joiner_sim
Established Member
My next pyrography project follows my teaching book, as the first project after learning techniques is a door number plaque. This seemed a perfect project to replicate as my parents house still has the same computer print out on card in the window that I did for them over 13 years ago! So after a quick measure up of the width of one of their door rails that's just above eye level I looked for some decent timber to burn. After a quick scavenge around I found a piece of 19mm thick Beech, which just needed ripping to 75mm and cut to length at 150mm. Then with a 1/4" router and decorative cutter I moulded all four edges. Drilled two 3mm holes for the eventual fixing of the plaque- I imagine brass screws and cups. And finally to finish the timber prep I used sandpaper by hand to get a smooth surface- 60, 80, 100 & 150 grits.
I did consider burning the numbers freehand, however nerves and maybe.... common sense got the better of me and I resorted to using the computer. After fiddling about and a few trial print-outs I managed to get the font size to correctly match my timber. I also used printer settings to turn the image around as if it were in a mirror as this is required to correctly transfer to the timber.
I then used tracing paper and drew the outline of the numbers using pencil. Turned it over to display the number the correct way around and taped it to my plaque.
Then to transfer I simply scribbled over the outline and the pencil lines on the underside of the tracing paper went onto the timber.
Finally, with all the surface preparation complete I could start the wood burning!!! To begin with I outlined all the numbers to be sure I didn't loose my faint pencil lines and then I began to fill in the number using a "stipple" type effect with a thick pointed burning tip (wire type wood burners may know it as a spoon tip).
Sometime later, it's almost complete....
And then finally after approximately 2 hours & 30 minutes preparation and burning time, the piece was finished! (Well, I say finished... but it still requires a coat of Danish oil and has to be fitted to my parents front door - final fitted picture will appear in due course!) But for now, here's the piece finished with no oil...
The end grain above looks very odd, but it must be camera trickery because the moulding itself is very smooth!
I produced this in-depth work-in-progress for anyone who maybe interested in pyrography, but maybe unsure of how to achieve decent results, not that my pyro work is anywhere near professional standard yet, just the fact these simple projects are good for beginners like myself and it's have been nice to have something like this for me to look at before I started.
Please let me know what you think of this simple door plaque and any other comments you may have, thanks!
I did consider burning the numbers freehand, however nerves and maybe.... common sense got the better of me and I resorted to using the computer. After fiddling about and a few trial print-outs I managed to get the font size to correctly match my timber. I also used printer settings to turn the image around as if it were in a mirror as this is required to correctly transfer to the timber.
I then used tracing paper and drew the outline of the numbers using pencil. Turned it over to display the number the correct way around and taped it to my plaque.
Then to transfer I simply scribbled over the outline and the pencil lines on the underside of the tracing paper went onto the timber.
Finally, with all the surface preparation complete I could start the wood burning!!! To begin with I outlined all the numbers to be sure I didn't loose my faint pencil lines and then I began to fill in the number using a "stipple" type effect with a thick pointed burning tip (wire type wood burners may know it as a spoon tip).
Sometime later, it's almost complete....
And then finally after approximately 2 hours & 30 minutes preparation and burning time, the piece was finished! (Well, I say finished... but it still requires a coat of Danish oil and has to be fitted to my parents front door - final fitted picture will appear in due course!) But for now, here's the piece finished with no oil...
The end grain above looks very odd, but it must be camera trickery because the moulding itself is very smooth!
I produced this in-depth work-in-progress for anyone who maybe interested in pyrography, but maybe unsure of how to achieve decent results, not that my pyro work is anywhere near professional standard yet, just the fact these simple projects are good for beginners like myself and it's have been nice to have something like this for me to look at before I started.
Please let me know what you think of this simple door plaque and any other comments you may have, thanks!
