How to label your work.

[Bill Buchanan IN]

This newbie is trying to determine how to best label the bowl bottoms.
Am curious to learn what works for fellow Creekers Any likes, dislikes, suggestions, brands, flavors n' such. Burn, carve, etch or ink ? First few ink jobs smeared or faded. To ink before or after the oil finish.

You know you're a turner when:
Lousy penmanship is a critical issue all of a sudden.

Yep! . . . Stuck in the vortex !!

[alex carey]

I like to burn it in. Sadly I don't have a good pyrography machine yet so i can only do block letters and numbers but it certainly works.

[jason lambert]

I have done one layer if finish and used a marker didn't like that very much.

Next I got a good burner (razor) and I am using that currently it comes out pretty nice wife loves it because it looks personalised. Privided you have good handwriting, mind is ok. When my wife uses it it looks like artwork. I use this on the raw wood before finish. But you need to get a decent burner for that nice consistant thin line.

next is a custom stamp they are nice but if the surface is not the rigth size or perfically flat you can have issues.

Some people also insert a coin but that is more on big pieces or furniture.

Last and best one day I will have one is a laser engraver. Just perfect!

[Jeff Nicol]

Bill, I used to write on the work with a extra fine point roller pen and that was great. But I dug out my old vibrating engraving tool and use that now. It marks the wood great and the finish give engraving just enough pop to read it and feel it, but not take away from the finished bottom of a turning. Give it a try and I think you will be surprised.

Jeff

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bill - I use an archival pen (India Ink) which can be found in most any craft/hobby store. Once I am done turning, I write name, wood species and date on the bare wood, let dry for about 1 minute and then apply finish. The pens do come in different colors and widths - so you have options.