First Steps In Pyrography or 'Fire Art' 3

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FIRST STEPS IN PYROGRAPHY OR FIRE ART

When you are practising a new skill then you need a supply of materials that you can practise on that won’t cost you a fortune! This is assuming that you like me, need to be balanced about what you spend on a new hobby.

Before I discovered my local supply of wood, I went down to the hardware store and bought myself a collection of pine pieces upon which to practise my new skill as they were cheap. - (see elephant picture).

At first I thought nothing about wood toxicity and the fumes given off from burning it. It was only after my first few trials of wood burning that I went back to the hardware store and bought a paper mask to wear.

In the beginning I didn’t realise that woods such as pine that contain a resin when burnt, can give off toxic fumes. The acrid smell actually caught the back of my throat making me cough. After reading information about wood toxicity I realised that the use of a mask is very important when burning those woods that have a resin or are coated and sealed with lacquers, also woods that have been treated with chemicals. Always work in a well ventilated room!

Sometimes when burning woods to a darker colour, soot deposits build up on your pyrographic tool and it may cause more smoke which you might breath in. The best option of all is to use a wire brush and keep brushing off any residue that may be left after deep burning and wear your mask.

Health and safety are top of the agenda in public places including work and learning establishments, so make sure that you keep this in the forefront of your mind whenever you practise wood burning.

Pyrography is a 'Fire Art' and fire must be kept under control, your safety is as important as any other persons, please don‘t be careless or take unsafe shortcuts, it’s not worth it! Always switch off your machine when not in use, never leave a machine unattended if switched on, much better to be safe than sorry! If you leave other materials too near a machine that is switched on and they catch alight it will be seconds before the fire spreads, so take great care!

If you have young children keep them out of your working area but if they are older and would like to learn how to use a pyrography machine, then you must keep them under very close supervision. Pyrography machines reach temperatures of 550degrees or more it doesn’t take much imagination to see what would happen if a child accidentally touched the point or nib of a machine.

If you choose to work with materials other than a pure wood make sure that you check that the material does not give off any noxious or poisonous fumes when burnt.

When in doubt always check the material is suitable for burning, then you can relax and enjoy your new hobby!