1st two woodburnings

LeFtTuRn · #1 04-19-2008, 12:54 AM

Hi everybody. These are my first two ever. I bought a $10 machine at the art store and thought i'd try this medium out.

All crits/comments/tips are more than welcome and very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for takin a look.

skull/rose - basswood / 3hrs
hanya mask - birch ply / 4hrs

Pyrographer · #2 04-19-2008, 08:59 PM

Very interesting pieces. Roses are my favorite flower but I'm thrilled seeing a skull in the middle of one of the most gorgeous flowers

Nice job of shading on the 2nd picture.

Nedra

LeFtTuRn · #3 04-19-2008, 10:45 PM

posted the wrong pic for the hanya mask.

nedra-
sorry about the skull. they are actually both tattoo designs that i decided to try out.
your stuff is amazing btw.
thanks for replying.
what machine would you recommend for a beginner if you don't mind me asking? I've broken 2 of these soldering iron things already. lol. so i am definitely looking to invest in something better being that i really had fun trying this out and would like to give the medium a more serious try.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give.

Pyrographer · #4 04-20-2008, 10:08 AM

Thanks leftturn, you did a nice job. I know many people use tatoo designs for burnings and I've seen some of them done and they are gorgeous.

Most of those inexpensive craft burners are made in China and when they stopped being made here they ended up losing the quality for lower prices.

There are many good detail burners on the market. Depending on budget you might look at Razertip or if the price is out of your budget check out the Colwood. Perhaps the Detailer which is a good mid-range single output burner and their best seller.

Just keep in mind that these are detail burners and you need to let the pen do the work (ie: ease up on the pressure). If you decide to go with the Colwood be sure to get polished tips rather than the regular tips.

Nedra

LeFtTuRn · #5 04-22-2008, 06:22 PM

Thanks so much for the info...1 more question though if you don't mind. is it normally better to go for the all-in-1 packages or piece together the power supply, pens and tips?

Thanks again in advance for all your help and for bearing with my ignorance of this medium.

Pyrographer · #6 04-22-2008, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeFtTuRn

Thanks so much for the info...1 more question though if you don't mind. is it normally better to go for the all-in-1 packages or piece together the power supply, pens and tips?

Thanks again in advance for all your help and for bearing with my ignorance of this medium.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean an all-in-1 package but it is best if you buy a burner and pen that is manufactured by the same company. Some burners have a bit more power and their pens are made to withstand that. Other brands of pens might not operate the same with other brands of burners. Many people do buy different brands of pens and burners but if you can find a company who offers all the pens you want and a burner you like all at a price you are willing to pay I say go for it.

One thing to keep in mind is that you really only need 3 pens to do just about everything...a shader, a writer and a skew/round-heeled knife.

Nedra

LeFtTuRn · #7 04-24-2008, 10:01 PM

I found this one.
The Colwood Detailer Package
but i'm not sure if it comes with the correct tips you mentioned.

Pyrographer · #8 04-25-2008, 09:42 AM

Well, since it doesn't list the tips included there is no way of knowing what they are. I suspect they are favorites of carvers, not pyrographers so it might not be a great idea to order a kit without knowing what the tips are. Also, it does not indicate that the tips are polished and you definately want polished tips. Adding up the cost of the tips, the pen and case included there is no discount being offered for this kit, it's the same price if you ordered everything separately. I would suggest you find something where you know what tips you are ordering and make sure you get the new polished tips.

Some Colwood tips I recommend (bold is most popular):
shader: E-45 bent spear shader which is the most versatile or the S round shader. If you want to cover a larger area perhaps the LSS square shader.
writing tip: MC micro writer or the C writing tip.
skew: KR or GR depending on the size you prefer. I like the KR because it's a bit smaller and more maneuverable.

The piece you did on top could have been shaded entirely with the spear shader and the dots with the MC or C. The bottom piece could have been done entirely with the spear shader. So, you see you really don't need much to do burning.

You sould be able to do most anything with just three pens.

Nedra

Lindy · #9 05-09-2008, 02:54 AM

Nice job for your first two pieces. It's great to see you already playing with shading to see what you can accomplish. You should be proud of those pieces and you will want to keep them so you can always see where you started.

Keep upi the good work and you'll be amazed at where you can end up within a very short time!

Lindy