How to Woodburn

Last Updated: May 3, 2022 Tested

Wood burning, also called pyrography, is the process of drawing a picture on a piece of wood with a hot brass tip.^{[1]
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Research source} Not only is it a great way to relieve stress, it's also an eye-catching artistic pursuit, and looks great in a wide range of homes. Wood burn for yourself, to hang on walls, or for others, as a gift. Whatever project you pursue, you'll want to familiarize yourself with wood burning basics before starting.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Learning Wood Burning Basics

1
Get some essential tools. In order to practice pyrography, you'll want a few basic tools to get you started. After you've successfully completed a couple of drawings, you may want to expand, although you're be perfectly able to get by with the following:
- Wood burning pen. These basically come in two varieties: the 'every-man's' soldering iron style machine with one heat setting as well as interchangeable brass tips, and the higher-end wire pen with two styluses and different heat settings. You can get a decent soldering iron style pen for $20+, while the more versatile wire pens sell for hundreds of dollars.
- Assorted wood burning tips. These will allow you greater leeway to produce lighter/heavier marks, as well as different patterns.
- Strop and aluminum oxide to periodically clean off the brass tips of the wood burning pen.
- Pliers.
- Clay pot or pen holder (for safety when element is still hot).
2
Get a hold of some nice wood for the pyrography, preferably wood on the softer side. The hardness of wood is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest wood (like Balsa) and 10 being the hardest (like Padauk). For beginners, especially, the softer the wood, the better. Hard woods are expensive, resistant to heat, and generally on the darker side. Soft woods, on the other hand, are cheaper, easier to burn, and lighter, providing a good burn contrast. Try getting your hands on these soft woods as you start off wood burning:
- Pine
- Basswood
- Birch
- Ash
- Maple
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3
Handle your pen with care. Your pen will get quite hot quite fast, so attach the tip you'll be working with before you turn on the machine. Always attach and detach tips with your pliers. Give your pen two or so minutes to get hot. As it heats up, let your wood burning pen rest in a pen holding device or a clay pot to minimize the risk of accidental burning.
4
Sand your wood before you begin. Take some 320 grit sandpaper, wrap it around a flat wooden block or attach to a paddle sander, and lightly hit all areas of the wood equally. Details will come out sharper and crisper when the surface of the wood is very smooth.
- When sanding, sand with the grain. The grain is the direction of the wood fibers. Sanding with the grain will minimize any tiny burrs or scratch marks that result from sanding against the grain.
- When you're done sanding, wipe the surface with a damp towel. This will remove any sawdust and make the outline transfer easier.
5
Use light strokes instead of a heavy hand. Many beginners make the mistake of pressing down too hard on the wood with the pen, thinking that lots of pressure is needed to make an impression. It's not. In fact, using light strokes is preferable to pressing down hard. It's easier to guide the pen, reduces errors, and all but eliminates the possibility of accidental burning.
6
Take your time when wood burning. You're not going to win any awards for racing through the design in record time. Wood burning, regardless of the material you're using, is a slow process. As you familiarize yourself with the pen, remember:
- Steady pressure is best. For most beginner designs, you'll want the indents etched by the pen to be even all around.
- The longer you hold your pen in one area, the darker and deeper it will get.
7
Go with the grain for the easiest time with the wood burner. Turn your piece of wood until most of the grain is pointing downward. This will make your job much easier, as you will be moving your pen in a downward direction most of the time, thereby burning with the grain. Burning against the grain will offer up more resistance.
8
Get some practice wood and experiment. Once you have got your materials and you know the basics, get several pieces of practice wood and practice with the various tips that will come with your wood burner. Once you have a good idea of what each tip does, then you will know which ones to use for various projects. The tips you will use will depend upon what type of picture and how much detail you are going to put in the picture.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Transferring a Design onto Wood

1
Choose which method of design transferring works best for you. While it's certainly possible to create art without the training wheels of a pencil design, most beginners find that having a design helps them. There are three basic ways to copy a design onto your piece of wood.
2
Draw a design directly onto the wood free-handed. If you are a killer artist and drawing is your thing, you may find it fun to draw directly onto the wood you're using with a graphite pencil. It's not the easiest, most efficient way of getting down an outline, but it sidesteps the lifeless, cookie-cutter stiffness that many artists unwittingly produce when copying directly from another image.
3
Transfer onto the wood with graphite paper. Make or print out a sketch of your image. Place the graphite paper, face down, on top of the wood, secure it to the wood with a bit of masking tape, and your sketch on top of the graphite paper. Then with a 2B pencil, trace over the sketch with medium pressure and fluid lines. Remove the graphite paper and deepen the outline on the wood with the same 2B pencil.
4
Transfer with a transfer tip. A transfer tip is a flat tip that uses heat to transfer the ink of a printed image directly onto the wood. Scan or find an imagine online that you'd like to use. Print out the image, preferably with a laser printer. Next, fasten the printed image to your wood with a clamp and begin to heat up the transfer tip. Slowly, methodically, brush the back side of the paper — above where any ink is — with the transfer tip. Remove the paper and inspect your newly-transferred design.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Practicing Your Art

1
Start by positioning your wood in a comfortable place, so you can reach it easily with your pen. This only takes a second, and should be done often. If you're hunched over and burning perilously close to your belly, chances are it's going to be much harder to burn.
2
Consider starting off on the bottom or outside edge of the outline. This way, if you mess up, your flaw won't be pointing you straight in the face. Rest assured though — you can correct most mistakes by simply sanding them out.
3
Depending on your wood, don't be afraid to burn the same part of the outline three or four times. Remember, easy does it. You only want to apply light pressure so that you can stay nimble with your pen. Try to move the pen towards you, not away from you, as you begin to burn, with your wrist resting on the wood if possible.
4
Finish the outlines first. Burn over the outlines of your design first to get them set.
5
Try experimenting with texture and shading next. If you want to try to make a wood burn image 3D instead of the customary 2D, you'll want to experiment with different tips — tips that express shades and textures. As always, a few hours of practice on the back of a scrap piece of wood will be invaluable when it comes to shading on the real deal.
6
Move on to adding color. You are now ready to start adding color to your image. Color is optional and may look better on some images then on others. You will want to use water colors and a brush of your choice. (Watercolors pencils work especially well.)
7
Periodically clean your tips to make sure they're delivering maximum heat. You can run your tips over a sanding block for a quick fix, or you can clean your (cooled off) tips on a strop using aluminum oxide. This removes excess carbon that sticks to the tips.^{[2]
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Research source} Submerge your tips in cold water for a minute or two before touching if you're unsure how hot they are. Remember to use your pliers to safely detach any and all tips.
8
Consider using an exhaust fan while you're burning. Some woods give off more smoke than others, smoke which can be breathed in and become irritating to your lungs. To counteract this, put on a fan if you're working in an enclosed area.
9
Put a wood finisher on your project when you are done. The last step is to put a wood finisher on your product. Let this dry thoroughly before your wood burning project is completely finished.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I woodburn a fresh painted surface?

Community Answer

It probably will just burn the paint and char the wood in un-uniform fashion. Try it, if you want, but it may not turn out well.
Question

Which type of wood burner is the best for hardwood?

Community Answer

It really depends on the on what your drawing. If you're shading, use the rounded tip. If you're outlining, use the fine one.
Question

Can I woodburn a pre-finished birch plywood surface?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. However, the finish can gum up your burner and the fumes from the finish can be toxic. It is best if you remove as much of the finish as possible before burning. Also keep in mind that burning on plywood or any type of man made product can also produce toxins from the glues as you burn. You can draw the fumes away from your face with the personal fan.

Warnings

Use the wood finisher outside or in a well ventilated area. Inhaling the fumes can cause serious harm or even death.

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Please be careful, as the woodburner is extremely hot and will cause serious burns if it touches your skin. Do not leave the woodburner plugged in unattended, doing so could result in fire.

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