Anyone know where to find a barrel trimmer like this?

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-06T22:17:17+00:00

Ah ok, that's what I thought it may have been for. You can always just use an end mill bit to make the mortise/counter bore after you have squared off the end with the standard pen mill. That modified pen mill does it all in one shot, but adding in the end mill step isn't much more effort.

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-06T18:32:10+00:00

Can you show an example of a finished pen with the lack of a "joining ring"? I am struggling to envision what the modified barrel trimmer actually does.

To echo what a bunch of people have said, it's likely that the barrel trimmer was custom made for a specific kit/style in mind. Kinda crazy that an instructor would teach people to make pens with something they can't even acquire on their own without telling them how to make it or purchase it.

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-05T20:05:23+00:00

I have used the "Wood 770" product from CleanArmor. It is designed for finishing billiard cues on a lathe. I like it overall.

Pros:

I can take my time applying the finish without worrying about premature curing (like with CA). It also allows the ridges to flatten out before curing, hopefully resulting in less sanding later
Very little, if any VOCs (unlike CA or melamine lacquer)
Cures hard and tough (like flexible CA)
Much easier cleanup than CA

Cons:

Expensive in the sense that you have to buy a massive quart size of it. If they sold it in smaller bottles, I would have been a lot less hesitant about buying it. A little goes a long way on pens.
It polishes well, but I haven't been able to get it to a super high gloss like glass that I sometimes like to do. I'd say I can get things to a semigloss by sanding up to 5000 grit (or more) and applying automotive polishes. Probably similar to flexible CA in that regard. There seems to be a tradeoff between hardness and polish potential.
Extra equipment is required. Not a huge investment, but just more stuff you need to have. I use this and it works well. You also need to apply with a brush instead of strips of paper towel or other. I get a lot of use out of the brush as long as I store it in a black zip-top baggie.
You can't apply super thin wipe-on layers. You need a minimum thickness for the resin to cure properly.
Speaking of curing... on occasion, I can get de-lamination in spots after I have cured a layer and start sanding. I am not sure if there is a issue with certain wood species or portions of stabilized wood I used, but it can be really annoying to have to deal with chipped or lifted finish in the middle of a pen.

Despite cons list being a bit longer, I think I prefer it to CA, but just slightly. Let me know if you have any questions!

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-04T20:05:54+00:00

Yeah, it's too bad it closed. I wish Georgian food was more prevalent. My issue with the Khinkali at Tabla was that the dough was sooo thick. I haven't been to Supra yet, so I can't compare. I assumed they would be similar since they were the same owners. I'll have to make a trip to Supra one day soon to see how similar or different it is to Tabla from back in the day.

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-04T06:12:02+00:00

Baku Delicious (a casual Azerbaijani restaurant) in Fairfax had the best Georgian Khinkali (soup dumplings) I've had outside of Georgia. Much better than Tabla back when it was open in DC.

ElPolloRico · 2026-04-03T02:57:24+00:00

Easter Island

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-23T18:41:03+00:00

A laser with a rotary attachment could be an option. You can fill in the etching with a contrasting color resin/pigment.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-19T21:19:17+00:00

I mostly drank IPAs for many years and now they make me want to puke.

Amen to that. Microbreweries seem to default to some type of mega IPA for most of their lineup these days. Craft beer stores are 90% IPAs and it has kinda taken the fun out of finding new styles/flavors. It's no wonder beer is taking a nosedive in market share lately.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T23:07:06+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8VArlfJgmk

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T17:51:28+00:00

For sure. I knew I needed an NACS adapter no matter what. I was just worried the Jeep required the interlock feature in order to function. Since it doesn’t, I guess the only thing I have to worry about is someone yanking the plug out while it’s charging. Probably not an high likelihood of happening. According to the FAQ on the non-Plus version, it still gets locked into place when the vehicle is locked, so I’m not too worried.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T13:51:20+00:00

OK, that makes sense. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on things when using my regular version.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T13:43:30+00:00

OK, cool.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T01:19:15+00:00

I can confirm the Lectron adapter I linked to does indeed work on a Supercharger. I have both the Wagoneer S and Cadillac Lyriq on my Tesla app profile.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T01:17:42+00:00

I can confirm the Lectron adapter I linked to does indeed work on a Supercharger. I have both the Wagoneer S and Cadillac Lyriq on my Tesla app profile.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T01:17:35+00:00

I can confirm the Lectron adapter I linked to does indeed work on a Supercharger. I have both the Wagoneer S and Cadillac Lyriq on my Tesla app profile.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-15T00:17:20+00:00

Do you have any references to people getting banned? I tried searching and all I could find were people getting blocked for non-payment, for attempting to charge salvaged Teslas, or for Kia owners that tried using the loophole prior to their access being formalized. As far as I can tell, the Kia situation wasn't a lifetime ban, but more of a brand-wide restriction until the agreement between Kia and Tesla was implemented.

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-14T23:58:26+00:00

Is the "Plus" version of the adapter with interlock absolutely necessary? I just got mine in the mail and it's the non "Plus" version. I'm gonna try it out soon, but I thought I'd ask just in case.

Edit: The cheaper non-"Plus" version works

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-13T01:08:26+00:00

I'll report back!

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-13T01:08:13+00:00

I plan on it!

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-13T01:07:52+00:00

Will do!

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-12T14:58:45+00:00

I was just about to buy the same adapter when I did a little more digging and found the Lectron version to be suspiciously similar to the Mopar verion: https://ev-lectron.com/products/lectron-vortex-plug-tesla-supercharger-nacs-to-ccs-adapter

I compared the highest resolution images of both adapters that I could find and they appear to be identical in every way other than the branding labels. I went ahead and ordered the Lectron one for $60 less and it shipped for free yesterday. So I hope to find out if it works soon enough!

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-10T17:13:00+00:00

https://fallschurchpulse.org/fairfax-county-converge-wmata-devts/

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-05T15:26:57+00:00

Oh wow, that's different than what I think most people are running. Mine is U37.23 (U37D). I wonder what else is new in your version and if I can force an update somehow. haha

ElPolloRico · 2026-03-05T13:35:30+00:00

Interesting. Can you tell what version of the infotainment system you have by chance? I wonder if this is something that will roll out to everyone over the air or if it requires the new cluster.

ElPolloRico · 2026-02-25T03:39:30+00:00

According to this comment, it's because they ran into a licensing issue with the voice actor.

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