VersaCarve Aims to Put a Modular "Creative Command Center" on Your Desk
Modular "micro-workshop" takes a soldering iron and rotary multitool and turns them into everything from a drill to a heat-set insert tool.
Toolmaker startup VersaCarve has opened crowdfunding for its first product, an eponymous desktop "micro-workshop for makers" that can act as a drill press, engraving tool, soldering iron, heat-set insert tool, drum sander, and more.
"Say goodbye to the chaos of scattered tools, tangled cords, and cluttered workspaces. VersaCarve consolidates your maker must-haves into a clean, modular system you can carry in your backpack," claims VersaCarve's Cheuk Hung Tam of the company's inaugural product. "No more tool-switching, no more mess — just focused creation with professional-grade results."
The modular VersaCarve system is built up from individually-boxed tools housed in what the company calls a VersaBox, two of which can then be combined into a single worksurface using a VersaFrame mount to provide a larger worksurface than an indvidual VersaBox.
For use on-the-go, VersaCarve has also announced the Power+ — a power-management system in the VersaBox style that provides magnetic tool charging, an LED worklight, and a fume extractor with carbon filter. Accessory kits for the SolderPro and PowerGrind, meanwhile, add items including tip cleaner, soldering pump, drill bits, saw blades, cutting wheels, and sanding drums.
Mounting systems provided with each tool unlock additional functions: the SolderPro can be used as a heat-set insert tool, while the PowerGrind can be mounted vertically for use as a drill press or horizontally as a desktop drum sander. The company claims the tool and its accessories are suitable for a range of materials, including 3D-printed PLA and ABS, glass, wood, leather, cardboard, stone, and printed circuit boards.
"VersaCarve is engineered for durability and reliability, crafted through countless prototypes and rigorous testing to ensure it performs flawlessly across your creative projects," Tam claims. "From our extensive prototyping phase (May–June 2024) to the final design (July 2024), every component has been thoroughly vetted for safety and consistency, so you can trust it to handle demanding tasks with ease."
The VersaCarve is now funding on Kickstarter, with physical rewards starting at $69 for early backers of the PowerGrind or SolderPro "Basic Kit" rising to $169 for the "Mastercraft Kit" bundle with PowerGrind, SolderPro, Power+, VersaFrame, and both sets of accessories — all at a discount from the planned eventual retail price, and with an expected shipping date of December this year.