using a soldering iron?

takeaction · #1 07-12-2008, 06:38 PM

I have a weller soldering iron, and it fired it up yesterday to make sure it still worked. Haven't used it in years. It works just fine, and VERY quickly puts my initials in wood...

Would this be ok to do woodburning or do I need to get something less hot? less powerful? more powerful? I haven't the slightest clue here. Karen wants to woodburn her gourds. she grows them and has, well, way too many! LOL

Wayne

Pyrographer · #2 07-12-2008, 08:27 PM

Yes it certainly can be used. If she finds it too hot you can buy a rheostat to plug the tool in and adjust the heat with that. You can also make one and I think there is a tutorial here on making one.

Just be sure she cleans the tip frequently because it will build up a lot of gunk fast!

Nedra

Ron T · #3 07-12-2008, 08:35 PM

I just happened to see a woodburner set at grizzly tools for around $11.00, but the shipping is $8.50.

Cloud · #4 07-12-2008, 10:24 PM

I use a 25 watt soldering iron to burn the markings on my little turtles. It works fine on the beech wood that I use, but it's awkward because the tip is such a long way away from the handle - three and a half inches on my particular iron, so it's similar to attempting to draw whilst holding a pencil a long way back from the tip - fine control is difficult. Depends on the physical design of your particular iron though.

Having spent some hours on the carving, I get nervous when it comes to the wood-burning stage because the iron really isn't ideal, and with just one slip my efforts would have been in vain. I'm not really a carver though - I'm an electronics engineer who just dabbles in a little carving occasionally. Oh and if I let the tip cool off even a little then it barely makes a scorch mark on the beech, so I need the full 25 watts. Here's the result I get on the turtles:

takeaction · #5 07-13-2008, 05:51 AM

This is the one I have. The Weller WTCPT.

Amazon.com: Weller WTCPT 120 Volt 60 Watt Temperature Controlled Soldering Station: Home Improvement

it's 60W. It gets really hot really fast. It has a rounded tip on it though, and I need to get a pointy tip for signatures.

What all tips do I need to get for the wife? She and I have no clue about this, but she really wants to learn.

Wayne AND Karen this time.

Pyrographer · #6 07-13-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by takeaction

This is the one I have. The Weller WTCPT.

Amazon.com: Weller WTCPT 120 Volt 60 Watt Temperature Controlled Soldering Station: Home Improvement

it's 60W. It gets really hot really fast. It has a rounded tip on it though, and I need to get a pointy tip for signatures.

What all tips do I need to get for the wife? She and I have no clue about this, but she really wants to learn.

Wayne AND Karen this time.

Wayne and Karen,

I don't know if the Wall Lenk tips will fit but they fit all the other craft type burners.

Look at them on my site Wall Lenk solid point woodburning tools, torch and transfer tools

For signing the flow tip would work fine. It is much like a pen but bigger. It has a rounded tip so that it flows over the wood so she can write with it so it does not drag.

I will warn you that these burners are not the most comfortable to use. I have a Wall Lenk and Walnut Hollow which are very similar. They are good for short periods but the size of the pen makes it uncomfortable especially for women with smaller hands.

Nedra

takeaction · #7 07-13-2008, 09:18 AM

She has big hands like me, but she also has arthritis in them, so bigger is better for her. She actually can hold the soldering iron I have now comfortably. Just need to get some tips and let her go at it.