New hobby; pyrography.

[Retired]

Hi,

About two years ago I bought a Peter Child pyrography kit intending to add wood burned embellishments to my wood turned items but more hard graft got in the way; I've finally dusted the kit off and made a start using plywood for practice.

https://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/peter-child-pyrography-machine/p1491

After watching lots of YouTube videos this is my first attempt; I had lots of problems resizing the cat image it ending up in large pixels but keen to at least have a go I drew around the outline as best I could transferring the outline using graphite paper; I've got lots of writing nibs but find this nib difficult to use it tending to dig in between the ply grain but at least I finally had a go. First attempt.

Getting better; a simple flower pattern resized to fit the ply; I sanded the ply more for this one and it helped; again using the graphite paper. Second attempt.

This afternoon I succeeded in resizing the cat face and this time could add more detail to the practice piece using the graphite paper; again with the writing tip I'm starting to improve and aren't as heavy whilst playing with heat settings; the first two practices were at #8 setting this practice just under #5 setting; I can go over multiple times to darken but now I want to practice shading and also fine lines for fur; I'm informed I need a "spoon" tip; I've got lots of correct resistance wire but really want to get into the workshop in order to make new tips; it's been hovering around freezing again today so the workshop is out of bounds until it warms up a bit. This is only my third attempt so I'm pleased with progress. What a wonderful hobby pyrography is on a cold winters day.

Unable to get into the workshop I decided to double up on my office adding a pyrography station; I bought the new aluminium tall picnic table at around £30 through eBay and as seen it squeezes in nicely between my home made desk and the CH radiator; I can also use my office chair; the Peter Child kit cost about £110 so a new interesting hobby without breaking the bank. Warm and cozy unlike the workshop and I can work in comfort without changing clothes.

I'm just doodling until The Great Pottery Throw Down is on TV at 8 o'clock; this is the only program we look forward to on normal TV; we use YouTube 99 % of the TV time.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Memmeddu]

I do sometimes use my soldering iron improperly to engrave (burning) wooden handle
Mainly to put a writing but I've also done this on my kabar

 

[Welderpaul]

Your home made desk looks a work of art Colin.

 

[owas]

My sisters friend does this, did my cat

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

My wife dabbles too.

Pyro pens with the solder gun style tips are much better than the soldering iron style.

 

[Hitch]

Spotted the Ultimate Handyman coaster

 

[outofthefire]

My mam and dad bought me one of them 40 odd years ago to try and stop me being being a juvenile delinquent, not sure what they were thinking giving me something to make burning things easier I've still got it and do use it occasionally, but i've not much in the way of photo's. I found really close grained wood works best, lime was really good if I remember right.

 

[Parm]

What ever you do do t get ideas of making you own kit, it’s easy, but mostly ends badly, I’ll spare you the detail

 

[Lewis_RX8]

What ever you do do t get ideas of making you own kit, it’s easy, but mostly ends badly, I’ll spare you the detail

remember a story about someone in his shed with a old microwave transformer and some wood trying that lighting effect type art ,, didn't end well

 

[Parm]

remember a story about someone in his shed with a old microwave transformer and some wood trying that lighting effect type art ,, didn't end well

one of my colleagues investigated an occurrence like this. it was never formally one of our cases as it wasn’t a work related issue. We just provided expertise

 

[Turbo]

We have a pyrograph at out mens shed & one of our members is quite artistic & has used it to do some nice writing on some signs we made.

One tip I can give you - if you want to seal the work afterwards ONLY USE A SPRAY ON CLEAR LACQUER, if you try brushing anything on it the burnt wood will smear across the picture. We learned that the hard way!

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Nice one Memmeddu thanks for sharing.

Your sisters friend has made a lovely job of the cat owas please pass on my compliments.

Spotted the Ultimate Handyman coaster

You've got sharp eyes Hitch, the title has been hard earned over many years grafting.

Yes close grained timber is much better as you say outofthefire; I'm new to pyrography but already I've found the grain on plywood can be difficult but I'm informed I need to use a "spoon" tip which will give much better lines; I want to make spoon tips but it's much too cold to wander down to the workshop; I've already visited Morrison's and was back home by 7:40 in sub zero temperature; the car was frozen with deep frost.

Thanks for the tip Turbo; I have a full box of a dozen UPOL clear lacquer rattle cans so I'm nicely set up; weather permitting I visit Rufforth Auto Jumble first Saturday of every month but not visited for over a year now due to Covid lockdown where I stock up with consumables.

remember a story about someone in his shed with a old microwave transformer and some wood trying that lighting effect type art ,, didn't end well

Thanks Lewis; I think you'll be referring to this dangerous technique;

I've bought a 1,950W commercial micro wave transformer that I intend to use for brazing TC tips to tooling; I'll post details once global warming reaches Yorkshire; I also want to get involved with induction heating; I've bought a new 2,500W induction heater to experiment with and hope I can use my Pickhill Bantam arc welder as the 48V power source; I'm into all sorts of projects. If your lights dim you'll know who to blame.

It's now 8:36am and I need the desk lamp on in order to see the keyboard; roll on our two days of summer assuming we have a long summer this year.

Your home made desk looks a work of art Colin.

Many thanks for your compliment Welderpaul. Not on topic but as it's too cold to play out I can tell a little story about my desk. It started about 25 years ago; I'd never done woodwork for profit but at work I was known for my woodworking projects; one day a guy came to me just before Christmas asking if I'd make him a bespoke pine farmhouse table; I thought it would be a decent project so I showed him a catalogue and he selected the style he liked; in the catalogue it was priced at £360 so I agreed to make it for half the price and we shook hands on it; I bought and collected the timber costing in excess of £60 and spent three full interesting days over the Christmas holiday making the table. Back at work I told the guy his table was ready; his reply; I'VE SEEN ONE IN TOWN AT £10 CHEAPER. I politely wished him luck with it.

Not to be beaten I then used the table as my computer desk for years. My wife and I often visited Boundary Mills in Colne and I was always impressed by the gents toilets and wondered what the material was on the doors it looking beautiful; each time we visited I became more and more interested so in the end I emailed Boundary Mills for details; a very nice lady replied thanking me for my enquiry and she would get back to me; shortly after I received a reply from her saying she's been in touch with the contractors and the material was Formica but it was a discontinued line? I politely thanked her.

Next I started to browse the web looking for Formica with a similar pattern and what luck to find a company not too distant away in Morley Leeds; I visited the company and whilst there also bought a couple of full sized sheets of plain red that were being sold off; I wondered how I'd get these four large Formica sheets into the car but I was amazed as I watched two guys stack the four sheets onto a large table then simply push the sheets forward; a set of rollers rolled them allowing them to be securely taped and I soon had them home.

The Formica used is Burled Amberwood.

The framework of the desk is solid oak; the top panel is 18mm thick MDF veneered with the Formica; shelves are also Formica; biscuit joints were used throughout and the finish is very hard wearing polyurethane varnish; behind the drawers at the back the drawers are designed to be a bit shorter allowing a recess that accommodates 7 single 13A sockets powered from a single 13A plug; I was fed up of dangling cables with the farm house table so now just one cable to the supply and the computer and printers etc. cables are neatly tucked out of sight; I've never seen this done but it works a treat.

My desk is the only one like it in the world; in total it cost around £250 for materials; I really did enjoy designing and making it; it's as nice now as when I made it years ago. I enjoy all aspects of wood/metalworking and over the 44 years of marriage have saved a fortune making both fitted and free standing furniture.

Back of desk top showing 13A sockets connected to a single 13A plug.

The underside of the top; please note ends of 18mm MDF bearers lipped in solid oak and the recess for the sockets.

The desk top unit completed ready for finish.

The finished desk; left hand pedestal left open for computer ventilation. A really enjoyable project and it's so special to me. Note burr wood pen holder kindly turned for me by my friend David to complement the desk.

The top panel with Formica added; contact adhesive used meaning get it right first time.

Trimming to size with a router.

Right hand pedestal under way.

A bespoke desk needs bespoke knobs; the face of each knob has a matching Formica insert glued in.

As I say not on topic regarding pyrography but I'd rather be adding this than watching someone kick a ball around. I try my best to encourage others to have a go at anything leaving their comfort zone; I've spent the last three years mostly grafting in the gardens hence pyrography has been on hold; the first 30 years living here were spent upgrading our detached bungalow to suit us and now at last it's completed so with the bungalow and gardens sorted perhaps this year I can play with all my toys in the workshop. I'm practicing pyrography on plywood but hope to apply it to turned items I'd like to make; I'm interested in turning small items like goblets which take up little space.

Not mine but an example of what I'm now interested in doing; if only the weather would warm up; I'm keen to get stuck into lots of interesting projects; I'm never bored.

I've rambled on enough and hope this is of interest.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

remember a story about someone in his shed with a old microwave transformer and some wood trying that lighting effect type art ,, didn't end well

Didn't the chap electrocute himself to death and the place burned down, because he knocked over a heater as his last act of Earth?

I think you'll be referring to this dangerous technique;

I was going to have a go at it, had the m/wave and everything. I can still hear the shouts of "No" from Members ringing in my ears.

 

[Parm]

Didn't the chap electrocute himself to death and the place burned down, because he knocked over a heater as his last act of Earth?


I was going to have a go at it, had the m/wave and everything. I can still hear the shouts of "No" from Members ringing in my ears.

much safer to buy a soldering iron and have a go with that

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I decided to rework the cat face as seen below;

This time I used a spoon tip I had made from correct resistance wire and it's much better than using a writing tip; so this is my fourth attempt at pyrography and I'm getting the hang of it. Progress can be seen from post #1.

If only our dire climate would pack it in then I could become a lot more enthusiastic regarding projects. Yorkshire is a truly wonderful place to live two days each year assuming we have a long summer.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[mtt.tr]

Most of that litchenberg stuff is done very dangerously show complete lack of understanding inregards how electricity works