Air chisel for study models?

[Hawk15]

Anyone using an air chisel for finishing study models? Is it much of a time saver?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[CloudPeakDL]

Not sure how you are using the air chisel; risk of breaking off critical parts comes to mind but I wouldn't be without my air chisel for breaking out dentures and seperating mountings. Think a bench lathe would be faster and safer. IMHO

 

[Smilewire]

An air chisel wouldnt go anywhere near a study model!

 

[Hawk15]

The reason I asked is that Great Lakes describes their air chisel as "designed for study model prep" Link--> Great Lakes Orthodontics I asked someone from GL about the air chisel and they said they definitely use it for study models. I'm guessing just for the tongue area. I have an employee that does great work but does get slowed down by sore hands after carving for awhile, so I'm looking for ways to help him out. I've tried GL's plaster bur but found it pretty hard on handpieces and not much faster than using a knife or a filler. I've never used an air chisel, so just curious if it's worthwhile to have one or not.

 

[dmonwaxa]

If it's the toungue area you're concerned abou why not just block out? Just a question.

 

[araucaria]

Have you tried polybases? GL supply them, and you should be able to get a platform to set to occlusal level. They could help if you need unskilled labour to carry out these tasks and save a lot of aching hands. They'll save on time and tools - virtually minimal trimming involved. You can do very neat work with a little practice.

 

[Smilewire]

Maybe they use it to deflask mounted study models? or have these things come a long way from the old school ones Ive used?

I like to take all my models and mix alginate its 11.00 for a bag that will make a lot of tounges, and form the tounge area prior to pouring its saves a ton of labor, I also use the buffalo lab knife to shave the edges its super sharp. When I use to work 8 hours a day on models I would work on foam padding like the stuff that comes in packaging and I put cotton balls in my gloves where the calluses were starting there still there today!

 

[Hawk15]

Maybe they use it to deflask mounted study models? or have these things come a long way from the old school ones Ive used?

I like to take all my models and mix alginate its 11.00 for a bag that will make a lot of tounges, and form the tounge area prior to pouring its saves a ton of labor, I also use the buffalo lab knife to shave the edges its super sharp. When I use to work 8 hours a day on models I would work on foam padding like the stuff that comes in packaging and I put cotton balls in my gloves where the calluses were starting there still there today!

Thanks for the replies. When I do the pouring I also use alginate for the tongues.... But I service a satellite ortho practice that pours their owm impressions. Most of the time without tongues. When it was just me doing the carving I preferred they left the tongues out (there were always excess bits of alginate stuck everywhere and generally just sloppy tongues) which was taking me more time to clean-up than it took to carve out a tongue. I don't really see an air chisel being practical for study models but just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something that would make things easier.

 

[dmonwaxa]

Could be just a marketing thing, trying to penetrate anoyher sector.

 

[RetainerDesigner]

Maybe its a "toned" down (low pulses) air chisel, not as powerful as the ones used to break out dentures. I was always curious about air chisels too. My models were always too wet to use a lathe and bur, and I didnt want to dry them, just to wet them again, to sand them, then dry them again for soap.

Anyways, I trained a lady to do them for me know

I got her a couple of these:
Heavy duty carving blade w/ handle
she likes them.

 

[AJEL]

I know this was posted a while a go but every time my ortho friend (kcb) comes over she salivates over my chicago 9361 air scribe. These are special chisels from paleo tools that make it a dream to use even around tricky implant models. Maybe check some out at paleo they tend to be a little loud so I put it in an old sand blaster cabinet with a brite light and suction. Paleo Tools
I know they were designed to clean up delicate fossils in museums (and on site) but I'm a fossil denture tech.ound:

 

[rkm rdt]

Removing the patient's tongue with an air chisel?

...you ortho folks are certainly wired different!

 

[rosarioortholab]

Get out of the study model business ! I stopped doing study models 10 years ago and focused on appliances. Our profits actually increased after the first year. They are so time consuming With low profits to boot.

 

[Inman Labs]

Get out of the study model business ! I stopped doing study models 10 years ago and focused on appliances. Our profits actually increased after the first year. They are so time consuming With low profits to boot.

We did too (get out of the study model business) only to later offer digital models. We should have introduced our digital models while still offering plaster models, this was not a smart move on my part! Digital models are the future and I would suggest moving toward digital sooner than later. We use the 3 Shape 700 scanner and we are supported by ESM, I feel this is the best combination you can possibly offer. I earn nothing for making this statement.

Regards,
Don

 

[rosarioortholab]

Economics of digital study models.

What are he economics involved with digital models?
What profit margin can we expect and initial investment.

 

[kcb]

It works great for removing the tongue and I always fill in after.

 

[Inman Labs]

What are he economics involved with digital models?
What profit margin can we expect and initial investment.

I am not a great numbers guy / person so I cannot give you a true ROI but I can tell you my 16 now 17 year old son can do almost 10 sets an hour. About 5 sets if he needs to add bases per hour but the real value is learning to understand how to deal with digital files so you are ready to deal with digital impressions. We price our models very low as we had chosen to get out of the model business and needed to drive customers back...my bad!

Don

 

[xmortho]

We do ONLY study models, and the business is good.
We have created a system that can push more study models per hour, by carefully choosing the setting/positions for techs in lab, tools etc etc. I still have the tendency to believe that the overhead is really low. Lots of Ortho labs are still using us as subcontract because they choose not to lose time with them. To some labs study models are a waist of time, to others (such as ours) if a decent profitable business.
But I still dislikes the duplication process (We got 20 this week to be duplicated for ABO boards)
,
XM

Get out of the study model business ! I stopped doing study models 10 years ago and focused on appliances. Our profits actually increased after the first year. They are so time consuming With low profits to boot.

 

[Smilewire]

We do ONLY study models, and the business is good.
We have created a system that can push more study models per hour, by carefully choosing the setting/positions for techs in lab, tools etc etc. I still have the tendency to believe that the overhead is really low. Lots of Ortho labs are still using us as subcontract because they choose not to lose time with them. To some labs study models are a waist of time, to others (such as ours) if a decent profitable business.
But I still dislikes the duplication process (We got 20 this week to be duplicated for ABO boards)
,
XM

How are you duplicating, alginate impressions or hydrocolloid(does the hydrocolloid flow over a waxed model?)
I do study models too
I like them, I don;t like what they do to my plumbing

xm- what do you charge for your ABO? Ive heard wild price differences for these I've heard of big labs charging nearly 150.00! I don't think theres a standard price for these