Basic Pyrography Kit?

[Marty Tippin]

My wife gave me a "get what you want" kind of certificate for Christmas, thinking I might buy a branding iron to stamp my work. But I think I'd rather have a wood burner / pyrograph for the flexibility it offers.

My initial need is very simple - I just want to be able to sign and date my work. But maybe one day I'll get into the nifty basket-illusion stuff I see some of you posting here.

Can anyone recommend a relatively cheap kit I can start with and then expand as my needs grow? I found this online but don't know anything about it - seems like it might be a good place to start: http://www.woodburning.com/toolshop/detail.asp?iPro=82&iType=24

[Sean Hughto]

I'd recommend that you buy Colwood's detailer unit and a pen with a few basic tips for writing to try. If you get interested in doing more fancy stuff later, just buy the tips you want.

http://www.woodburning.com/toolshop/detail.asp?iPro=303&iType=17

[David Delo]

Same boat as you Marty. To get started with the burning set-up, I recently bought a single burner with dedicated spoon, skew & small ball pens from Razortip. Right at 200 bucks. Cythia Gibson recommended this a couple months back at a recent chapter meeting. I think most of the major brands all have their following and they all work just fine. I think the biggest decisions are single burner or twin and if you want to mess with replaceable/changeable tips or go the dedicated pen route. I chose the dedicated only because she said some of the tips are very delicate and easier to break taking on/off. Sounded reasonable to me so that's the way I went. Time will tell if it was a good decision or not but it did satisfy the itch it was giving me. Used it a few times and it looks to be like everything else........need to practice and then practice some more with the heat settings and pressure & speed used.

[Thom Sturgill]

Colwood, Razortip, and Optima all make good control boxes. I have and like the Optima single pen controller. I do not see the value in a 2 pen controller since only one is hot at any time. Be ready to spend over $100 for the controller.

I prefer the fixed tip pens over the removable tip (not the same as the tip that you bend your own wire, thats a special item.) While the price is a bit higher, the tips connections don't get messed up like on the removable, so they should be less costly in the long run. Pens run $20 - $25 for fixed tip.

They make a writing tip which I would get to start. Also a rounded skew (I use it to write with a lot of times), a shader, and a ball tip. These three will get you well started. The backet illusion bowls require a special tip and Harvey Meyer has a source after convincing one of the manufacturers to start making them. I got mine from Harvey after seeing him demo.

Carving suppliers are a good source: http://www.carvertools.com/ for example. (No relation, just a the result of a quick google search) Stay away from the burners that look like a soldering iron!

[Glen Blanchard]

One thing to be aware of is the fact that some units are best suited for various intensities of light burning along with varying levels of shading and don't lend themselves to deep, intense burning. Other units are capable of heavy branding - ala Molly Winton.

[Glenn Barber]

Thom,
Which tip #'s do you have? Which do you find creates the best signature? I have been looking at the Optima quite seriously lately.

Thanks

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I use a Colwood Detailer that I purchased used from a club member.

I would get in touch with these folks: http://www.texaswoodcarvers.com/ - they are very helpful and carry several burners and lots of tips. I bought all my extra tips from them.

[Bill Blasic]

I have a Colwood Cub, a dual Razortip and three Burnmasters. Here is a good read about the various burners. http://www.sawdustconnection.com/pyrography-woodburning-tools-review-chart.htm

[Thom Sturgill]

Thom,
Which tip #'s do you have? Which do you find creates the best signature? I have been looking at the Optima quite seriously lately.

Thanks

I have pens from various sources, and my writing tip is neither an Optima, nor a Razortip, I believe it is a Colwood from the looks. Works with the standard Optima cord. I does look like the standard optima writer though.

I started with the 19S ball tip, #12 small rounded skew, and the #18 spear point shader. I have since bought their #21A basket illusion pen (from Harvey Meyer, but now sold by carvertools.com - see they also carry a larger one now).

I have a small NIBSBURNER spoon shader that work well. Don't remember where I got it. Gives a little more nuanced shading than a flat shader.

I bought a square tipped Razortip shader for getting close to crossed lines in my Celtic knot work from Cynthia Gibson at a symposium. I also have a Razortip pen that you make your own tips from Nichrome wire, I use this with a coil to make basket weave patterns, but you can make all kinds of patterns with it. The Razortip pens need an adapter but work well with the Optima - I bought a male-male RCA adapter at Radioshack.

Hope this helps.

[Wayne Lovell]

My wife and I have both the Colwood and Burnmaster units, I originally got the colwood with fixed tip pens which we like for most pyrography but we found that for Molly Winton style branding it does not recover fast enough. I recently purchased a Razortip pen for replaceable pens and some of their tips which are not available elsewhere. All three pens will interchange with each other.

Google Greg Dorrance Company and check his prices, I have found that he usually has better prices than I find anywhere else and He charges actual postage so you usually save a few dollars on shipping. Somehow his packages arrive from New England several days faster than packages from Dallas which is only 80 miles away.

[John Keeton]

Just be aware that there are 2 volt and 3 volt systems, and pens intended for use with 2 volt systems may have a shorter life when used on a 3 volt unit. That isn't saying they won't work or are not compatible, just that the wire gauge on them may be lighter and therefore not as durable on a higher voltage unit.

[Wes Ramsey]

Stay away from the burners that look like a soldering iron!

Thom,

What do you have against the soldering iron burners? I'm half way kidding since they're so awkward to use, but I've been using one for a few years with good success. I only use it to sign pieces and haven't gotten the bug yet to spend $200+ on a tool when I can accomplish the same goal with a $12 tool from Hobby Lobby. It must be pretty handy though if it is worth that much more than the cheap version.

[Thom Sturgill]

Thom,

What do you have against the soldering iron burners?

They are like trying to cut a tough steak with a dull butter knife, IMHO.:D

The OP was interested in signing, for some work they are fine, but awkward.

[Bill Boehme]

You can't start cheap and then expand later because the cheap sets are basically indirectly heated soldering iron tips. They are too awkward to use for writing or any other fine detail work. I have the Detail Master and they made the best pens, but since they are no longer available, I recommend the Optima burner and pens. Their beading pens are the only ones that I consider worth using and like them better than the Detail Master although nobody made handles as good as the Detail Master vented handles.

[Wes Ramsey]

They are like trying to cut a tough steak with a dull butter knife, IMHO.:D

The OP was interested in signing, for some work they are fine, but awkward.

Awkward indeed!

[Marvin Hasenak]

The Walnut Hollow Versa Tool got a good review written by Lora Irish, the author of many pyro and woodcarving books and patterns. The Versa Tool is not like my Colwood, but for $30 I consider it a bargain. It is basically a soldering iron burner with a rheostat for heat control. I keep one ready to be plugged in at my lathe station. The price and after reading the review I had to buy one. One of the better "impulse" I "want it" buys that I have made. At my shop in New Mexico it is the only woodburner I have. I also like that I can take it anywhere, and not have to carry a briefcase sized tool box.

Will it do all my Colwood will, nope, but it does a very good job for what I use it for. Which is basic wood burning, accents on carvings and signatures. Would I use it for a basket weave illusion, probably not. I believe that work is too detailed and needs a finer heating element than what is available the Walnut Hollow Versa Tool.

[Steve Mawson]

I use a power supply from Everglades Woodcarving Supply, Sebring, FL, he sells direct and also on ebay. I have a lot of hours on mine, I see they are $89.00 with cord, pens run 20-25 at most places. Craft Supply also has pens that are very good quality.