[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by Irish

I am not going to be able to get close to the computer for photo editing today. So, I will just post these reference scans. These are from our yard and you should have seen the struggle to wrench them out of that squirrel's hands.

Susan

You took those poor lil squirrels dinner? Geez Susan

[Pyrographer]

Originally Posted by Woodartist

OK Susan, I was thinking that tips could be sold as "not polished," and never heard of that. My Optima came all shined up also and I keep them clean using Tripoli and Rouge and stroping on leather. Haven't tried the aluminum oxide yet. I found keeping them clean and shiny kept the heat transfer constant.....so I didn't have to elevate the temperature while burning.

Inquiring minds just want to know
Thanks..

I believe Susan said you can get the Colwood polished but typically they do not come polished. I guess I'm learning something new today too because I was not aware that Colwood would polish them if you asked. The Optima and Razertip come only one way, polished. I keep my tips clean with the aluminum oxide and strop and after 6 years with the same tip it looks and works just like it did when it was new.

Bill, I agree that keeping them polished does make them work better. And I think the reason I said previously that I had to clean the others more often (and yes, I was the one that said they dragged) was because the ones I had the unpolished tips.

Nedra

[Coffeeman]

Susan,

Thanks for this step-by-step process, I'm really interested in taking a shot at "pyro" and this is very helpful, at this point, I've only used my woodburner for fur & hair, but will definitly be giving it a shot. Bill

[teeburn]

Hi Susan,

I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to do this. I'm really enjoying this and looking forward to the continuing step-by-step process.

I think this is helpful to all burners/pyrographers no matter what stage or level you are in. This is very interesting and informative. And I agree this is especially good for the beginning person.

I'm not a newbie but I'm still definitely in the beginning to intermediate level, process of being able to implement every thing I have been learning. I have a lot of knowledge from all my research and two seminars I have been able to take.

As I said before it's just being able to execute it. I'm practicing as much as possible to become more accomplished. I mainly use patterns at the moment. I've been trying to venture out, stretch out from the patterns. So the mapping stages have been my favorite part so far.

That is exactly the process I'm trying to implement in my burning now. Keep up the good work. I'll be waiting/watching with bells on.

Till then Burning!!!
Teeburn (Tina)

[Irish]

HiloBoy,

I checked with Colwood and I will try to be as accurate as I can here in relating what they said. The gentleman was not sure if the Optima pens would connect to the Colwood RCA plug. If the Optima has an RCA recieving end on the pen it may fit if the two RCA's are the same size. If they are not the same size Colwood would be pleased to make you an adaptor.

He also noted that even when pens can be switched between different company's burning units there may be a slight difference in the way they burn on the new machine. Each company has their own power range and pen cord range. So they, of course, use a wire size that is most appropriate to their system.

Example ... my Colwood Detailer seems to be a 'heavier' power source then my RazorTip and my Colwood writing pen has a heavier gauge of nichrome wire then my RazorTip writing pen. So were I to use my RazorTip Writing Tip pen on my Colwood I would believe (I haven't done it myself so I am making a guess here) that the pen would heat perhaps a little faster and hotter on the Colwood.

Now, as a pyrographer I would want to be able to use the pen stash that I had already collected if I needed or wanted to change burner manufacturers. As Nedra pointed out, she has a pen that she has been using for six years ... at that time length it is probably a favorite. Who wants to lose their favorite pen because they changed systems -whosits, who wants to lose any pen stash because they changed systems!

So, I would suggest that if you are interchanging pens and burning units that you do a test burn on scrap wood just for that combination. That way you know the number range for the pen based on the burning unit. Just my thoughts.

I would suggest that you contact either Colwood or Optima directly or both for more ideas and information.

Nedra,

Yes, Colwood will and does polish tips if that's what you want.

Perhaps it's because I came into wood burning from the carving side that 'polished or unpolished' isn't an issue one way or the other to me. And, this review is based on MY experiences here We wood carvers are obsessive complusive crazy about sharpening, brightening and polishing our carving tools. In fact if you check the carving threads about sharpening tools you'll see we are always talking about "I strop and I strop often!". Guess I just naturally have taken that obsessive trait right to my burning table.

Mike, my beloved hubby, has long been concerned that I will one day strop the writing tip to my old Walnut Hollow into non-existance because I have owned that one so long. 25 years and counting. I did purchase a new Walnut Hollow a few years ago. Not because there was anything wrong with the one I had but because I thought it would be nice to have two going at once with different tips.

For me, in my experience, the only time I have had a pen tip drag ... oops ... I should say first that I keep my cleaning strop on my work table and within reach no matter what burner is on the table ... is when I have become so involved in the burning that I 'missed or forgot' to stop and check for carbon build-up. Now that one is my fault not the burner or the pen tips fault. And that was on my RazorTip as I have barely used the Colwood long enough to get the new smell off of it.

One more thing here ...

I made a mistake!

While I talked with the gentleman at Colwood and we were looking at Hilo's question he pointed out that I had made a mistake. The Detailer that I have does NOT have the 16 gauge cord. It has the smaller 18 gauge cord. So what I thought was their extra heavy duty cord is only their normal heavy duty cord. My apologizes for that one!!!!!

Susan

[Irish]

Hey Tina,

Thanks for the encouragement and thanks for joining in the discussion.

If you have any questions as we work through the mapping stages please jump in. I may not have the answers but we are blessed here on the message board to have several excellent and experienced pyrographer as Nedra, Mottles, Lindy, Jax to name a very few that may.

Susan

[Irish]

Originally Posted by Woodartist

OK Susan, I was thinking that tips could be sold as "not polished," and never heard of that. My Optima came all shined up also and I keep them clean using Tripoli and Rouge and stroping on leather. Haven't tried the aluminum oxide yet. I found keeping them clean and shiny kept the heat transfer constant.....so I didn't have to elevate the temperature while burning.

Inquiring minds just want to know
Thanks..

I have several different rouges and often use either yellow compound or red oxide with my leather strops. These are my primary stropping compounds for my carving tools.

Several years ago I picked up a snythetic strop and a bottle of aluminum oxide at WoodCrafters. The synthetic strop has a firmer base or structure to it then the leather ones I have used. There is only a minimal amount of 'give' to the surface where my leathers tend to be more flexible and can even become ridged or rutted from use. So I keep the synthetic for that final stropping whether on my carving tools or pen tips.

Plus my synthetic strop is very easy mantainence (sp). I just head to the kitchen sink once in a while for a quick cleaning with dishwashing detergent and water. That removes the metal and rouge build up quickly without disturbing the strop surface in any manner.

The aluminum oxide came in this very tiny little bottle ... but it appears to last forever. It is a finer grit then either of my cake rouges (red oxide or yellow compound). Since it's a powder I like it with the burning pen tips. That power can reach into the turns or loops of the tip where my other rouges just can't reach.

In fact with my RazorTip writing tip that has a nice tight loop I can pick up some aluminum oxide on my finger tips and work it along the wire manually. Once I have it worked in I wipe the powder residue off with a clean cloth. This has worked great for me to clean off the carbon where my stropping can't quite reach.

Susan

[Woodartist]

Thanks for the strop info, Susan. I might just buy a synthetic strop because what I'm using now is a piece of leather. Seems to do the job fine, but there can always be room for improvement.

Yes, the Optima has an RCA phono type of connector. However, as you stated, the wire size to the pen is a consideration. Also the internal wiring and transformer rating are also factors. So, even if the connectors fit there are other considerations. Why an audio connector is being used for power is not maybe the best connector selection. I suspect the early units were designed with the RCA and it became a defacto industry standard....as a lot of things are. So the salient point is that the manufacturer should be asked before using various pens. Personally I'd just use the pens that are the same as the burner unit.....since they have been designed for them. Mixing them might not apppear to make a difference but down the road there could be failures to the burner.....or even the pens. Or maybe not.
I'm not sure how well the manufactures have a good understanding of each others "system" designs. Keeping in mind their business is to sell product.

[BRIAN D]

Susan , Great discussion! Thanks ,to all for the input , GOOD Job!
Injection adds to question & discussion. Enjoying ! Brian

[AlArchie]

Susan, (or anyone else that might know) what is the current draw and voltage range on this unit? Watts, amps, and volts. I've been looking on line trying to decide which brand and model to buy, and being sort of a techno-nut want to know more than just the manufacturer's "MOST POWERFUL" model terminology.

These units may have the specs on the back panel, but so far I haven't been able to find anything in the online advertizing. It should read something like "Input 110V AC, xxxxWatts (or amps). Output xxV AC (or DC) to xxV AC (or DC), max xxx Watts".

I'd be interested in the specs on both the units themselves and the individual pens and tips.


If I was anywhere near an outlet that handles these units, I could check them out myself, but dealers within 300 miles of here are as scarce as frog hair.

thanks.

Al