Craftsman brand their work for identification purposes. In this article, we are going to give you a few tips on how to use a branding iron. First of all, it’s important to note that the use of a branding iron is pretty simple. All you need to do is heat it up and press it onto the wooden piece. This will leave a logo or signature on the piece. However, complications may occur, which may ruin your hard work. Let’s find out more.
Complications of using a Branding Iron
If you don’t apply the pressure evenly, the image will have some darker and lighter spots. It won’t create a problem in the case of logos and signatures in some types of work, but some jobs won’t be considered complete.
If you want to apply the branding freehand, we suggest that you put the wooden piece at your workbench height, bending forward and using the force of your arms to hold the iron and perform the branding.
Some people prefer a drill-press attachment. The reason is that it allows you to keep the piece at your eye level and repeat the process as many times as you want. Generally, it feels comfortable as well. Also, some woods give better results 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 bit more time.
Underburn
If you want to use a drill-press attachment, you can apply the iron once again for a better burn. You should hold the work piece in place and take a peek underneath the branding iron for better results. If you notice that the piece needs more heat, all you need to do is wait a little longer. In this case, you don’t want to make the mistake of moving the wooden piece.
Overburn
Since branding irons tend to get really hot, you are more likely to burn the piece. But there is an easy fix. You can sand the piece based on the level of overburn.
Uneven Burns
It’s difficult to address uneven burns. If you have a jig or drill-press system, you can make necessary adjustments in case of an uneven burn. If you want to fix it, an easy way out is to reapply the brand. On the other hand, if the piece is flat, the same technique can help fix the problem. The other part may be overburned and it can be fixed by sanding.
Lastly, if you use branding irons, you will be in need of proper artwork, such as vector images. For this, you can get help from a graphic designer.
In short, we suggest that you follow these tips if you want to use your branding iron the right way.
