anyone know how to make a tiny branding iron? plz help!

17 years ago

good morning, someone, somewhere, must have also wanted a tiny branding iron and firgured out how to make one themself. Any memories stirring? I'd sure appreciate getting pointed in the right direction!

By googling I found there are places who will make a very nice one professionally - but they are in the range of fifty bucks. Ow!

What I have is a craft fair coming up, and all of my products are of wood; birdhouses, child chairs, planters, etc. I think it'd be so great to BRAND my website address on the bottom of everything. It'd be 22 letters & symbols - most of the fifty buck places allow three letters & symbols.

There must be some way... perhaps using tie-wire or metal clothes hangers? But even if I were able (how?) to form the lettering neatly, how to BACK them so that once heated with a propane torch that all would press into the wood at the same time???

I guess what got my teeny tiny brain all smoking is that I bought a little woodburning kit - six bucks at Big Lots - and woodburned a birdhouse. It was fun but excruciatingly slow! I first burned my logo onto a scrap piece of wood, took and then I forgot it was on that piece and tried out a new bit and accidentially drilled a hole from the other side right through it and ruined it. ;( (heh heh). The birdhouse turned out amazing, but took over 4 hours! Me thinks this little el cheapo thing just does not get hot enough. It had to linger on every spot unbelivably long.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance,

GH-

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Comments (8)

triple_b
17 years ago
Whew! and here I waa worried about your cat!
debbieca
17 years ago
You can get a stamp made at Office Depot or similar business and maybe make it look like a brand. Stamp it and use a dremel tool over and then antique?
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memo3
17 years ago
Well no ideas from me on branding. We actually use branding irons and we heat them with propane torches inside a branding oven. The get RED HOT of course so I think anything made of a lesser metal would probably MELT. You would also need quite a bit of length between the iron and the handle or the heat would transfer up the rod and burn you. OW!

I would suggest that you get a piece of heavy card stock and brand it with your wood burner. Then photo copy it onto more heavy card stock and bond the cards to the bottoms of your wood pieces.

Can we see your birdhouse? What sort of bird is the opening cut for? I'm curious to know if you have a website that lists what size openings the various birds need in their houses. I'm going to be making some birdhouses myself but want them to be accurate to draw in actual nesters vs. just garden ornaments.

Thanks.
MeMo
cheleinri
17 years ago
How about a woodburning pen? You should be able to get one for less than $20.
cheleinri
17 years ago
the pen would be too slow, right?
cheleinri
17 years ago
..sorry to keep posting but I just looked up woodburing pens online at an art supply store. There is one there that sells for $16 plus $2 for a tip and it claims to burn "fast and dark". It burns at a temp of 850-900deg. Perhaps this is better than the cheapo kit that you tried? Or maybe there are even better ones..it might be worth researching.
Good luck, Michele
gardeners_hands
Original Author
17 years ago
good morning, thanks for all of your good thoughts, this is always the right place!

Yah, I did look at better woodburners at WalMartz yesterday, 19.99. It would just take too long no matter how fast it went. I did find one online I could get for $35.99, sigh, money is just so tight right now. http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11286 , these look like really GOOD ones.

(plus I would have to buy another propane torch, mine became a victim of the last move.)

A link to my album is below, the birdhouses are, oddly enough, under the heading 'Birdhouses I Made'. I have about 5 or 6 more photos to take and then add later today of more pallet-wood birdhouses.

Debbie, I do have a dremel-type tool (bought it to file the dog's toenails, heh heh) I should at LEAST try that. I could wipe a little dark stain into the etching.
Sigh, so many Wants, so little Money.

GH-
{{gwi:688959}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardeners_Hands photo album
gardeners_hands
Original Author
17 years ago
I just realized when I said
"Yah, I did look at better woodburners at WalMartz yesterday, 19.99. It would just take too long no matter how fast it went. I did find one online I could get for $35.99, sigh, money is just so tight right now. http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11286 , these look like really GOOD ones.

"I did find one online I could get for $35.99..." I was speaking of the BRANDING IRON. When I change thoughts in midstream I expect folks to read my mind and stay right up!
GH-

anyone know how to make a tiny branding iron? plz help!

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triple_b

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anyone know how to make a tiny branding iron? plz help!

Comments (8)

triple_b

debbieca

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memo3

cheleinri

cheleinri

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gardeners_handsOriginal Author

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