Burning Post #8

You can find cork available as thick 1/4” cork tiles, thick 1/4” cork by the roll, precut coasters (round and square) in thick and thin cork, wine corks, and cork fabric. Cork fabric actual has a fabric backing and is used for making purses, wallets, and clothing. Avoid burning cork fabric that is so thin it has holes in the cork because you can end up burning the fabric, putting holes in the project.

Cork material has a spongy, flexible surface and, depending on the coarseness of the cork particles, can have indentations between the particles. Transferring patterns and burning smooth lines on cork can be challenging.

Transferring a paper pattern using graphite paper can yield poor results if the pattern has a lot of details. You can transfer basic shapes this way but for detailed work, I recommend another technique. You can either draw the image on the cork using a soft drawing pencil like a pencil rated 6B to 9B. These pencils are available at art and craft stores.

Another transfer technique is to use kitchen food wrap called Glad® Press’N Seal. Tear a piece off the roll and pinch the sheet with your thumb on one side of the sheet and your index finger on the other side of the sheet. Whichever side of the sheet sticks to your finger is the side you will place on the pattern you want to transfer.  

Try to place it on the pattern with no wrinkles and smooth the sheet with your hands once it is on the pattern. Using a Sharpie® Ultra Fine black marker, trace your pattern. When finished, lift the Press’N Seal sheet off the pattern and place it on your cork in position. Smooth the sheet onto your cork with your hand. Burn through the sheet.

Take care when burning not to press while pulling your writer tip so the sheet has time to burn instead of bunching up. This technique is good for placing landmarks and then removing the sheet to burn the details. The Press’N Seal sheet is a thin plastic so use precautions while burning such as a fan, respirator, or mask.

Cork is a natural product made from the bark of a cork oak tree (Quercus suber). The process as I understand it does not use chemicals. However, cork is sometimes glued to a base (cork bulletin boards or some coasters) or fabric backing. In these cases, make sure you do not burn through the cork into the glue layer, especially with your skew tips.

The 40th AAW International Woodturning Symposium was held in Raleigh, NC this summer at the Raleigh Convention Center. The classes were taught by leading experts on woodturning from around the world and the Gallery of Woodturnings was a sight to behold!

Klingspor’s Woodworking Shop had the largest presence in the vendor area with over 18 booths for Klingspor and their vendors. Michele Parsons was demonstrating pyrography in Klingspor’s pyrography equipment booth. Some of the artwork she finished for the show was a burning of horses running in a Southwestern scene on a wooden cowboy hat turned by Brian Butler, and a Civil War burning on a wooden top hat turned by Jerry Measimer. Michele was demonstrating 1776 burnings on another wooden top hat by Jerry Measimer.

There are 3 Divisions in the competition: Novice, Intermediate, and Open and several Pyrography categories in each Division including:

• Wood (includes painted and unpainted subcategories)
• Leather
• Paper
• Gourds
• Miscellaneous (canvas, cork, bone, tagua nuts, artists conk mushrooms, hats, etc.)
  

Pyrography artwork is eligible for the SEPA Best of Pyrography Awards:

• Best of Pyrography Open $150
• Best of Pyrography Intermediate $100
• Best of Pyrography Novice $50

In addition, pyrography artwork is also eligible to win Best of Division Awards and Best of Show Theme Awards.

The application and Information about entering your work is located at:
www.woodworkingshop.com/cvwc-woodcarving-competition

This year the pyrography judges will be Stephen Stillitano, President of the Charlotte Woodcarvers Club and Liana Critchlow, former Assistant Manager at the Klingspor’s Woodworking Shop in Hickory and first Vice-President of the Southeastern Pyrography Association (SEPA).