Pyrography Burners

MachineInfoBox Pyrography Burners
Synonyms:	pyrograph; DE: Brandkolben, Brandmalkolben, Brennkolben, "Brenn-Peter", Elektroschreiber
Material:	wood, cork, leather
Access Requirements:	Heat Introduction
Tutors:	Lukas NitramLegov Pakue Johannes Luzian Keno
Similar (More or Less):	branding irons, encaustic pens (Wachsmalkolben)

A pyrography burner can be used to burn freehand drawings and small patterns into wood, e.g. for marking or decorational purposes. Using a laser cutter is much easier for intricate designs.

Although many of these burners look like a soldering iron, please refrain from using one for soldering - remains of charred wood in your solder will not exactly improve the connections and remains of solder may taint the pyrography.

Health & Safety

• only solid untreated wood, cork or leather should be burned with this tool as other materials may release harmful fumes (see Wikipedia)
• make sure you have good ventilation even if "your" fumes are not especially harmful
• obviously, the burner gets hot and should not be touched while plugged in or shortly after
  • use a metal stand to rest the tool when it is hot
• regularly check the fit of your tip - especially the screw-in tips of cheap models often don't stay in properly, but we won't invest in a fancier burner until we see how popular the technique is

Use

Sketching your design in pencil beforehand is always a good idea, and scribing it with a pricking awl may help you guide the burner along its lines.

Move the burner along its path until you achieved the desired look - the slower, the darker!

Example Project

Thise shelf was decorated with a pyrography burner:

Further Reading

• Wikipedia: Pyrography - inspiration for the really artsy ones; list of inappropriate materials