What do you NEED to do pyrography?
I get asked pretty often what tools I use to create my work. Here’s a list:
7) A Pyrography Pen.
If you’re starting off, get a cheap pyro pen at your craft store. For years, I used Walnut Hollow’s. It’s inexpensive and serviceable. Invest in the interchangeable tips, too, as different tips are useful for different techniques. Also, keep a set of pliers on hand to change the tips while they’re still too hot to touch; these pens take a ridiculously long time to heat up and cool down.
Walnut Hollow Pen
Walnut Hollow Tips
They also get uncomfortable to hold after a while, so you may have to get creative with insulating the handle. (I used to use tissues and duct tape, but for obvious reasons, I don’t recommend you do the same.)
If you know you like pyrography, and you’re interested in investing in better tools, then it’s time to get an adjustable-temperature pen. There are two main types: fixed tip and wire tip. Fixed tips have interchangeable pen attachments with different shaped tips. Wire-tips have, well, a wire tip, that you can bend, shape, and grind down to suit your needs. I prefer the fixed-tip kind, but they both have advantages.
I recommend getting an Optima 1, which is what I currently use. The adjustable temperature settings are extremely useful, and it’s one of your least expensive choices, as well.
Optima 1 Resources
If really want to invest in an excellent pen, I hear nothing but wonderful things about the Razortip. Be warned, though, it’s obscenely expensive. I haven’t been able to afford one, yet, but I hope to someday.
Razertip Website
REMEMBER: WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
I hope this is helpful!
- Wood - unfinished. Never use anything you suspect has been finished or treated in any way!
- Sandpaper - I use 150 grit, then 220 grit, but you can certainly go higher.
- No. 2 Pencils - better than graphite paper or other transfer techniques; it’s non-toxic, erases/sands off easily, and it’s cheap!
- A white eraser - the pink ones can leave pink smudges on your wood.
- Exacto-knife - even the best of us make mistakes, and an exacto works as a useful “eraser.”
-
Something to clean your pen with - Ideally this should be a soft
brass brush, or a polishing material (aluminum oxide) and leather strop
to clean. You can also use your exacto-knife for this. I use a whetting
stone, which is WRONG AND BAD AND DON’T DO IT, but whatever, I’m a rule
breaker.
And finally:
7) A Pyrography Pen.
If you’re starting off, get a cheap pyro pen at your craft store. For years, I used Walnut Hollow’s. It’s inexpensive and serviceable. Invest in the interchangeable tips, too, as different tips are useful for different techniques. Also, keep a set of pliers on hand to change the tips while they’re still too hot to touch; these pens take a ridiculously long time to heat up and cool down.
Walnut Hollow Pen
Walnut Hollow Tips
They also get uncomfortable to hold after a while, so you may have to get creative with insulating the handle. (I used to use tissues and duct tape, but for obvious reasons, I don’t recommend you do the same.)
If you know you like pyrography, and you’re interested in investing in better tools, then it’s time to get an adjustable-temperature pen. There are two main types: fixed tip and wire tip. Fixed tips have interchangeable pen attachments with different shaped tips. Wire-tips have, well, a wire tip, that you can bend, shape, and grind down to suit your needs. I prefer the fixed-tip kind, but they both have advantages.
I recommend getting an Optima 1, which is what I currently use. The adjustable temperature settings are extremely useful, and it’s one of your least expensive choices, as well.
Optima 1 Resources
If really want to invest in an excellent pen, I hear nothing but wonderful things about the Razortip. Be warned, though, it’s obscenely expensive. I haven’t been able to afford one, yet, but I hope to someday.
Razertip Website
REMEMBER: WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
I hope this is helpful!
