Transfer the design

Few people burn freehand. The usual method is graphite paper: tape the pattern to the wood, slide the graphite sheet under it dark side down, and trace with a pencil or ballpoint using light pressure. The line it leaves is thin and grey and comes off with an eraser afterwards. Waxy carbon paper is different: it smears and resists erasing. The transfer how-to compares four methods.

A second method uses heat. A design from a laser printer or photocopier is laid face down and rubbed from the back with a hot transfer tip, a flat disc that screws into a solid-point pen. The toner moves to the wood. The image comes out reversed, so lettering has to be mirrored before printing. Lift a corner of the paper often to see whether the lines have taken.

Stencils are the third route and the easiest for letters. Metal stencils stand up to a hot pen. Adhesive vinyl and mylar ones are for gel and marker work. Whatever the method, press lightly: a pencil pressed hard dents soft basswood, and the dent stays after the graphite is gone. Graphite and transfer paper and stencils have their own guides.

Ready to move on when: Every line of the design is on the wood and light enough to erase. Check before you lift the pattern off.