I have been hobby turning for about 3 years now. I'm reaching the stage where I am not ashamed to sign my work anymore. I know the best way to do it is use a pyrograph pen but I don't want to go to that expense.
Any sugestions?
Tom
I have been hobby turning for about 3 years now. I'm reaching the stage where I am not ashamed to sign my work anymore. I know the best way to do it is use a pyrograph pen but I don't want to go to that expense.
Any sugestions?
Tom
ultra-fine "Sharpie"?, Dremel tool and ink?
I use a Micron 03 black pen. It has archival ink and the piece can be signed even after waxing and buffing. I put the wood type, month & year, signature and piece number. Never any problems. I get them at Hobby Lobby.
Soldering iron with small bit?
Hi Tom,
I go with India ink. Works great.
Dan
"Stuart" wrote: Soldering iron with small bit? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Won't work. Even a so-called wood burning tool is not fine enough for small lettering. It is possible to make a pyrography tool using a train transformer as a power supply. You use resistance wire for the tip, and you have to use your own ingenuity to make the handle. You can bend, pound and file the resistance wire to make a wide variety of tips, and use set screws to hold them. A friend of mine makes "branding irons" in various patterns, and uses them to decorate her bowls.
Arckival type pen with India ink. The sharpies will smear and smudge with some finishes like the walnut oil I use on my bowls. The archival type don't. I can get them at my local Fred Meyer (owned by Kroger) grocery and everything else store.
robo hippy
Dremel - and others - have a vibrating "engraver" - preferably with variable speed - that work fairly well - if you have fine motor skills - and decent light. Cindy Drozda uses one - and rubs a gold thick toothpaste stuff in the engraved letters, then wipes off the excess - leaving her inscribed letters in gold.
I use the Korean made Mon Ami Super Rolling pens, they work the best for me. The ink soaks into the wood, without bleeding, enough so you can't rub it out/off yet it's nice and clearly defined for reading. Wax or oil finish overtop do not erase it. The really fine rolling pens don't leave enough ink. Gel based inks hardly penetrate the wood at all and rub off or smudge easily.
Bart.
Tom I use a burning pen, home-made, actually I have two, the one I use most I made from a old radargun transformer, it works just fine, but I wanted one with more power for pyrography, and made one with an old battery charger, (new electronic ones don't work for this) I have a write-up at the link, an old charger is pretty cheap and the rest of the stuff I used a lot of people have laying around, but wouldn't cost you $20.-- I'm sure.
Here's another DIY pyrography set up using a battery charger. Includes Radio Shack part numbers. Set low, and with tips you make, you can write and draw with it. Set HIGH and you can make wood disappear - in a bright flash and a puff of smoke.
Watching Graeme Priddle use his version was fun - shazzam!
- and a spiral pattern appears - after your eyes have time to recover from the flash.
watch the line wrap
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