Anyone use LV's Branding Irons?

[Frederick Skelly]

Ive been eyeballing a branding iron for years to sign my projects. LV sells an electric one ($105) and a non-electric version ($65) that you heat with a propane torch.

Anyone have experience with branding irons like these? How well do they work?

Thanks,
Fred

[Aaron Berk]

I've been on the same fence as you.
Ill be interested in any replies as well.

[Mike Henderson]

What I wonder is whether it's better to get a branding iron or a wood burning set. With the wood burning set I could put mark the furniture individually, even put a personal message if the piece is for a particular friend or family member.

Anyone use a wood burning set to mark furniture? Any recommendations on a set to purchase?

Today, I use a black marking pen.

Mike

[Kamil Czuba]

I got mine from Brand First.
http://www.brand-first.com/

They have a lot more designs to choose from. I got the one you heat with a propane torch, but if I was to do it again, I would get the electric one. No guessing if the stamp is ready to go that way. Plus for you guys being in the US, the shipping is pretty cheap. I had to pay over $30 to ship it to Canada. Still worth it in my opinion.

[fRED mCnEILL]

My daughter has the one you heat up with a propane torch to identify her saddles.It works fine for the few times she uses it. I have the electric one that I use to brand items I sell. It works great and I use it quite a bit. Takes a little getting used to to get a nice clear impressino but worth it.

Fred

[Rod Sheridan]

I have the LV non electric branding iron, works great.

Next time I'll get the electric one so I don't need to use the propane torch........Rod.

[Roger Feeley]

Mine came from BrandNew.net. Based on what they sell, I am guessing that a lot of places get their irons from these guys.

I had never had one until I got tapped to do wedding favors for my daughter. She wanted me to sign my work with a brand. So I got the one that goes into the drill press.

I learned that your work has to be EXACTLY flat and mine wasn't. Even an error of a few thousandths seemed to make one side or the other a bit light. I solved the problem by putting little pits in two boards with a marble in between. I centered the marble under the branding iron so that the work could teeter in any direction. That allowed me plenty of slop in any direction and the branding went great.

For what it's worth, I made 85 Chinese checker games and 85 laminated cheese boards.

[William C Rogers]

I am also looking at branding irons. I do have a wood burning set and have used that. The least expensive branding iron I have found is AABrands for about $80 for electric. They don't have the more elaborate selection that BrandNew has. My thought is to get a simple "Hand Crafted by (name)" and then use the wood burner to put my initials or whatever else I want to make it personal. The wood burner works, but writing a lot with it is hard to be consistent with the lettering. Just doing initials doesn't need to be that consistent.

[Andrew Hughes]

A true craftsman doesn't sign his work.

[Keith Hankins]

I always sign my work in an out of site place with a fine sharpie and cover with finish (small print). I include date, where it was made, and for who. It's nice to think a few hundred years someone might wonder who the heck was that person that made that. No one will ever wonder about anything with IKEA stamped on it Have a good one.

[Alan Schaffter]

I could never decide on a mark for my branding iron so as an interim had a rubber stamp made- much cheaper- still using it years later.

[Mike Henderson]

A true craftsman doesn't sign his work.

Oh, I absolutely disagree. Let's take the Sara Slocom chest by John Townsend, made about 1792. Because he signed the chest and indicated he made it for Sara's wedding we have a human history of the chest. I much prefer to know such details (it humanizes the piece) than to simply see the chest in a museum and not even know who made it. Such details make history "come alive".

BTW, the Sara Slocom chest sold at auction for close to $5 million in 1998.

Mike

[Andrew Hughes]

Sometimes they did when they were asked.I am mostly referring to hand made items made in mass, by hand with no thought.Thats served the needs of people and could be bought by anyone.So there was no ego or need to sign.
I am sure the fine art woodworker would definetly sign his work.The beauty from his ego could only go so far so it needed to be signed.

[Mike Cozad]

I have had one in my Amazon save for later cart for about a year now. I want to combine that with an idea I think I read here that someone uses epoxy to glue a new penny from the year the item was made into a shallow mortise below the brand. I think it would look pretty neat anyway....

[Frederick Skelly]

All: Thanks for all the inputs and advice. Im going to take advantage of Mr. Lee's free shipping offer!

I hear you, Andrew. Thanks for keeping me honest. Sadly, the gift I just made wont last 200 years. But I like the idea that, for as long as it does last, anyone whos interested will be able to look on the bottom and see who made it and when. But like Jim K always reminds us on the Neanderthal Forum - to each his own, huh?

Mike - I sure enjoyed hearing about that chest. Ill go look that up.

Have a good day!
Fred