Pen Wizard - Owners discussion

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Texatdurango

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I thought it might be nice to have a thread where the pen wizard owners could share things they learn about the tool.

I have a few items to share……

1. If you are one of the first to receive your wizard you may have a problem with the plastic "height adjustment" or "depth of cut" screw whichever you choose to call it. The vibration from the dremel caused my screw to back out a little at a time causing it to cut deeper and deeper until I ruined a blank. I called Beall and JR was aware of the problem and is sending me a replacement part and said to spread the word with others and call him if you need the replacement part, so check your screw to make sure it's not loose enough to back out on its own.

2. When you mount a blank, make sure you tighten the knurled brass knob and the jam nut next to it really tight. I almost completed a design when my brass nut loosened slightly and my blank just followed the cutter, ruining yet another job!

3. If you want to make a six sided blank the dremel will do a fair job using their #115 High speed cutter but due to its diameter it won't make flat surfaces on pens larger than a Sierra.

4. I marked my index wheel with some "white out" so I would at least have a starting point then I marked every fourth hole for reference. Counting around those little holes gets a little tricky. I may get a bit more elaborate as times goes on if needed.

Below is a photo showing the wizard cutting a pentagonal blank using the dremel #115 cutter. This is a Sierra size acrylic blank and notice how the little cutter is at it's maximum capacity. Smaller pens will have narrower flats so this little cutter might be a good tool to have. You can also see the adjustment knob I mentioned above. I put some white out on it so I could see if it moves during use.

It would be nice to hear what others have experienced and what tips are out there.
 

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A close up of the dremel #115 cutter. To maintain the recommended 3/8" height it sits right up next to the collet.
 

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I am not an owner but have a couple of questions. Hope that is ok.

1. You said you were making a pentagonal shape. How did you do that with what appears to be a 24 position index ring?

2. Are you able to follow a template?

3. Is it possible to work a broker size blank in the wizzard?

4. Are you able to cut in both directions left to right and right to left?

5. Is this topic only for the Beall tool? Are other tools with similar function welcome to participate?
 
Could you please post a finished product - say the blank when it is off of the tool as well sa the final turned pen? That will help some of the technically challenged accountants (e.g., me) trying to visualize / justify purchasing one!
 
George Thanks for the information. My pen wizard should be here within a couple of hours. I am thinking of going out and finding the ups truck myself but thewith this snow I would probably crash into someone in my eagerness to pick it up.
 
Woodlvr said:
.......... My pen wizard should be here within a couple of hours. I am thinking of going out and finding the ups truck myself but thewith this snow I would probably crash into someone in my eagerness to pick it up.
Click to expand...


Ordered mine last Friday with all the goodies as well as a Beall Collett Chuck Set and a 'Chuck Puck'......should be here any time now!!!
 
Is there anyone out there who can compare this to one of the Legacy ornamental mills. I know I'm comparing apples to oranges (and a $300 toy to a $900 toy) but I have to questions in mind.

One is precision and repeatability - If my mill bit won't cover facets as Texatdurango points out I should be able to go around once, adjust the lateral setting and go around again without any flaws.

The other one is flexibility. I would like to be able to follow curves on a template at the least. I don't see any way to do that with the wizard.

Marc
 
Hi Chuck, I'll try and answer a few of your questions. While this thread is not limited to wizard owners I was hoping we could stay focused on things we are finding from using them but your questions fit squarely into the mix so....

Chuck Key said:
I am not an owner but have a couple of questions. Hope that is ok.

1. You said you were making a pentagonal shape. How did you do that with what appears to be a 24 position index ring? Sorry, I got my shapes mixed up, I meant to say a hexagon....... Good catch! :)

2. Are you able to follow a template? Yes. There is a brass tube that the depth adjustment screw rests on. This tube can be removed and an actual pre-turned blank or any shaped object can be installed just like mounting the blank on the mandrel. The adjustment screw will then follow the contour of your shape much like a pattern duplicator would. I guess if one had a fine tipped height adjustment screw you could actually install your pen shape and turn this little wizard into a duplicator, albeit a crude one.

3. Is it possible to work a broker size blank in the wizzard? I'm not familiar with the kit but I have been practicing on maple blanks that are 5" long and .625 dia.

4. Are you able to cut in both directions left to right and right to left? Yes, it has a reversing gear which allows you to make a mirror cut if you are doing designs or you could simply crank it backwards. I did this a few times planing the hexagon blank and it did fine.

5. Is this topic only for the Beall tool? Are other tools with similar function welcome to participate? Personally I would like to keep it wizard related pertaining to things we find as we start using them. THere is nothing stopping another thread from starting up though. :biggrin:
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marcruby said:
Is there anyone out there who can compare this to one of the Legacy ornamental mills. I know I'm comparing apples to oranges (and a $300 toy to a $900 toy) but I have to questions in mind.

One is precision and repeatability - If my mill bit won't cover facets as Texatdurango points out I should be able to go around once, adjust the lateral setting and go around again without any flaws.

The other one is flexibility. I would like to be able to follow curves on a template at the least. I don't see any way to do that with the wizard.

Marc
Click to expand...
Well there is and probably a call to Beall might be in order or perhaps starting a thread entiltled "Beall Pen Wizard versus other ornamental tools" might answer some questions.

Please don't take my suggestion as being ugly, I was just trying to have a thread where we could discuss things like... "if the O-ring keeps popping off the reverse gear, here's what to do" kinda stuff.
 
pen wizard

Some samples for your interest
 

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Texatdurango said:


I have a few items to share……

1. If you are one of the first to receive your wizard you may have a problem with the plastic "height adjustment" or "depth of cut" screw whichever you choose to call it. The vibration from the dremel caused my screw to back out a little at a time causing it to cut deeper and deeper until I ruined a blank. I called Beall and JR was aware of the problem and is sending me a replacement part and said to spread the word with others and call him if you need the replacement part, so check your screw to make sure it's not loose enough to back out on its own.

Click to expand...

Bit puzzled by that:confused:

If the manufacturer is already aware of a problem with his new product I would expect said manufacturer to send out a replacement part without the new owner having to ask for it:confused: (he can't have shipped that many by now).
 
I just got mine yesterday, I will start playing around tonight. Texatdurango, Did JR say if he already fixed the problem at some point? I wonder if I will have the same problem with the screw backing off?
 
The depth adjusting screw backs out because it is too loose in the holder. We have made new holders with tighter threads and will send you one if you let us know. Only a few got out that way. Sorry for the problem. Thanks for the heads-up. In the mean time you can use one of the 1/4-28 nuts supplied as a lock nut on the screw to secure it from moving.
 
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Got mine yesterday, but with a show today and all day Friday and Saturday, looks like it will be Sunday before I can try mine out. :frown::frown:
 
received mine today. I have engraving to do and maybe can play this weekend. Certainly want to have some hands on time before the IAP get together. Looks like this is going to be alot of fun. Package arrived and no issues.
 
side cut vs. top cut

You may be able circumvent the size limitation by modifying the mounting plate of the Wizard to enable a "side cut" instead of a "top cut" the way it's designed. With a side cut, you'll use a Rotozip spiral bit. There are a couple of advantages to a side cut. Chief among them is that the Rotozip bits are very cheap.

I am very excited about this machine and may order one for myself. Has anyone tried it using a Foredom 44T handpiece with a 1/4" shank bit?

Is this machine capable of making large rope-twist pens, like those that Anthony Turchetta made?

Improvements I'd like to see in this machine:

More precise (i.e. micrometer-like) depth settings, useful when cutting slots for abalone inlay strips.

Modification to the mounting plate to permit both side cuts and top cuts for both Dremel and Foredom 44T mounts.

Steve


Texatdurango said:


3. If you want to make a six sided blank the dremel will do a fair job using their #115 High speed cutter but due to its diameter it won't make flat surfaces on pens larger than a Sierra.
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Hi Steve,
The rope twist needs a special cutter to cut the rope profile. I make the rope twist using my (very similar to the PW) MillLathe and the special rope twist router bit. I purchased the bit from the supplier who grinds bits for Legacy mill. A link may be on the Legacy website or I can find the info and post it here later. I'm not sure if the PW will do a spiral pitch that will work with the rope twist bit. I'll know this evening after I have an opportunity to test my PW using my rope twist bit.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Borg_B_Borg said:
Is this machine capable of making large rope-twist pens, like those that Anthony Turchetta made?
Steve
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It looks like in order to do any planing type cuts wider than 5/16" or rope type cuts, a tool such as a Foredom will be needed.

The wizard comes with the attachment to insert a hand tool with a 1" diameter. I have been searching all over the web and from what I learned, it appears that the Foredom K5240 with the 44t or better yet, the new 43t hand piece is the ultimate tool to use but at $258, a bit pricey.
 
So George are you saying that to get the most out of the PW that the foredom K5240 is needed or can a dremel do all but the planing cuts above 5/16 and no rope cuts?
 
I use the foredom type tool that Harbor Freight sells and use the foredom 44T hand set with my MillLathe and plan to do the same with the PW. The hand set that comes with the Harbor Freight tool does not hold 1/4 inch router bits and the Foredom 44T fits right onto the HF unit. I think I paid about $40 for the Foredom 44T handset online somewhere.
The HF unit: Flex Shaft Grinder/carver Item #40432 and sells for $53.99 on the HF website. I paid $69.99 for mine two years ago.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



Texatdurango said:
It looks like in order to do any planing type cuts wider than 5/16" or rope type cuts, a tool such as a Foredom will be needed.

The wizard comes with the attachment to insert a hand tool with a 1" diameter. I have been searching all over the web and from what I learned, it appears that the Foredom K5240 with the 44t or better yet, the new 43t hand piece is the ultimate tool to use but at $258, a bit pricey.
Click to expand...
 
Got my Pen Wizard last night........woooh, hooooow!!!!:)

Went through the PW CD and also the other CD about their other products.....neat stuff!

Up so late, kept falling asleep!!! Will play again this weekend!
 
its_virgil said:
I use the foredom type tool that Harbor Freight sells and use the foredom 44T hand set with my MillLathe and plan to do the same with the PW. The hand set that comes with the Harbor Freight tool does not hold 1/4 inch router bits and the Foredom 44T fits right onto the HF unit. I think I paid about $40 for the Foredom 44T handset online somewhere.
The HF unit: Flex Shaft Grinder/carver Item #40432 and sells for $53.99 on the HF website. I paid $69.99 for mine two years ago.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
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Thanks for the great tip.
 
Well, here is my first assessment of the PW. First of all, since I have the MillLathe, I have another mill with which to compare the PW. I used the foredom handset and the rope twist router bit mentioned earlier. There is what I consider a problem with the PW using this bit. The platform on which the cutting tool rests is free floating. Because the cutter floats and the rope bit takes such a large bite(1.2 inch diameter), the bit itself did not stay at the depth I had it set. Several passes were necessary and I finally had to hold down on the cutter mounting platform to keep the bit at the depth I wanted. This may not be a problem using bits that take smaller bites. Or, maybe I'm missing something and will get it figured out.

The MillLathe has a mechanism that locks into place once the cutter depth is set. I've attached a picture of my millLathe for those who aren't familiar with it.

The PW does do have the Guilloche attachment and the Milllathe does not. This is my main reason for getting the PW.

The PW has GEARS and my MillLathe has belts that tend to slip. I love the gears instead of belts.

I'll be playing with the other features of the PW tomorrow and will probably continue to do the rope twists with the MillLathe.

But, the PW is a fun tool and I look forward to the many things it will do that my MillLathe will not.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 

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belt vs. gear

Don:

I, too, have a MillLathe and have found the belt slipping to totally mess up the synchronization between the rotation and the x-axis travel. One of my many back-burner projects was to retrofit the MillLathe with gears to eliminate this slipping problem, but I never found time for it.

Steve


its_virgil said:
The PW has GEARS and my MillLathe has belts that tend to slip. I love the gears instead of belts.


Don
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Steve,
When you do make those gears, make two sets ;-)
Don


Borg_B_Borg said:
Don:

I, too, have a MillLathe and have found the belt slipping to totally mess up the synchronization between the rotation and the x-axis travel. One of my many back-burner projects was to retrofit the MillLathe with gears to eliminate this slipping problem, but I never found time for it.

Steve
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Spent all day Sunday playing with the PW. Will post pictures on another thread.

I have no experience with the Mill Lathe, but it would seem if a belt is slipping, you might design a spring-loaded tensioner to solve the problem.

Just a thought and a BUMP!!
 
Resin cris-cross on Alt ivory

Alternative ivory takes to cutting like a fish takes to swimming!! Nice clean lines, easy to cut, very predictable.

By using the reverse mechanism, and playing with the drive gear ratios, you can generate some different patterns:
 

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Actually, I am very willing to go where Tex is headed. Admittedly that was not the purpose of my post, I was pretty happy with the pens. BUT, if anyone wants to know the difficulties:

There is a little slop between going in forward and reverse. You can see the "starting point" at the top of each line on the black (first) pen is not exactly the same. I attribute this to the fact that the Dremel tool does not line up on TOP of the pen, but slightly toward me. The plastic positioners will not allow it to go any farther. Is this just MINE, or do they all stop short?

The mandrel holding the pen blank can easily be overtightened, pushing it out of alignment. Be careful to keep it straight, NOT "real snug".

"Counting" the holes can be improved. I marked every third hole with a silver dot and every fourth hole with a gold dot. All I need to remember is silver or gold and I don't "miss a hole".

HOpe this is more in line with the spirit of the thread. Sorry.

Yes, I will answer direct questions, I did spend about 10 hours playing with the toy!!
 
Actually this thread has been very helpful so far, intentional or not. Even the cheaper Legacy's are extremely costly when fleshed out out with options. I could spend almost 2K on a Legacy 900 with all the features. I certainly didn't want to buy one and find that a $350 tool would do almost as much.

Marc
 
No can do. A tensioner won't help because the "slipping" is not due to looseness of the belts. When Don referred to "belt slipping" he meant it somewhat loosely. A slightly more accurately description is creeping. The MillLathe is driven by thick polyurethane rubber bands and the bands can cause loss of synchronization through creeping. It's somewhat analogous to the way an earthworm contracts a short segment of its long body at a time to creep along the soil. As the pulley is turned one side of the pulley causes the belt to contract, while the other side causes the belt to stretch. Just as an earthworm can move on the soil by propagating the contraction and extension down the length of its long body, the belt can creep by minute contractions and stretching propagated down from one side of a pulley to the opposite end of the same pulley as the pulley is turned.

Steve

ed4copies said:
Spent all day Sunday playing with the PW. Will post pictures on another thread.

I have no experience with the Mill Lathe, but it would seem if a belt is slipping, you might design a spring-loaded tensioner to solve the problem.

Just a thought and a BUMP!!
Click to expand...
 
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