How to Use Woodburners

Woodburning or pyrography is the art of burning designs into wood. The designs are burnt into the surface of the wood using a woodburning tool. Woodburning tools have many different tips to allow you to create different effects. Think of the different tips on different styles of paintbrushes. Some are used for making lines and small details while others are used for shading. Woodburning is a hobby for many people, and some people approach it as a fine art. Basswood is an ideal wood to use for woodburning, especially when you are just beginning, because it is smooth-grained and soft.

Things You'll Need

• Heavy glazed tile
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Woodburning tool
• Basswood board
• Pencil
• Woodburning tips

Instructions

1. Place a heavy glazed tile near your work surface. Lay a piece of fine-grit sandpaper on top of the tile. Plug in the woodburning tool and allow it to heat up for 10 to 15 minutes. Rest the tool on the tile.

2. Lay a basswood board on your work surface. Draw a design onto the board lightly in pencil.

3. Use the tip of the woodburning tool to burn the outlines of the design into the wood. Apply slight pressure to the tool and move it along the lines in a steady motion just fast enough to burn the desired darkness of the lines into the wood. The pressure and speed of the tool will directly impact the darkness and depth that the tool makes. Clean off the blackened carbon that forms on the tip by pulling it across the sandpaper in an even motion.

4. Add details to the design using the tip of the woodburning tool. Create straight lines with the blade of the tool to create crosshatching and other details.

5. Shade in areas of the design with the side of the woodburning tool's tip. Attach various tips to the tool to achieve different-sized dots, lines and shaded areas. Allow the tip to cool fully before switching to a new one.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment on a scrap piece of wood to create different textures, shading, lines and designs before attempting woodburning on your finished project.

• Keep your fingers clear of the tip when burning wood. Always wait for the tip to cool fully before removing it.

References

• Carving Patterns: Wood Burning 101 - The Woodburning Tool
• Carving Patterns: Wood Burning 101 - Basic Wood Burning Textures

Resources

• The Wood Box: Wood Burning or "Pyrography" - Woodburning Tools, Technique & Raw Material