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Thread: Lichtenberg Wood Burner

  1. #1

    Lichtenberg Wood Burner

    After reading all of the pros and cons of building my own Lichenberg machine, I decided I did not want to take a chance on getting the wrong neon transformer and possibly connecting the wires incorrectly. Plus, based on everyone’s warning about electrocution etc. I was very reluctant to take a chance on a self-built machine. (I didn’t want my wife to inherit all of my tools just yet.) Thus, I bit the bullet and purchased the Conestoga Lichtenberg Wood Burner. I have practiced on some scrap wood and also used it on a junk bowl and HF. From these experiences, there are a few observations that I made that might be of interest or help to those looking at doing Lichtenberg wood burning.


    1. The Conestoga machine is well built and easy to use. It also was designed with safety as one of it major priorities.
    2. I have an old 2x4 and plywood platform with a rubber mat that I stand on when I’m using it.
    3. The foot pedal is a very effective and useful on/off switch when using the burner.
    4. Like any piece of equipment or machine that is dangerous to operate, be sure and follow all of the safety rules. (Think about when you first learned how to drive, use a table saw, bandsaw or lathe. You were scared to death that you might get hurt or even hurt or kill someone else. But now you are more comfortable using those items but still have the necessary respect for the piece of equipment to insure the safety of yourself and others.)
    5. The electricity can arc between the two probes while on the wood. The current will jump above the wood and create a singed area below the arced area.
    6. You can also get some singed markings around the finer detailed burning because of some arcing as well.
    7. After burning your desired pattern, be sure and wash off the burning with a stiff nylon brush and soap and water. This helps get ride of some of the burnt ash and will keep any fine black powder from getting in the un-burnt wood grain.
    8. I’m still working on learning how much of the baking soda solution to put on and how wet/dry the wood should be before putting the probes on the wood and turning on the burner.


    I have attached some pictures of a HF I burned. The wood is spalted sycamore and I used some Inlace turquoise to fill some bug holes. It is 4 ¼”W x 6 5/8”H. In addition to some profiles of the HF I have included some close ups of the burnings.

    I took the HF to Kiwanis the other day to show one of my woodworking friends and one of the other members that had commissioned me to do a turning for her fell in love with it and said, she wanted to commission me to do a larger one for her.

    C&C welcomed.

    IMG_9135.jpg IMG_9137.jpg IMG_9143.jpgIMG_9144.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Forestville, CA
    Posts
    107
    Is each unconnected burned area a separate electrode positioning?

  3. #3
    The smaller burnings are separate electrode positions. However, some of the longer burnings are where I allowed the current from one probe to connect to the current of the other probe.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Suwanee (near Atlanta), GA
    Posts
    842
    I have had excellent results with just a tablespoon of baking soda to 8 oz of water. Stir occasionally. Damp but not wet except in areas you don't want burning.
    God is great and life is good!

  5. #5
    Thanks Mike, I'll have to give that a try.

  6. #6
    Thanks for posting, any chance you could post an "action" photo showing placement of the electrodes and the related burn?

    I read the instructions for your unit, they talk about depth of burn and amount of charred material to remove. Is it possible to have a very light burn?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Central Michigan
    Posts
    1,508
    Steve I know this is an old post and that’s why I am asking the question, now that you have had the Conestoga Lichtenberg Wood Burner for a while how do you like it and how is it holding up? I am considering give it a try and buying one. Any pro’s con’s or things about the unit you may want to offer or advice about the unit or the art of creating this type of wood working now that you have had it.

    Thanks Richard

    Or anyone else that may have one of these units or have done this kind of work?
    Last edited by richard poitras; 02-20-2018 at 7:24 AM.
    Richard Poitras
    Central, Michigan....
    01-02-2006


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Valdosta, Georgia
    Posts
    105
    Richard, I have the same unit that Steve bought and like it very much. I don't use it a lot but when I do it createsIMG_20170302_114001.jpg a lot of attention on the pieces. I do sell my work and have sold piece only because of the burnings

  9. #9
    Richard, I have found the Conestoga machine to work very well and do exactly as I had hoped and expected. A couple of things that I have noticed:
    1. you need to clean the probes tips every once in awhile to get rid of the carbon that builds up on the tips.
    2. some design changes would have been nice--having the cords for the probes coming out the front of the machine would allow more flexibility on which side of the turning that you place the machine. The same holds true on the foot switch. It would have been much better to have the two power cords come out of the back of the foot pedal versus the side. These are things that you learn to "deal with" and are a minor distraction to the machine's effectiveness. They are not a deal breaker.

    Just because it is manufactured by a third party does not mean you don't have to be caution and safe. You just need to make sure you know what you are doing and don't compromise safety procedures. Good luck and I look forward to seeing some of your Lichtenberg art in the near future.
    Steve

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Central Michigan
    Posts
    1,508
    Thanks Charles for posting your work it looks great. Also, Charles and Steve thanks for your comments on the product. It sounds like it is a good product and safer than making your own. I have been reviewing on line and some of the contraptions I have seen are done right dangerous.

    Thanks again.
    Richard

    I my try to find a use one and if not, I will probably just buy new.
    Last edited by richard poitras; 02-21-2018 at 10:50 AM.
    Richard Poitras
    Central, Michigan....
    01-02-2006


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