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TRUArt Stage 2 Pyrography Kit is Number One

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Jonestown, TEXAS – February 24th, 2022TRUArt’s 60W Professional Woodburning Detailer is at the top of the list in a research on wood burners conducted by Happy DIY Home. In their article titled “Best Wood Burning Kits to Create Garden Signs“, they have cited the pros and cons of the kit and have deemed it perfect for serious beginners and professionals alike. Their research was performed by their team composed of master gardeners, professional contractors/handymen, interior designers, and DIY experts.

The article also includes a Wood Burning Kit Buyer’s Guide, which brings to light the various points buyers would need to consider when looking for their pyrography tool. In it, they highlight factors such as comfort, heating speed, and control and their importance in enjing the art of pyrography.

Happy DIY Home is the go-to website for any resource or information regarding home decorations, renovations, gardening, and remodellings. Various subjects include DIY tutorials and detailed walkthroughs and many also expound on sustainability and the positive impact DIY projects have among family and friends working together.

Information on the TRUArt Stage 2 Pyrography kit and amazing wood burning works can be found on the TRUArt website, Facebook and Instagram accounts where their community of pyrography artists has grown. Visit Happy DIY Home and their article “Best Wood Burning Kits to Create Garden Signs” for more details.

Contact:

Pavel Karoukin
hello@truart.co
https://www.instagram.com/truarthq
https://web.facebook.com/truarthq

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Stage 2 temperature explained

 
 
Perhaps one of the major adjustments anyone goes through with the Stage 2 pyrography set is learning to read the display in Volts and not oF or oC (degrees Fahrenheit or Celcius respectively). 
 
Image of TRUArt Stage 2 Single pen 60W Kit’s power supply
 
 
To set things straight, the LED only displays the voltage. Turning the voltage adjustment knob clockwise or counter-clockwise will increase or decrease (respectively) the voltage output. High voltage translates to a high temperature just as low voltage translates to a low temperature.
 
Here is usually where the confusion starts.
 
  • Voltage changes are non-linear with the voltage adjustment knob. This means that each line on the knob does not necessarily correspond to the same increment increase or decrease in voltage. For example, a turn from one line to the next line would probably give you a difference of 5 Volts*.  From there to the next line would not have the same difference of 5 Volts but probably be a difference 7 or 10 Volts*. 
  • Changes in voltage are non-linear with temperature change. This follows the same principle stated earlier. For instance, a 5-Volt* increase does not mean a 5 oF or oC increase as well.  The temperature change could be much higher. 
Inasmuch as we at TRUArt would like to provide precise temperature output instead of voltage readings, it is quite impossible to do so with our current technology. Aside from the limitations of the current electrical designs, there are other factors at play that influence the burning tips’ temperature. These can be any or a combination of shape of the tips, tip gauge (size), ambient temperature, air flow in room, etc.
 
However, the color of heated Nichrome wire stays fairly constant. Nichrome wire produces a faint red color at 95 oF. Generally, just before tip starts to get that faint red color, the temperature should be around 700 oF.  Below is a chart that shows the approximate temperature to the corresponding color of the heated tip.
 
 
 
The chart above is the closest approximation of the color since there are different gauges of Nichrome wires. Other factors also influence the result such as how much light is in the room, personal color perception, and so on. Common gauges used range from 20 to 16 GA.  
 
As always, the best is to try the tip on a scrap piece of the same wood type that will be used in the project (and in the same place, as ambient temperature may have an effect as well). It is the most precise method.
 
 
 
 
* Figures are only examples set out for the purpose of understanding the mechanics involved and do not necessarily reflect the exact figures or difference shown on the voltage display of the power supply. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Adjusting TRUArt 60W Pyrography Pen Collets to Fit a Pyrography Tip Made of Thicker Wire

60W pyrography tip and pen in holder

.With all the various pyrography wire tips out in the market today, two pyrography tip sizes are the most commercially popular. The 18 Gauge and the 20 Gauge (18 GA and 20 GA) tips. They correspond to 1.0 mm and 0.8mm respectively. The thicker 18GA wire lasts longer and is suitable for very long hours of work. The thinner 20 GA wire is perfect for slightly lower heat and intricate detail work.

As it often happens, customers buy a set of tips unaware various wire sizes. With our TRUArt Stage 2 Dual Pen Professional Woodburning Detailer and other wire-tipped variants, all our tips are interchangeable regardless of the size. The ball point pyrography tip and some of our shading tips are universally 18 GA. As such, you will need to initially adjust your pyrography pen’s collet (see image 1 below) to accommodate the slightly larger tip. You would only need to do this only once after which it becomes much easier to switch between regular sized wire tips to the thicker types and vice versa. 

Below is a detailed guide on how to use our 18 GA tips on our pyrography pens:

Unscrew the locking nuts (arrows) from the collets 

pyrography tip

 

Push the 20 GA pyrography tip into the collets (red circle). Make sure that they go in straight into the collets as much as possible. Some force is required to do this. Do not wriggle the tip around once it’s inserted as that might loosen the collet too much. The fit should be as tight as possible to guarantee reliable conductivity.

pyrography tip

 

Pull out the pyrography tip, screw in the locking nut onto the collets leaving it loose (small arrows). Insert the tip back again (big arrow). 

pyrography tip

 

Tighten the locking nuts. Your pen is now ready for some serious wood burning. 

pyrography tip

 

If you have any questions about your pyrography tip, have any comments or suggestions, simply contact us at hello@truart.co or leave a comment below We’ll be right there to help you out. 

 

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Christmas Wood Burning Stencils

Christmas is literally just around the corner now and what better way to spruce up your decorations with little pyrographed projects with your TRUArt pens? With free stencils of course!

Inspired by Andrea’s latest article, “Holiday Gifts”, I’ve collected some images across the web to help you all out. These were picked especially for their simplicity. and elegance – where a single picture conveys an unmistakable message of Christmas.  It would be pretty tough to start burning big Christmas-themed projects at this point in time. Then I thought instead of going through the agony of waiting for that day to come, why not get the whole family involved in burning little decors to hang around the house and on the Christmas tree?

What’s more, these would be a perfect fit for those scrap pieces of wood lying about. You could create discs from small branches or others. Perhaps use that old scrap rectangular plywood in the basement as a warm greeting board or a little signage greeting everyone who sees it somewhere within the house.

Whatever the case, the important thing is that the whole family gets in on it – sharing the Christmas spirit as it were.

 

So hurry and click on the PDF files below and download your stencil. If you need help on transferring images to your work, check out Andrea’s guide.

  1. Angel
  2. Bare Christmas tree
  3. Bells
  4. Conifer cone
  5. Christmas quote
  6. Christmas quote 2
  7. Christmas quote 3
  8. Reindeer
  9. Reindeer 1
  10. Santa
  11. Santa 2
  12. Snowflake

Have a great Holiday Season everyone!

 

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Understanding the Types of Pyrography Pens and Their Differences

Pyrography or woodburning, is an art medium rapidly gaining popularity especially in the United States and United Kingdom. This art medium involves the use of a heating device that resembles a large pen, which, when applied to wood surfaces, leaves distinctive burn marks. There are already many professional pyrography artists around and most of their work is truly astounding – many even life-like especially when a touch of color is added.

#patespyro
“Frankenstein” from Pate’s Pyrography

As more and more budding artists join the pyrography band wagon, many do not know what to start off with or know about the differences among the many pens sold out there. This then poses a problem for many who nevertheless went ahead, bought a pen (usually convinced by online reviews) and are either stuck on how to use them properly or end up destroying the tool altogether. To address that and a few other key issues, let’s compare the two types of pyrography pens, the solid-point burners and the wire-nib burners.

TRUArt 15-30 W Pyrography Pen
Solid-point pyrography pen

TRUArt 60W Woodburning Detailer
Wire-nib pyrography pen

Tip / Nib

Solid-point burner – This type of pen usually requires a screw-in tip although some very few designs in the market feature non-screw tips held in place by a sleeve and a nut. Care should be taken when purchasing extra tips as they can vary in thread type. TRUArt pyrography pens use M4 X 0.7 tips. This means that the thread is 4 mm in diameter with a 0.7 mm thread pitch. These tips are screwed in tightly by hand and usually finished off with 1/8th to 1/4 of a turn using a pair of pliers.

Wire-nib burner – This type of pen holds wire tips usually made from Ni-chrome wire of varying gauges. The wires are either inserted into collets or held in place by screws tightened unto them. TRUArt’s 60 W Professional Woodburning Detailer can accept 20 to 16 GA wire tips.

Heat transfer

Solid-point burners create heat by means of a heating element within the pen that is then transferred to the tip and operate at a fixed temperature.

Wire-nib burners create heat on the nibs by electric current going through it. The collets or wire nib holders should never be shorted.

Solid-point burner Wire-nib burner
Pros    Cons                          Pros                                  Cons
Cheaper than Wire-nib burners

Wide selection of patterned and stamp tips

Brass tips conducts heat faster and retains it longer than other metals

Easy screw-in and unscrewing of tips (only do this when unit is cold!)

Variable heat output (TRUArt 15 W – 30 W pens)

Ergonomic handle with anti-slip rubber

Ventilation holes and double heat sinks to dissipate heat away from hands

Price is great for beginners in pyrography

No separate power supply

No danger of shorting out the pen

Brass becomes soft when heated. Oftentimes, beginners tend to put too much pressure on it instead of letting the heat do the work. This bends the softened brass tip, which leads to breakage – leaving the screw inside the pen and rendering it useless.

Long waiting period for hot tips to cool down enough for unscrewing/replacement

Long waiting period (3-5 mins) for tips to heat up sufficiently

Only two power settings – 15 Watts and 30 Watts

Cannot create customized tips

Hands are farther away from work surface than Wire-nib burners

Tips may become lose within pen when heated. This will require further tightening with pliers (about 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn)

Nibs heat up much faster (less than 1 minute) than Solid-point tips

Fast cool-down

Easy inserting and removal of nibs

Nibs stay tight inside collets even at the pen’s highest voltage setting

Wide selection of nib shapes and sizes

Easily create customized nibs from a roll of Ni-chrome wire

Very close distance between hand and work surface

Digital power supply allows very fine tuning of heat output on the tips, which allows for superior control over burn

Pen is smaller and lighter than Solid-point burners

Non-slip ribber handles

Can accept 20 GA to 16 GA (0.8 mm to 1.25 mm diameter) nibs

Ni-chrome wire nibs do not break easily when pressure is applied

Preferred by professionals

More expensive than Solid-point burners

Nib selection does not have big patterns or stamps like the Solid-point burner tips

Bulky power supply

Burner can get almost uncomfortably hot if voltage is too high and heat on the nib is not used fast enough

Danger of shortening the burner if the collets are directly connected to each other by any metal object

Skill in using voltage setting to get the required heat has to be developed

Ultimately, when selecting a woodburning or pyrography pen, you will first have to consider what you intend to do. Figure out if you could see yourself doing this occasionally or often. If you’re just starting out in the art of pyrography and do not know what kind of pyrography pen will suit you, you’re safe if you start with the Solid-point burner. Later on, once you’re more confident in the art and start investing long hours into it, you may want to consider upgrading to the more robust and industrial strength of the Wire-nib burner.

If you still want to know more, simply share your thoughts or questions through the comments below and we’ll answer them within the day.

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Woodburning Workshop 2 – More to Learn!

Another big “CONGRATULATIONS” to Andrea Pate on her second successful Pyrography Workshop at Stache Studios on September 29, 2018!

Once again, Andrea Pate, a very accomplished artist in art mediums such as portrait artistry and polymer clay modelling, has managed to spread the word about pyrography in downtown Griffin.  As her plan to continue on the workshop on Seasonal  Designs, all her attendees with big satisfied grins and new home decors.

 

 

“Leave a permanent impression with pyrography”
Andrea Pate

We at TRUArt are proud to be a part of Andrea’s endeavors to teach others of the easy and fun-loaded art of pyrography or wood burning. The pyrography pens used in this workshop and the one before that were predominantly our (Stage 1) Wood and Leather Pyrography Pen. The artist herself has our robust 60 W Professional Woodburning Detailer.

We can’t wait to check out what next season’s theme is going to be permanently burned into wood again!

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Woodburning Workshop – The Giant Leap Towards Learning Pyrography!

The TRUArt family extends its biggest “CONGRATULATIONS” to Andrea Pate for successfully hosting her first Pyrography Workshop at Stache Studios last August 18, 2018 and has effectively opened the doors to many budding artists looking for a unique and fun way to express their creativity!

Stache Studios, the go-to place in Downtown Griffin for learning various forms of art medium such as painting, ceramics, mosaics and clay works, graciously welcomed Andrea’s suggestion to include a new form of artwork – pyrography. With Andrea’s long history and connection to art since childhood, coupled with more than two years of pyrography experience, she deftly introduced and guided everyone into the practically new art world of wood burning. Needless to say, all workshop attendees left with proud smiles and their finished projects. Just check out the pictures below!

Andrea understands that pyrography isn’t a medium that is well known in the field of arts. In fact, she did not imagine herself hosting any workshop about it at all – being contented with creating beautiful pyrogrphy art work and selling them. That changed when we started commissioning her to create tutorials for us using our wood burning pens. In one of the tutorials, she was teaching some children how to create wood burnings for their loved ones. Watching their excitement in the process got her curious about creating classes for adults. She wanted to expose as many people to this art form as she could. Thinking of ways to get pyrography out there, she came across her local art studio. Although Stache Studio provides customers with amazing pottery and painting classes, she realized they didn’t have any on woodburning. In fact, there just aren’t many places around where one could learn Pyrography.

“Leave a permanent impression with pyrography”
Andrea Pate

 

Jessica, owner of Stache Studios, loved Andrea’s idea and immediately went to work to get things rolling while the artist provided the tools she got from TRUArt. After the resounding success of her first workshop, the artist was thrilled to see the excitement others were going through learning something she was passionate about. She feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach people pyrography and plans to continue sharing her expertise with more classes. As of this writing, she’s been busy creating seasonal designs for her workshop that customers can display every month of the year in their homes. It definitely doesn’t look like she plans to slow down one bit seeing that workshops are powerful tools to get the needed exposure to the art as people are starting to become familiar with it and with what she does.

 

To those who have yet to touch a pyrography pen or to those who think they don’t have the creativity for it, here’s what Andrea has to say about it:

“DO not to give up. If it’s something you’re not good at, that’s all the more reason to keep going. It will get easier and you’ll learn what works for you along the way. If it’s something you are passionate about then never give up.

It’s amazing what you can learn and how you can improve in such a short time frame. I look back at where I started and to where I’m at today and there is such a huge difference. I’m excited to see how much I will continue to grow and improve over the course of this year.”

 

We at TRUArt couldn’t have said it better, Andrea. We’re so glad and honored to be a part of your achievements in the wonderful world of pyrography. Thank you!

 

 

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A Simple Wood Burning Stencil For Mother’s Day

Mother's day quote

In a few more weeks it’s going to be that day where we all have the best excuse to get a little cheesy and tell our moms how special she is! Mother’s day!

I may have started a little too early on this but I couldn’t stop myself from feeling inspired so I went ahead and searched for a very simple yet very meaningful stencil for her, which I hope you will like. Use it as you see fit or let it inspire you to create your own. Tell me what you think about it!

My only problem right now is how to work on it without her knowing about it until the big unveil…

You can also find more free downloadable stencils for various occasions here. Have fun!

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Create Your Very Own Carbon Transfer Paper

One major problem all commercial carbon transfer paper have is that its not easy to get rid of the accidental lines and smears made during transfers. If all those lines are going to be covered by your pyrography pen, that’s all well and good. But what if they don’t get covered with your design?

 

The best way to get rid of them would be to sand off the affected area. Naturally, the darker the lines, the more sanding is needed. Furthermore, you can’t just sand that affected area if you want your whole work piece to be level. You would need to sand everything down.

 

We don’t understand why transfers made from commercial carbon transfer paper cannot be erased by a simple rubber eraser. However, we have found an alternative that works quite well and is completely erasable – not to mention reusable too. Think of the savings! You probably already have all the materials in your house right now too so this is going to be an easy few minutes of a little elbow grease.

 

Check out the short video clip below, see if it works for you or not and share your experience with all of us through the comments below.

 

 

All the best,
Pavel Karoukin
hello@truart.co