The activity of wood burning to generate awesome designs is done with the help of many tools. But only two types of techniques are widely used for performing this activity. These techniques are way more different from each other as one requires a complete kit, making it a costly activity.
In contrast, the other just needs a soldering rod that is easily available at almost every home, which is why it is cheaper for wood burning. So, the basic methods that are used for pyrography or wood cutting are:
- Wood Burning Kit
- Soldering Iron
Wood burning can be done using multiple tools, and many times people are interested to know the difference between the different techniques. We will be educating the user’s difference between these techniques. So, first of all, let’s take a deep look at these techniques so that the user may get more comprehensive and clear information about the complete process.
Wood Burning Kit
In a wood-burning kit, you get different types of tools, and each tool is designed especially for some reason. Such as – some are used for specific types of wood, and some are used for different design patterns.
A wood-burning kit is almost similar to wood-burning pens, and they are available in the market with different types of accessories, each of which has its unique purpose and use. You can easily modify these kits according to your taste and style. These kits are specially designed for successfully burning, soldering[1], and crafting wood.
The wood-burning kits contain a specific type of pen, almost similar to a soldering iron. The process is also similar to a soldering iron which means you have to heat up the pen, and then you can use it for designing on wood. Not only this, the kit has a very good variety of different nibs and soldering tips and tools of different shapes for cutting and carving wood.
The wood-burning kits are also available for beginners. They have a good range if you are a professional, which means there is a good variety of wood-burning kits in the market that can be used for making the artwork according to your requirements. These Wood Burning kits are safer than soldering iron, as you get a safety stand with the kit on which you can put the heated pen. Precautions are highly essential before using these wood-burning kits as they may harm your skin and hands.
Soldering Iron
Soldering iron is quite different from the wood-burning kit, but it is almost similar in shape to the nibs or pen of the kit. Basically, a soldering iron is used for many purposes, such as it is used for melting solder and that is used further for joining metals, soldering electrical components, etc.
And for wood burning a soldering pen or a simple soldering iron is used for wood burning, as it will provide the smallest tip size with better design control. The most common soldering iron tips are generally made from iron and copper, and these materials are not used for wood burning as they are not suitable for drawing and crafting.
Some soldering irons are available in the market, allowing you to change the tip that must be best suited for wood burning. So if you want to choose a soldering iron for wood burning, make sure to choose one with sharp edges, as it provides you perfect control while burning because of the heat it gets due to its shape.
But if your soldering iron doesn’t have a pointed tip, then the best advice is to buy a tip for wood burning. As you may know that these soldering irons are not used for burning wood as the irons may get damaged too soon, but if you still want to go with this technique because you can’t afford a wood-burning kit, then make sure to follow these instructions.
The first thing that needs to be ensured is that the tip of the soldering iron must be pointed, don’t let the iron get heated up too much, always clean the tip after use, replace the tip at the time of soldering, and the last one is to experiment it first on scrap wood.
Difference between the two
Let’s take a clear look at both these methods that are used for wood burning.
Wood Burning Kit | Soldering Iron |
There is a wide range of options to choose from in different types of pens for wood burning according to the need of the design. | There are no options for soldering iron as it is either made of iron or copper tip and you can’t replace them but you can use a pointed-tip soldering iron for wood burning. |
With the help of the wood-burning kit, the user can easily adjust the temperature of the wood-burning pens as it has temperature regulators that allow better precision in the pyrography work. | Soldering iron doesn’t have any such temperature regulators[2], moreover, the user has to wait for some time after heating it up as excessive heat can easily damage the wood and it is really difficult to get a good design with the help of a soldering iron. |
As this technique is used for precision, so it is a little bit costly to buy a wood-burning kit for carrying out the process of pyrography. | Soldering iron is easily affordable and it is almost available at most people’s houses we can say soldering iron is really a cheaper product. |
Due to the variety of tips in the wood-burning kit, the artist can easily work on minute details and can come up with excellent artwork with better detailing. | As soldering iron is not an ideal option for wood burning, it can be used as an alternative where you want to burn wood in larger sections. |
A wood-burning kit has pointed and sharp tips that are specially designed for adding details to the art piece. | A soldering iron is used for connecting many different types of materials such as – soldering wires, joints, and electronic devices.
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Best use case of wood burning kit
A woodburning kit creates minute detail on a wooden piece, and the pyrography can be done with almost 100% efficiency if you use this kit. Due to the tip sizes and multiple tip options that can be used for better designs, this kit is way better than general techniques for wood burning because of the precision and detailing that can result from using the kit.
The best use of this kit is that the user can use it with good care and can easily create any design without any difficulty because the user can change the tip of the pen according to the design. Moreover, you can also set the temperature of your pen, which makes it easier for you to ensure proper detailing of the artwork
Best use case of Soldering Iron
Soldering iron is a beneficial product in a home as it is used for many purposes. People use this soldering iron to connect different types of metals, connect wires, connect electrical appliances, and wood burning.
But in the case of wood burning, the tip must be sharpened or pointed from the end as this is the only case when the user will get better results. Also, the soldering iron is used when the user has to create a big mark in the wood, as it can make big marks due to the tip’s size.
Moreover, one cannot use a soldering iron for proper detailing activities as the accuracy is not proper, and it might get difficult to make detailed designs of the artwork. Therefore, the tip must be sharpened or pointed to get the best use of these soldering irons, or there is a demand for bigger marks.
Summary
Wood burning is a popular activity where designs are created on wood by burning it with heat. There are two common tools used for this purpose: a woodburning kit and a soldering iron. The woodburning kit is great for precision and accuracy, and is used for small, detailed designs. The soldering iron, on the other hand, is used for more prominent marks on the wood. Wood burning is a great way to give wood a new and beautiful look and is in high demand as most people look for well-crafted designs. The tools make the job easier and the designs more attractive.
References
- https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/Soldering_0.pdf
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BURNT by Holly Pyrography. (2022, March 9). Thermal control on a wood burner// How to get the most out of your burning system [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEGj3W2FIhA
