woodchuck pro

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JoeOCNJ

JoeOCNJ

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2011
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113
Location
Ocean City, NJ
I'm going to order a woodchuck tool soon.. just curious what you guys think work better for start to finish for pens.. the square or round bit..

Also, im going to be making acrylic also, so something that would go with both wood and acrylic I won't have the money to buy more than one for quite some time.
 
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The Woodchuck Pen Pro does not come with both. It comes with two inserts R2 & R4. One has more of a radius than the other, but it is not "round". To get a true round one you need a different tool (Woodchuck Round One)....which I don't think you want. You want the Woochuck Pen Pro.
 
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I think the one with the completely round insert is the best one in my opinion, especially if you are using a small lathe, like a jet mini. The round insert is still aggressive but at the same time, is only contacting a small area at a time, so it runs beautiful ribbons in acrylics, the sharpness lasts a long long time, and then you just turn the cutter 1/4 way and it's back to brand new. All my pens are spun with a round carbide insert and I use them on metal too. The more square type inserts stop my lathe dead in it's tracks and they chip acrylics a lot..when I use it..could be the user of course, but the round one seems to be idiot proof. I even have a modified version for my metal lathe that fits in the QTCP.
 
I use both a rotundo(round) and pen pro(square) on all my pens. I start with the round taking it down close to where i want it, then finish the rest with the pen pro. I get more control with the square for finishing and cleaning it up nicely. My .02 worth :)
 
I use the PenPro a lot. I have tried both the R2 and R4 inserts and prefer the R2. The R2 has more of a radius and allows for good shaping and a great finish but the insert is far from round.

Chris
 
I have the Bowl Pro because with it,I can turn both pens and bowls or anything else I wish . However with the Pen Pro you are limited in size. Mine has the R4 and R2 inserts. I have turned both wood (most) as well as acrylic and had no problem with either. Well, no more than with other tools. Before I ordered my Woodchuck, I talked with Ken and followed his recommendations. Great guy and very helpful. Being an idiot, I bought the bare tool and used it to turn my handle out of white oak, just the tool with no handle. By the way, this is not recommended by Ken or myself as far as that goes. Like I said, an idiot. Love my Woodchuck.
Charles
 
I use the rotundo.( also sold by a member on here) Round, I use this tool for 90% of all my turning and really love it.I have sent many people to him and they also love the tool.Good Luck!
JIM
 
+1 for Square Woodchuck the radius is a preferance for me. At times Il use the R4 and other the R2 and then sometimes the flat.

Either way its a great tool.

I start off with the Woodchuck and finish with the Woodchuck. No sanding needed, straight into the ca finish.
 
The Woodchuck Pen Pro with the R2 is my favorite but I also keep the R4 and straight cutter om hand. It is a fantastic tool! You won't be sorry.
 
Check out Capt Eddie videos on YouTube. In this one he shows how to make a carbide tipped turning tool out of commonly available items. The carbide bits are available from many sources, and he is starting to sell them too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/capneddie#p/u/36/asbxBgGOhas

The round bits with almost a 90 front face Like this |¯ are easier on acrylics, the more acute angles like this \¯ are better for wood, but too "grabby" for acrylics.
 
I use a round tip insert tool from easy wooden tools and the wood chuck pen pro with the R-2 insert. I find the round much easier to use and more forgiving, however it is more difficult to get a smooth finish. When I first started using the pen pro I had a straight edge insert and it was too difficult for me, it almost always caught and blew out a blank or gouged it beyond use. Switching to the rounded insert made it better, but I still have to use it with caution. The insert sits at an angle in mine, (not sure if that is the way it is supposed to be) and I find it difficult to to use because of that. When it works right it indeed leaves a very smooth finish and no sanding is really needed. I guess I just havenn't gotten the hang of it or need some lessons. I can use the easy wood rougher with a square insert with no problem for some reason.
 
I have the WoodChuck Pro and use it on all materials (trustone, wood, acrylics, etc.). It takes a little practice to master but when you do it works like a charm. I have used
both the R4 and R2 square inserts but prefer the R2 radius insert the best. I would high recommend it to any turner.

Wade
 
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