Emma James-Ries – Pyrography with Colour

Club Meeting: 4 September 2024
Report by : Anwar Jahan

Turned from a 2 X 4″ pin oak
Machined accurately (rectangle)
Screw chuck to hold


Other timbers that work – Rimu, Oak, etc.
Speed 1200 rpm
Spigot for a 30 mm chuck
Using parting tool for making spigot
Used 35 mm bowl gouge
First get the feet right
Then start hollowing till the spigot


If you make it thin then you can make holes and patterns
Eye ball for the depth of the tea light candle height
Make it roundish at the bottom where the spigot 
Then you can blend or remove the spigot
Touch up the sharp edges and sand the underneath 
If turning is good, minimum sanding is required
Turn the project around and mount it on the 30 mm chuck
Use a jacobs chuck to drill 1.5″ hole


Support the jacobs chuck drill at 250 rpm mankind sure it does not go through the bottom
Make a Bead, keep checking the depth. Turn at 1200 rpm to make the curve
Can increase to 1400 rpm, thickness between 3 to 4 mm
As a guide mark the side with pencil for guidance (stop and see)
Can use sheer scrape cut to get better finishing


Then shape the bead (keep checking depth by placing the tealight candle in the depression)
Use parting tool and skew chisel for shaping the bead
Now reverse mount the project in 30 mm chuck in expansion make to take off spigot


Pyrography

Design of decoration inspired by Greek pottery in 1000 B.C. 
Black in the background and then coloring

Burn master – use 5B pencil to ensure no damage to fibres of wood
Free hand drawing of flower
Creating a deep groove or scar to the depth of 1 mm
Razor tips also can be used
Pinky finger to be used as support on wood for stability
Try to get smooth curves
Clean tip with brass wire brush to remove carbon build up 
No need of shading pyrography if you are going to color it
At level 4 on the burn master
Use fan to blow smoke away from yourself for health and safety reasons
Random pattern – frame the edge


Treat over burns with nail polish remover or thinner
Can use 600 grit sandpaper for tidying up


Acrylic paint and dyes
Soak leaves in water with brush opens the fibres
Then dip paintbrush in dyes and apply (blend colors)
Kauri wood has gum so could react differently 
Color should be medium thick so it’s evenly coated
Dye on top of acrylic