Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Question on signing pieces
jim reasoner
>I have seen some nice bowls, etc and the turner has signed the bottom with burnt writing, almost like a pen. Is there a wood burning tool that will will stay hot enough to literally write with? How do you guys sign your pieces? I have seen "branding irons" but they look to big for smaller items.
Re: Question on signing pieces
Robert Simmons, Atlanta
>I use a fine point burning pen called The Cub. I got it from either Packard or Woodturners Source a couple of years ago. There is a controller for the tip heat, handy for different types of wood as some require more heat than others.
Robert
Re: Question on signing pieces
John Lucas
>I'm learning to use the cub but I write better with a dremel engraver. Dark woods won't show the woodburning very well but the Engraver shows up nicely on those. There is a learning curve using this tool. You have to learn to write gently with little pressure.
Re: Question on signing pieces
Peter Teubel
>I use a Detail Master (Dagger model, 50 watts) with NON-replacable tip handpieces. The replacable ones get too hot at the handle and not hot enough at the tip (go figure...).
Re: Question on signing pieces
John McAtee - Shrewsbury, MA
>Jim, I prefer and use the Dremel engraver and write my name. It seems to do the best job. IMHO, branding and inserting laser-etched inlays makes the piece look too commercial.
Re: Question on signing pieces
Dick Hines
>I use the Detail Master "Excalibre". It has 130 watts and two controls.
Dick Sing has a book that describes haw to alter the tip so you get a nice fine line. "Turning Bowls"
After you alter the tip practice, practice, practice!
Start at a low temp and turn up the watts as you need them. It's easier than trying to lower the tems.
Re: Question on signing pieces
Art Liestman
>I sign my pieces with a high speed dental drill type tool - either Turbocarver or Powercrafter, depending on which is handy at the time - using a # 1/4 round carbide bur. (The 1/4 is the smallest ball-shaped cutter - it's quite tiny.) I let the bur get dirty and it burns as it cuts, giving a dark signature for light woods.
Re: Question on signing pieces
chungky
>I tried a branding iron, but the heat wasn't hot enough or the wood not soft enough--the results were spotty at best. And on hard, dark woods, forget it! I now use a cheap engraver with a vibrating(back and forth?)point--the kind sold to identify your household items by writing your social security number or other meeans of identity or mark of some sort. It helps to write with a pencil first, and then trace over with the engraver. There is an adjustment on the device for speed of vibration and it takes a little experimentation to get it to function like a writing instrument. On light woods you can rub some dark material into the markings so that it reads better.
Re: Question on signing pieces
gil in San Diego
>I use a branding iron that I carved myself. A proppane torch is used to heat it up.