What to use to sign turnings?

[Damon McLaughlin]

I just started signing my turnings and tried a fine tip sharpie. But I don't like the way it writes. Almost seems as if the pen is dry as the signing is light but when I try the pen on a piece of paper it looks fine. I read that an archival pen might be better but when I looked they come in so many sizes and I have no idea which to choose. So I was curious what you guys use. Thanks.

[Steve Schlumpf]

David, I use either a ZIG Millennium or a PIGMA Micron archival ink pens, both of them with .05 tips. As long as you sign the bare wood before applying finish, nothing seems to take it off.

[Jim Underwood]

I've been using a pyrography knife tip lately. I've used an engraver and a fine tipped sharpie in the past.

[John Keeton]

David, I use either a ZIG Millennium or a PIGMA Micron archival ink pens, both of them with .05 tips. As long as you sign the bare wood before applying finish, nothing seems to take it off.Same for me. On really dark pieces, a writing tip on my pyro setup.

[Justin Stephen]

Also use a Pigma Micron pen.

[Damon McLaughlin]

David, I use either a ZIG Millennium or a PIGMA Micron archival ink pens, both of them with .05 tips. As long as you sign the bare wood before applying finish, nothing seems to take it off.


Thanks guys, I appreciate the recommendations. Am I correct to assume that the .05 tips mean .05mm size tips?

[John Keeton]

05 is actually .45 mm and the 005 is .20 mm.

[David Delo]

For me, extra fine sharpie or Copic Multiliner SP 0.1 but mostly burn with RazorTip Ball 1/32.

[Tim Passmore]

I use the Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen. I get them at Hobby Lobby and have been very pleased with them.

[John K Jordan]

I just started signing my turnings and tried a fine tip sharpie. But I don't like the way it writes. Almost seems as if the pen is dry as the signing is light but when I try the pen on a piece of paper it looks fine. I read that an archival pen might be better but when I looked they come in so many sizes and I have no idea which to choose. So I was curious what you guys use. Thanks.

Dave,

For light-colored woods I started using the black Faber-Castell Pitt pens, india ink. Someone on another woodturning forum highly recommended them. They work much better than the extra fine Sharpies.

I got this set:
20759-0089 -- http://www.dickblick.com/items/20759-0089/

At the time I ordered I didn't see this smaller set which is half the price and still has all the pens I use on turnings:
20759-2029 -- http://www.dickblick.com/items/20759-2029/

For dark woods like walnut and ebony I use a cheap vibrating electric engraving pen. I had to grind the tip to a sharp point.

I've tried the woodburning but I never got the hang of it.

JKJ

[Robert Edington]

I ordered from Signature Medallions custom made coins. They ran about $1.30 each. They look fantastic. I supplied my own art work. Great guy to work with.

RP
351889

[Louis Harvill]

Where did you get the Signature Medalllions cut made coins for $1.30 each. I'd order a bunch of them at that price.

[Justin Stephen]

I ordered from Signature Medallions custom made coins. They ran about $1.30 each. They look fantastic. I supplied my own art work. Great guy to work with.

RP
351889

Thought about doing this wasn't confident enough to order the minimum on these, although I do something sort of similar using pewter buttons. It doesn't have my name on them and I still sign/name the work in pen underneath, it does give me a little bit of a trademark. The buttons are only about 95/100", so I do kind of wish they were a little bigger.

[Justin Stephen]

Where did you get the Signature Medalllions cut made coins for $1.30 each. I'd order a bunch of them at that price.

http://signaturemedallions.com/home-1.html. $1.48/ea if you order 200 of the 1". You have to order at least 100.

[Damon McLaughlin]

Thanks guys, I just ordered a set of pens.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I build a burner from a radar gun transformer that was surplus, and bought a pyrography pen at LeeValley, with a writing tip on it, for the reason that most pen inks will just disappear after a while , plus the problem of blotching with finishing.
351934

I can write in all kinds of places and manners, even on darker wood you can still read it if angled to the light, though much easier on light colored wood of course as you can see here (older picture).

351933

[Damon McLaughlin]

I looked at pyrography pens at numerous web sites and I think the concern that I have is having to grip the pen so high up. Almost everything I've seen looks like a soldering iron with a pen tip. I'm not sure I could write when gripping so high up the pen and not being able to rest my hand on the turning to steady myself. I noticed that the one in your photo doesn't look like what I've seen, it appears you can grip it much lower, almost like a true pen. However I couldn't find that one on Lee Valley, just the soldering iron one.

[John Keeton]

...most pen inks will just disappear after a while , plus the problem of blotching with finishing.Probably true for most pens, but the Pigma and some others are archival and really very lightfast. I haven't had any problem with applying finish over my signature.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I looked at pyrography pens at numerous web sites and I think the concern that I have is having to grip the pen so high up. Almost everything I've seen looks like a soldering iron with a pen tip. I'm not sure I could write when gripping so high up the pen and not being able to rest my hand on the turning to steady myself. I noticed that the one in your photo doesn't look like what I've seen, it appears you can grip it much lower, almost like a true pen. However I couldn't find that one on Lee Valley, just the soldering iron one.

It’s right here and acc shows all the pens you can get or make :).

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=31042&cat=1,41115,45497&ap=1

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Probably true for most pens, but the Pigma and some others are archival and really very lightfast. I haven't had any problem with applying finish over my signature.

I read about the archival pens/inks not being very lightfast in reality, and some did tests that did show that the inks did actually fade pretty fast if set out in full light, not something we do with our turnings, but I believe that it would just take longer but not for ever by a long shot I believe :confused:

Here’s part of a write-up that showed the trial and came to that conclusion.

351942

[John Keeton]

Leo, I am not familiar with the brand of pen in the article you posted, but this is the information provided by Sakura, maker of the Pigma pen. https://www.pigmamicron.com/faq/

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Leo, I am not familiar with the brand of pen in the article you posted, but this is the information provided by Sakura, maker of the Pigma pen. https://www.pigmamicron.com/faq/

John I’m not familiar with any makes of them, just what a maker claims is not always true as we know al to well, I tend to be sceptical of claims that I can’t verify, where others have claimed the opposite, anyway I just thought that a burnt in writing would last longer and there would be no finishing problems, so that’s what I use and why I use it :)

[John K Jordan]

I read about the archival pens/inks not being very lightfast in reality, ...

The snippet you posted states a conclusion, supposedly the result of a test. But it does not describe the test procedure, needed before a reader here can judge the applicability to his own application. For example, if the test exposed the ink-on-paper to direct tropical sunlight for 3 months some might question if that would apply to the signature on the bottom of a bowl on a shelf.

JKJ

[Aaron Craven]

For writing on pieces, I use either a super-thin permanent marker (primarily on film finishes) or an archival ink marker (mainly on oil finishes). However, I've not been completely pleased with the results and I've started using a burner to apply a mark (logo, I suppose you could call it) on my pieces. What I would love is a branded signature, but I've yet to find a custom brand that is small enough and yet still able to provide enough detail (and still be cheap enough). Basically, I'm too picky and cheap for that to work out. :rolleyes:

[Randy Red Bemont]

http://signaturemedallions.com/home-1.html. $1.48/ea if you order 200 of the 1". You have to order at least 100.

Thanks for the link. I will do this once my new shop is built and I'm back up and running.

Red

[Peter Fabricius]

Interesting discussion, I have been using a very fine point Scripto, I think it is. It does an adequate job but the hand guiding it is not very good at penmanship. I bought a laser engraver over the holidays and now working on all the different ways to engrave Stuff. Easy on pens with one or two lines but I am working on a logo / signature for turned items like the rest of you.
Here is a picture of one that I did last week. Comments and suggestions are very welcome.
thanks, Peter F.

[richard shelby]

Peter, Which laser engraver, and is it holding up to use?

[Peter Fabricius]

Thank you for the question, Richard. I posted this in January 2017 and it has been a fascinating journey with my EleksMaker A5 (small frame) laser. There is a A3 larger frame but all the same except the size of the frame. My laser has a 2500mW Laser Diode which is a good compromise of price and power. I bought it specifically to engrave company name and serial numbers on my Drop Spindles but it has done so much more.
I was dubious about the lifespan of the diode but so far, touch wood, it is working great.
Making Medallions for individual turners and our Grey Bruce Woodturners Guild Bravery Beads bowls. Engraving Pens for other guild members and my own pens.
In April 2017 I designed a Rotary Pen Accessory©🇨🇦 so I can engrave names, logos and images 360 degrees around a pen blank. Rotary engraving has been available for big lasers for many years but Not for these DIY Gantry Style Lasers. I developed the prototype after long discussions with members of another forum doing design work for a different style of lasers. So much fun it should be illegal! I now manufacture the Rotary jigs and have been successful selling quite a few of them. This really is fun...
So much neat stuff to talk about, too long for one post, any other questions are welcome.

[richard shelby]

Peter,
Which laser engraver do you use? Does it stand up to use after 4 months ? Are you still pleased with it ?
Thanks, RS

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Richard, I thought all the answers were in my post from last night. EleksMaker A5 with the 2500mW laser diode. I have been using it for 15 month and it is working great. I am very pleased with it. I bought it direct from China Banggood.com
I hope that helps.

[Glenn C Roberts]

Bought the same laser for the same purpose at about the same time(!) Will your rotary attachment do a larger and heavier piece like a bowl?

[JohnC Lucas]

I use either a wood burner, Dremel Engraver, or Pigma permanent marker. Most of the time it's the Dremel. You do have to practice with the pyrography or Dremel to get a decent signature.

[Peter Fabricius]

Hi Glenn, The A5, as you know is a smaller frame size so my Rotary Pen Accessory©🇨🇦 does not have enough room for bowls. It is limited in size and weight. I have however successfully set the laser frame over a larger bowl and engraved on the bottom, as it will do on any project. I have seen another version of the Rotary that was built for larger projects but it was a complete rebuild of the frame supporting structure of the laser.

[Bill Boehme]

I have used several things, but mostly a pyrography pen and in a close second place I use Sakura Pigma Micron pens. I have some pieces that are more than ten years old and both are holding up just fine. I have actually read arguments that burned signatures will fade, but I don't buy that claim. Regarding the ink fading, I'm sure that under unrealistic conditions (maybe like driftwood on a tropical beach) it will fade ... and so will the color of the wood itself.

[Thomas Wilson80]

For wood burning, what are people using? Would something like this work or would it require something more expensive to get a nice look?
Thanks, Tom

https://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Versa-Temp-Temperature-Woodburning/dp/B005P1TRAS/ref=lp_2603462011_1_1?srs=2603462011&ie=UTF8&qid=1523644542&sr=8-1

[Leo Van Der Loo]

[QUOTE=Thomas Wilson80;2802151]For wood burning, what are people using? Would something like this work or would it require something more expensive to get a nice look?
Thanks, Tom

Yes it can be used, but will be hard to control holding it that far from the end, also the tip to write with is not ideal, you ca try it, it is nice to have a soldering iron.

[Peter Blair]

I use my pyro setup with the smallest ball. If the wood is really dark, which none of mine is I would use a vibrating tool and color it light like Cindy Drozda does.