Hey .... where's that PW Product Review???

[DocStram]

Hey guys ..... now that y'all have had a chance to play with your PWs .... how about a really comprehensive Pen Wizard review for the Products Review Forum? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I'll be glad to help edit your rough draft! :biggrin:

 

[YoYoSpin]

Maybe you should consider a compilation of comments and mini-reviews from several users. Here's my mini review…

The Beall Pen Wizard is a great value, with an innovative design and is a well-made machine…that is not for everyone.

It will probably take the average person longer to snap-in with the Wiz than with other turning tools and techniques you've encountered. If you are impatient, and tend to throw your hands up after one or two failures, then this machine is probably not for you. On the other hand, once the Wiz process clicks, and you have dialed in both the machine and your personal skills (in my case it took about 20 pens), the Pen Wizard will add a whole new dimension to your turning toolbox.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

I didn't like the L-brackets included for mounting the PW to a board. I took the PW apart and drilled and tapped some mounting holes on the bottom of the side plates. I didn't bother taking notes as I disassembled because there are pretty good pictures in the manual. OOPS!! Come time to put it back together and I discover that the manual got misplaced during the Christmas unwrapping palooza. Took me almost a full day to get the thing back together again. It's mounted rock solid now though. As expected, the manual turned up shortly after assembly was complete.

I decided to do a custom closed end pen as my first attempt. Took me two days of playing around to figure out a way to mount the closed end blank that I was happy with. So far so good. The blank was 6 inches long with about 5.5 inches to be embellished. OOOPS!! PW maximum work size is slightly less than 5 inches. It sure looks bigger, but my fault for not measuring first. BAck to the drawing board.

The PW has a huge number of possbile configurations. I've got all kinds of great ideas. Figuring out which configuration to use to produce any of them is another story. Pretty good learning curve here. I've decided to start from scratch with some simple short straight sided test blanks to just start getting a feel for how the thing works.

After I get the basics figured out I'll take another run at a closed end pen (with a shorter embellished area).

Ed

 

[rej19]

I've only used the PW a few time so I am definitely still in the learning curve mode. For basic cuts it is pretty simple to use. It is going to take a lot of practice...trial and error to figure out what combinations of gears to use to get certain results. One thing that would help in this area would be some basic setup info on what gears to use in what order to get certain effects. I know that the PW comes with 3 60T gears as a standard setup. Also included are 32T 40T 50T gears to change settings. But this is where the trial and error comes in. This would be a nice thing to share "with an end shot photo" showing what gears go where to get this effect. Don't get me wrong I am certainly enjoying the experimentation but someone may come up with something I have overlooked and not tried. Color coding of the gears would help in this area. I'm still at the starting line at this time.

 

[ed4copies]

If you have your instruction book there is a chart that gives the possible gear configurations and how many revolutions per inch it produces.

You also know you have 24 potential "start" positions (the 24 "peg holes"), so you can space your lines "starting points" accordingly and will change the "barberpole" effect - increasing the number of "holes" you use, decreases the spacing BETWEEN the lines. As you progress down the chart for gears, you will achieve MORE revolutions.

The "guilloche" is a little more difficult to control - change is easy, predicting the result, "not so much".

 

[DocStram]

What I'm really looking for is a comprehensive review of the PW for our Product Review Forum. Perhaps there is a way that one of you PW owners could take the lead on writing one .... email it to me for editing ... and then I'll post it in the Product Review Forum. Other PW owners could then add their comments.

Maybe Ed could take the lead on this? :biggrin:

 

[Chuck Key]

You also know you have 24 potential "start" positions (the 24 "peg holes"), so you can space your lines "starting points" accordingly and will change the "barberpole" effect - increasing the number of "holes" you use, decreases the spacing BETWEEN the lines. As you progress down the chart for gears, you will achieve MORE revolutions.

This is a question for all owners just in response to Ed's post.

Is it possible for the user to modify the number of index holes to say 36 or 60 either my modifying the existing rings or replacing the original equipment?

Also, any input on modifications in other areas?

 

[ed4copies]

The index plate is fairly simple. If you wanted to make one out of, say 1/8" plywood or aluminum, it could be done.

And yes there are other possible mods. I have one that makes the squiggles run in opposing directions. But, so far most owners don't seem to have the machine out of the box. So, let's walk before we sprint!!!

 

[YoYoSpin]

Chuckie,

Thinking about the diameter of a pen, any more than 24 index positions would be severe overkill. Take a look at how close the cut lines are in this pen with just 8 spirals (every 3rd index hole used)...and I'm using a 1/32" cutter on this pen. I'm thinking that any more than 12 or so cuts (every other index hole), the cut design would run together.

As for other possible mods to the Wiz...haven't got that far yet.

 

[Chuck Key]

I see what you mean about the distance between the lines. I was also thinking of the avalibility of 5 or 7 divisions which are not possible with the 24 indexing positions.

 

[coach]

I must find $300! I need that!

 

[Nick]

8 sided poly

I did an 8 sided Acrylic Sierra. Thied a Beal Buff to polish. Even going lightly, it started to round over the facets. Ended up using 600 grit wet, and auto body rubbing compound and a finish coat of Ren Wax
Photo on a previous thread.