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Operating Instructions
1. WOODBURNING
In its simplest form, a pattern Is traced on wood and then burned in.
skill develops, odginal art patterns can be created,,, bumea., painted, a no/.
or carved in relief for excltlng and dramauc resuRs,
ro Beam me an or
woodburrdng, consider the following:
• Softer woods with fine grain patterns and finely finished surface are
the best. Basswood, walnut, and cedar woods are recommended. They
bum more easily, particularly
basswood, ancl.provide natural and
beautiful background tones that enrich any aeslgn:
......
• Practice.
Before doing.any permanent w?rk, take time to gel a reel
of the tool and how it can be maneuvereo mr consistent results.
• Start with simple uncluttered designs that have relatively straight
lines. Ughtly trace a design on the wood u_n 9 caroon paper.
As skill
is developed, work with increasingly more inmcate designs.
• When using the tool, always move the tool toward you. This means
that you will have to turn the wood often so that the pen movement
can be made toward you. By doing so, the point can be more easily
controlled and the burned lines will be more uniform.
• Do not hold the pen ttghtJy- it will cause finger fatigue and more heat is
absorbed by the fingers.
• Let the pen bum the wood. Move the pen more slowly for darker lines,
more quicldy for lighter lines.
LEATHER
CRAFT
For bumlng designs in leather, many of the techniques and hints de-
scribed for woodbuming apply.
Use considerable
care when placing a hot point on leather as leather
burns very quickly. Apply very light pressure and move the points quickly
to prevent overburning.
3. STENCIL
CU'I-nNG
Using the small pointed tip, allow tool to heat. Place stencil on a smooth,
hard, fireproof
surface (i.e. glass, anodized aluminum).
When cutting, arrange the pattern so that the line being cut permits you
to move the tool toward you. This will require the pattem to be tumed
fl'equently so that the cuffing stroke can always be toward you.
This
method affords more control of the hot cutting point and results in a bet-
ter cutout. If the tool becomes too hot for any particular stencil, unplug
tool and use while tool is cooling.
4. SOLDERING
• Clean the work thoroughly - down to the bare metal - to ensure a
good bond. Use a file, steel wool or sandpaper
to clean the metal.
• Use the proper solder.
• Tin the tip.Tinning
is the application
of solder to the tip. As the tip
heats, rub the rosin core solder over the working end of the tip until it is
completely coated. Wipe off excess solder on a wet sponge. A tip that
is not tinned will not transfer heat properly to the work.Tinning
also
prevents damaging
oxides from forming
on a tip. During soldering,
keep the tip tinned by applying additional solder to the tip. After use
"tin" the tip as the iron cools.
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