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What are some techniques for woodburning?

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Varying the type of tip used, the temperature, or the way the iron is applied to the material all create different effects. Here are a few tips and techniques for woodburning:

• Whenever you burn, assume a comfortable and relaxed position.
• Hold the pen at an angle as you burn to keep the rising heat from going directly to the fingers.
• Always practice your burning strokes before you attempt any burning or texturing application to the carving. Keep a scrap piece of the same wood you are using for the project on hand to check, adjust, correct your burn strokes.
• Always work with sufficient light.
• Don’t use excessive pressure when texture burning, which can stress the pen and tip. Instead, learn to adjust the heat setting to achieve your desired burn.
• To achieve a necessary amount of hand control when texturizing, establish a surface anchor with either the little finger or side of the hand.
• The color of your burn should be medium brown (or toast colored).
• If you feel little to no “pull” or friction on your stroke, chances are you are running at too high a heat setting. The surface of the burn will appear black, rather than toast colored.
• If you feel a lot of “pull” or friction on your stroke, you are probably operating at too low a temperature setting. If your burn mark looks like only a light brown mark where the stroke begins, and nothing more than a tool mark at the end of the stroke, you need to increase the temperature.

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