Cutting Board Woodburn

Have you tried to woodburn with name brand burn gels and found that you have scorch marks on your surface? Did you know that you can get crisp lettered burns with just a few simple tips? Let’s have a chat about prepping your surface.

You’re going to need to start with a natural wood surface that has not been pre-treated. You don’t want to burn that surface because you will release toxic fumes. Once you have a chosen surface, you’ll need to sand that down to over 1000 grit. Yes, it’s a process, but you cannot miss this step. Start with your 80 – 100 – 150 – 220 – etc and work your way to the finer higher grit sanding discs. Wipe your surface of all sawdust before starting your burning.

Apply your stencil and gel, then let it sit for 5 minutes without peeling your sticky stencil off. Then let it sit for another 5 minutes so that the gel penetrates the surface. The next important step is to use an 1800 watt heat gun. You can use the high setting, but you must keep the heat gun moving. Don’t let it burn in one area for too long. The surface temp should be even throughout the process. It may seem like there is no action after 3 minutes, but don’t give up. Keep moving the heat gun and you will start to see your design show up.

TIPS:

• Sand your surface to higher finer grit above 1000 if possible
• Use a reliable burn gel that is not too thin
• Apply wait times before burning
• Use an 1800 watt heat gun
• Keep the heat gun moving!

I carry FireGeli woodburning gel in my shop and provide extra instructions and tips for how to prepare and store your food safe gel properly.