Are you trying to improve the quality of your wood burning projects? Or perhaps you’ve had a small taste, fell in love with the hobby and now want to set yourself up. What ever the reason, there will come a time when you start looking for the best wood burning kit money can buy.
Our most recommended wood burning tools can be found here
In this post we aim to give you all the information you need to make the leap from a part-time wood-crafter to a fully fledged pyrographic artist. Without wasting any more time lets continue
The Best Wood Burning Kits 2017
Let’s dispel the notion that there is some “ultimate wood burning kit” out there. If we look at ancient civilizations, they crafted some amazing art with primitive tools. Even within pyrography, there have been some amazing art work produced, well before the temperature controlled instruments of today.
Enough of the history let’s take a look at what you need to build out your own woodburning kit.
Whether you are just starting or experienced you really only need a small handful of tools to get started with wood burning. Specifically, you will need:
- A wood burning pen
- Some additional tips
Now depending on what kind of pen you buy, you may need to purchase these items too:
- Wood burning machine
- Extra pens
If you are still learning (we are always learning!), you could also benefit from a workbook that you can learn new techniques from. If you’re going to do a lot of lettering then a metal wood burning stencil could also be handy.
Woodburning Tips and Pens
There are many different variations of pens. Craft style pens which are like soldering irons (similar to those used at school), detailing pens which as the name states, can produce highly detailed results. There are also pens with interchangeable tips, some pens have built in temperature control while others only have one temperature.
We wont be going into great detail in this article so for more detailed information please read this post here. Instead, we will list two recommendations that will focus on two different hobbyists: The beginner and the experienced.
Wood Burning Pens for Beginners
If you’re just starting out and not sure if this is for you then it makes sense not to spend too much money on your gear. On the other hand if you’re the type of person who likes to buy (gear) once so you don’t have to buy again then you might want to look at the more experienced section.
The negatives would be that you wont be able to achieve the detail that the more expensive pens can. Typically, they are larger than the other styles.
Mainly because the part that heats the pen is contained within the pen itself, opposed to the more expensive style pens that have an external machine that heats the pen. Most of these pens come with interchangeable tips which help you produce different results.
The Walnut Hollow Creative Versa Tool with Versa-Temp Variable Temperature Control and 11 Woodburning Points (picture above) is a good option. This pen has over 700 reviews and holds a 4 out of 5 star rating. Fantastic features like interchangeable tips and temperature control.
Wood Burning Pens for the Experienced
You can buy these pens individually or with a woodburning machine (required). It really depends on what you have right now and whether its compatible. If you’re looking at buying one pen that will not need upgrading in the future then you can’t beat Razertip. Look for the machine section below for a combination deal (pen + burner) from Razertip.
If you just need the pen then a good start would be Razertip Binding-post Interchangable-Tip Pen. It gives you the versatility of interchangeable tips so you can use those obscure pen tips that only ever get used now and then.
These pens can be used with any Razertip Pyrography Machine.
A Tip on Tips
- Shader
- Writer
- Skew
Of course, if you need any more different kinds, by all means, grab them but for the most part you will only need the above.
The tips pictured above are from Razertip and are compatible with the interchangeable pen we mentioned earlier. Great set for an even better price!
Woodburning Machines & Burners
If you’re looking for an individual machine then it’s safe to assume that you went down the Razertip route, or you’re considering it. Good choice! There is a reason that they’re so popular among the wood burning community. They’re just that good!
You have a couple choices when it comes to Razertip Woodburning Machines.
- Single Burner
- Dual Burner
Razertip also have a single burner option for slightly cheaper. Both burners come with a pen which is great. This means all you need to do is purchase the right tips and you’re ready to burn!
Optional Equipment To Consider
Now that you have the basics covered you might be interested in grabbing a few more extra pieces to round out your woodburning kit.
Wood Burning Stencils
The Walnut Hollow Hotstamps Uppercase Alphabet Branding and Personalization Set for Wood and other Surfaces, is a great option when looking for stencils. Stencils are great for lettering. A good option for those wooden children’s building blocks!
This product has some great feedback and reviews from other users so if you need a stencil, this is the kit for you.
Pyrography Books
Depending on your skill level you might want to look at purchasing a book to teach you new techniques. A good book is the Pyrography Workbook: A Complete Guide to the Art of Woodburning. The book has the most reviews out of any pyrography book on Amazon and holds a five star rating.
Woodburning Kits
The Basic Woodburning Kit by Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers is the perfect example of a well made wood burning kit. It has everything you need to get started. A good thing to point out is the machine it comes with. A Colwood is a fantastic machine for both beginners and experienced users.