The wood burning handbook
Pick the tip, set the heat, burn a clean line
Which tip does what, how hot to run the pen on your wood, how to get a design onto the board, and what to change when a burn comes out blotchy, faint or in the wrong place.
Which tip does what?
Open the full tip chart →Charts to pin above the bench
The process, step by step
Six steps from a bare board to a sealed piece. Each has a short page that says what to do, how to tell it is done and what usually goes wrong.
- ·Pen and setupSolid-point pen or wire-nib burner, a stand, moving air and a pen that actually heats up.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 1Choose the woodPale, soft, even-grained wood shows a burn best. Basswood is the standard choice.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 2Prepare the surfaceSand with the grain to 220 to 320 grit, wipe off the dust, and strip any old finish first.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 3Transfer the designGraphite paper, a heat transfer or a stencil: get light lines onto the wood, then burn.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 4Tips and temperatureMatch the tip to the job and set the lowest heat that leaves a toast-brown line on scrap.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 5Burning and shadingOutlines first, then tone in light layers. Darkness comes from time on the wood, not pressure.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- 6Color and sealingErase the pattern lines, add color if you want it, then seal with a finish that suits the use.0 notes · 0 gear guides
- ·Marker and gelThe burned look without a hot pen: draw or stencil the fluid on, then develop it with a heat gun.0 notes · 0 gear guides