Burning Question

Metal disk (coin?) held in vise grips (lever locking pliers)?

(just a guess)

Bill

"Woodborg" wrote: (clip) what would i use to burn the inside of a curve surface such as a bowl. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I haven't done this, except in my head, but this seems like it ought to work:

Drill a hole about 1/2" diameter in a piece of sheet metal. Then remove metal from outside the hole until a sort of teardrop shape: narrow on one side, and broad on the other. Hold the broad side in a pair of Vise-grips (or make a handle) and press the thin edge against the wood inside the bowl. It should be almost as thin as a wire at the narrowest part, which contacts the wood, and stiff enough to let you press on it. Preferably, use stainless, which has a low thermal conductivity. Next choice, ordinary steel. Do not use aluminum or copper.

This may be too easy. No fabrication needed.

How about holding the shank of a 12d or 16d common bright nail in a pair of pliers with the nail head inside the bowl or box doing the burning?

Seems like that smooth head would cause some nice friction.

Robert

I've done it with a bit of wood. Just take something that is really hard, like maple or mesquite and chisel, grind, or whatever at it until you have a thin tip. Use that to burn the inside- it will burn your "tool" as well, but something like that is easy to replace.

I've also done it by accident with loaded sandpaper. If you fold it up an old piece of fine sandpaper until you've got a sturdy corner on it, it can work.

I'd go with either of these before sticking a metal contraption into the bowl- granted, that's how you made the bowl in the first place, but a bowl gouge and a penny in a pair of vise grips are not the same animal.

Edge of a Formica sample. Smells a bit, but works.

Got to be careful here! As on the outside of a turning, make a groove to mark the area to be burned. Now the tricky part. Whatever you use to 'heat up and make the mark' must not cut through that which is being burned!! Remember, it is not the wood that is supposed to get hot but rather the medium and then the medium burns the wood.

As smart as I am, I cannot think of a damn thing you could bring to bear as a 'friction burner' implement in this situation, howerver, I'm sure someone here will!

You might consider a well controlled pyro tool of some sort to burn the area in question.

FWIW Tom

Fortunately the Formica seems to flow below the ignition temperature of the wood. Give 'er a shot, you'll be surprised.

This is exactly right, except I would want a wide slice of hardwood so as to generate enough heat without risking tear from a thin "tip".

Cut a thin slice of hardwood on your bandsaw, at least 2" wide. Try to form the end (yes, end - across the fibers)to the same curve as the inside of the bowl and start with a light pressure, then harder and harder as the groove deepens and smoke develops.

If the bowl is not _exactly_ round, don't do it. Outside burning with a wire is forgiving as to uneven curve, inside burning with a hard medium is not.

BjarteR

I've never burned the inside of even a slightly closed bowl, but for the inside of a open bowl or on a platter's rim I start the burn in a tiny groove and use a sharp sliver of ebony or some other exotic hardwood applied as perpendicular as possible. Probably this adds color as much as it burns the groove. This doesn't work well if I have previously used wax or oil to tame the fibers during turning or sanding.

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