Essential Tools for Pyrography Art | How to Use Pyrography Tools

It makes no difference that you are a professional or a beginner, the pyrography tools are almost the same for everyone.

In this article, we review all the essential tools needed for pyrography art and how to use them.

Pyrography or wood burning is one of the arts related to wood that has many enthusiasts.

This art needs tools, like all others. Most pyrography tools are cheap and you can perform this art at the workshop of carpentry or at your own home workshop.

In short, the art of pyrography does not cost so much. Just get woodburning tools and create beautiful artworks.

If you want to become familiar with the tools needed for pyrography, stay with us.

What is a Pyrography Art?

The art of pyrography on wood is the art of creating motifs and decorations by burning with metal tools on objects such as wooden surface or wooden sculpture.

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Other names are wood burning or Pokerwork.

Typically, the soldering iron has been used to make these motifs, and by the use of thermal techniques such as changing the temperature and changing the speed of hand during burning, a range of brown color on the wood will create a special effect.

This art is very time consuming and completely done with the hand.

You should also have patience and focus on pyrography art because a tiny carelessness causes a flaw and often cannot be reversed.

The history of this art is not very clear. But in ancient parts of Egypt, Iran, China and Greece, ancient works have been discovered that have had burning effects on them.

Also pyrography is a traditional folk art in many parts of Europe, including Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Flanders, as well as India and Argentina and other countries in South America.

Pyrography Tools

Pyrography tools, unlike many woodworking tools, are usually cheap and you can easily provide them.

Here is a list of essential tools for pyrography. The point is that this should be done with hands.

To do valuable work, try to get all of these tools and spend enough time to do it.

Wood Burning Pen

One of the main and essential tools of pyrography is the Wood burning pen.

There are several different brands on the market that you can use them but when buying a wood burning pen, there are many factors to keep in mind.

When you are burning wood you need to use a variety of different size tips depending on your plan. Therefore, note that your pen tip can be adjusted before purchase.

Types of Wood Burning Pen, Based on Temperature Control Capability

A wood burning pen may be solid-tip or craft style with a fixed temperature for burning or a wire-nib type that has varying temperatures for more precision work.

If you are drawing with your pyrography pen, you will need one that can manage at different temperatures to achieve different degrees of burning in the wood.

Additionally, the different types of wood that you use them, need different temperatures for burning.

The contrast of the brown color created by the various temperatures of tips on wood will determine the beauty of the work.

So choose a pen that has the ability to control the temperature.

Wood burning pens that have the ability to control the temperature are more expensive.

If you are beginner you can use an ordinary pen for around $50 which may not have the ability to control the temperature.

But if you are really interested in pyrography art, spend money with free-heart to buy a good wood burning pen.

Walnut Hollow Value Pen is one of the popular wood burning pens.

Carbon Paper

You must shape your idea to the wood in the pyrography art. You need a carbon paper to do this.

Make sure you use black or yellow carbons. Yellow carbons are very suitable because its effect on the wood does not create a problem for the shadows created by the pen, but the effect of the blue and black carbons after the heat will be spread and the appearance of the work will be spoiled.

Also, yellow carbons have a very slight effect on the wood, but when you have a lot of designs that are complex, finding the lines of difficulty.

Do not use blue carbons at all and use black carbon for more difficult designs.

Sand Paper

Choosing a suitable Sandpaper for you depends on your wood.

If your wood is well-cut and has relatively a flat surface, you can prepare it with soft sandpaper for burning.

Blue sandpapers are suitable for this. They are numbered, and the less number is rougher.

For sanding, it’s better to use hard sandpaper and gradually apply finer sandpaper.

To sanding the wood, you must have at least three grinding steps.

• First, scrub the sandpaper 120 with a hard sanding.
• When the surface of the wood is perfectly flat, continue with softer sandpaper, such as a blue sandpaper 400.
• Finally, with smoother sandpaper (of the number 800 and upper) the surface of the wood would be completely polished.

After using Ultrafine sandpaper, you can rub the natural leather on the wood surface.

Leather, like fine sandpaper, removes the wooden beams that remain between the pores of the wood, providing a perfectly polished surface to the artist.

Remember, a beautiful Pyrography work needs a piece of wood to be quite polished.

Given the fact that wood has to be completely smooth for burning, it’s difficult for people, especially some women.

You can use Random Orbital Sander for this purpose. It is one of the most useful essential power woodworking tools for any woodworker.

Pyrography Pattern

A pyrography pattern is necessary for you if you are not a good painter.

Even if you have enough design experience, you can get more models by looking at pyrography patterns and find better ideas.

You will need an appropriate design to get started. This design will vary according to your taste.

It is best to choose a simple pattern to begin, because contrary to the initial impression of people, pyrography art is much more difficult, and if you choose a difficult pattern, you will soon be tired from doing that.

It’s better to follow this art step by step.

Additional Pyrography Tools, Useful But Inessential

There are tools that are useful for pyrography but they are inessential.

If you are serious about this work, you can also get these tools. Let’s review them:

• Tape: To keep the design fixed on the surface of the wood when moving the design, you can use tape.
• Wet paper towel: you can use a wet paper towel to clean up pyrography tools and wood surface.
• Pencil: To designing some ideas such as an added shadow on the wood surface before you start burning. In addition, you can use it to transfer the pattern onto the wood.
• Eraser: To clear the design mistakes that have been implemented incorrectly.
• Mask and fan: you must be careful when burning wood because smoke that comes from burning wood can be dangerous if it’s done indoors. You can use an exhaust fan to remove smoke during work. Also, you should use a mask if you are constantly doing burning wood, because some of them produce smoke that is harmful to the lungs.
• Spray: Use a spray to keep the panel clean.

Types of Wood for Pyrography

Choosing the right wood for burnishing art is very important and effective in the final result of the work.

There are many different types of wood you can use for pyrography art. All types of wood used for carving can be used in the art of wood burning.

Usually, properties such as color, strength, Texture, and price are important factors in choosing wood for pyrography.

However, for wood burning, it is generally suitable to use softwood such as Basswood though hardwoods are too much being used for wood burning.

Basswood has pretty light grain, the burning will show up really clear.

It is very soft, which makes it easy to work with. Other types of wood that are suitable for pyrography art are Pinewood and Aspen wood.

Pinewood is soft and easy to do pyrography so it’s frequently being used by beginners.

But be aware of the high resin materials. On the other hand hardwoods such as Maplewood normally require higher temperatures and more work to obtain the same result.

However, it will produce impressive and clean results when used in wood burning.

Tips on Pyrography:

When working on burning art, you have to take good care of the work. Don’t let the sweat of your hand to come over the design or pencil. Because it will cause the pencil to spread on the surface of the wood.

Sometimes it may take some days to do worthwhile work. Every day after the work, put the panel in a place where no dust or sunshine comes. Humidity is destructive also for pyrography arts.

Do not paint your artwork by colors as it’ll reduce the value of your work. Give your artwork high value by gaining colors from burning.

Note that safety is very important in this work. Remember do not burn on pressure-treated woods because they contain chemical materials that are harmful to your health.