Question: Andu Bulino pen quality??

[Mike576]

Anyone have experience with the Andu pneumatic bulino pen?

I have been getting into bulino and scrimshaw a lot this last year and use my Lindsay classic for light powered stippling. Works pretty well but I thing the pen shape form factor would be more ergonomic.
For most of the work I use just a graver handle with a phill coogan bulino point or a rounded point.

Is the quality good? Does it hold up? Does it have a fine level of control?

First photo is of the tool, other photos are my recent work to show what type of things I would use it for. All are finished pieces other than the peregrine falcon I’m working on now.

Thanks for any advice and input.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I made a stippling tool with a pin vice and use it with Lindsay Classic Mike like what you did with the bulino pen. J.J.

 

[Mike576]

I made a stippling tool with a pin vice and use it with Lindsay Classic Mike like what you did with the bulino pen. J.J.

What a great idea! Extends the length just like I need. Ill look into that as well

 

[Meshach]

If you have access to any basic machine tools you could just make a slender pen-like back for your Lindsay classic.. probably need a piece of 5/8 " rod, could be steel, but brass would be easier to shape if you have to do it with hand tools.. it just needs to be to large enough to put a 1/2" flat bottomed hole in one end, the hole in the mushroom shaped handle on it is about 9/16" deep but you could probably get away with as little as 1/4" if you like, needs to be kept pretty air tight machining an O-ring into it would be best but you could always use a little grease or electrical tape if need be.. after you do that and drill/tap a set-screw you can shape the rod down to whatever size/shape you want..
That way you have all the control of the Lindsay with a more ergonomic drawing type grip for stippling.
..Hmm think I have a new midnight project to go build..

 

[Mike576]

If you have access to any basic machine tools you could just make a slender pen-like back for your Lindsay classic.. probably need a piece of 5/8 " rod, could be steel, but brass would be easier to shape if you have to do it with hand tools.. it just needs to be to large enough to put a 1/2" flat bottomed hole in one end, the hole in the mushroom shaped handle on it is about 9/16" deep but you could probably get away with as little as 1/4" if you like, needs to be kept pretty air tight machining an O-ring into it would be best but you could always use a little grease or electrical tape if need be.. after you do that and drill/tap a set-screw you can shape the rod down to whatever size/shape you want..
That way you have all the control of the Lindsay with a more ergonomic drawing type grip for stippling.
..Hmm think I have a new midnight project to go build..

Not sure why I didn’t think of this! Looks like I have a lathe project now. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Leland Davis]

JJ, how about a picture of your stippling tool

 

[JJ Roberts]

 

[Leland Davis]

Thank you JJ. I like it

 

[JJ Roberts]

Here are the tools I made with pin vises for stippling and Bulino engraving.
J.J.

 

[JJ Roberts]

I found the pin vise stippling tool here on the Engravers Cafe many years ago. J.J.

 

[Mike576]

I found the pin vise stippling tool here on the Engravers Cafe many years ago. J.J.

That looks like a great idea. I’m gonna turn down a longer handle on the lathe to fit as an extended end cap.

 

[Meshach]

This is what I cane up with last night,
Looks/feels like it should work out pretty good. about 2.625 inches long with a .5 blind hole .5 deep with o-ring seal and a setscrew to lock into the indexing detent on the Lindsay body. Probably need to shorten my setscrew a tad and I left the back portion solid and may drill it out if the weight doesn't feel right, but I figured the slightly larger mass just makes the tool more stable if it's not unruly to handle.
I had thought about doing something like this before for stippling but just never got around to it..

 

[Mike576]

View attachment 53069

Looks good! Nice work!

 

[Sageoconnell]

I wonder if an old airbrush could be converted on the front end with a piston attachment allowing you to still use the stock plunger to control the air to drive it all.

 

[Meshach]

I wonder if an old airbrush could be converted on the front end with a piston attachment allowing you to still use the stock plunger to control the air to drive it all.

Might be worth a shot, but one thing to keep in mind is that most airbrushs dont have a lot of control of airflow, that's mostly in the regulator, typically it's just a press for air on and you have control of paint flow via a needle and seat in the handpiece. Still, a thought though because there may be a 'simple' way to change that.. I wonder how air tight that needle and seat are for the paint...