Pyrography Tool

karltimber

Hi,

Looking to buy a pyrography tool but the usual soldering-iron and tips results usually come up.

Axminster have one but I want to know what make & model ye have & if you recommned it and place of purchase.

Thanks

K

earpiece

Try here....

http://www.woodworkscraftsupplies.co.uk/index.php?cPath=72_60_91

JoeB-

That's a great site!, thanks for the link.

I like the site as they sell wooden plugs, the mushroom type which come in very handy when making cettain items,.. like blanket boxes. The mushroom plugs look good and are cheap and easy to use.


I've checked the site all over and they sell similar stuff to Lee Valley in Canada, but they don't sell the spindles that Lee Valley sell... these ones here..
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32809&cat=1,250,43233&ap=1

Is theere anywhere in Ireland or the UK that I can get similar spindles? They look good in small doors at the top of a kitchen larder unit.

dubtom

I got one in McQuillans a few years back,don't know the model or maker,it's been sitting in the shed ever since:o,but they do sell them.

woodturner

http://www.peterchild.co.uk/pyroinfo/pyinfo.htm

slowburner

JoeBallantine wrote: »

That's a great site!, thanks for the link.

I like the site as they sell wooden plugs, the mushroom type which come in very handy when making cettain items,.. like blanket boxes. The mushroom plugs look good and are cheap and easy to use.


I've checked the site all over and they sell similar stuff to Lee Valley in Canada, but they don't sell the spindles that Lee Valley sell... these ones here..
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32809&cat=1,250,43233&ap=1

Is theere anywhere in Ireland or the UK that I can get similar spindles? They look good in small doors at the top of a kitchen larder unit.

Any half decent woodturner could supply you with similar spindles - but certainly not at those prices, unless they have a copier.

JoeB-

Thanks for the reply slowburner.

I do like the Lee Valley ones because of the price, ... but also because of the uniformity of the spindles, in terms of the length, the spindle profile and the diameter of the ends for insertion into drilled holes. If I had them hand made there'd be slight differences which might make making a door from the spindles harder., and the appearance of the door would suffer if there were visible differences between spindles.


Here's a picture of how I use the spindles. (in the top doors in the larder), 14 spindles used in those doors.

http://www.eccabinets.com/KitchenPages/Bespoke-handpainted-solid-wood-kitchen-01.php


The craft site linked to above is excellent for stuff for childrens furniture, like stars, angels, gingerbread men etc etc, in lots of different sizes... so boxes, chests, lockers and beds can be made in simple ways and jazzed up using stick on shapes which can be finished in different colours and stains. It gives a furniture maker and hobbyist more options when it comes to keeping costs down, and the finished items can be very nice.

slowburner

JoeBallantine wrote: »

Thanks for the reply slowburner.

I do like the Lee Valley ones because of the price, ... but also because of the uniformity of the spindles, in terms of the length, the spindle profile and the diameter of the ends for insertion into drilled holes. If I had them hand made there'd be slight differences which might make making a door from the spindles harder., and the appearance of the door would suffer if there were visible differences between spindles.

As I said, any half decent turner would be able to do them, and they'd fit
The price wouldn't work though.
I supply one firm of cabinet makers with spindles, handles etc. - they make a point of highlighting the (very slight) differences because 'hand made' is an added attraction to the client.
I hear you when you mention the uniformity of the tenons/spigots.
T would be a pain in the thóin to have to change bits for every mortise.
I use a metric dowel plate from Lee Nielson to accurately size the ends, because I'm too lazy to use a sizing tool.

Alun

slowburner wrote: »

I supply one firm of cabinet makers with spindles, handles etc. - they make a point of highlighting the (very slight) differences because 'hand made' is an added attraction to the client.

I have problems even turning even two items the same, let alone a couple of dozen A row of my attempts at turning those would need a very understanding client, I can tell you!

slowburner

Alun wrote: »

I have problems even turning even two items the same, let alone a couple of dozen A row of my attempts at turning those would need a very understanding client, I can tell you!

Alternatively, you could describe the variation as a 'design feature'.
Some people find batch turning dull - I find it very meditative and relaxing. I find making showpieces quite stressful and draining. Go figure!
The trick I find with copy turning is not to think about it too much, and get the speed up; of both the lathe and the person holding the chisel.
Of course it helps if you have a well prepared template and you check the work fairly regularly.

I have one lathe with a copier which I never use. I thought it was going to be the answer to everything. All it does is tear the sh*** out of the wood and you spend ages sanding afterwards - not something I enjoy or find good for the health.

I must say though, that personally I prefer to see handmade work.
I have a prized collection of old Irish chairs with hand turned legs and spindles.
The variation is not apparent until you study the work.
On table and chair legs, you can get away with a fair bit of variation and I think it adds to the feel of the piece, anyway.

Many years down the road, the hand turned piece will look better than the machined piece.
There is something about a piece which has been well cut by hand, with sharp tools, which a machined uber-sanded piece will never have.

Alun

I hear what you're saying, I guess I've never really done that much spindle turning, preferring pieces where I can change the design as I go along, either deliberately, or due to, ahem, little accidents

The closest I've ever got to having to make two as near as identical as possible pieces was a pair of goblets someone asked me to make as a wedding present for a friend. I ended up making 4 before I was happy with the result and had two that were good enough of a match in my eye. Even then I could see differences that to me looked massive, but the client was more than happy with them in the end, so that's what matters I suppose.

Do you turn professionally then? I just dabble, and while I've been quite productive and sold some pieces in the past, I've not really done much of late.

slowburner

Alun wrote: »

I hear what you're saying, I guess I've never really done that much spindle turning, preferring pieces where I can change the design as I go along, either deliberately, or due to, ahem, little accidents

The closest I've ever got to having to make two as near as identical as possible pieces was a pair of goblets someone asked me to make as a wedding present for a friend. I ended up making 4 before I was happy with the result and had two that were good enough of a match in my eye. Even then I could see differences that to me looked massive, but the client was more than happy with them in the end, so that's what matters I suppose.

Do you turn professionally then? I just dabble, and while I've been quite productive and sold some pieces in the past, I've not really done much of late.

That's the thing. If you are the maker, your eye is much more critical - you see things that the client probably never will. When you are shaping a piece, you are determined to get that shape absolutely right - that's what turning is all about - and any slight deviation from the ideal makes you cringe.

Yup, I turn professionally but not exclusively. I don't think there is a single turner in the country at the moment making a living solely by turning - everyone has had to diversify and get creative in other areas.
The market for art pieces is faecal at the moment. One gallery has reduced the retail price of my work by 40%.