Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Wood Burning
Pyrography means "writing with fire." The nickname "pokerwork" started long ago when artists used the hot tip of a fireplace poker to etch patterns onto wood. As far back as 660 B.C., ancient Egyptians enjoyed wood burning as a form of art. Other ancient cultures also did wood burning.
Today, wood burning has been rediscovered as an art form. Wood burning only requires a few supplies. A wood-burning tool is called a pen. The size of the tool is measured in watts. Two common tool sizes are twenty-one watts and twenty-six watts. The twenty-one watt size is good for beginners. Artists use this size for soft wood. A twenty-six watt size tool is excellent for more experienced hobbyists and for harder wood.
Before using the tip of a new pen for the first time, many artists do a process called annealing. The tool is plugged in and heated for about one minute. Then, the pen is turned off. The tip can be sharpened from time to time, too. Sharpening is important so that the pen glides through the wood easily. Pens also have different types of tips for different effects.
