Beginner's Guide to Woodburning. Pyrography BASICS
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Woodburning is affordable and lot of fun! Here's what you need to know to get started in pyrography.
-----
Download my FREE GUIDE to setting up a shop for under $1000 ►► mytoollist.com/
................................
Here's the woodburning kit I used in this video: amzn.to/2EMggT5
TOOLS I USE► amzn.to/2F3hxQc
WWMM T-SHIRTS► amzn.to/2scxfYl
FACEBOOK► / woodworkingformeremortals
INSTAGRAM► / steveramsey_wwmm
_
Music:
"Princess Meow-Meow's Theme" and all the cool music on WWMM is created by Per Almered. ----AWESOME!
----------------
MAILING ADDRESS:
WWMM
448 Ignacio Blvd. #237
Novato CA 94949
----------------
Woodworking for Mere Mortals® is a registered trademark of ZRAM Media, LLC.
#woodburning #pyrography
![🔥Woodburning for Beginners [7 Tips I Wish I Knew]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lqcl9vx7VR0/mqdefault.jpg)
I haven't used carbon paper since forging my mom's signature to go to a school dance in 7th grade. 😂😂 I got caught. Thank u for this video
That made me laugh out loud!!!
I admit same here but eventually got caught on a report card by the teacher 🤦🏻
😂
Using woodburning as in the video would still have got you caught, but would have been massively impressive!
Hahahaha 😂😂😭💀⚰️ facts.
2:40 For those with Laserjets..print your image backwards as usual on normal paper, secure with tape on piece of wood. Saturate with lacquer thinner (you can do smaller areas one at a time as well) and burnish with something that wont tear the paper. I use a rounded edge piece of wood, maybe 2-3In wide. After burnishing is done, let dry for 15-30 min and remove paper.
I found this to be the best way to get even the smallest details transferred. I've used this for detailed wood routed signs, and it works SO much better than routing through the paper.
Enjoy..
I do this for part of my living as a custom woodworker and sign maker. I use Magicfly graphite transfer paper, which is readily available online. If you buy a set of brass tips, you can actually shape them to suit your needs with a file or even a belt sander. Charcoal pencils are useful for filling in light spots caused by knots or grain, just don't use brush on coating if you use charcoal pencils, as they will smear. Spray-on coatings work best. Also, if you just burn the outline of your letters or image, it makes painting them easy, as the paint will flow to the wood burnt line, (which is slightly indented) and stop.
Fantastic tips, thank you so much.
Pyrography combined with wood carving can produce some wonderful results.
Great idea to combine the two!
not only that,but imagine both methods applied to something like a full-length dining room table ;)
Great video Steve. A quick tip regarding the cleaning of the tip. Don't use a sand paper to clean as it will erode the coating on the tip that helps it to get really hot over time. Instead use the solder provided to re-tin the tip and clean it with a wet sponge.
This video helped inspire me to start doing a lot more pyrography with my business. Prior to watching I was outsourcing all engraving work, now I’m doing all the personalization with a wood burner. Thanks!!
I've never wanted to actually buy dollar shave club before! 😂 Thanks for the tutorial. My husband & I are accidental woodworkers--we stumbled onto the hobby because we kept needing to fix things, lol! Then, when we finally fell in love with & bought our first house, we found out it was built by a master carpenter, with the perfect space for a woodshop in the basement. ❤️ He did the trim work in the national archives, some of it w/super-intense detail, that was either carved or burned into the wood. One of the scrap pieces is mounted in our living room. ❤️ So, I feel like the woodworking hobby *found us* and wouldn't let us go! We love your videos, & thanks for all you do.
The included solder is for tinning the tips on first use. It makes them last longer and burn better. Basically you just wrap a brand new cold tip with solder then turn on the iron and wait for it to melt around the tip and drip down to the table.
An overhead projector is only 50 bucks. What is nice about this method is you can make the picture fit the piece very easy. Easy to shrink or enlarge dimensions. You can also change the angle the picture is displayed on the piece. You don't have to have clear film. You can use onion or parchment paper in the printer the light shines through more than enough for outlines.
Great suggestion! Then the wood stays clean.
Great method for murals too.
@Duck Soup Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace.
Choped Woodbeam Cortex was my first base, and fun to play with all kind of woods. Pyrography is fun, I do and learn around 3rd years now, and it's awsomeness 👌
Thank you. You've taught me more about woodburning in a few minutes than the...well, awful book I got to try to learn this art form. Your work is excellent, by the way. I'm grateful.
I used to do pyrography when In was a kid. Just recently I bought a new burning kit but haven’t had time to use it yet. It’s a skill I’d like to try again.
My father taught me pyrography when I was 8 or 9. Over the years, I did it on and off, but got back into it some time after the winter holidays. I made multiple name tags for people going to college, and sold one for $3. I am mostly self taught, like with wire jewelry.
I literally bought this exact kit today and come home to find your video waiting in my notifications! Must be destiny! Thanks for the tips! 👊🏻
I bought the same kit a couple days ago as well and then see it in this video! YAY!
Just used oak for my first time ever doing this lol and it was tricky but it went soooo good! I may end up hooked doing this. Such a cool way to make unique gifts.
If you want your tips to last, don't use sandpaper to clean them, it will destroy them. Use brass scouring pads instead.
Thats a realy good idea, thanks
Never knew about inkjet transfer. You just made my wood burning alot easier. Thanks.
You might get better laser transfer results by using magazine paper. Its often used for transferring photo resist masks to circuit boards, look up "PCB Toner Transfer". Works especially well by overprinting magazines, you don't need to go buy special paper. Great video Steve, as usual
From personal experience and the destruction of 2 wood burning pens, do NOT change the tips while hot. Metal expands and over time it'll strip the nibs and the receiver area that they screw into.
It's not worth working on a piece and the tip pops falls off due to the threads not holding.
Mikki Evans Would graphite lubricant (I think that’s what it’s called) help you in that situation?
Mikki Evans.... Big big time thank uuuu for tip I wish I would have known that a couple of years ago.... 🙈🙈🤷♂️🤷♂️
-Btw Did you tried what the other guy suggested.... Some kind of lubricant??? Thanks
Mikki Evans, well thanks for telling me I learned the hard way the tips are now hard to screw in what should I do but a new kit or idk someone help me
Agreed! I wanted to yell when he said that hahah
I'm about to get into pyrography so thank you so much for sharing!
I can't believe I'm just seeing this video! A man of many talents, you make me proud to bear your last name 🙂
Steve, everything I look for some wood crafting ideals I always find you and I'm so glad that you cover almost everything that I need. Thank you
I love the nightmare before Christmas theme! My all-time favorite movie! 😍
I used to do wood burning years ago. Thanks to your video I am going to return to it for my winter pastime
Great tutorial. I guess a pro tip would be to use a different colour for the inkjet transfer. That way, anywhere you see, say Red, that is the ink and where you see Black, you have burnt in the design there.
Funny enough I have that same set. Took a few shots at it in the past with less than desirable results mostly due to wood grain drawing my pen off track. With this video in mind, I think I'll take another shot at it this weekend. Thanks for the tips and inspiration Steve!
Genuinely needed this so much - got one as a present and had no idea where to start
For those of us who draw our projects directly onto the wood using whatever pattern we have, I've found that using Graphite Paper as opposed to Carbon Paper works greate, as it doesn't tend to smear whenever the palm of your hand lies on while you're working on the project.
My wood burnin kit is from the 60s/70s it's a children's set lol. Times have changed wow. Got it for $5 does the job
Would a gallon of petrol and a match count as abstract pyrography?
I like it!
-_-
They made me giggle and somehow manage to catch me off guard lol
hell yeah man
Thanks to this video I just got my first wood burning tool and I'm setting at my mom's kitchen table waiting for my burner to heat up
Hi. I'm from Kazakhstan. You have a great job. I also recently started doing wood burning.👍
Thanks Steve! I received a kit for Xmas last year and would like to use it to make a gift for the person that gave me the kit. This video was super helpful.
I bought one of those a few years ago to do some lettering on a wall plaque for a friend and haven't used it since, didn't really know how. With this info I can get it back out and try something more interesting. Thanks!
i believe the first time I've used this transfer technique was almost 20 years ago. Using an old HP laser printer made a print on the label paper, applied thin layer of glue or lacquer on the wood, transferred the print and applied the finishing lacquer on top to protect it. If I try hard enough, I may still find that piece somewhere in the garage
Thank you for your informative videos. As a beginner wood burner, I have lots to learn. I just finished a charcuterie board. I added Derwent colored pencils to the design for color. What would you recommend using as a top coat that is food safe. I’m concerned if the top coat would promote bleeding from the colored pencil. Thank you.
Try using MDF as a grain-free and very flat wood. Be aware that as MDF yellows with time, that the very lightest woodburning details will appear to fade. Great video Steve.
Great tutorial, I love woodburning
Thanks Steve. Going to try it, wish me luck.
ahhh ive just started looking into soing this for a project, so this was all super helpful - thank you so much!
Just found out I can transfer prints/drawings on paper to the wood. Been sketching it directly to the wood hehe thanks for the video, it helped me a lot!
My top tip is.
Don't lend it to someone then fall out with them ; -)
I'm an artist too.
I do Pyrography.
:)
One time i got an offer from a business person to draw for them.
I declined because i only do for private people.
Pyrography is VERY cool and beautiful if done right.
Even simple drawings are very beautiful.
Have you ever used a cutting knife attachment for your wood burning tool? I tried mine and I can't get it tight enough to stay in the tool. That little bit that is supposed to squeeze the tip to keep the knife in place won't slide up... I could really use a video on how to get this tip to work please. Thanks!
I have trouble with wood burning tools, because when I draw, I hole the pencil super close to the tip, with this you have to hold the tool higher up, and don’t get as much control. Thank you for the video tho, very helpful
Well your a very lucky man to get such a great find and glad to see it going to a real woodworker rather than a burn or dump. I can see you dreaming of projects and imagining what you can design while your taking it down. I live in NC and would love to have some of it if you wind up having too much to keep. Of course I think you will be using some of it to build your own covered storage woodshed out of.
This video is great! My wife had the same kit. This will help her get more out of it!
Great idea Steve to combine both it's beautiful 👍👍😍👌👌👌👍
I love that you're using "A nightmare before Christmas" for this. Great video.
I'm a woodburner woodburningbyseth great video not only is hand burn fun and relaxing but you can do so much more than a laser laser is not pyrography there's no Hart or really art involved in it
hello your video is very interesting about the transfer is it transfer paper on t-shirt that you use?
This is pretty interesting. Thank you for another basics video Steve
Steve, I absolutley love your channel! Just wanted to let you know, the way you worded the work shop set up guide, kinda sounds like you're charging "under 1000" for the guide, not that it's a guide to help people set up a budget-friendly workshop. Thanks! I started woodworking because of you!
I sign my woodworking projects this way. And add comments like made with love dad
I’m buying a kit tonight. Can’t wait to experiment with this! Thanks for the tutorial video
I use mesquite a lot and it doesn't give me to much trouble not if I sand it really good my burner goes over it very smoothly. I can get pine or cedar but I'm allergic to both of them one of the downsides of starting a sawmill and custom wood working business I can't help my husband when he's milling those to tapes of wood I love helping him
Could you use a soldering iron from stained glass?
Hi mate, looking for info on using a burnmaster or razor tip to fractal burn or Lichtenberg on slab wood.
Thank you so much for these videos, you are so cool!!!
I actually use a pocket projector and a lazy susan with register marks for doing the images. You can pick up just a really cheap one since all you need is for it to function, and just have to make sure your mounting scheme allows for it to rotate without skewing. All in all not that much effort and allows you to burn without ink or toner getting vaporized.
My first was a soldering gun, I used to take 16 penny nails and bend them to fit the gun, then heat the nail as much as possible about 1/2 hour then flatten the tip to different designs, The tips were held by a screw do it was not unusual for some to come along and send the odor of burnt flesh around the room. We learned never to touch another tool, especially a real soldering gun converted to woodburning
That's ingenious dude how did you even come up with that!!!! We have to get some new stylus's for our videos we don't have very good ones but they work as intended.
Wow!!! Wow from Brazil! Loved the tips guy. Just tell me please what kind is this burner? Where can i buy one the same of it? Am retired from work n i am feeling to start burning wood to have some extra money..
I made a pirographo out of a microwave trafo. But it burns my hands and didnt work very well..i need to find a good device.
I'm so happy you made this video, Steve. I didn't even know what pyrography was until the ouija board video, and now this--I'm super interested in it. It's a cross-section of art and woodworking that I find extremely appealing, personally! You might say I'm...FIREd up for this? *fist bump*
Thanks John! It's super fun and relaxing. Find your zen place!
What type of sticker paper did you use to transfer the design using an ink jet printer?
So what is the tool to heat transfer to the wood, (the round flat tip) and where can it get that tip at?
You are a pro at advertising, just saying! Lol love it I'd hire you! Love your work of course too
Oh my gosh, exactly the kind of video I was looking for! Thank you!
Hello! Great tutorial! I would like to ask you, what exactly are these papers which do the inkjet transfer? How do i ask for them?.... Thanks!
Would it be best to stain before or after?
Thanks so much for posting this! I just got this kit and I'm using it for a project, and this gave me some pretty good pointers!👍
for the laser print ones you can use acetone to trasnfer instead of an iron
What technique did you use for the transfer using the inkjet? You didn't provide a link. Was it with sticky vinyl paper?
Does woodburning damage the eyesight? Is it neccessary to wear safety glasses?
Love it. Which ink jet transfer did you use ? I am finding different ones on Amazon and getting confused. 🤔
Thanks for the video, the tips were very helpful. Especially the laser jet transfer, freehanding is not in my skill set.
I've used before for projects I've given friends and family to personalize who it was for, from, and usually a small message like 'Happy 4th Birthday' or "Don't break this one, you won't get another".
I'm with you...freehanding is definitely outside my skill set!
Great guide to woodburning Steve! Thanks!
thanks for the tips. I am just starting and want to get better.
Thank you for some great tips!
Pyrography is one of those things that is easy to learn but annoyingly hard to master in my experience.
How about pornography? :-) :-) :-)
@@juncags1 it's hard too if you looking the loli type because the FBI will knock your door out.
@@juncags1 there was a time when guys wouldn't dare to openly express that they used porn. Why? because it wasn't normalized and people understood that it's unhealthy to have your mind warped by that garbage. Those were the good old days.
@@ASMRyouVEGANyet Its just a joke...relax
Porn is awesome
thanks for the tips, was just looking to give a try at this and this video just happened to pop up thanks for the demo
New to this. Thank you ☺️
I love pyrography thanks Steve
Ya did it to me again Steve, now there’s something else I want to learn to do.
Great video, thanks a lot from someone just starting pyrography and has yet to make his first project. One question though: after you have burned a beautiful picture or something into a piece of wood, can you stain over it (with a light kind of stain of course) to give it a certain interesting effect?
Yes you can
Hi guys, Newbie question here.. I’m having a hard time getting the ink to transfer to my wood. It transfers but is very light and a lot of ink staying on the back of the paper. I’m using the label paper (with the labels torn off) and a inkjet printer. I’m wondering if it is because my wood is too rough? Will sanding it down smoother help with ink transfer? Thanks!
Good presentation. Interesting.
Hey FYI Laser printer with Mod Podge gets photo quality transfers
When using the ink transfer method, is there a risk that burning the ink releases toxic fumes?
Any time you burn anything not natural to the wood you risk possible toxic fumes. Which is why all the pyrography artists who know what they are doing always stress safety gear. Wear your mask, (if you don’t have one, please get one) Razer makes some great ones that are comfortable with glasses. Also unless you are outdoors, either have a small fan facing away from you to draw the smoke away from your face or use a fume extractor like the ones used while soldering stained glass (most solder is a tin & lead mix yah don’t want to be breathing.) I use my soldering fume extractor which is lined up to exhaust into my room purifier (desktop size). With this setup & my RZ mask I’m not breathing anything hazardous and the room I’m burning in doesn’t have any lingering smells… hope this is helpful…
I have found that using Xylol on the reverse side of laser prints will dissolve the thermo-bonded laser 'ink'. Burnishing down the after applying a thin coat of Xylol will cleanly transfer the toner from the paper to the surface. (any Xerographic printer will work) The ancient 'Magic Markers' used Xylol as a solvent/vehicle. The industry has stopped using Xylol in any marker but you can get it at the hardware store. I used to transfer laser prints to t-shirts in this method. Wood should work the same.
Awesome! Thanks for the tip Bruce!
huh i came for the woodburning, but.. that inkjet transfer seems like a more desirable result, does it stay on long term? can you varnish over it ?
That's awesome I'm doing it 🙌
It’s burning the wood black is that because of the temperature you’re using?
Would there be any reason why the wood would not burn? I got a pen a week ago and it doesn’t burn anything lol goes to 500 degrees
Do you need to ‘was off’ the ink from the ink jet transfer after you finish burning
I can't find the heat transfer tip with this pen? I want to make sure whatever pen I buy has the right attachments
Hey, Steve. A bit off topic, but I have been trying to get a laser print transfer onto some pine. I have used Acetone and Polycrylic. The acetone gave me uneven transfer, and the Poly had problems staying on the wood while I was rubbing off the paper. Any suggestions? Thanks.
What’s a decent pyrography kit to buy ? For beginners
Refresh my memory, if you don't mind. Why is it that you like lacquer so much? Thank you, Steve for your time!
Aw, I have a Walnut Hollow kit I bought early 2000s & I totally could have used a temperature control. Still love it though.
Nice job 👍
Do we have to worry about the smoke?