Step 2 of the process
Prepare the surface
A tip catches on every ridge, so the surface is sanded smooth before any design goes on: with the grain, up to 220 to 320 grit, then wiped clean. Any stain, paint or varnish comes off first.
- Final grit
- 220 to 320
- Direction
- with the grain
A burning tip follows the surface exactly. On rough wood it catches on ridges, digs into soft spots and leaves a line that wobbles in width. Sanding fixes that before it starts. Work with the grain, starting with whatever grit the board needs and finishing at 220 to 320. The surface is ready when it feels silky and shows no scratches under a low light.
Dust matters too. Loose dust scorches under the tip and leaves specks, and it clogs transfer paper. Wipe the board with a clean dry cloth, or a barely damp one, and let it dry fully. Pre-sanded blanks save most of this work, but a quick pass with fine paper is still worth it, because packs vary. Wood blanks for pyrography lists what each pack states.
If the piece already has a finish, the burn waits. Stain, paint, oil and varnish go into the smoke when heated and they gum up the tip, so the rule is burn bare wood first, then stain or paint around the burn. A finished board has to be sanded back to clean wood wherever you will burn. Burning on finished, stained or painted wood covers each finish.
Ready to move on when: The surface feels silky, shows no sanding scratches or shine from an old finish, and is free of dust.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Sanding across the grain, which leaves scratches that the burn makes darker.
- Stopping at a coarse grit because the board looks smooth enough.
- Burning through a finish instead of sanding it off first.