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| The Woodburner :: Forums :: Pyrography Tips | |||
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 Sharpening the burning tips |
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| Joni |
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  Joined: Wed Jun 29 2011, 07:12PM Posts: 4 | I just bought a Burnmaster Universal Wood Burner. It comes with 10 tips. Do I need to sharpen any of the tips and if so, which ones? They all look sharp but I was told at the AAW Symposium last weekend that they need to be sharpened. | ||
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| Sam M |
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  Joined: Wed Aug 15 2007, 01:00PM Posts: 893 | Hi Joan and welcome to the woodburner. I don't have a burnmaster but I have never had to sharpen any of my tips. I do clean them frequently with a jewlers rouge and leather strop. Some use sandpaper but I have never had to go that far. Maybe someone with burnmaster tips will have more info. Again, welcome. Sam | ||
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| Joni |
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Joined: Wed Jun 29 2011, 07:12PM Posts: 4 | Thanks Sam, I'm looking forward to using my Burnmaster. Joan | ||
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| HbgBill |
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  Joined: Mon May 09 2011, 08:45AM Posts: 62 | Hi Joni.. I'm still a newbie here.. but to add what Sam said.. My limited experience and what I've learned from others is that some tips, such as a skew might need to be sharpened to create a sharp line that is not as wide as a barn door. I'd doubt a writing tip would have to be sharpened. Shaders might be sharpened on the edges only so you can use them sort of like you might use a skew. If yours have sharp edges without burrs, you might just need to tune them up to remove the lines on the burning ends of the tips so they don't catch in the wood and create drag which would create erratic burns (wide where it hangs up and narrow/crisp where it slides correctly). You can do this real economically by finding a piece of hard cardboard type material such as you'd find on the back of a writing tablet. Rub some rouge on it and polish the tips until they shine.. just the cutting/burning edges.. not the whole tip. You might also find a strop that is used in woodcarving to polish carving knives.. It's a hard piece of leather that is glued to a board.. doesn't have to be very big for woodburning tips.. maybe 1" x 4 or 5 or so inches long.. Same thing.. get some polishing rouge. Usually comes in stick form. Green and white are great. Rub it into the cardboard or leather. You don't need much.. in fact, too much can be detrimental to the process.. IOW, it won't be as effective as a little rubbed into the surface. Hope I've said what I want to say clearly...  Bill (HbgBill) | ||
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| Burning Crafts |
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 Joined: Mon Sep 06 2010, 01:51AM Posts: 116 | Hi Joni. I use a Burnmaster Hawk. I have not ever sharpened my tips. For cleaning, I use the following (both bought on eBay): 1. SHARPING DOUBLE SIDED LEATHER STROP for straight razor 2. Knife Making Polishing compound White Oxide Aluminum #W What I do is let the tip completely cool down (usually cool within 25 to 30 seconds). I then rub the tip on the block of aluminum oxide, getting it on all sections that will touch the wood when burning. After that, I stroke it side-to-side on the brown leather of the strop (the rougher side), until the burning surface is bright and shiny. This has worked perfectly for me. I want to stress again to let the tip cool completely. There are two reasons for this. One, a hot tip will melt the aluminum oxide. Second, the metal on the tips are thin and if you push down on them when they are hot, you can possibly mishape them. [ Edited Fri Jul 01 2011, 11:06PM ] | ||
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| Mesquiter |
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 Joined: Sun Apr 20 2003, 01:00PM Posts: 2112 | I have an Optima and associated tips that I clean using 1500 grit sand paper, although using sandpaper is not recommended. However I use my tips more than most people and get a few years out of the skews before I have to replace them. After the sand paper I then use Tripoli and then red rouge to do a final finish. The skews are actually very sharp...... | ||
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| Athina |
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  Joined: Fri Mar 04 2011, 08:53AM Posts: 257 | I have a european machine and it has only two tips. I sharpen only if i want to change the shape of the tip. My advice, if you finally decide to do some sharpening is to be extra carefull cause if you do more than they need they wont last long. Why dont you try them out first and see if they suit you the way they are? As far as i know most people finally use two or three tips at the most no matter how many different tips their machine comes with. The most important is for you to find the ones that suit you, work with them a little bit and you will understand if they need sharpening. It all depends on how you feel them with your hand during burning. By the way i clean mine with extra fine sandpaper quite often during a pyrography. I dont wait for the tip to get extra dirty. This way they last longer. | ||
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| Oglefamily |
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 Joined: Sat Oct 30 2004, 01:00PM Posts: 58 | Joni I have the Burnmaster but I use Razertip Pens with it and I have never needed to sharpen any of my tips unless I was carless and dropped my skew or medium shader on its point and bent or dulled it. It is a personal prefereance on using sandpaper to clean as I have in the past to knock of some thick carbon buildup from being lazy and not cleaning as I go or before I shut my machine off. I use fixed tips also and as Athina and a few others will tell you everyone uses different types of pens from fixed tip to enter-changeable too both, and yes most people rely on usally about 3 pens to do most of their work at least for flat pyrographers. I am sure that you will get many more replies and I am sure that they will all be informative just be carefull in sharpening your tips as if you make a mistake it could cost you in having to buy another pen. As far as cleaning my pens to a shiny surface again I use the supplied cleaner that razertip provides but with the use that they have been put through as long as the primary surface is clean from carbon buildup I think that it still conducts heat as well, but I will be watching and reading to see what others have to say to gain more knowledge as I have read from others that over time they are going to change color anyway. Chris (oglefamily) | ||
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| Joni |
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Joined: Wed Jun 29 2011, 07:12PM Posts: 4 | Thanks for all the information that everyone has sent me on sharpening tips. I'm looking forward to making some really cool stuff. Joni | ||
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