Wowstick Pen Drill Review - Product Review 47
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 พ.ย. 2024
- In this Product Review video, I take you through the Wowstick Pen Drill, this simple drill makes pinning miniatures so much easier, it carries a decent cost, but for me, it's totally worth it. A Grade.
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Poor Larry. Back on the Rack. This time with holes in his feet. Is there no end to his suffering. Someone needs to come and rescue him. What’s next? A head swap with a rat? ;-)
At one point down the line, Larry should get to retire into a nice diaporama with display painting ! Let’s fight for Larry
I would pay so much money for larry
It is time to declare the creation of LLF. Larry Liberation Front. 😂
@@peterlageri4177 I am start that on the Patreon let’s see if can get a better life for Larry
@@bodotrenaud7441 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
So I've been using this consistently since I purchased this a three weeks ago. I have only one thing, buy this or something similar. I kitbash virtually every model I get (online bit stores and extra stuff from sprues are glorious) and this has allowed me to do things like pinning a banner by drilling straight down the shaft. This was done with ease, swiftness, and efficiency. I've even managed to drill straight down the center of several imperial guard shovels! Something I wouldn't have attempted with my old pin vise. This thing is pure magic. The slower speed compared to a dremel is a huge advantage and it makes it orders of magnitude easier to be precise. At the same time if you apply a little pressure this thing eats through material. If you are at all interested in kitbashing your models and minis get this. Get this now. Thank you for this video Vince, definitely tipped me towards getting an excellent product. Honestly that seems to be case, though. You have excellent taste.
You don't have to unscrew the top piece completely to change the bits.
Its enough if you only losen it slightly and you can pull out yhe old bit and stick in the new one, that way it's slightly less fiddly.
I love my wowstick drill! I bought it to make magnetizing minis easier. It comes with a 2mm bit which perfectly fits the magnets I use for different arms and such on my Drukhari. Super useful and saves tons of time with the old pin vise.
The godhands of pin vices. Feels like one of those tools where you've invested enough into the hobby already where the high cost is actually outweighed by the convenience.
Absolutely. As soon as I saw the Kickstarter I knew I had to have it. I've pinned and magnetized so many miniatures. This thing makes it SO. MUCH. EASIER. If you're painting a couple DnD minis or small skirmish game collection this probably isn't for you. If you're doing a 2000 point Deathwatch army with magnetized weapons and custom bases, THIS IS FOR YOU.
i bought a Dremel Stylo+ ($35)
it has multiple speeds and can also be used for polishing airbrush needles and other stuff so it feel like a better value
Important PSA: If your spouse crafts, and borrows your Wowstick for a project, you're never getting it back. Fantastic tool.
I confess that I have been VERY tempted by this, and your review is definitely adding weight to the "Yes, put this on my wishlist for the holidays" side of my decision. Please do keep us in the loop to see how this tool holds up over time.
Go for it. I've bought lots of things that have either been useless or not an upgrade on what I already have. The Wow still is not one of them. It's superb
I got the 4 pack deal when this was on kickstarter (kept two and gave the other two as gifts) and it has been probably the best quality of life hobby indulgence I've ever purchased. I too have other pin vices, but if I had to drill more than just 3-4 holes at a time my hands would get sore and would begin to cramp up. It really does take the chore out of pinning a model or drilling out gun barrels, in just a fraction of the time. Not a hobby must have, but first on my list of hobby nice to have(s).
Bought one when they were selling a tad cheaper. I use it for fixing my kids’ broken action figures. It is really is fantastic. And I’m an instant hero to the kiddos.
as pure convivence tools this and the vortex mixer are totally worth it to me. hobbying/painting is time consuming and anything that can save me time and make my life easier is worth the investment.
This review nails it for those of us who are in the mini hobby and don't really worry about price point of our tools. If i can blow upwards of 150+ on an airbrush, 65 for a drill isn't too bad. Rock on Vince, your reviews keep my table well supplied and always help me make decisions I don't regret. Rock on, man.
Thanks for the review, Vince, it seems like a gateway tool into getting much more into pinning in general--especially elaborate conversions & kit-bashes. Glad you're seemingly feeling better!
Got one! Love it! Use it all the time... Even drilled a hole in my refrigerator door with it.
Love it Vince great video I have had my wow stick for about a year, I have charged it 3 times and I was originally worried about breaking 1 of the specialized drill bits but 1 year later none of them have broken. Great product
I backed the Kickstarter for this back in the day and I love it. Grab it, drill, pin. Done!
I love mine, I use it all the time. From pinning, to drilling gun barrels, to even making the pilot hole for magnetization. No idea how I lived without it.
Now I can mis-drill barrels even faster!
Use something pointed and sharp (new xacto, old airbush needle or even sewing needle gripped with pliers) to start a small hole exactly where you want it, and the drill is much less likely wander across the surface before gaining purchase.
Might have missed it in the video, but I'm wondering how the Wowstick handles metal? Been wanting to get one only to save me the absolute nightmare of drilling and pinning Warcaster and Infinity miniatures.
This!
Oh yeah need to know how it works with metal minis.
No issue for the soft metal of our miniatures, handles it just fine.
And.... I bought one! Thanks for the heads-up Mr technomancer.
Saw this kit on ninjon few months ago, it's in my to buy list, great to see someone of your calibre use it.
I brought one these a couple of weeks back would 100% recommend.
I got one maybe 6 months ago. Fantastic for drilling barrels also.
Fantastic for the hobby; much, much better than the Tamiya battery operated drill I got for this exact purpose. I used mine to make short work of pinning something like 100 odd models for a large Kings of War army I finished over the past two weeks. Had I used my manual pin vice I'd have hand cramps. Only thing that's a bit of a pain is getting replacement bits because the shank is specific to the Wowstick.
Welcome back Larry, you've been sorely missed!
Very happy with mine - had one from their crowdfunding campaign and has had lots of use.
It does have the shortcoming of a small diameter interface, so for bigger things (like putting magnets) I still use a different hand drill. I do use this one for enlarging guide holes. I think the max size for this is 3 mm. Maybe finding bits with a 3 mm shank would be worth it, it probably can handle up to a 5 mm drill bit in reasonable materials.
I heard Jon mention this but you've sold me. Now let's hope I can get one in Australia because sometimes we can't get the weirdest things
Couple of months back (when I first saw the Ninjon video) it looked to be out of stock on Amazon au, but I saw it on there the other day for $130 AUD. Despite being comparatively more expensive, I still think it's worth every dollar - drilling barrels is so easy now
I am very happy with mine. Was able to drill some barrels, even the muzzle's flash
Every time you said "single-use tool" I kept thinking of single-use surgical instruments which you are meant to throw away after each use i.e. they can't be used again xD I was so confused, "why does he keep saying that?" took me a while to realise you meant it has only one purpose lol but this looks awesome, it's gone straight into my to buy list. Time to retire the old manual pin vice
Perfect timing considering I was looking at a Dremel, but I was concerned on the power of that when using with miniatures
Nice one Vince
you should try the Dispae ES-P Portable Electric Sharpening Pen, its not a drill its a very small mini rotary grinder. Its even smaller then the wow stick, and it's RPM can be adjusted so slowly that its not melting the plastic or resin.
Vince,
Unrelated to this pin vise (which is excellent), I got a bottle of DR payne's grey on your recommendation -- thank you so much, forget GW washes, that stuff truly is talent in a bottle. Thanks for putting out so much informative content, love from china~
I imagine something like this for drilling a whole bunch of gun barrels would be massively beneficial over a normal hand drill
Vince- based on your recommendation..ordered..arrived today..costs bit more in Canada..but I love it…going to see if it can take 3/32 shanks..then can do some grinding..it’s better than the Despaie similar thing which has weird shanks
This is exactly the review I've been waiting for. +10000 xp to Vince!
I'm curious what other bits the chuck holds. Drilling pewter models means I'll need to replace the bit sooner than plastic.
Recommendations for bits? I use the pcb ones for my hand vise, but I don't know if they fit in this one.
It won’t use the standard, there may be other options, but they need to have the fatter bottom.
After this and Ninjon's video... and spending time last night drilling damage holes in leg plates... ordered.
Some might call me mad, some have called me mad, but I actually use my power drill for this. I have two big Hilti and Bosch power drills and they work pretty well. I bought two 1mm drill bits and they work great for drilling gun barrels and pinning, and they drill through metal miniatures no problem, something I found my friend's wowstick struggles a lot with. A lot of us have a power drill at home, have a dad or friend with one to spare, so before buying a wowstick maybe give the good old power tool a go. After practicing on a few left over rifles I now have no problems drilling perfect holes :). I've heard that some are afraid of using power tools because they can spin too fast and ruin the mini, you can often control the speed of the drill with a trigger so just go easy on the trigger and you'll be fine, and soon enough you'll find a position that feels comfortable for you to hold your equipment in :)
Think smart before making unnecessary expenses :)
Thanks for the video.
I've just learned over the years to use my Dremel. Is it too fast? Yes, but I suppose it's a bit like learning to drive F1; no guts no glory, fortune favors the bold!
I really like this tool, which also works quite well on metal and resin minis.
The one thing I don't like is that the collet only fits the specific bits that come with the drill. You can't use it with bits of arbitrary sizes. And with very small bits like some of these, breakage can be an issue.
What are the sizes of bits that it has?
@@questgivercyradis8462 The problem isn't the bit size (which I don't have here, since I'm at work) but that all the bits have a constant size of shaft which fits the collet. Somebody below suggested getting a chuck with a 2.35mm shaft, which I might try.
Been considering one for a long time, and haven’t gone in because I just use my dremel stylo for everything.
Apologies if i missed it in the review. Is the chuck made of metal or plastic?
If the bit you use to tighten it is plastic im worried it may split.
How about replacement drill bits? Googling gives me no results for wowstick ones, so possibly alternative ones?
i use .5mm carbide bits. I am tempted to get this and 3D print some kind of drill press lol
I backed the original KS on the wow stick. It's great. My only complaint is there is no reverse. If you manage to get the pin bound you have to get pliers to twist it out. Other then that it's great for pining and different size magnets.
Thanks for the review, I was thinking of getting this bad boy for a few weeks now.
Can you use any drill bits with it? Or only whats included? i.e would you be able to attach one of those "grinder" bits to cut through thicker plastic (terrain parts for example)?
I was wondering if the drill bits were proprietary as well
As long as the bit will hold in the Chuck, that’s the trick.
I just purchased my professional Micro-Proxxon Drill and I love it ............. (besides the wowstick is hard to get here in Germany)
I recommend looking at a Proxxon Micromot 50, it has a broad range of speed adjustment. Learned about it from Adam Savage. It's not that much more expensive, but it has a lot of DIY uses beyond miniature assembly.
I absolutely love mine! Unfortunately I broke the two bits i use the most trying to pin a marine to his base at a bad angle 😅 now i need to find replacement bits
I recently bought the Wowstick screwdriver. Then I said to myself, "wouldn't it be great if I could also use it as a drill?"
I bought a mini collet set that would fit over one of the screwdriver bits but there's significant wobble. I think I'm gonna sacrifice one of the wowstick bits and permanently attach the collet to it with JB Weld and see if that wobble goes away.
Hey Vince! Nice review. This was the exact product I’d been looking for a long time. Picked one up a while ago but only just unboxed it the other day to discover it bought the driver and not the drill one. Oops! At least I can get the right one now. I have a lot of older Infinity models that really could use pinning and this should help a lot. Have you used it with any smaller drill bits? In my experience some of the cheaper pin vices wouldn’t keep a grip on very small diameter bits. I don’t expect the wow stick would have an issue, I’d hope.
Good idea if you're planning to magnetise a whole army
Hi Vince. Ninjon had me buy this, too. And I'm addicted, too.
I still don't know where to buy new drill bits, in the case I broke mines. Any hint on this? Didn't need any yet, but can become a problem if I broke one and have to pay 60$ to rebuy the bundle for just a drill...
How does it do on metal or hard wood? On plastic and resin I rather like my pin-vise hand drill, and I have one that has a swivel in my hand so it works easier. Great for plastics and resins which drill easily.
Metal takes a lot more effort, however. There are still metals figures I love, which do better pinned, such as Dark Sword's - and those can take some precision drilling (1mm drillbits).
I ask about hard wood for the sake of larger holes - to drill a rod for a hole in a plinth to hold a bust. At that point am I better off just getting a dremel? I've actually borrowed the one in the lab for the job, but it is higher speed and clunkier than I'd like.
Dremmels are good for what your describing, this is best for plastic, but it can do wood and metal as long as it’s soft. I will say, it’s so much easier on plastic, I’d never use a hand drill again.
Nice video Vince. But you don't have to unscrew the bit on top and can change the drill even easier.
How well does it work on metal miniatures? I have a ton of very old Citadel stuff that requires pinning and using a manual pin vise gets annoying very fast.
Just about my question too - plastic and resin don't bug me, but pinning a metal Dark Sword figure would be really nice to have a better tool for the job.
It works fine on soft metal miniatures.
I got mine after Ninjon showed it off and it was 100000% worth it, especially if you're into scale model kits and not just miniatures.
I just finished a big scale model and this occurred to me too. Glad you confirm, seems super useful in that situation where you have delicate plastic and need to drill out holes.
Nice tool, but so expensive here in Australia. The concern I have is that it's not a chuck, it's a sleeve and can you replace the bit if it breaks?
Replacing the bits can be a pain yes. It’s to e only downside.
I’ve had my eye on this for a while now. How does it work with metal? I tend to pin metal minis far more often than plastic
Works with the soft metal like our miniatures.
Does it work with standard drill bits? Can you keep a drill in instead of unmounting it (and yet putting the cap on)?
It won't work with standard drill bits as the bottom isn't the same size. Yes, you can just keep a bit in it.
wish we had 3mm drill bits though, those 3mm magnets seem to generally be the best for me for magnatising models for storage (non-GW bases etc)
I might have missed it in the video but how does it handle metal minis? A bit less common but it's when I'm usually pinning the most.
No issue with the soft metal of the miniatures.
I just use a candle and some garden wire (without plastic). Pinned all my Aeldari heads in about 5 mins. Heat the wire and pin the model directly on the wire and cut to size. Or melt the whole and pull it out. Different size wires for different size wholes.
A hack I have in mind to experiment with is buying a cheap electric eraser. Join the gum with a drill bit with strong glue. And I think you have a wow stick for 2 euro 😉
Brass piece is called a Collet.
Will it accept bits of different shank diameters, or will it accept only the one size?
Only the one size, the standard drill bits are specific.
Likewise interested if the chuck/collet mechanism that holds the bits is variable at all to hold other drill bits that aren’t the same diameter on the shaft as these?
It could hold slightly larger, but most bits will be too small.
I've been looking at these for a while. Will other bits fit in it pretty easily? I pin metal regularly and i will wear out the bits.
It won’t take standard bits unless you change the little Chuck inside.
At that price, it is about the same as a dremel. Is the benefit just the lower torque then?
Yep, it’s just the right speed that it’s quite easy to control.
The wow stick is dope! Great video :)
Do you think this would drill through pewter (metal) miniatures?
Yep, I've done it a few times.
Dear Vince, I am looking for replacement bits for the Wowstick, but I was not able to find any. Do you or your community know, where I may order some? Thank you.
I emailed them, I believe that’s the only way to get the parts.
Hey vince, can you use regular drill bits with the stick or do you have to use special ones?
You have to use special ones as they have a fatter base.
Is the drill big enough for inserting magnets ?
I would try magnetize battlesuit's weapons for a T'au army
THe boggest bit can work for the very small magnets for arm weapons.
@@VinceVenturella Okay thank you for your reply
Saw all the good reviews so I just got a brand new one. Mine will not shut off. It runs and runs. Cant use it for anything needing control.
Crazy, never had that happen. I'd return it and ask for a replacement.
I hope you are feeling better Vince.
I love mine but rue the day when I break a bit!
it looks like a really nice useful tool.
if anybody is put off by the price I got a cordless mini rotary tool that is also usb and has multiple uses for a third of the price.
Does this pin drill have the power to drill in soft metals, such as aluminum, brass, & copper?
Yep, didn’t have an issue.
Hi Vince, i have an argument with a friend. He said that highlights are always painted like the light only comes from the top right, if you look at the figure from the front. While i thought that you highlight stuff like the light is coming straight from the top for the brightest highlights and from a 45 degree angle all around for diffuse light highlights. Were both novice painters and were talking both Tabletop quality and Display quality if theres a difference between the two. Can you help us?
Yes, Vaes is correct, the lights can come in any way, color, direction and so on, even for armies. That being said, some will sell better than others. The sort of diffuse light from above is the most common general lighting scheme used on war minis, but it's FAR from the only.
Thanks, to both of you!
That was scary to watch when you where drilling the weapon hole at your finger lol I was thinking 'here comes the blood'.
What's the largest size it can handle? I thinking of getting one to drill out gun barrels and for pinning some large models. I'd love to be able to use it for magnet holes for different weapon options, do you reckon its strong enough to do that?
2.2mm is the largest drill bit it comes with.
Can you use it to drill holes for attaching brass rods on busts and plinths?
Yep, no issues.
Does it take regular pin vise bits, or does it have only take the particular ones that come with it?
It does not, there may be some that fit, but they have to have the fatter bottom.
@@VinceVenturella good to know, thanks!
My first one was missing a part and did not work. My second one worked for about a week. Have not bothered with a third one.
That's some bad luck for sure.
I got in the habit of just using a regular drill - I blame knights. 8mm holes are no joke.
And then I just.. started using a full size drill for 1mm holes too. Though I definitely start them with a knight first.
Great video, I got one after Ninjon showed it off. But has anyone had trouble with keeping the chuck tight?
Hasn't been an issue for me.
It's so hard to decide, should I get the GW Citadel Drill with four drill bits for $40 or the powered Wowstick with eight drill bits for $75 Canadian. /sarcasm :)
Looks amazing but €75 over this side of the pond is quite a bit!
Great video. I've got a dremmel but as you said, way too heavy duty for minis. I'd been browsing those extensions with finer drill bits on a hose you can get to work with a dremmel but this might be a lot lighter and easier to work with & store.
Curious to see how the wowstick would work for polishing gloss coats, cleaning paint, and light sanding on sprue mold lines
Thank you for the video! :) One concern I still have is that some people mentioned it's hard to get replacement drill bits. Does anyone know if you can get those? Or if generic bits just fit?
It's tough sadly, you have to email them directly, it's an annoyance, but I haven't broken a bit with it this year.
Dont forget drilling gun barrels 👍
For the same price (roughly) you can get a Dremel Stylo +. I would say that you can get a whole lot more for the cost of a Wowstick.
Do those just accept the generic mini bits for pinning?
"These were not made for the miniature hobby, but I swear they were."
It's the 'hobbyists are toy designers now' thing all over again. They're going to make sure that the thing they work on has a use case in the thing that they enjoy.
Funny thing, I was talking bad about this thing (and Jon) for recommending it when everyone was praising it. I realized something was up with mine since it just spun in place without being able to drill anything. It was not working properly, and my replacement unit is much more capable of drilling holes in things lol!
I had read a couple of reviews that suggested there might be some drill head wobble did you notice any on yours?
Never had an issue.
Thanks!@@VinceVenturella
Anyone try using sanding bits with the wow stick, for mold lines? Very interested to get one, as my hands get quite sore holding a pin vise.
how is it for drilling small hole for WW1 aircraft Turnbuckle to sit?
That would be beyond my expertise sadly, how big is the hole you're trying to drill?
I was waiting for the Ninjon name drop, that guy loves his Wowstick. Does it drill big enough for adding magnets to minis? It looks like the largest bit is about 2mm but it's hard to judge from a video. A pilot hole tool would be a good addition (seeing Vince slip twice shows it's really important to make a guide hole) but 2 of my most trusted TH-cam mini artists have vouched for this now so it may just be worth picking up regardless.
It doesn't work for magnets well, not a lot of these hand drills do without another chuck to accommodate larger bits.
I use it for magnets - I've been using 2x1mm n52 magnets for my Genestealer Cults infantry, and so far that's been perfect. Largest bit out of the box is 2.2mm, so yeah, not going to work so well for anything larger unfortunately
DSPIAE has great drill heads from 1.5 to 3mm for small magnets drilling. They have a center spike as wood drillls have so you don't need a pilot hole. Very handy.
Yeah, the largest is about 2mm, so you are using the small weapon magnets. That being said I really do love this for sure. It is single use and expensive, but man it makes my life easier
i just purchased one of these and it wouldn't stop working, kind of like stuck in the on position. any suggestions to get it to stop?
No idea, but sounds like a note to their customer service for a replacement to me.
Have you tried it on pewter minis? If so does it work?
I use it on pewter regularly with no problems
Almost asked myself. Joining you instead. Are metal and resin minis a problem for this tool?
@@michaeln5660 That's good to know, as I use mainly 3D printed and metal minis.
Do you know if this works on hardish UV resin without cracking it?
Yep, no issue with our softer metals of miniatures.