Solar Pyrography

SolarSolar pyrography involves controlling the heat of the sun. A magnifying glass or lens focuses the sun’s rays. Lens size can vary from 1 to 4 inches, although there is no limit to the size of the lens. The focused ray can reach temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit as it strikes wood. One technique is to make continual passes, up to 50, over the same spot of wood with the lens until the burn reaches a depth of 1 inch. Make sure you wear safety goggles with lenses that protect the eyes from the intense light. This technique does not require a machine or electricity. It does, however, re-quire a sunny day and an outdoor location for work.

HistoryDuring the Victorian era, pyrography was known as poker-work due to the process of using a poker heated over an open flame. The name pyrography comes from a combination of two Greek words meaning “fire” and “writing.” The artform has also been called woodburning and branding. Works from the 19th century are on display in the Birmingham England City Museum. An example is a panel entitled “By Candlelight” dated 1834. It was produced by Ralph Marshall based upon a painting by Henry Robert Morland. Marshall used the tech-nique of heating a tool over an open charcoal fire.

ExposureDo not expose your finished pyrographic wood work of art to direct sunlight. The lightly burned parts will fade. Wood fades more than leather. Wood is vulnerable not only to visible light, but to invisible ultraviolet light. Wood coatings that pro-vide protection from ultraviolet light are available but break down over a period time. Fading is a problem, so display your artwork in a location in your home that does not receive di-rect sunlight. Leather pyrography also fades in sunlight. The sunlight is an aging factor, making the leather an uniform darker shade.

ToolsThe traditional tool of pyrography is a steel tool heated over a charcoal fire. Another is a mirror to reflect sunlight that generates heat. Today those tools give way to tools with fine points like pen and ink that are connected to a machine. The electrical machine generates heat up to 1,000 degrees Celsius, or 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit. Whatever tool the artist employs must be used carefully, as images burned into the wood or leather cannot be erased. The depth of the markings depends upon the amount of pressure used by the artist. Light and even pressure make for shallow lines. Speed is the key; move slowly and you make a deep impression.

EngravingPyrography is the use of heat to engrave an image or design on wood or leather. Any heat source works; a metal poker over an open flame or an

electric machine with an attached tool will both provide the heat. Sunlight is an additional available heat source; use a mirror to focus the rays of the

sun. Sunlight also damages the finished artwork by fading the design.

Process1. Find a sunny day(clear sky).

2. Ready a peice of straight wood and a magnifying glass.

3. Draw an image/words/any design on the wood.

4. Use the magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun on the imaged wood.

5. Control the distance between magnifying glass and wood.

6. Depth control, move slower makes deeper depth.(If stay too long in one point it will burn a hole on the wood)

P.s. Make sure you ware sunglasses to protect your eyes.

TimelineWorking time:Solar Pyrography only work in daytime, the best time for solar pyrography is from 9am to 4pm during the summer time. It still work if is sunny before the sun goes down.

When the sun goes down, solar pyrography will stop working. Also, it depends on the weather, it would not work when it’s cloudy or rainy in the daytime.