Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
At your own risk...an idea for surface treatment *LINK*
Craig Daymon
The example burns fractal patterns onto plywood. Should work just as well for turnings. May be best to start with a thick wall, as it appears it can go deep. Has a very Asian art look to it. Add some budhist monks wandering around and some bridges and streams and you're set.
Fractal patterns in plywood
Re: At your own risk...an idea for surface treatme
John K Jordan
There are actually a lot of people doing this with turnings already. Some use a transformer from a microwave oven. All either understand the hazards and are very careful, or are brave.
JKJ
Re: At your own risk...an idea for surface treatme
Jim Barbour
Another way of powering it is via the power transformer for neon lights. There is no rewiring to do and you get an on/off switch built in. A bit more expensive but, in my opinion, safer.
Re: At your own risk...an idea for surface treatme
mikeee12345
I have been adding Lichtenburg designs to wood turned items for several years. I started out making a number of pieces for electrical engineers to use as educational aids to teach the younger intern engineers on what to look for on high voltage equipment when the insulators and power cables start to break down. The "tree" design is what high voltage does as it randomly searches for a path to ground. The higher voltage neon transformers work the best for adding these designs on wood pieces. A mixture of water and baking soda is brushed on to the wood piece to provide a path for the voltage to start a carbon track on the wood piece. As the voltage finds a path between the (2) conductors the carbon track will heat up and begin to burn the design in to the wood. If you leave the conductor probes in the same location for too long of time you will burn deep crevices into the piece. When you are finished burning all of the designs you then rinse the wood piece under running water and use a tooth brush to clean all of the loose carbon from the designs. Let the wood dry or use a heat gun to dry it quickly and then put the piece back on the lathe to sand the wood clean of carbon and sharpen the edges of the designs. You can then add a finish to the piece.
Word of caution, this is high voltage and high enough current to kill you if you don't know how to safely work around these voltages. Insulated probe handles and high voltage gloves are a must. Several people have been killed trying to do this over the past couple of years.
