woodburning questions

[jmalisani]

I have heard that woodburning is a handy way to add detail and character to bird carvings. I have no experience with wood burning and dont own any equipment for woodburning. I guess i am looking for some advice on the best value given that I would be new to it. Perhaps some guidance on how to begin.
John

[kenweybright]

John,

I think burners, like anything else is a matter of preference. I use a Nibs rheostat and the burning tips I use come from Razortip Industries in Canada.

While the tips from there are razor sharp, they do an excellent job for bird detail. I'm sure you can get as many opinions as you can from the various carvers.

I burn my feathers in at a very low heat simply because what I try to accomplish is an realistic as I can make it. Many new bird carvers start out and burn the details in to deep. Just a low heat will turn the wood into a light caramel color and provide just enough depth to accomplish feather detail.

Razortip has a new multiline burning tip, called Feather Formers, ( I Think)I don't own any because they are about $27 a piece. I own a few Razortips, and Cam Merkle there is more than willing to meet your needs.

Hope my ramblings may have helped you out a little.

Ken
Carvings-by-Ken.com Home Page

[woodenwings]

John,
Don't waste your time with the old generic wood burner. If you do much burning at all with the old type it can damage your finger tip nerves and will not do a good job. You'll need a burner with a rheostat and multiple tips. I prefer the Colwood detailer.

[markken5889]

I agree with Woodenwings - save the money you'd throw at a "hobby woodburning pen" from Michaels or Wal-Mart, etc and get yourself a nice setup with the rheostar and pens. I prefer fixed-tip pens. I also used a Colwood burner.

Mark

[jmalisani]

Thanks all for your advise, I will put it to good use
john