This has probably been asked before, but has anyone used the handheld heat transfer device for relief or chip carving? Carbon paper has been OK for relief because the lines don't have to be so exact, but I find that on chip carving I don't get the desired result. Any comments or reviews of this device?

Ric

Now here's another one. You come in here and ask a stupid question and never add anything to help other people. I have read some of your dumb remarks and do not find any humor in them. Go to the web and do your own search instead of looking like an idiot.

hey Ric,

I've heard good things about them and also heard just a plain old clothes iron works. Sans steam of course

you might try an experiment with a photocopy and an iron. Let us know if you do.

Dave

Thanks for the tip Dave. I have an old travel iron (without steam) and have tried that but the lines come out real fuzzy. I read that there is a special paper you need to use and that the dot matrix printers are not the best copies, maybe thats my problem. I bought one of those templets for drawing chip patterns and that works pretty good as long as you keep the pencil sharp. I asked about the iron method because I am starting a large project that will take several hours of drawing before I can even take a knife to it. (At least I havent double creased it yet). I think I will go ahead and buy one of those new hand held gizmo's and see what happens.

Ric

hey again Ric,

It may be the problem if your using a dot matrix printer. I have only heard of transfering a regular photcopy from a toner cartridge type machine. I am just passing along info I have heard and not tried. someone smarter than I will know how the ink on those copiers is put on the page but I think there is some heat involved which is why the iron will release it? :-/ I know you need a reverse copy for lettering or a mirror to read the final carving Good luck and give us a first hand report on your findings.

Dave

I have a heat transfer tool and it works pretty good. You do need to use a regular copy machine copy to make it work. It is not a fast process but much cleaner than carbon paper. For chip carving it saves a ton of time. A copy center can usually reverse your image so when you transfer it, it faces the right way - if that matters for your pattern. I have never tried a regualr iron, but it might work. I found you have to take your time and carefully pull back the copy once in awhile to see if it is transferring. I have found that you can not erase the transferred lines, so be sure you carve them away!
Good luck,
Barry

I have one and found that you need to judge the time the unit has been on, it keeps getting hotter...they should have put a temperature control in it for a maximum ideal temperature. if you turn it on and not use it for a few minutes, it gets so hot it will burn the paper....that said, if you guage the time and play with the time a bit, it will do a passable job. As to funky...get a life! you shot your mouth off and then apologized, apparently that was funny to you....people like you are pitiful in my book!

Hey Ric,
I've used the photocopy method for making a heat transfer pattern using a clothes ironing iron. Just have to keep pattern in place without moving and keep lifting to check the transfer process.

The only problem I faced was that photocopied iron-on reversed the pattern from the original. I was able to solve that by photocopying my pattern onto a transperancy -- then I could photocopy it from either direction.

It was still a bit quicker or easier than using graphite and tracing the pattern.

Donna T

Thanks for all the tips. I am making a 2'x3' chest that will have a combination of chip and relief covering the total project. I want to put the patterns on and do the carving before I assemble the chest so it is all flat work. I like the idea of transferring the patterns by heat to reduce set up time. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Ric

Thanks for all the tips. I am making a 2'x3' chest that will have a combination of chip and relief covering the total project. I want to put the patterns on and do the carving before I assemble the chest so it is all flat work. I like the idea of transferring the patterns by heat to reduce set up time. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Ric