[BobD]

Hey...I'm the Admin (read that "Fearless Leader") not a moderator!!!! <GRIN>

Thanks Pippin; I usually make a post like that, but...since it's monday and I still haven't gotten through all the e-mails I got this weekend...I'm behind.

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[Pyrographer]

Originally Posted by BobD

Hey...I'm the Admin (read that "Fearless Leader") not a moderator!!!! <GRIN>

Thanks Pippin; I usually make a post like that, but...since it's monday and I still haven't gotten through all the e-mails I got this weekend...I'm behind.

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

Bob, I think Pippin is trying to take over your job...better watch out!!!

Glad I don't have Monday's anymore. Everyday is Sunday for me. Well except for next month when I actually have to remember to show up for some classes and a show and I better find that alarm clock I fired...arg

Nedra

[Pippin]

Originally Posted by Pyrographer

Bob, I think Pippin is trying to take over your job...better watch out!!!

How are the pay and benefits? Maybe I could work just Sundays here and quit my full-time day job.

[Paul_Guraedy]

This has been an interesting and timely topic. I have been doing some woodcarving instruction and was asked to recommend a burner for someone just starting out. I ended up recommending the Colwood Detailer after admitting that I will be purchasing a new burner for myself and still have not decided between the Colwood and Razertip.

I advised in favor of Colwood based on a piece of advice I was given years ago about equipment in general, “Buy the best you can afford without going beyond your needs”. Admittedly, the Razertip has not been put through the paces of the Colwood; but, it appears to me that the Detailer is capable of performing very well for even a professional pyrographer. Therefore it becomes a balance of need and price and there is a significant difference between these two burners.

Purchasing the Detailer allowed for the purchase of pens before reaching the level of the Razertip. I recommended fixed tip pens; but, was asked why the interchangeable pens were not satisfactory. All I could do was quote some of the things I was hearing on the forum. The next question really got me to thinking when asked, “Have you had a problem with all of those interchangeable tips laying there?”

My reply of, “nope”, led to the final deciding question. “Then, why shouldn’t I also be buying the best I can afford without going beyond my needs?” I have not been doing pyrography; but, I have been burning fur and feathers for quite a few years. I have an old machine called "The Detailer" which I did not think was Colwood but may be. There is not even a plate on it describing anything about it. The only problem I have had is a while back the light that tells it is on quit. This led to a couple of burns, the machine staying on for long periods of time and the decision to seek a replacement.

She is buying the Detailer with a pen and several interchangeable tips.

[Irish]

I asked that this posting be previewed under the Bill of Rights for posting by the Admin of this message Board. I have received permission to post.

Obviously there have been a few little misunderstanding, misconceptions and misinterpretations about my thread Acorn WIP. Please take a moment to carefully read the first post on that thread.

The Acorn WIP was never intended to be a comparison between two or more brands of wood burning systems. The intent was for me to discover through my own experience using a Colwood burner how well their system performs and share that with you.

As a professional pyrographers and author with over 20 years of experience and having used already two different wood burning systems I feel that I have ‘adequate’ knowledge behind me to judge the quality of a burner system. I don’t sell nor have plans to sell wood burning systems - there is no financial gain for me in how any manufacturer’s product performs.

On this message board a thread began titled Colwood vs. Razertip. In that thread a member posted several misleading, non-factual and miss interrupted statements against the Colwood system. Those statements were presented as facts. Those ‘facts’ were easily shown to be untrue by simply visiting the manufacturer’s website. When those statements were removed by the Admin that same member did apologize with the codicil that they were just her opinions.

That made me wonder. Was I judging a manufacturer on actual experience, on information discovered through the manufacturer’s website or on other people’s opinions here on the board?

I browsed back through the threads in the pyro section and realized that there were very few statements by actual Colwood users. I noticed that when the Colwood name was brought up in any thread the topic quickly got changed by subsequent postings to focus the attention on the Razortip.

I read the manufacturer’s information on their website. There were other facts about their system that had been inadvertently misrepresented here on the board. I though it was time for me to try their system for myself and make my own impartial opinions.

That is the topic of Acorn WIP. By doing the WIP project I put the Colwood through a thorough testing not just a little quick practice board scribbling. I took photos so that you did not have to just take my words for it. Those photos let you see how the system performed and make your own judgment call.

To be fair, honest and informative when questions arose about wiring I got a 16 gauge cord and tried it. When questions arose about interchangeable tips I got interchangeable tips and tried them. Both included lots of photos.

I was not the member or members of this board that continually interjected the name of Razertip into that thread. Nor was I the member or members that tried to push that thread into comparing the two systems. I responded to these members courteously, politely and with factual responses. Only when a member made a statement concerning interchangeable tips being created only for minimal use and when that statement appeared to me to include all manufacturer’s interchangeable tips did I do a one photo comparison between the Colwood and Razertip.

Since the original focus of this thread was to test the Colwood I did post my opinions. I believe that as a professional when you do a product review you are expected to state your opinions for the readers.

Acorn WIP was intended to be a test of the abilities of the Colwood system by an unbiased impartial professional with that one professional’s opinions and conclusions. It was never intended as a sales device, advertisement, sales incentive tool or to fulfill any agenda for Colwood, Razertip or any other manufacturer’s product. It clearly was written and posted as an information thread only. The last line of that thread asks the readers to actually try the system themselves and make their opinions.

Any member of this message board can do a review of the Colwood, Optima, Razertip or any other manufacturer's product and post their opinions and conclusions at the end.

If you do I will be courteous and polite. I will not push your thread into a comparison thread or selling thread. I will not post what in my opinion and appeared to me to be a well polished, professional worded, carefully phrased, full screen brochure advertisement at the end for some other manufacturer’s system or product with everything but the 'Click here to Order" button.

I have been asked to do a testing for the Razertip by two members - the same two members that participated in the Acorn WIP. Please note that if and when I do it will be with the same detachment and same professional experience and same impartiality and the same unbiased judgment as I have done the Colwood.

I am curious thought that these members have not asked for a test run of the Optima or any other burner system ... Fair is Fair isn't it?

Susan Irish

[WOODIE13]

Nicely said Susan.

[Lindy]

Susan, thank you. Someone like you who is not a distributor, but rather an artist and author who is deeply respected would be the person I would trust the most to be able to give us a review on a burner such as you just did for the Colwood.

As each of us progresses with our art we will each develop our preference. For me that was the very first multi-temperature burner I used and since I was happy with it, I have remained with it. However, for someone just starting out, having someone like you give a complete review of the system will be huge in helping a newbie decide on which burner sounds like the one for them without all the hype of a dealer or the manufactuer.

I've had students in my classes that own Optima and Colwood and they quite loved them. It is my belief that each system has its own merits as well as weaknesses, but without having used them myself I can't comment on them.

So again, thank you for taking the time and energy to do a review such as the one you just did on Colwood.

Lindy

[Hiloboy]

first i want to thank Susan and everyone here that share thier how tos on burning..i have heard this my tool is bigger than your tool thing on every fourm i belong to. not only burning but engraving and scrimshaw, leather. carving,.. it doesn't matter what tool you have.To me what does matter is the time one puts into learning your craft..you can buy the best tool out there. but its not going to make you a better artist..i see peaple on this forum useing walmart burner doing great work..Susan and Nedra are great at what they do. but thier tool didn't make them that way. a lot of long hours and hard work is what matters most.if you want to do work like they do you need to put lots of time into your art work..tool don't make a artist.if it did anyone could be one.what does is hardwork and many hours spent learning your craft..just my 2 cents... buy what you want to buy and LEARN HOW TO USE IT...

[Pippin]

Originally Posted by Irish

Any member of this message board can do a review of the Colwood, Optima, Razertip or any other manufacturer's product and post their opinions and conclusions at the end.

If you do I will be courteous and polite. I will not push your thread into a comparison thread or selling thread. I will not post what in my opinion and appeared to me to be a well polished, professional worded, carefully phrased, full screen brochure advertisement at the end for some other manufacturer’s system or product with everything but the 'Click here to Order" button.

I have been asked to do a testing for the Razertip by two members - the same two members that participated in the Acorn WIP. Please note that if and when I do it will be with the same detachment and same professional experience and same impartiality and the same unbiased judgment as I have done the Colwood.

I am curious thought that these members have not asked for a test run of the Optima or any other burner system ... Fair is Fair isn't it?

I'm going to jump out on a limb here and assume I'm one of the two members to which you are referring.

Correct, I misunderstood the purpose of your thread. I thought it was intended to be a test to educate shoppers, and I thought information about other burning systems would be welcome. Now that I understand that some threads on this forum have rules, instead of being open discussions, I will be sure to go back to the beginning with any threads I join in progress. If there were any reminders along the way to stay on topic or review the first post's ground rules, I'm afraid I missed them.

If I am the author of the "well polished, professional worded, carefully phrased, full screen brochure advertisement" that followed your Colwood summary, let me clarify that I have no affiliation with Razertip, financial or otherwise. My intention was to explain why I chose the Razertip, after researching various burner systems, in case other shoppers would be interested. Again, I did not understand that this was not supposed to be a comparison thread. As for the wording style, I've been writing as part of my day job for many years, and some of my day jobs are in advertising and public relations.

If you are thinking I am one of the members who asked you (Susan) for a similar test run of the Razertip, I don't recall making the request; though I did say at Debate Threads: A new label that it would be a more fair comparison for Susan or some other experienced pyrographer to run a test than for a newbie like me to do so. Yes, I hope any pyrography professionals will now post similar tests of Razertip, Optima, and all the rest.

[BobD]

Enough.

I'm closing this thread. If someone wants to do an WIP and offer their opinions on a different burner...feel free...If you want to discuss why you prefer one burner over another...feel free. If you don't like a post, or the way something was handled, PM me or a moderator.

I'll be honest; this is a carving message board. The pyrography section is a courtesy to the members, but if it turns into a problem, I'll remove it.

To be honest, I'm honored that an international, best-selling author like Lora (Susan) Irish would take time out of her busy schedule to offer her opinions on a woodburner here...and offer a full how-to on a burning...and respond to members questions. That's one of the things I have tried very hard to make this message board: A place where the average carver, woodburner, or artist can go to ask questions of the greats (Ian Norbury, L.S. Irish, Lori Corbett, etc.) Where else can you go and find questions and answers from them in one place?


Bob Duncan
Technical Editor