Posted on September 12, 2022September 12, 2022 by Andrea — Leave a comment

Let’s Split!

Author Andrea Pate holding a new book featuring her works

On a hot summery day, nothing cools you off quite like ice cream. Some of my favorite ice cream concoctions are mint chocolate chip with Magic Shell. hot fudge sundaes and banana splits. That was my motivation for this sweet design. This Banana Split template pairs perfectly with my Just Chillin’ Template. I like to display these pieces together during birthday parties, ice cream socials, or with my summer décor. You can find my “Let’s Split” template in The Wood Burn Community Book of Templates Vol 2 by Rachel Strauss.

This book features 64 templates created by 34 artists with templates ranging from beginner to advanced skill levels. You can purchase your own copy by clicking on the link below.
https://www.woodburncorner.com/community-book-of-templates-volume-ii

Supplies Needed:

Pyrography Pen
Template
Transfer Paper
Pen
Tape
Wood
Varnish
Paint or Colored Pencil (Optional)
Stain (Optional)

To get started, select your wood. I wanted something I can hang to display. There are various types of wood you can use. I typically purchase wood at my local craft or home improvement store. You can also find a wide selection of wood available at your local dollar store. I found this wood sign at my craft store for under $10 with a coupon. You can simply remove the backside of the sign making it easy to transfer the design to the wood.

Simply tape the template and your tracing paper to the wood and start tracing your design. To ensure you don’t miss transferring any part of the template, it’s best to use a red or blue pen. This makes your markings easily visible as they won’t blend into the shaded areas of the template.

Once you have transferred the image, make sure you didn’t miss any areas. Slightly lift the template and tracing paper off the bottom of the wood but keeping the top portion secure to the wood with tape. You need to do this carefully as you don’t want the template to shift. It will keep your template in place and allow you to trace any missing areas with ease.

Since this template has thick bold lines and a lot of solid black areas, you can burn those areas at a higher heat. Be mindful not to go too high as it can create scorch marks and an uneven burn. In the areas where there are a lot of white and smaller marks, lower your heat.

There are different shading techniques you can use for this design. I chose to shade this design by stippling. Stippling is simply a technique using dots to differentiate between light and shadows. The darker the area, the more dots are used. As the area is lighter, the dots fade. This is a fun technique to use in pyrography. No matter your preference, you can’t go wrong with how you draw this. Do what feels most comfortable to you. Get a spare piece of wood and practice the various techniques to see what you prefer.

Tip: You can opt out of coloring in the cherries on top of the sundae. Add red paint or colored pencils for a pop of color.

Once I have completed my burning, I did a very light coat of stain. Once the stain was fully dried, I took white and yellow-colored pencils, and colored in the ice cream and banana just to make the image stand out a little more.

Again, make this design your own. You can just burn the outline and fill in the areas using paint or colored pencils or not fill them in at all. That’s the beauty of art. There is no wrong way, and you personalize each piece by making it your own.

Please tag your burning to @patespyrography and share your finished piece to
#patespyro
#thewoodburncommunitybook
#truarthq

I hope you enjoyed this template and don’t forget to get your own copy of The Wood Burn Community Book of Templates Vol 2 for more amazing designs from talented artists around the globe. Also check out @woodburncorner for tips, community challenges, inspiration and so much more.

Andrea Pate
Pate’s Pyrography

Posted on February 23, 2022February 23, 2022 by Rene — Leave a comment

TRUArt Stage 2 Pyrography Kit is Number One

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Jonestown, TEXAS – February 24th, 2022 – TRUArt’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

Posted on January 12, 2022January 16, 2023 by Heather Short — 4 Comments

Adding Color to Your Pyrography Projects

Adding color to your pyrography projects can add a whole new layer to your piece. There are many mediums that can be used to add color, and they can create many different effects. All color options are up to you to decide – what you like best and what you are trying to convey with your piece.

Here is a list of some options you can use, along with a demonstration of a few of them.

Please note that colors should be added AFTER burning your design into your piece. Burning over color can be toxic not to mention difficult at times.

Acrylic

Acrylic is my go-to option for my wood-burning designs because it is easy to use and works well on wood. It will also remain vibrant over time. You can get a great depth of color.

Watercolor/Watercolor Pencils

Watercolor dries quickly, is very versatile, and the vibrancy can be adjusted by how much you dilute it with water. Adding too much water can absorb into the wood and make the color bleed past your burn lines. Just like when using watercolor on paper, you can use masking fluid to help block areas you don’t wish the color to spread to. This coloring medium can give more subtle colors and convey a softer, more romantic feel or tone.

Colored Pencils

Colored pencils are easy to control and can give a nice vibrant color. They apply easily to wood and can be blended, layered, sometimes erased, and come in a variety of colors

Stain

Stains add color and protection to your piece. They are trickier to apply and can be toxic to inhale, so follow all safety guidelines when using these. Water-based stains are less messy and easier to clean up after. Stains can get blotchy and uneven but using a wood conditioner prior to application can help with this issue. Be careful not to use too dark a color as this will make it harder to see your wood-burned lines.

Markers

Markers are an easy way to color your piece. They come in a variety of colors and can also be layered and blended on the piece.

Here’s the video I made while working on the project you see above:

I hope this has been helpful to you but If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know through the comments below or send us an email at hello@truart.co

Heather Short

Posted on January 3, 2022January 10, 2022 by Heather Short — Leave a comment

Pyrography Basics for Getting Started

Supplies to start with

Before you get started, there are a few things you need. wood cross-cut section

Wood
- Softwoods are good for pyrography, especially when first starting out. Hardwood can be used, like elm and oak, with some experience
- Some examples of wood to use:
  - Basswood – smooth surface with even grains
  - Birch – smooth surface
  - Pine -uneven grains but cheap
  - Oak – uneven grains, moisture in wood
- Grain in the wood can be a factor in creating straight lines, so it is typically easier to start out with wood that is smooth with even grains. More information on wood types can be found in this article.

Wood Burning Pen

There are two main types of nibs for wood burning – solid point and wire tip.

TRUArt Stage 1 15W-30W Pyrography Pen is a good solid-point tool to start with
- Comes with lots of different interchangeable tips including groove, dot, solder point, pattern transfer, branding, calligraphy, etc.
- The Stage 1 Pyrography Pen comes with solid point tips, which are great for beginners to develop control while learning. There are different tips for line work, shading, as well as stamp tips to help burn consistent specific shapes into your work.
TRUArt Stage 2 60W Woodburning Detailer is the next step higher from the Stage 1 and is preferred by many professionals.
- Digital Temperature Control
- Designed for professionals, heats up quickly, comfortable to grip
- The Stage 2 Professional Detailer uses wire tips, which are better equipped for more experienced pyrography artists. They require appropriate pressure and heat adjustments to create the desired effects.

wood cross-cut section with wood burned and painted flower Make sure to read all the instructions in your kit before starting your first project with your new tool!

Sandpaper – Sand your wood surface down prior to use to ensure your image will burn evenly. Do not burn treated or painted wood.

Tape – Masking, artist’s, or painter’s tape are used to hold down your templates or stencils and carbon transfer paper for transferring to wood.

Graphite Paper/Tracing Paper – Although you have the option to freehand your design onto the wood, you may want to be able to copy a design, including the samples provided at the back of the user manual that comes with your TRUArt kit. These templates are designed to fast-track your projects as you gain wood burning experience at the same time. Place graphite or tracing paper onto the wood surface. Cover the paper with the design. Trace the design using a ballpoint pen or pencil. This will transfer to the surface of the wood. Here’s an example of how the whole process is done.

Eraser – Clean up any remaining graphite on the wood around your design. If using carbon tracing paper to transfer your design, us a magic eraser instead to clean up excess marks from your traced design.

Adding Color or Stain to you Wood (OPTIONAL) – If you would like to add color or stain to your design, you can do so a few ways that will be detailed in the next blog post! Some examples include watercolor pencils, oil pencils, paints, or wood stains.

Varnish, Mineral or Olive Oil – Applied to your finished work, you can add polyurethane, resin, or even mineral or olive oil to your work to create a shine and protect the image on the wood. A good practice is to test your finish on a scrap piece of wood of the same type as your project. Some varnishes have tints or coloring. Some wood also changes hue slightly when varnish is applied to them.

It is also best to know where your finished project is displayed or used and apply the appropriate finish to it. For instance, outdoor types of decors would need about two to three coats of polyurethane or something similar. Indoor displays would only need cellulose-based varnishes or oils.

How to use your woodburning tool

ALWAYS read all instructions of the user manual in your kit
Make sure to start with a cool, unplugged tool before attaching your desired nib or tip, then plug in and allow to heat up sufficiently before use
Place the tip gently onto the wood surface and apply very light constant pressure to burn evenly. Remember, let the pen (not the pressure) do the burning
Avoid applying pressure to create darker lines, as this can damage the nib. Instead, keep the nib in the same spot longer to reach a darker shade. On the flip side, make sure to lift the tool when finishing lines or shading as to avoid creating burn spots.
If you feel you need to press harder to get the desired shade, your temperature may be too low and needs to be increased. You want to put an even and very minimal amount of pressure on the tool. The heat from the pen is creating the burn, not the pressure.
If you want to change nibs, make sure the tool is unplugged and cooled down before touching the tip. Use needle nose pliers to remove nibs just as you would when tightening them. Be careful not to overtighten nibs especially with solid point tipped pens. The thread can easily strip when overtightening. When that happens, you may not be able to use your pen anymore.
After burning your design, you can add color if desired.
Once finished, you can add appropriate varnish to your work to create a shine and protect the image on the wood.

I hope these tips help you in your pyrography adventure. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Heather Short

Posted on September 1, 2020April 16, 2022 by Andrea — 1 Comment

Types of Wood – What Works with Pyrography

While the art of pyrography can be performed on various surfaces, different types of wood remain to be the most popular medium. This natural “canvas” comes with many characteristics that cannot be found in any other material. Grains of different shapes and sizes, various wood sap consistencies, and the plethora of hues can all pose different challenges for the artist. But when these challenges are overcome, the result is a unique and lasting piece of art.

It is therefore important that artists have at least a little understanding of the characteristics of wood and how to make the most of it be it your wire-nib pyrography pen or solid-point pyrography pen. This also includes knowing whether it is safe to work on certain pieces of wood or not.

Here we will cover the basics in relation to pyrography and these include:

Hardwood
Softwood
Plywood
Treated wood
Untreated wood
Wood tones

Hardwood

Hardwood comes from flowering, seed-producing trees that are from the angiosperm family. They are often from the deciduous species, which typically display annual growth rings. Oak, maple, walnut, and hickory are just a few examples of the various types of hardwood. Hardwood is generally difficult to burn images on and is not typically the wood of choice used for this medium. There are certain types of hardwood that are actually softer than some softwood. Poplar is an example of a type of hardwood that works well for pyrography.

Walnut

Oak

Maple

Softwood

Softwood comes from the gymnosperm family and belongs to the seed-producing category as well. This is the preferred type of wood to use with pyrography. Basswood, birch, and pine are examples of some softwood that are excellent for wood-burning.

Bat is burned on basswood

Logo is burned on pine

Plywood

Plywood consists of layers of wood veneers that are glued together to create a flat sheet. Plywood’s best features are its resistance to warpage, shrinkage, and water. Generally, it comes with both surfaces sanded. Since the Douglas fir is most commonly used throughout the US and Canada, this is another great wood source to burn your images on.

Turtle burned on a piece of plywood

Treated wood

Before you start your burning you must first identify whether the wood you chose is treated or untreated. Treated wood consists of wood that has been painted, varnished, stained, and pressure treated. You also want to avoid any type of fibreboard. It is extremely dangerous to burn on treated wood. Inhaling the fumes that are produced by burning treated wood is toxic and harmful to your health. If at all possible, DO NOT burn on any treated wood.

This Coffee sign had to be created with pen and markers because the wood is treated. Notice the wood is painted which was done prior to burning making this treated wood dangerous to burn on.

Untreated wood

Untreated wood is wood closest to its natural state. You can find several pieces of untreated wood and your local craft and hardware store. Many craft stores have pre-cut wood pieces available for purchase to fit your needs. Lumber yards are also wonderful places to go to find freshly cut, seasoned, and reasonably priced wood pieces.

Wood color tones

The white soft layer of wood is called sapwood. Sapwood is formed between the heartwood and bark. Heartwood is the innermost part of the tree trunk. Heartwood color varies depending on the species. This is why we have a wide array of wood tones. Exposing cut, dry wood to light, specifically UV light, will darken the wood. Air, heat, and water exposure can also impact the color of the wood as it ages. Most wood will darken with age while others may change to a rust hue. Varnishes and oils can also impact the color of the wood. Working with a lighter shade of wood may prolong the effects of aging, however, there isn’t much we can do to prevent this natural process from happening.

Additional information

Gourds, leather, paper, and bones are alternative materials that you can successfully burn images onto. Burning plastic or rubber items will not only melt and cause burns but will create toxic fumes. If you are not certain, don’t do it. Err on the side of safety first and always do your research.

Dollar burned on paper

There is so much more to learn about wood but things like different shakes (a wood defect), rays, rings, and interlocking grains among others. These natural characteristics are very useful. Imagine whorls, swirls, and minute cracks inculcated into your wood-burning as accents or natural details of your burn subject. Your imagination is the only limit!

Andrea Pate
Pate’s Pyrography

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Andrea — 1 Comment

Spring Decor Wood Burning Project

I’d have to say that Spring is one of my favorite seasons that just warrants a complementing Spring Decor. Baby birds are chirping, fragrant and colorful flowers are blooming, and butterflies are gracefully fluttering about. Everywhere you look, it is bursting with life. When thinking of Spring, naturally, thoughts of cute little rabbits come to mind. I wanted to create a cute design that displays a traditional representation of spring. In this piece, you will combine some simple shading techniques as well as applying multiple colors to your design.

Spring Decor Supplies:

• Wire-nib pyrography pen or solid-point pyrography pen
• 10in x 0.13in (254 mm x 3.302 mm) diameter plywood circle
• Colored ballpoint pen for tracing
• Scissors
• Scotch tape
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Graphite paper for tracing
• Sponge
• Melamine foam eraser (magic eraser)
• Colored pencils (dark brown, light brown, pink, black, white)
• Stain (optional)
• Spray sealant (ex. polyurethane)
• Old rag for staining

Pyrography Instructions

STEP 1:

Your pyrography pen needs to be set at a low to medium-low heat. The letters on this sign are rather thin so you will need to be aware of your pen settings and you need to be careful with the amount of pressure applied to your pyrography pen while burning. Be sure your letters are not burned at such a low temperature that the burn marks appear to be faint. When you reach the larger words, you can slowly increase your heat and/or pressure as needed.

TIP:

Remember, sometimes it is easier to burn the outline of your letters first and then go back to fill in the empty space. This helps you stay within the parameters of your image and minimizes any stray marks. When you are burning your letters, if you come across any gaps where you should have a solid burning, go back to fill those gaps in at a very low heat so that you don’t burn outside the lines.

STEP 2:

Let’s hop to it! It’s time to burn our image of the rabbit. Start off by tracing the outline. You want your outline to be burned in medium thickness. The purpose of the medium thickness is to have the outline dark enough for the image to stand out if you were to stain your sign.

STEP 3:

It’s now time to work on the rabbit’s ear. You will notice the inside of the ear has a “Y” shape pattern. Burn the stem of the “Y” and at the tip of the crevice – start a dark burn. As you work your way up the ear, slowly decrease your temperature to create a lighter, softer burn. As you burn softer, you should not apply much pressure to your pyrography pen. Repeat the same process on the opposite side.

STEP 4:

Start burning the marks and lines that indicate fur patterns within the rabbit design. Darken the area around the rabbit’s nose and darken the eyes.

STEP 5:

Now it’s time to stain your wood. Be sure to cover the surface completely. Since your image has some fine lines, be cautious not to add too much stain or your image will not be easily visible.

Tip:

If you do not wish to stain your wood you can go ahead and color your design. Once your design is colored, I recommend using a spray sealant to protect your image once completed. You can go ahead and color your design first and then stain your wood if you prefer, but it will leave your image looking dull and minimizes the details in the drawing.

STEP 6:

Take out your box of colored pencils. You will need a dark brown, light brown, black, white and pink. Start by taking your dark brown colored pencil and tracing the outline of the rabbit. Continue to add the dark brown colored pencil to the fur lines and marks within the image of the rabbit.

STEP 7:

Color the rabbit softly with the light brown. Do not color the inside of the ears brown. Leave that area untouched for now. Once the light brown has been applied to the rabbit’s fur, take your white colored pencil and softly blend it into the light brown areas. This blends the colored area more evenly and softens any harsh lines. Never use a lot of pressure when coloring. You do not want hard scratch lines that are hard to smooth out.

STEP 8:

Add a light pink to the nose and ears. Again, burn lightly and add white to smooth and soften the colors.

STEP 9:

Take a black colored pencil and color in the eyes and outline the nose and mouth. If you need to enhance your image, you can go back over the design and retrace your image using the black or dark brown colored pencil.

STEP 10:

Once your rabbit is complete, spray sealant over everything and allow it to dry. This protects everything.

Every bunny will love the finished product.

If you have any questions, suggestions or anything you would like to comment on, please do so in the comment section below and I’ll get right back to you as soon as possible.

See you next time,
Andrea Pate
Pate’s Pyrography

Posted on February 13, 2020November 7, 2024 by Andrea — Leave a comment

Valentine Pyrography

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a Valentine pyrography project is called for. Here are some inexpensive and fun ideas to spruce up your home.

I have found several seasonal wood cutouts available at my local dollar store and for Valentine’s Day, I picked two different types of heart-shaped wood cutouts.

You can also create your own cutouts with varying sizes out of scrap plywood or other pieces of wood lying about. Simply find a template, print it out and transfer it to your wood with transfer paper. For detailed instructions on how to do the transfer, check out a previous post I made.

I recommend going online to find various quotes and fonts to burn onto the wood. Another suggestion is to find a stencil or letter stamps and create your own conversational candy hearts. These would look great displayed over a fireplace or hung outside your door.

Add some color to them or a little bit of stain to make them pop.

The possibilities are endless and you can’t beat the price. I suggest looking around your local dollar store a month prior to the holiday. These wood cutouts don’t stay on the shelf long as they will make wonderful gifts for those you love and hold dear just like this Valentine pyrography project. This would be a great project for any age group.

As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for a project, I’ll be very glad to hear about it.

Andrea

Pate’s Pyrography

Feel free to read a review on our woodburner here

Posted on October 8, 2019October 8, 2019 by Andrea — Leave a comment

Halloween Skull Wood Burning Design

Halloween skull

One of my favorite images to burn is the Halloween skull. I love the way the burned marks give the skull image an aged and tarnished look. I also love the look of the various tonal values that you apply to the skull to give depth and dimension to your burning. In this tutorial, I will also provide you with a template that you can use to create your very own skull.

Let’s get started!

You will need:

Halloween skull template (found at the end of this article)
TRUArt pen
Carbon paper
Ballpoint pen
Magic eraser
Tape
Fine-sanded wood

Step 1:

Take your wood, template, carbon paper, pen and tape. Tape your paper to your wood and begin the tracing process. For instructions on how to complete this process, please refer to my previous post here.

Step 2:

Once everything has been transferred, start your shading process. I started in the nasal cavity. Be aware of where light will hit and cast shadows. I started working on the darker end and slowly lightened my shading as I moved up. This is not an easy skill to master. For shading tips, please view my shading tutorial here.

Step 3:

Once I completed the shading in the nasal region, I began the same process in the eye sockets of me Halloween skull. The template should be used as a guide to indicate where areas should be darkened. Don’t worry about your tracing being visible through the shading, you can remove those lines once your image has been completely burned.

Step 4:

Start shading around the jawline. Remember to burn in a light tone here. We do not want our darker tones to blend with the lighter. We need to decipher what parts of the image are further away than the rest or what area has more depth. The shading around the skull is only meant to indicate where the shadows lie.

Step 5:

Begin working your way up the skull. Notice the crack lines on the template. At a lower heat, trace the lines to show cracks on the skull. Be sure your heat is not too high or you will create splotches instead of crack lines. You can always increase your temperature if needed. Add more lines if you wish.

Step 6:

When outlining the skull, the shading should be a darker value around the top portion of the head. You still don’t want this to be a dark shade, just a tonal shade darker than the bottom of the skull. Slowly fill in the center of the skull with a lighter value as you go inward.

Step 7:

Once you have completely burnt your skull image, start burning the background. This is an extremely time consuming process. You will also need to use high heat so this step must be done with caution. An alternate option would be to use paint to fill in the blank space or just leave it untouched. I personally love the look of the background burned. If you choose to do this, start on one spot and work your way down keeping your strokes as uniform as possible. This prevents an uneven burn and makes the completed piece look more polished.

Now that your burning is complete, take a dampened magic eraser and erase the lines that are visible from your tracing.

I hope you have fun burning a skull of your own. Remember, this takes time and practice. You stick with this and it will get easier every time you try. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween.

See you next time,
Andrea Pate
Pate’s Pyrography

Template

Posted on September 23, 2019October 8, 2019 by Andrea — Leave a comment

Fall Décor Garland

I look forward to Fall every year. The cooler weather, the amazing aroma of spices, cinnamon and apple pie stir in the air and of course, all the decorations.

This Fall season, I wanted to find an affordable and easy project to create for my home. I went to my local dollar store and found these adorable plywood cutouts. Each package comes with five cutouts so you can easily create a garland for just a dollar if you wanted to. I wanted multiple designs so I bought five packages. Some universal designs can be found here.

Once I opened my package, I looked up clip art patterns online to give me an idea of how I wanted to sketch out my design.

With my patterns picked and sketched on, I started the burning process. I started with a thick bold burn outlining the outermost part of the wood and continued with a solid burn while tracing my pattern.

With the patterns completed, I began the shading process (please see previous post for shading instructions). If this technique is too difficult, you can always fill in the empty space with colored pencils.

For the areas needing white, I used a white paint-based marker. The paint markers work great since they don’t tend to bleed when applied to the wood. I tried to keep my colors soft so I added touches of color with colored pencils to enhance each character.

Once my cutouts were completed, I tied a string through small holes and displayed the garland over the fireplace. As an alternate choice, you can also tie a piece of string on the wood and use them for tags, gifts, or to wrap around a napkin for a cute Fall tablescape.

I hope this has given you some fun and very affordable wood burning ideas. This is going to be even greater when you get everyone involved in it. Ask your kids what they would like to work on and watch their imaginations fly! This is one the best times of the year to take your pyrography pen out. Start creating fun and amazing décor with everyone!

If you have any questions or would like to suggest other ideas, leave a comment below and I’ll get right back to you.

See you next time.
Andrea Pate
Pate’s Pyrography

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Rene — Leave a comment

Adjusting TRUArt 60W Pyrography Pen Collets to Fit a Pyrography Tip Made of Thicker Wire

.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

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.

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).

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

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.