Wood Burning Question

[Dick Wilson]

I am trying to burn an inscription into a piece. The only tips I have are too big. I know people buy wire and make their own tips. What kind of wire is it and where can I buy it? Thanks

[Bill Boehme]

This depends on the type of woodburning pen that you have. If it is the type that has a built in heater where the tip is a large diameter rod (about 1.4 inch), then the best thing is to either find a piece of large diameter copper wire and file the end to suit your needs or buy a spare tip for your pen and grind the end to the shape that you need. I found some on the ground under a utility pole where the electric company had been doing some work. If your tool is the type that uses a current carrying wire loop that heats up, then you will need nichrome wire which is expensive. Sometimes you can salvage some nichrome wire from an old toaster, small electric heater, or blow dryer.

For writing, you will need a small pointed end that is slightly rounded so that it does not dig into the wood as you write with it. Also, some types of wood are difficult to write on -- those with a large difference in hardness between early and late wood are the worst -- very soft wood can also be a problem. Writing takes a lot of practice and a light touch. Buy a piece of maple and practice on it to get the feel. Try the same thing on a piece of fir to see why it is NOT a good wood for writing.

[Steve Vaughan]

I've bought some wire, but haven't gotten around to making any tips yet. My interest is to make some basketweave-type of tips. There's quite a few sources if you google and search. You can get different length rolls too. For example:

http://www.omega.com/pptst/NI80.html and another source is to go to amazon.com and search nichrome wire. You can get different thicknesses too and that will make a difference in the tip you make.

For some instructions, try this: http://www.fishcarver.com/making_fish_scale_tips.htm This guy shows you how to make a fish scale tip, but the instructions would be pretty near the same to make other tips, I'd think. He also sells the wire if you want a shorter piece to get started.

Hope that help ya out!

[Chip Sutherland]

NIChrome is what you want as folks have said already. You might also need some silver solder. I think Packard or Craft Supply might be selling it now...whichever one of them is selling BurnMasters. For inscriptions, there is a special smaller tip (6-AS) that WoodCarversSupply.com sells. It is smaller than the regular 6-A tip.

I made basket weave by wrapping nichrome around a nail (per Molly Winton's instruction). I used two different nails to get small and large basket weave patterns...using thin 18g (?) around a small nail and 22g (?) around a large nail. Dialing in the heat just right and remembering to alter the pattern was a learning process.

[Dick Wilson]

Thanks everyone

[Greg Just]

I purchased 16 and 18 gauge wire from this site: http://www.nichromewire.biz/

[Mark Hubl]

I buy nichrome wire from McMaster and Carr.

[Bill Buchanan IN]

Can't help with the wire, but I did find that Colwood C-tip was too big and am very happy so far with the Colwood MC ( micro C)

[Doug Wolf]

Dick,
You can also get the wire you need from an old hand held hair dryer. Just remove the wire heating coil and shape it to your needs. One hair dryer will give you a lifetime supply of wire.

[Chris Stolicky]

I have ordered nichrome wire from McMaster Carr. They were very reasonable.