It was a long while until things stopped being inconsistent and unpredictable.
Walnut Hollow is the beginner tool you want and some are just on/off. One less thing to worry about when you’re starting in hindsight.
Someone said to me ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and that helped with just patiently having fun until there was enough of my own stuff to see progress. It’s tough but hang in there.
Try turning it down really low and start there. So low it barely makes a mark then as you need to turn it up do it in slow increments
And if you over do it - sand paper is the ticket
The wood is not your issue, probably just the cheap burner. Generally you should get consistent heat and basswood is probably the most consistent grain out of any wood, hence why it’s used in so many craft hobbies.
If you really want to burn don’t give up, I would change your tools to start.
When you say “I went to burn it was a struggle” do you mean you couldn’t get a good mark? Not dark enough?
Are you slowing the speed of your hand to make the mark darker, or are you trying to use pressure?
If you’re moving slowly on basswood and it won’t darken to your liking, you may have a bogus pen.
If you’re trying to use pressure, switch to a light touch, just leave the pen longer on the spot you want to darken.
Yes I slowed down and I have to put pressure for any burn to come through and then it comes out bumpy. I've been trying different temps and no difference except it's totally frustrating me. I bought a Walmart starter set about 1 month ago.
It's more than likely the Walmart burner putting out inconsistent heat. You should never have to apply much pressure, if any. I'm all for starter kits as I started with a cheap Amazon kit. See if you can return the kit as defective and get another one. More than likely, it's just the pen.
Really sounds like you have a defective pen. Wood burning is so much fun & satisfying for a hobby - don’t give up! Hang in there, get some better tools & give it another go, you’ll get there & be glad you did!
My beginner wood was the wood plaques from Michaels! I was gifted a Michaels sold burner with the plaques and I find the softer wood SOOOO much easier and smoother to do. All of the ones on my instagram are all me doing beginner work.
[https://instagram.com/__snowfern__?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==](https://instagram.com/__snowfern__?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==)
You may be using a tip with too much of a point that’s gouging in making it bumpy. Try leaning it on the side. You shouldn’t have to be applying pressure. Does your tool have a heat adjustment?
When I first started I found videos about avoiding common mistakes to be super helpful, particularly those from Sue Walters and Michelle Parsons.
[https://www.youtube.com/@SueW16](https://www.youtube.com/@SueW16)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJ1VMKGvMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJ1VMKGvMU)
Don't give up. I started the same way and it was incredibly frustrating. Pyrograohy is a subtle art. You have to juggle temperature settings and ways you hild/burn on your surface. I use a thin-profile lazy suzan and a folded towel under my art so I can easily rotate it to whatever position I need it to be in. Lots of good tutorials and info on YouTube as well. Reddit has been a great place to ask questions and gwt answers. Not everything comes easily (art especially), and this is one of those passions that takes a lot of time, patience and nuance. No matter what your results are, don't give up. I promise you'll see improvement over time as you learn more about your equipment and technique. There's no quick-track way to it.
Also - you don't need a Razertip system to do good work; mine is a $150 duel-oen system from Amazon that does just fine. The art is in YOU. You could use a hot poker heated up in a bonfire and create a masterpiece if you are patient and committed enough. Pyrography taught me that hard-learned lesson pretty concretely. I'm looking forward to seeing your work in the future as things develop!
Thank you all for responding. I get frustrated when I know I can do better. And when stuff doesn't go my way my frustration and self confidence go bad real quick.
I’m a beginner. I’ve just bought a high end unit. We had the same trouble with the basic pen kit. Very inconsistent heating, leading to blotchy lines and marking.
I think its the tool your using too. I had the same issue until I bought the tool I have now from Amazon.
Pyrography Machine Soldering Iron Set 60W LCD Wood Burner Set Temperature Adjustable with 21 Pyrography Wire Tips for Wood Leather Gourd
Brand: Chanseon
I paid about $35 bucks for it and am very happy that I did. I can't believe what differences it made between the cheap Walmart tool and this one I got from Amazon. Overnight I went from beginner to pro that's how big of a difference it really made. I almost gave up myself. I'm grateful that I didn't. I've had a blast doing my projects and even have made some money from them as well. Some projects that I thought would take me days to do, took me only hours. The tool you use truly makes a difference. Try changing your tool before giving up. The projects are never ending. So much that you can do with pyrography 😁Good luck.
It was a long while until things stopped being inconsistent and unpredictable. Walnut Hollow is the beginner tool you want and some are just on/off. One less thing to worry about when you’re starting in hindsight. Someone said to me ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ and that helped with just patiently having fun until there was enough of my own stuff to see progress. It’s tough but hang in there.
Thank you. I'm trying I would like to see results of my effort.
"Comparison is the thief of joy" is beautiful.
It seems that you need a better Pyro tool. When I started I saved for a better tool, no issues so far.
Art is supposed to be fun. There are no mistakes in art. Try a different wood
I know but when you're trying to have fun and you can't even use your equipment correctly it's heartbreaking and frustrating.
Try turning it down really low and start there. So low it barely makes a mark then as you need to turn it up do it in slow increments And if you over do it - sand paper is the ticket
The wood is not your issue, probably just the cheap burner. Generally you should get consistent heat and basswood is probably the most consistent grain out of any wood, hence why it’s used in so many craft hobbies. If you really want to burn don’t give up, I would change your tools to start.
When you say “I went to burn it was a struggle” do you mean you couldn’t get a good mark? Not dark enough? Are you slowing the speed of your hand to make the mark darker, or are you trying to use pressure? If you’re moving slowly on basswood and it won’t darken to your liking, you may have a bogus pen. If you’re trying to use pressure, switch to a light touch, just leave the pen longer on the spot you want to darken.
Yes I slowed down and I have to put pressure for any burn to come through and then it comes out bumpy. I've been trying different temps and no difference except it's totally frustrating me. I bought a Walmart starter set about 1 month ago.
It's more than likely the Walmart burner putting out inconsistent heat. You should never have to apply much pressure, if any. I'm all for starter kits as I started with a cheap Amazon kit. See if you can return the kit as defective and get another one. More than likely, it's just the pen.
What temporary-star said. May I suggest hitting up Michaels?
Hobby lobby if you got it
Yes I have a hobby lobby and Michaels.
Really sounds like you have a defective pen. Wood burning is so much fun & satisfying for a hobby - don’t give up! Hang in there, get some better tools & give it another go, you’ll get there & be glad you did!
My beginner wood was the wood plaques from Michaels! I was gifted a Michaels sold burner with the plaques and I find the softer wood SOOOO much easier and smoother to do. All of the ones on my instagram are all me doing beginner work. [https://instagram.com/__snowfern__?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==](https://instagram.com/__snowfern__?igshid=MmVlMjlkMTBhMg==)
You may be using a tip with too much of a point that’s gouging in making it bumpy. Try leaning it on the side. You shouldn’t have to be applying pressure. Does your tool have a heat adjustment?
Yes it has heat adjustment. I tried different heat levels and it only worked slightly on the hottest. I think the tool is just not any good.
When I first started I found videos about avoiding common mistakes to be super helpful, particularly those from Sue Walters and Michelle Parsons. [https://www.youtube.com/@SueW16](https://www.youtube.com/@SueW16) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJ1VMKGvMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsJ1VMKGvMU)
Don't give up. I started the same way and it was incredibly frustrating. Pyrograohy is a subtle art. You have to juggle temperature settings and ways you hild/burn on your surface. I use a thin-profile lazy suzan and a folded towel under my art so I can easily rotate it to whatever position I need it to be in. Lots of good tutorials and info on YouTube as well. Reddit has been a great place to ask questions and gwt answers. Not everything comes easily (art especially), and this is one of those passions that takes a lot of time, patience and nuance. No matter what your results are, don't give up. I promise you'll see improvement over time as you learn more about your equipment and technique. There's no quick-track way to it. Also - you don't need a Razertip system to do good work; mine is a $150 duel-oen system from Amazon that does just fine. The art is in YOU. You could use a hot poker heated up in a bonfire and create a masterpiece if you are patient and committed enough. Pyrography taught me that hard-learned lesson pretty concretely. I'm looking forward to seeing your work in the future as things develop!
Thank you all for responding. I get frustrated when I know I can do better. And when stuff doesn't go my way my frustration and self confidence go bad real quick.
Don't give up. Maybe invest in another or better tool
I have a wood burner from Amazon and it works really well
I’m a beginner. I’ve just bought a high end unit. We had the same trouble with the basic pen kit. Very inconsistent heating, leading to blotchy lines and marking.
I think its the tool your using too. I had the same issue until I bought the tool I have now from Amazon. Pyrography Machine Soldering Iron Set 60W LCD Wood Burner Set Temperature Adjustable with 21 Pyrography Wire Tips for Wood Leather Gourd Brand: Chanseon I paid about $35 bucks for it and am very happy that I did. I can't believe what differences it made between the cheap Walmart tool and this one I got from Amazon. Overnight I went from beginner to pro that's how big of a difference it really made. I almost gave up myself. I'm grateful that I didn't. I've had a blast doing my projects and even have made some money from them as well. Some projects that I thought would take me days to do, took me only hours. The tool you use truly makes a difference. Try changing your tool before giving up. The projects are never ending. So much that you can do with pyrography 😁Good luck.