Engraving can be a relaxing and rewarding craft.
With the right engraving tool in your hands, you can finish creative tasks with ease.
And it’s a terrific way to personalize something generic with a fun crafty hobby.
Engraving tools come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and capabilities. It’s important to find the ideal one at is ideal for your project.
The Customizer by Culiau is an engraving pen that is more than capable of meeting most people’s needs. That’s why it’s a popular choice among home crafters and those who like to try out new tools for art.
The Customizer’s durability, power, compactness, and exceptional value for money make it an excellent professional etching tool suitable for all materials, including glass, wood, and metals.
About the Culiau Customizer
For beginners, the Culiau Customizer Engraving Pen is excellent. Because the tool is so light, engraving is as simple as using a pen.
It’s easier to move around the Customizer than say a corded Dremel engraver.
Don’t get me wrong, it will still take practice to get a nice, finished product, but the Customizer is easier to use than some of the other bulkier engraving pens on the market.
The Customizer is roughly the size of a regular marker. The textured grip and light weight make controlling the engraver while in use a snap.
You can sketch with it just like a normal pen or pencil.
The flexibility of this tool makes the job as simple as drawing on paper. It works well on wood, including hardwoods, glass, and metals such as steel, silver, and others.
The Customizer comes with a rechargeable battery and a USB charging wire. The run time is about 2 hours. And trust me 2 hours is more than enough time. Unless you are super experienced, your hand it going to get tired well before the 2 hours runs out.
Also included is a large selection of engraving bits. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes which means you won’t need to pick up any extras for the Customizer right away.
Unless you plan to use it almost daily, there is a good chance you won’t need to get any more bits ever because the assortment that comes with the Customizer is well rounded.
The engraving pen includes an LED display indicator, which shows you the battery level and speed of the tool.
One of the biggest indicators of the quality of the Customizer is the feel of the tool. This is a well built tool that feels good in the hand.
It is ergonomic, lightweight, and small. Because of this it is exceptionally comfortable to use and handle. The Customizer truly is a pocket-sized engraving machine.
The quality comes with a price though and the Customizer does cost more than some of the other engraving pens on the market. However, many of those cheaper engraving pens aren’t built as well. Often they just don’t feel good in your hand.
If you plan to use it a lot, I recommend going the Customizer from Culiau and avoiding all the generic copycats.
How to use the Culiau Customizer
1. Safety first!
Above all, make sure you think safety first with any power tool. Proper eye protection. Consider gloves and a dust mask as well depending on the materials you plan to work with.
2. Use proper lighting
Nobody’s idea of a good time is engraving in the dark – and it’s not safe or productive.
Make sure your workplace has adequate light and that it is placed above or in front of you so that your head and shoulders don’t create a shadow on the work.
Proper lighting will make it much easier to see the fine details that you are creating on your workpiece.
3. Work on a clean surface
Before you begin, be certain that the surface you will be working on has been well cleaned.
Some materials can be cleaned with soap and water, others require special cleaning chemicals. Start with soap and water, it will work for most materials.
4. Use a template
Consider making a paper template to guide you. This helps in the beginning when you may lack the courage to do it all freehand.
Print out your design to trace or outline
It’s a good reference.
5. Practice
Print out your design to trace or outline
Just try.
If you want to learn it, then use it!
Practice different words and symbols on a piece of scrap material if you have it. Your first few designs will probably be rough. .
Another key point is to make sure you practice with the type of material you plan to work with. In other words, if you want to engrave on sea shells then find some to practice on.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of material can the Customizer work with?
The Culiau Customizer is capable of working with a wide range of materials including:
- Wood
- Plastic
- Metal
- Glass
- Leather
- Stone
- Shells
- Clay
Does the Customizer use standard Dremel style bits?
Unfortunately, the Customizer does not take Dremel bits straight out of the box. For an added cost, you can purchase an adaptor that will allow you to use them however.
How is customer support?
In my opinion good customer support says more about the product than just about any other feature.
Culiau has excellent customer support through email. [email protected] is their address and in my experience they are quick to answer any questions you might have, even if you just need tips for using your new tool.
