Newbie question! Burn or Carve Signature?

[woodmodeler]

Hi there,

Was curious as to how does one initial/sign their carvings.

Do you normally just carve your initials or include your full flowing signature?

I do not have a wood burner so I would be looking to carve my initials.

Do you also mention the carving date? What's the general trend?

Now all I have to do is come up with nice looking text for a signature... any advice?

Cheers Ronnie

[jmischel]

I suspect you'll get lots of different answers. I've seen just the initials, sometimes a full name. Sometimes the full date is there, sometimes just the year. I myself have used the full date, just month and year, and just the year.

Some carvers will carve their signature into the piece. Some will burn it. Others might just write it with a pen or magic marker.

As with so much of carving: "whatever works for you."

[bigEd_H]

Jim is correct, you will get a multitude of answers. So far, I've been signing my projects with a Sharpie on the bottom or some place that is out of the way. You can buy a branding iron with your signature on it. Some use a pencil or even a pen. I noticed from pictures that most of the famous carvers of the past used an ink pen or pencil.

Ed

[Joggernot]

I have simple initials (NF) so I can carve them easily with straight lines. If they want the date, I use a Sharpie.

Joggernot

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Just remember, some day, long after you've left the scene, someone might be walking through some fleamarket in a Mars colony and come across this interesting little woodcarving done back in the 21st century by some unknown artist. While he did put a date on it he only signed it with his initials or is that a no longer readable signature? Please, if you're going to take the time to do the piece take the time to make sure your name is clean, clear and will stand the test of time. I burn mine into the back of each piece along with the date and I also attach a brass nameplate to the front of the piece with the title. I might not be worth much now but maybe my great, great, great, great, great, great, great Grandson will take pride in something his forbear was able to do.

[SeaLeveler]

Sharpie with name.month and year or burn with same info then varnish

[woodmodeler]

Thanks... ok so for small tiny carvings I may have to use a Sharpie and for larger carvings can try carving my initials.

Love the idea of a branding iron but they sound expensive. Will try the burning signature after I learn how to do pyrography (is that right?)

Cheers Ronnie

[bigEd_H]

Ronnie, be sure to leave the area you want to sign with ink or a sharpie clear of any oils or other finish, otherwise it will bleed and blur your signature. I usually do it on the bottom of a food on my flat plane and caricatures.

The branding irons are a bit pricey (~$100), but give you the consistency of a recognizable signature. If you intend to sell your work, a branding iron would be the way to go, but if you only intend to carve as a hobby with only an occasional sale, but mostly giving the carvings as gifts, I'd use a woodburner for sure.

For now, at the level of experience I am, a sharpie or an ink pen will do.

Ed

[Claude]

I put satin water-based varnish on the bottom of the carving. When dry, I print my name and the year using a Gel pen. When the gel is dry, I put another coat of water-based varnish on it.

Claude

[wildhare]

Before I got my burner, I used a fine tip arcivial felt tip found in Wal Mart near the scrapbook section. I put it on the wood, let dry and varnish over it. Once dry, it is waterresistant. Only costs about $4 and is easier for me to write small on small pieces.

Burning your signiture into it is more permanent but also more expensive.