[Sharynideas]

I've been collecting bracket fungus for a couple of years with the idea of burning on it.
Has anybody tried it?
Can someone tell me how to prepare the surface before doing the burning?
I saw one at an antique flea market the other day. It was marked as "antique Alaskan scrimshaw on petrified wood." (You can fool some of the people some of the time, I guess.)
Shari

[Pyrographer]

Hi Shari, I have never seen or heard of it and no idea how to prepare it but if it is a fungus I am not sure you should be burning on it.

Nedra

[Lindy]

Hi Shari,

I have seen them and at one point I even had a couple. I don't what you would do to prepare them. At that point I was going to carve them and I bought the stuff (chemical) to stabilize the wood. Naturally that is not something you could do for carving. I really don't know what, if any preparation you would need to prepare it other than drying it allowing it to harden up some more.

Nedra, the fungus grows from the sides of trees almost like a shelf or bracket. If left on the tree long enough it becomes very much like beryl (sp).

Lindy

[Pyrographer]

Very interesting. I've burned on burls and have had no problems but they do not have mold spores or fungus. I'm not sure about the bracket fungus. I would probably still take some precautions such as mask and burning away from other people to be on the safe side.

Nedra

[Sharynideas]

I googled pyrography fungus and found several examples of finished woodburnings on bracket fungus. Apparently it's also called "artist's conk." There is no discussion I can find for surface preparation, except for drying the fungus.
I don't think spores are a problem, the surface of the fungus is hard and woody.
I've painted on the fungus and prepared the surface by varnishing first, but I'm sure that wouldn't work for pyrography.
Shari

[Mottles]

Originally Posted by Sharynideas

I googled pyrography fungus and found several examples of finished woodburnings on bracket fungus. Apparently it's also called "artist's conk." There is no discussion I can find for surface preparation, except for drying the fungus.
I don't think spores are a problem, the surface of the fungus is hard and woody.
I've painted on the fungus and prepared the surface by varnishing first, but I'm sure that wouldn't work for pyrography.
Shari

Hi, this is some interesting fungus http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...&tbnw=137&prev=
As for burning I would think you would handle it as you would burning on gourds. Respirator with filter pack for sure..
I think this stuff is really neat looking might be fun to paint something on it.
Kathy

[Hollis Mckinley]

Originally Posted by Sharynideas

I've been collecting bracket fungus for a couple of years with the idea of burning on it.
Has anybody tried it?
Can someone tell me how to prepare the surface before doing the burning?
I saw one at an antique flea market the other day. It was marked as "antique Alaskan scrimshaw on petrified wood." (You can fool some of the people some of the time, I guess.)
Shari

Tree bracket fungas is like mushrooms, it has classifications. It would be like picking some, ingesting and not know what the results will be. I would be careful. My opinion only, for where I live it's common and I have never seen one of any discription nibbled on by any animal. Semper fi

[Donna_T]

Shari,
I carved it and did some light woodburning on tree fungus 7-8 years ago. Carved relief on it...the one I liked the best was a couple of flying geese. I woodburned in the feather lines. Didn't do any surface prep but I did use a mask when I burned it.

It is really strange..sorta like carving layered cork. It grows in layers just like tree rings. Once I got it carved and burned, I just spritzed on a fixative--probably Krylon since that was what I used a lot back then.

It's fun to try different mediums for carving and woodburning and wood fungus is great.

Donna T

[teeburn]

Hi Shari,

I don,t know a lot about artist conks but I do know a pyrographic artist that I'm sure would be able to answer your questions if you would like to email her. Her name is Jutta her moniker, screen name is mttn-mama. She has a website mountaincreations.net. Sorry I don,t know how to put links in yet. but she has some beautiful examples, pieces there I think you would really enjoy seeing.

Blessings,
Tina

[Sharynideas]

Thanks for the tip, Tina. Her website is www.cabincreations.com if anyone is interested in seeing pyrography on bracket fungus. I have not contacted her yet but I will as soon as I post this.
Shari