Hi All.
A few weeks back I asked for help in troubleshooting some plans I came across on the 'net to make one's own woodburner (pyrographic) control box. Thank you to all who took the time to respond and provide assistance. I now have a working control unit thanks to your help. The following is an article I posted on my web site as well as submitted to one of my club's newsletters: ________ My web URL:
________ The article in full: Making a Burner Control Unit
For years I've used various markers to sign and date my turned pieces. Problems arose when the finish I used would remove or worse yet, smear, the ink. I had to use two different markers depending on whether I was using either an oil-based or an alcohol based finish. I liked the wood burning systems, but with costs passing $120 they were just too expensive for my budget.
I came across a carving web site on which free plans for building a homemade burner control box and hand piece were offered. After assembling the parts and wiring them up as directed, I couldn't get any heat in the nichrome test wire. A couple weeks of troubleshooting with various folks on the rec.crafts.woodturning news group led me to a solution that seems to work beautifully - with total costs coming in at around $25 not including the case, which I elected to make of wood. Here's a rough wiring diagram to perhaps make things a little more clear: