Craftsman marks their work for identification purposes. In this article, we will give you some tips on how to use a branding iron. First of all, it is important to note that using a branding iron is quite simple. All you need to do is heat it up and press it onto the piece of wood. This will leave a logo or signature on the piece. However, complications can occur that can ruin your hard work. Let’s find out more.
Complications of using a branding iron
If you don’t apply pressure evenly, the image will have some darker and lighter spots. It will not create a problem for logos and signatures on some types of work, but some works will not be considered complete.
If you want to apply the branding freehand, we suggest that you place the piece of wood at the height of your work table, leaning forward and using the strength of your arms to hold the board and branding.
Some people prefer a drill press attachment. The reason is that it allows you to keep the piece at eye level and repeat the process as many times as you want. In general, it also feels comfortable. Also, some woods work better with different degrees of heat. In most cases, harder wood requires more heat than softer ones. In this case, you can hold the iron for a little longer.
underburn
If you want to use a drill press attachment, you can apply the iron one more time for a better burn. You should hold the workpiece in place and peek under the scoring iron for best results. If you notice that the piece needs more heat, you just have to wait a little longer. In this case, you don’t want to make the mistake of moving the piece of wood.
overburn
Since the mark will tend to get very hot, it is more likely to burn the piece. But there is an easy solution. You can sand the part depending on the level of overburn.
uneven burns
Uneven burns are difficult to address. If you have a jig or drill system, you can make any necessary adjustments in the event of an uneven burn. If you want to fix it, an easy way out is to reapply the branding. Instead, if the piece is flat, the same technique can help solve the problem. The other part may be overburned and can be fixed by sanding.
Lastly, if you use branding irons, you will need suitable artwork such as vector images. For this, you can get help from a graphic designer.
In short, we suggest you follow these tips if you want to use your branding iron the right way.
