All things Pyro - let's talk! (Richard Madden and Donny Lawson!)

[Donny Lawson]

Thanks for this thread. I'm learning.Maybe we can get this added to the forum. "Pyrography". I would love to get into this and add some nice designs to my bowls and pens and other items. Maybe by the time I get my shop up and running I will know alot more about this.
Donny

[Bill Hunt]

John, If you get the Burnmaster pen it will not be as hot. Only gets around 70 + degrees. it has a shape thast is easy to hold too. I'm learning too.

Bill Hunt

[Steve Vaughan]

John, I've got that same burnmaster and love it. I also found that same fishcarver site, there the guy gives directions to make that fish scale tip. Bought some wire in two gages off amazon to make me some tips...at least that's my intention.

[Thom Sturgill]

This is the rig I bought for my celtic knot bowl. A local artist at a shared facility here in town sells these and I bought from her to, in part, support a local artist. Shee strongly recommended the fixed tips claiming that the removable tips get to where they will not stay. I found having multiple pens that could be quickly changed to be a handy feature.

[Mark Burge]

Jim, thanks for the link. I keep looking at the pyrography rigs on eBay and I say to myself, " my high school electronics teacher could have made that for next to nothing".

OkY, after reading the link carefully, I realized that I had already made one of these. I had used it as a variable speed control on my old single speed dremel! Looks like I can start burning right away. :-)

[Ryan Baker]

I use a Colwood "Cub" outfit. It is inexpensive, but has plenty of power for anything I have been able to throw at it. The Colwood pens are nice, and stay much cooler than some of the other pens I have used. It also works with Razortip pens, which expands the tip options significantly.

The smallest writing tip is by far my most used (for signing turnings and other things). I use a number of other assorted tips too, including skews and ball tips. (The razortip ball stylus pens are critical for stuff like the giraffe patterns -- but man do those pens get hot!!)

My only complaint with the Cub is that the cord attaching the pen to the power supply could stand to be longer (and a heavier wire gauge). The larger Colwood units do have a heavier cord (at least as an option).

I hadn't seen those beading tips before -- but they certainly look invaluable for that type of work.

I have also tried to use the soldering iron type burning devices, as well as the 80 watt Weller irons, and found them to be very lacking and essentially unusable. They don't compare at all to even the least expensive of the real burners.

[Richard Madden]

John, have you tried those fishscale tips on beads yet? I did some searching yesterday and Detailmaster was the only site where I could find any. I did find one site that showed how to make your own using a ball peen hammer to flatten the wire and grinding the shape, but what you have looks like it should work well, and be a whole lot easier.
BTW, do you think a thread on index wheels might be next??

[John Keeton]

Richard, I have not used them yet, and while I have not researched it yet, you may be right on the availability of these tips. I think in actual use as intended, they are used upside down from the manner in which I would use them. That way they would leave a fishscale like shape.

Unlike apparently most woodturners, I usually work on a piece to conclusion, or at least the finishing stage, before starting another one. Right now, I have a WIP that is demanding my time. I hope to get started on the piece that will have beading in the near future - but will need to do some practice first. I will try to post some pics of the practice session.

I really, really appreciate all that have participated in this thread!! Great exchange of information and ideas - many of which I have noted for reference, including the insulating covers for my Detailmaster.

Please continue to comment and post pics of your setups - along with any tips you may have, or experiences that might help others venturing into the Pyro field.

[Wally Dickerman]

I'm hoping Wally Dickerman reads this thread and chimes in .... his pyrography is beautiful (love those giraffe HF's), and I've wanted to ask him for advice on what to get and where to get more info.

Thanks Cathy. I don't have time to take pics of my pyro equipment. I have a Detail Master controller. There are several other good ones on the market. I have a variety of pens. Detail Master, Razertip and a couple of others. Yes the handles do get hot. I wear a golf glove when I'm burning, and I give the pens a rest when they get too hot.

Mike Peace has given some good advice. Practice, especially with the skew is very important. Use it like a plane landing and taking off to avoid uneven burning. Different pens require a different amount of heat so you need to know the setting for each one. It's important to keep the skew sharp. I hone mine frequently while I'm using it.

Questions Cathy? Fire away. I don't know all of the answers but I'll try.

Wally

[Jim Underwood]

I thought I'd posted this, but turns out my last link was another way to put together a controller for a cheap woodburning pen.

This is the article I thought I was posting:
http://www.lavieenbois.com/html/pyrograveur_eng.htm

It's about using a PC power supply to power a woodburning pen.

[Mark Hubl]

Well, after seeing Leo's rig in another thread it gave me some motivation. Thanks Leo.

I have been meaning to make some home brew handpieces for a while. So a quick trip to the hardware for some wire and rca plugs. These are pretty easy to make and they seem to be working better and staying cooler than the store bought.


Here is an interesting little article I ran across doing some research. How to make an electric pen, Popular Mechanics April of 1936. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZSg...epage&q&f=true

[Cathy Schaewe]

Thanks Cathy. I don't have time to take pics of my pyro equipment. I have a Detail Master controller. There are several other good ones on the market. I have a variety of pens. Detail Master, Razertip and a couple of others. Yes the handles do get hot. I wear a golf glove when I'm burning, and I give the pens a rest when they get too hot.

Mike Peace has given some good advice. Practice, especially with the skew is very important. Use it like a plane landing and taking off to avoid uneven burning. Different pens require a different amount of heat so you need to know the setting for each one. It's important to keep the skew sharp. I hone mine frequently while I'm using it.

Questions Cathy? Fire away. I don't know all of the answers but I'll try.

Wally

Wally, thanks for responding. I was curious what you had, so that's helpful. At this point, I don't know enough to ask intelligent questions. I checked a couple of books out of the library, and I'm going to do my research, and then maybe I'll ask some questions!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thanks for a great thread John. I have been looking at getting one myself and just haven't had much info.

[John Keeton]

Bernie, this has been a very informative exchange! I am working on a turning now that will hopefully have some beading on it, and some pyro work inspired by the Jim Adkins demo. I spoke with Jim today by phone, and he was very helpful. He also indicated that Bob Hanson of DetailMaster was going to be providing some pens to Jim's specs for the "basket" work he does. I think the tips I have will work, but if this beading thing interests me, I may well look into the pens he spoke of.

Also, for what it is worth, apparently DetailMaster will rebuild pens for a reasonable cost.

[charlie knighton]

google Molley Winton. There is a pdf article out there where she describes making hers. The pen is heavy duty, uses custom built tips/nibs and gets rid of heat better.

Molly is going to be at tennessee woodturning symposium in nashville in late january