Using electricty to engrave pen blanks ...

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Willee

Willee

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DO NOT DO THIS: This is a potentially deadly undertaking. Here's a reference.

Safety: Fractal Burning / Lichtenburg Burning

www.woodturner.org www.woodturner.org

Has anyone done the electric burning of wood to make a pen blank yet?
Litchenberg method is what I think it is called on you tube.
It makes some very unique patterns in the wood and some are deep enough to be filled with colored epoxy.
I just did a pool cue like that and will do some pens very soon.

electrocue.jpg
 
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It makes me wonder what it does to the integrity to the inside of the wood. A pool cue can have some pretty good pressure on it when breaking balls.
 
Please heed the warnings given here. I had a very close friend who was killed using this method a couple of years ago. If you can find the thread you'll get a lot of answers from some great people on this site. Ronnie left behind a wonderful wife, 3 children and 2 grand children. He had been a woodworker all his life starting at the mills during his high school days. He was just 60.
 
From the AAW, below


Fractal burning has killed and could kill you


The American Association of Woodturners has banned the use of this process at all of its events and has banned articles about use of a fractal burner in all of its publications.

The reported cases of fractal burning deaths range from hobbyist woodworkers through experienced woodworkers to an electrician with many years experience working with electricity. It only takes one small mistake and you are dead; not injured, dead. Some of those who died were experienced at using the process and some were not. What is common to all of them: fractal burning killed them.

High voltage electricity is an invisible killer; the user cannot see the danger. It is easy to see the danger of a spinning saw blade. It is very obvious that coming into contact with a moving blade will cause an injury, but in almost all cases a spinning blade will not kill you. With fractal burning, one small mistake and you are dead.

This is true whether you are using a homemade device or a manufactured one.

There are many ways to express your creativity. Do not use fractal burning. If you have a fractal burner, throw it away. If you are looking into fractal burning, stop right now and move on to something else. This could save your life.

—Rick Baker, Chair, AAW Safety Committee
 
Electricity is no joke. I too have worked with power that one wrong move and you may not be going home. I can tell stories but will refrain. I saved a life once or at least a serious injury many years ago. when my sister passed away this past Dec. the person I was partnered up with came to the wake in honor of both me and my brother who also was an electrician. Would you know it he told the story to my other family members and he remembered how lucky he was. Did not expect that. But electricity is no joke and that is why I try to refrain from giving advice on this forum or others when it comes to wiring. I have no idea of your skill level and your knowledge. Also there are steps I would leave out because they could be second nature to me because I do them all the time and those could be very important. It also happens with some blanks I make. I know there are some here that love to show progress steps and yes they are helpful, but again it may look simple but there could be hidden steps that just do not get mentioned. I have done this when pressed also but really it is not because I do not want to share but dealing with unknowns is tough. I know my capabilities and having an entire shop of tools I know my way around. Being informed and heed the warnings such as this one with this process is wise and it is a very dangerous procedure. Work safe and as mentioned there are soooooo many other ways to enhance blanks that are alot safer. And to me look much nicer. Just a side note to get this look as presented you can take a dremel or high speed engraver and make designs that mimic that look and fill in with black ink or other materials.
 
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