A few months back I was asked how to burn a straight line in pyrography.  I gave them my standard answer, but that got me to thinking about whether or not this was the best way to do things.   In this blog I’m am going to use a number of different mediums to see what will work as a straight edge.

Click on the image to the left to watch a YouTube video version of the tutorial.   Or click on this link to watch the video:  https://youtu.be/osSJHXfqvcg

There are not any more photos in this blog.  Eventually they will get restored.

GENERAL  GUIDELINES

There are some guidelines that will help with burning straight lines. 

First, always start at the top of the board or where you want the line to be.

Second, always pull the pen tip down towards yourself.  Don’t try to burn in a horizontal direction.

Keep your hand, wrist, and forearm in a locked position.

As you pull the pen tip down towards yourself, move your arm from the shoulder.

This type of movement will produce the smoothest results.

Don’t flex at the wrist or fingers.  This reduces the length of the burn stroke to your range of motion.   

Once the range of motion is reached, you have to reposition your hand and that can create problems.  First, there is a good chance that the pen tip might move off the line.  Second, the pause that happens as you reposition might cause a spot of overburn.

If at all possible, burn with the grainline of the board.  

I used a skew and some writer nibs to burn a series of lines.

The lines to the left side of the blue line were burned against the grain.

To the right of the blue line the lines were burned with the grain.   The burn on the left isn’t as dark or as smooth looking as the one on the right.  The writer nibs tended to bounce more when burning against the grain.

STRAIGHTEDGE  MEDIUMS

For all of my medium testing, I will be using the skew nib on the far right.  This particular nib is called Colwood’s MR tip which is also called a rounded heel.  Also, I will be burning with the wood grain. 

First up I will burn freehanded.  For this I use a straightedge to draw a line with a pencil.

Then I pull the pen tip down following the line.  This works well, but not everyone is going to feel comfortable with this method.  Plus, I would not use this method if burning a line across the grain because it’s too easy to get off course.

My next two attempts used metal straight edges.  For the first one I used a metal ruler.  The second one I used a very thin piece of metal. 

The bottom portion of this composite photo compares the thickness difference between the thin metal and the ruler.. 

Neither method worked.  The green arrow is pointing to the line I did freehanded. 

The red arrow points to the line that I tried to create using a metal ruler.   The yellow arrow points to the line attempted with the thin metal.  While the thin metal (pretty sure it’s aluminum) worked better than the metal ruler, it eventually became a heat sink and the nib could no longer darken the wood.

At least I can see part of the line, but the top of it has a lot of overburn.  The metal ruler did not work.

The fourth method is one I use often.  I start by using an X-acto knife and a metal straight to cut a line into the board.  This creates a shallow groove.  If I want a deeper groove, I just re-cut over the line. 

NOTE – I always re-cut the line if I will be burning across the grain.  Sometimes I will re-cut over the line 3 times just to make sure I have a deep enough groove that the nib can easily follow.

After the groove is cut, then I place the nib into top of the groove and gently pull the pen down towards myself.  

This method works well, but it does permanently mars the board.  Good luck removing the line.  It’s pretty deep, and if you’re burning on plywood you will not be able to remove it without removing the top layer.   

I only use this method when I’m creating border frames.

Next I tried 140 pound (300 gms) 100% cotton watercolor paper (top images), and cardstock (bottom images). 

I cannot tell you the brand of watercolor paper.  I keep a number of left over pieces of paper near my burner for testing purposes, writing notes, testing out colors, etc.     What I can tell you is that the watercolor paper worked wonderfully.  I’m not sure I would trust it to keeps its edge for more than a couple of lines.     

Since the watercolor paper worked so well, I grabbed a piece of thick cardstock paper.    I have no idea of the weight.  It wasn’t as thick as the watercolor paper, but it was much thicker than standard copier paper.   The cardstock worked well too.  Again, I wouldn’t trust it for prolonged use. 

Neither cardboard or thick leather worked.   For some reason I was surprised that the leather acted as a heat sink.  I really thought the leather would work.  

Since I was positive that leather would work, I grabbed a piece of really thin leather to try.

It did better, but not great.

I tried a few more variations with leather because I was so positive that it would work.  Eventually I admitted defeat.  Leather was a complete failure.

I’m holding a piece of really thin die-cut plywood.  It is 1/16 of an inch thick (0.15 cm).  

This worked rather well.  A green arrow is pointing to the line I burned using the thin plywood as a straight edge.  I didn’t try other thicknesses of plywood.  I’m sure there comes a point where it is too thick and turns into a heat sink.

Next I tried a piece of glass (top image – 12).   I’m pretty sure I saw Valarie of Drawing with fire demonstrating this method a few year back.   It didn’t work for me.   

Then I tried aluminum tape (middle image – 13).  This is normally used in heating and duct work applications, so it is heat resistant.  Unfortunately, the tape is very thin, so it was really difficult to keep the pen tip next to the edge of the tape.

I was able to create a line, but it’s not very straight.   I would put this in the category of: okay at best.  I wouldn’t recommend using this method

Lastly, I used Cricut’s heat resist tape (bottom image – 14).   This stuff was horrible.  This tape doesn’t have the strength the aluminum tape does.  Plus, it’s harder to see the edge of it.  My pen tip veered into the tape and cut right through it.   

Of everything I tried so far, the Cricut tape was the worst.

Lastly, is Todd’s idea of using a guide.  For this you use a block of wood, book, etc., that is thick enough to allow the handset to rest on it.  Just make sure that nib does not come into contact with the material.

This worked extremely well. 

THE  WINNERS

This photo points out the winners of the test.   Let me list them:

1) Freehand

4)  X-acto knife

5)  140 lb watercolor paper

6)  Cardstock

11)  Very thin plywood

15)  Todd’s idea

IN  CONCLUSION

I cannot say that there was a medium that was the absolute winner to use as a straight edge.  I think instead it depends on what you have on hand, and what you are comfortable using.  

If nothing else, I hope that this blog let you know that there are a number of things that could be used as a straightedge.  I know I was surprised at how well some of the mediums that works.  I was also surprised at some that didn’t.

Until the next blog,

Brenda

Oct 24, 2023

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