I have the Razortip system which is similar to the Colwood according to
> what I read on the Colwood pages. Personally I like my Razortip but the
> Colwood looks adequate. I would get a fixed tip pen for general use, the
> "B" at 1/4", and one for writing, the "C"
>
> --
> God bless and safe turning
> Darrell Feltmate
> Truro, NS, Canada
>formatting link
Tony I should be clear that I have not used the Colwood system. I do have the Razertip. It was developed for the high intensity use of professional bird carvers who burn for hours at a time as they define the quills of a bird's feathers. In theory one can get 120 lines to the inch using the standard tip. I am not in that theory but I can get a fine line. The systems are available with 10 amp, 45 watt power supplies, line and fixed tip hand piece at
Without going into brand names, higher power is better. It's not that you need higher temps than the small burners will achieve, but you do need consistent temperatures. That means recovery time should be minimal, particularly as you will be burning deeper and hotter than bird carvers. The more available power, the faster the recovery time. With the high end Detail Master or any reasonable equivalent, you can just about burn continuosly.
Btw, 120 lines per inch, with a tip sharp as a good knife is possible, and some can even go higher. I only did it once myself, to prove to a bird carver that it wasn't as hard as he wanted to make it sound. :)
Jim
Joe Flem>Tony,
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required