What a "Faffy" Machine!

[wabbitpoo]

making spiral pens

Never seen that machine before. What else can it do I wonder? Seems very faffy to me.

 

[Bodrighy]

On something as small as a pen I'd have thought that it would be less fuss and quicker to do it by hand with a backsaw and a file. Not difficult and far less 'faffing about' as you say. Perhaps if you are doing dozens of them in a production run it might be worth it.

pete

 

[duncanh]

Alternatively, there's this which was reviewed in the December issue of the Woodturning magazine.

It's a bit pricey, but the reviewer liked it so much he bought one. I saw the results first hand and it's versatility is impressive.

Duncan

 

[Bodrighy]

That does a bit more than just what is essentially a barley twist though Duncan.

Pete

 

[Jeremys]

To each his own, but the process seems a bit mechanistic to me. Impressive results, but the whole thing seems a bit pointless...fraid it just leaves me cold.

Now if I had the skill to create that result by hand I would be a happy man...

 

[Bodrighy]

To each his own, but the process seems a bit mechanistic to me. Impressive results, but the whole thing seems a bit pointless...fraid it just leaves me cold.

Now if I had the skill to create that result by hand I would be a happy man...

Barley twists aren't that difficult. Measure the spindle into equal parts both length wise and on the diameter then draw lines across the diagonals of the squares created. You then cut these carefully with a saw and use a file to open them up and round them off. Sounds more complicated than it is.

Ernie Conover puts it much more simply than me.

Pete

 

[stevebuk]

johnB has the beall pen wizard and i'm waiting for his verdict on it, not that i would bother to get one myself.

 

[BMac]

I see that pen as a by-product of playing with the machine rather than an end in itself. I was lost shortly after he glued the brass tubes in.

Brendan

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi all,

Looks like a bit of kit for those that like their gadgets and gizmos!! I bet Blister or Wizer has one :wink: :wink: :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol: !!!!

Seriously though, for little bits like pens it hardly seems worth it. The Sorby Spirallnig tool would be as effective!! Not sure what kind of diameter you can do on it but as Pete says, Barley twists are not that hard to do by hand!!

This would come into its own for a batch of spindles though.....

These were quite a lot of hard work!!!

Richard

 

[Jonzjob]

Pete, that Ernie Conover video looks great and something that I have been looking for for ages!

I feel an idea comming on, so I think I'll have to go and lie down for a bit :?

 

[Walter Hall]

Alternatively, there's this which was reviewed in the December issue of the Woodturning magazine.

It's a bit pricey, but the reviewer liked it so much he bought one. I saw the results first hand and it's versatility is impressive.

Duncan

I was that reviewer. The pen wizard is a nice machine. Very expensive though if you aren't subsidising it by being paid for a review and/or planning to use it to add value and therefore profit to pens you intend to sell. It enables you to cut spirals in various pitches both clockwise and counter clockwise and also patterns and polygonal flats. Much quicker easier and more consistent than doing it by hand with saws and files.

Also, it is not restricted to pens, anything you can turn on a mandrel can be decorated.

Walter