Peter Child pyrography machine any good ?

[ColeyS1]

So I've been umming and ahhing buying a pyrography machine for ages. I looked at several cheapy ones but have found this peter child one that sounds like the best in terms of build quality and comfort. http://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/py.../peter-childs/peter-child-pyrography-kit-240v before I order it I was just wondering if anybody else would also rate this machine, or perhaps for a few quid extra there's an even better machine out there. I imagine I'll be pretty crap at it so having a decent bit of kit to learn/start with can only be a good thing

Coley

 

[sunnybob]

I know a man who has one, and rates it as the best. My wife tried it (she is artistic and was thinking of going into wood burning) and was very impressed at the the speed and comfort of it.
we didnt buy one only because she decided she was already doing too many things.

 

[duncanh]

I have one that's probably 20+ years old and is still going strong. I don't use it much but it does what I need and produces as much or as little heat as I need.
On my turning I tend to do branding style pyrography and with the hand piece that comes with the unit I was finding that my fingers were slipping towards the front.
Recently I made my own hand piece for it from a turned piece of wood, a couple of brass rods, some electrical connectors, speaker cable and banana clips. It works really well and is much more comfortable for longer periods of use. I'll post a photo tonight

 

[ColeyS1]

Thanks guys, that's just what I wanted to hear ! Much appreciated.

Coley

 

[SpencerJJ]

I know this is a bit late but just wanted to add an opinion on the Peter Childs Machine.

I bought a cheap Pyrography "machine" from ebay for 13 quid and it was absolute rubbish, it got so hot I could not hold it so that went back, I then bought a 2 temperature Antex one from Amazon and for the money (about 30 quid) its very good but the routine of letting it cool for ten minutes and then to heat up for 5 mins to change "nibs" quickly became a chore.

I bought a Peter Childs machine and second pen from Turners Retreat and the speed of changing pens and the fact it heats up within literally 5 seconds made things fun again, The service from Turners Retreat was excellent, Fast delivery and very helpful when the postman lost my 5 year warranty registration card.

To cut a long story short I have just bought a second Peter Childs machine from Turners Retreat as I have made my hobby into a small business doing Pet Portraits and need 3 different nibs so I keep the sketching nib on one and the other one is used to swap the other 2 pens around.

I couldnt be happier with the machine or Turners Retreat and no, I am not sponsored by them and I wont get anything for free for posting here, I paid full price for all my items

 

[duncanh]

Better late than never...

Here's a photo of the pyrography tool I made to use with my Peter Childs unit.
The wood is a random piece of ash which is drilled along its length - 12mm I think, but only needs to be enough to take the bits inside.
The are 2 lengths of brass (I think) brazing rods, approx. 2mm diameter, running along the inside of the tool. These have heat shrink over each individual one (probably not needed) and they're separated by a strip of wood epoxied in place. The tubed are them epoxied into the handle with approx 1cm extending at each end.

One end has a plastic connector block for connecting the wire and the other has the innards of a plastic connecting block. The instructions I found online suggested using blocks with steel rather than brass screws and block as they last longer.
The cable is speaker cable which I had lying around the house - marked as Gale Electronics XL189. It's about my height, so approx. 180cm.
The plug connectors are from Maplin - solderless variety as I'd lent my soldering iron. If you plan ahead you could certainly keep the cost down by shopping online.

It works really well and you can (obviously) shape the handle to suit you. It's a little on the large side but could be made a bit smaller.
The cable heats up slightly in use but nowhere near as much as the original did.

I had most of the parts already so cost was maybe about £4.

 

[Sawyer]

I've got one and find it very good. Heats up in moments and cools very quickly when needed too. Wire nibs are easy to change, but easier still - as Spencer mentions, is to have a second pen as they can be swapped over in the blink of an eye.

Prior to the Childs machine, I had one of the cheap soldering iron types, but it is hopeless by comparision and although not without its uses, can only be considered as a complementary addition to a hot wire machine for anything approaching serious pyrography.

 

[sunnybob]

Duncanh,

I would be a bit worried about using speaker cable for something like that. The insulation on the cable is unlikely to be rated for continuous heat. It might well crack over time.
I cant find any specs on that cable but I would be happier using a heat rated one.

 

[Bigbud78]

I'm making my own machine, have a PC power supply that I converted for rust removal and its just another add on to this. Not something I'd recommend a complete beginner do but its not hard if you have any electrical knowledge/backgound.

 

[sunnybob]

I've seen some scary tales about home made burners. It shouldnt be attempted without a complete knowledge of the parts involved.