If you are not into pen making, this is another review of little interest other than how I spend my money.
If you already are, and have wasted more money on mandrels than you want to further invest, you also have an excuse to exit without retribution.
For those that are just starting off, prepared to examine alternatives, find those shekels are burning holes in your pocket or SWMBO has run out of shoe storage, continue with this review I previously posted at LJ on the 8th. Nov, 2020.
PS. This does not need to be mounted in your drill press… at least it wasn’t mentioned in the instruction.
------------------------------------- ooooOOOO From LJ OOOOooooo -----------------------------------------
Boys and Girls,
If you are not into pen making, this may not be of interest to you. If you have a bucketload of mandrels, bushings and live centres read on at your own peril.
You may think I've been beating the crap out of C19 lately, you are wrong… I can't beat it but can blame it for everything. However, this time I have to give it some slack… While C19 lockup has inundated me with shovel load of spams…
No, not the edible type, I have this propensity to react adversely (at the expense of RC’s my wallet).
I got this offering about the Woodpecker Pen Mandrel. It wasn't the pretty red I expected, but it was a shiny stainless that had my eyes glistening.
I looked and I liked… totally ignoring my stockpile of "similar products"…
mandrels/holders (drive centres)
The pen turners live centres I had, did not secure the mandrel,
just held it loose… this was the best of a bad lot but all were poopsie…
Then I found a similar collete based driver,
which I had forgotten about as it was configured for a bolt action and the last bullet pen I turned was a mini-bolt… nevertheless, none were shiny….
Though the cigar blank I loaded was not created with this mandrel, I tried it out for a fit and was impressed with the ease of setup,
I deliberately loaded just the lower blank to test freedom of accessibility around the end bushings… often difficult with other types of chunky drive and live centres.
To tell the truth I was not expecting a Fe$tool style systainer that Woodpeckers are renowned for, however, I was happy to just get a Woodpeckers black box.
I have a bucketload of bushings,
however, expecting a box , I opted for the extra bushings, hoping to get a neat package… Sorry Mr. Woodpecker… you pecked me short.
Got the bushings in a swag of individual baggies (gallery picture #3) all packed loosely into a crappy cardboard box. After getting into a tizz about missing bush #6 (25006), RTFM'd and found there wasn't one in the packaging
I quickly realised I had to make a new box for this purchase… will be posted later as a project.
Now RTFM'ing a tad more I came upon this YouTube Video that gave this item greater credence than anything I could muster in this review… Please note that the presenters face, though equally chinned, was permitted to be shown as he did not wear my Animal pattern nightie (sorry rc). I direct you to this as it will reveal that the bushes included with my purchase were a tad up market from the run of the mill pen suppliers' offerings (watch the bloody video if you wanna know Y).
If you're a seasoned turner of pens (or just a pen turner) this product may be a duplicated overkill, however, if you are building up your arsenal, it's a great defensive weapon worth the 5 star I've bestowed upon it.
Look out for my proposed packaging of this offering… and if you're not into anything laser, don't look out for it.
Please note that the intention of this post is to make you aware of the product as the referenced video is so much more than I could crap on about…. hell, it nearly made me go out and buy another one.
------------------------------------- ooooOOOOO The End OOOOOooooo -----------------------------------------
Don’t be crafty Craftisians,... SHARE your craft!
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
well once again........................god i hate to admit it, but im with the duck again !!!!!!😣 but this is another winner for those that like to do pens ! well made high quality that cant be beat. as the duck said and ive done wasting many dollars on inferior products ! take our word or spend your money on less quality that you'll probably buy in the end ! live and learn "boys and girls" as the duckling would say 😁
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
I had one that most sane people would be satisfied with (one on top), This is a great mandrell for someone starting (compared to the one above it), out as it comes with a swag of the more popular (theoretically) bushes in the one package. Though I will admit that the 'pecker one does give a tad greater clearance for the blank at the tailstock end... allbeit a few mm's, but that could save mounting a slimline bush as a packer.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
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