In this post, I want to go over some safety tips to make sure you are protecting yourself while wood burning.
Some of these tips and suggestions may be common sense, but it’s important to be aware when doing this craft since we are literally playing with fire.
Make sure these tips below run through your head before starting any pyrography project. Let’s get into wood burning safety!
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How To Prep Wood For Pyrography Art
Pyrography Safety
Don’t Burn Yourself!
I have fallen victim to burning myself a few times throughout my wood burning career, it’s because I’m human, and well, things happen! If I’m using my wood burning pen on a high heat setting, I wear gloves to protect my hands.
I also have sensitive skin, so holding a warm pen for a while tends to make my skin turn red, so wear gloves if you want to protect yourself.
I just use basic heat gloves but you can also get finger guards if you aren’t a fan of using gloves. Wearing gloves or finger guards is an easy way to prevent burning yourself and any unwanted skin irritation.
Work In A Well Ventilated Area
Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. This means having a window open, having a fan on, or even working outside if that’s a possibility. Don’t work in a stuffy room where smoke can get trapped.
Airflow is important if the project you are working on creates a lot of smoke.
Wear A Mask
I will admit I don’t do this all the time if I’m doing a light project with barely any smoke, but wearing a mask is important in wood burning safety. If the project you are doing creates a lot of smoke, you’ll want to wear a mask to protect your lungs.
You can wear a smoke mask or a respirator. It’s great to get into a routine of wearing a mask to protect yourself while wood burning. So invest in a mask and your future self will thank you.
Turn Off Your Tool When Not In Use
This is obvious, but I have made the mistake of walking away and then realizing HOURS later my tool was still on! Now if I turn my back for a minute to go do something, I just turn off my tool. Better safe than sorry.
Work With Safe Wood
Make sure the wood you are using is safe to wood burn. Also, NEVER wood burn over wood that has been stained, painted, or has a finish on it. That is toxic. You can only burn wood that has not been altered in any way. Don’t seal your work until you know you are 100% finished with burning it.
Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
It’s easy to get distracted by things around us, below are some additional safety tips.
- Have long hair? Tie it back.
- Make sure your pen is always secured to the table to prevent it from falling on the floor.
- Don’t work by flammable items.
- Work on a clean desk without a lot of clutter.
- Have kids? Make sure they aren’t too close when you’re working.
Following these tips will make sure you are fully protected when burning. Wood burning art is a safe hobby, as long as you are aware of how to fully protect yourself, your environment, and anyone around you when doing so.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or anything to add! Thanks for reading. 💚
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