November 2013 Demo
“Piercing on the Cheap Part II”
By Glynn Cox
I have shown my bowls and vessels with tiny holes cut in them to many people, and without exception their first comment was... how in the world did you do that? And my reply was, very carefully.
The process is called piercing and is accomplished with an air powered super high speed handpiece.
I am talking 350,000 to 400,000 RPM and no, I did not add an extra zero. You could spend as much on a professional piercing system as you would on a very nice middi lathe. What I will show you is how to get the same results for less than $100.
I gave this demonstration 4 years ago and there have been several improvements in the handpieces and associated components.
I will discuss pros and cons of air versus electric and handpiece options. I will assemble and demonstrate an air powered system that is easy to build and easy on the pocket book. I will also provide information on some relatively inexpensive upgrades that can be added any time.