Mastercraft Wood Burning Kit
4.5
5
2
2
Good Kit
I bought this kit to start a new hobby, and so far it has gone good with some exceptions.
The smaller straight tip snapped off when I was using it as it was small and red hot. The bigger one also bent a bit and I don't want to move it in-case of another breakage.
*IF A CAP IS BENT DON'T BEND IT BACK, IT'LL BREAK*
Overall it's good it's harder then it look which causes some frustration, but I can't blame the kit for it.
December 8, 2011
Fine for beginners, but limited accessories
This is a very basic woodburning kit. We got this for the kids to try out a new hobby. They found that the tip was too long to hold comfortably. The parents find it comfortable to hold, although the long tip does make it hard to make really precise patterns or "sign" your name on the wood. I'd recommend practicing on some scrap lumber until you get use the "feel" of the handle and can make precise patterns.
This is a good quality woodburner. We've owned it for several months, and the the tip continues to heat up to a consistent temperature. We have bought other models (including one from Dremel) that we returned because the the tip would never get hot enough after a few tries. It has a long enough cord to be used without an extension cord. (If you do use an extension cord, make sure it is fairly heavy gauge power cord. Woodburning pens draw a lot of amps to heat up to over 900 degrees.)
The MasterCraft woodburner only has a limited selection of tips (7), so you can do only a limited number of burn patterns. For novices (like us) this more than enough, but advanced users may want to invest in something with more pattern options. All seven tips heat up to a consistenly high temperature and carbon build up can be easily cleaned off. We haven't noticed the screw tips deforming from the heat, which is a problem we had with the other woodburning sets we owned. The screw pattern would deform and no longer fit into the pen.
The set comes with a safety stand, but it's a little flimsy. Keep a ceramic tile or a plate around in case the stands flips over while the burner is plugged in. You don't want the hot tip to come into contact with a wood or laminate countertop while it is hot.
We gave this kit four stars because it has lasted well, but it has limited accessories. It would good for a novice users or kids, but advanced users might want to shop around at a specialized hobby shop or shop online for a kit with more accessories.
January 5, 2011
