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How to Use A Wood Burning Tool

By: David S. Miles | Last Updated: January 12, 2024

Wood burning is not a big deal for beginners and to begin since it does not require numerous and expensive equipment. The process involves creative burning of strokes into leather, wood, gourds, and canvas using a necessary wood burning tool and various tips for the perfect beginning. Accordingly, wood burners, woodworkers, and hobbyists rely on pyrography to facilitate surface enhancements. Anyway, to make your wood burning job a piece of cake, our how to use a wood burning tool article will guide you completely.

There are various enhancements used during the process, including detailing a rim on a bowl, attractive symbols, creating patterns and textures on the model. Combining wood burning with coloring and carvings, among other techniques, is also crucial in creating surface textures for effective burning to take place. Besides, wood-burning provides a creative outlet for every individual yearning to learn and develop an artistic flair for wall hangings, plaques, and duck decoys that generates over-time income.

Requirements for Wood Burning Start

  • Sandpaper
  • Wood
  • Wood burning pen.
  • Eraser
  • Ruler
  • Olive oil used on the completed work
  • Wood slices, shapes, slabs, containers, pieces, and boxes
  • Carbon tracing paper, tape, and pencil
  • Command strips
  • Pliers to change tips and hold heat for an extended period.
  • Hot tips containers.

Tips on How to Use A Wood Burning Tool

Use A Wood Burning Tool

There are different crucial tips for a better starting of the wood-burning process. We have researched all necessary equipment of pyrography kit found online and in the local craft store. If you are a first-timer, you need to concentrate on various tips discussed below for a better understanding of wood burning tools.

Choose the best wood for wood burning

A block of wood is a crucial part of the wood burning process, and many people prefer using softwoods for pyrography. Besides, some artists tend to use more sturdy woods, including basswood, pine, and bamboo, since they are inexpensive, contain a smooth surface, and burn quickly. Usually, beginners can have better operations with a smooth texture and even grain woods and avoid woods with high quality since they are expensive. However, individuals should not get discouraged, as quality woods can give undesirable outcomes.

Practise wood burning

Practicing wood burning with a heated metal pen, interchangeable tips, and Woodburner is crucial since it allows for medium burning of different brush strokes and effects. Woodburner is a lightweight and premier burning tool varnished with a thin wooden handle for simple gripping and detailed attention. It takes two minutes attaining a burning temperature of 800 degrees but stays cool in the hand since its heating element is directly under the tip.

Practicing on some scraps is one way of getting acquainted with how various points feel on the surface of the burning wood. Woodcrafts found in the section of kid craft are essential for practicing. There is a need for individuals to go slow while working on the burning wood to create deeper and depth colors. Accordingly, the shading points help create a smooth, dark gradation of shading subtle and bold shading.

Size of gauge tips

Choosing a tip with the appropriate is an ideal decision for the wood burning process. If the gauge number is smaller then, the wire is thicker. It is essential to select wood burning tools with more extended gauge tips since their heating takes a short period than smaller gauge tips.

The sequence of woodburners

Understanding the sequence of wood burning is necessary to enhance burning outcomes. It involves piece preparation by sanding the burning wood until it attains a smooth finish. Drawing a design on the wood is the next step that requires a carbon paper, graphite paper, and a soft pencil.

The next thing is burning the outlines, followed by the addition of shading and filling. Burning the design is vital for sealing off a burning wood from other woods. Thus you can apply stain without experiencing stain bleeding into the surrounding regions. Besides, it is easier to burn Woodburner going with the grain since those working against the grain provides more resistance during the operation.

Avoid pressing on the workpiece too hard with the wood burning tip

It is important to note that burning wood successfully does not require putting a lot of pressure. Light pressure helps in guiding the pen carefully and create perfect strokes. Similarly, applying the light pressure in the process helps minimize burning errors by making less accidental burns. Besides, engaging the wood burning tips in operation without putting too much stress can prevent hot tips from bending.

Avoid fumes in the burning wood

It is usual for burning wood to release dangerous fumes that might lead to serious health problems. Working in a well- ventilated place or outside is essential to prevent inhaling poisonous fumes. You can also use devices for capturing and extracting smoke when working in a poorly ventilated area to avoid direct inhalation.

Type of Woodburner tip

how to use a wood burner

Selecting a burning tool with the correct tip is essential and depends on the subject matter design, burning project, and the basic wood burning mechanisms. Wood burning tips available on the market are of different shapes and sizes. Making a selection of the best advice for the process will help in the creative exploration of designs and patterns with different strokes, depths, and diameters.

We have selected a woodburner with a standard tip of 13 and 3/16’’ diameter since it can be useful for various purposes. Drawing straight lines, curving lines, burning in veins for decoys, and lettering are among the significant functions of the standard Woodburner tips. Besides, you can choose a Woodburner with needle-sharp pointed tips for making intricate details and fines lines.

Wrapping Up

Using modern wood burning tools is the perfect decision for the creative and proper experimentation of seasoned artists and hobbyists. Wood burning is essential for propagating other woodworking skills, including carving used in creating decorative pieces for garden use and house practical purposes.

Whether you are a long-time artist or just beginning to explore pyrography, you need to have the right equipment to start burning designs into wood. And this is exactly what we have told you in how to use a wood burning tool article.

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