RP Myers

Yes, this is the illustrious inventor of the Grip-All Jaws Holding System. Prior to this R.P. taught carving classes, wrote a book on illustration, formed a home design company, carved and sculpted in wood, stone, and bronze, and a host of other things.

R.P. did a lot of carving work with high-speed cutting tools. One tool he especially likes is the chisel-tooth cutting wheel such as made by Arbortech. This tool consists of a wheel with chainsaw teeth or inserted carbide cutters around the periphery. They are used in an angle grinder and spun at up to 10,000 rpm. You can imagine the speed with which this aggressive tool cuts through wood, not to mention the soft, fleshy parts of the operator if control is lost.

It was the safety concerns with using that tool that ultimately led to the development of the Grip-All Jaws Holding System. It's not hard to imagine trying to hold a work piece and use the Arbortech - or what could happen if you do that.

But here, R.P. is using the Arbortech to carve a bowl from a piece of maple burl. He uses both hands to guide and steer the tool and the work is securely clamped in the prototype of what became the Grip-All Jaws Tilt-Top Portable.

R.P. realized that what was needed was a way to hold a work piece in a way like we do with our own hands which, when you think about it, are pretty good work holding devices.

Here is a Mobius form being carved in black walnut. It's being held firmly in the Grip-all Jaws Orbital Holding System. The carving is being done with a small electric impact chisel and hand chisels.

It can be frustrating working on a curvy shape like this because you have to change positions all the time. That means loosening the work, repositioning, and re-clamping. With the Orbital Holding System you can clamp you work once and reposition it as needed. The Grip-All Jaws Orbital holds your projects firmly and more positively than a regular vise would with it's rigid jaws.

RP Myers uses his own products all the time and continues to come up with new ideas and new ways to hold work pieces firmly, securely, and safely. Rest assured that when new products are developed, you will see them on the pages of this web site.