Wood Burning Craft Techniques:
- Watch where you grab and put down your
It can cause quite a burn. Use your pen holder at all times to
avoid damaging your work desk and your body.
- Don't grab your tool too tightly. This
will help to avoid cramps and allow your hand to move more smoothly
as you follow the lines of your pattern. A floating action across
your work will give more consistent even lines and avoid issues
of tendinitis if your wood burning becomes addictive.
- Use a practice board first before you
try a new species of wood, a new tip or a new stroke. Play with
the temperature before burning
craft wood that you are unfamiliar with... each wood species
has a different density, thus requiring different amounts of heat.
- Always draw the pen towards you and rest
your wrist on the wood to keep your hand steady.
- Move your wood to the best possible position,
for each stroke. It only takes a minute and will improve your
final product significantly.
- If you are heavily burning large areas,
burn lightly first, then gradually progress to darker shades,
until the values (darks & lights) appear correct in the overall
picture. You can always make anything darker but never lighter.
- Use an exhaust fan with a carbon filter,
to remove smoke during heavy burning. Some woods can give off
a fume that irritates the lungs.
your wood burning pens. Use fine sandpaper or polishing compound
every hour or so to lightly scrape and remove the excess carbon
that tends to build up on your pen tip.
- Don't forget to sand off any trace lines
that remain visible, after all burning has been finished. Only
then seal your wood and apply the final finish. Pencil lines will
be accentuated when you apply a finish.
- Protect your power unit from moisture damage and never use it
for other tools. It is designed for very low voltages.
- Switch off burning unit when not in use to avoid fire hazard.
Good Wood Burning Craft Techniques will increase your accuracy
and enjoyment or pyrography woodworking.