to 600, depending on the application. The set I received was 150 grit. I tried removing the seam lines on a couple of kits and they came out beautifully.

Lasco offers all the pieces individually or in sets. The sets are basic (12 pieces in 150 grit), basic (18 pieces in 150, 400 or 600 grit), coarse (30 pieces in 100 or 150 grit) and deluxe (44 pieces in a mixture of 150 and 400/600 grit). The sets range from $55 to $259 for the deluxe set that is discounted 20%. I know that the cost may seem a little high, but from a value and quality standpoint, these are worth every penny.

They have made a fan of me. I can’t express how well the set performed in every task I gave it. I recommend these highly to anyone using a Dremel tool for cutting/grinding. You can find Lasco on the web at www.lascodiamond.com/products or at 1-800-621-4726. My sincere appreciation goes to Lasco for the review set.