Pyrography Irons

Hi all,
A lot of people have a go at pyrography and most of them give it up as a bad job. It starts out looking like the hobby will be exciting and fun, but often turns out to be hard and frustrating.The reason is probably down to the choice of pyrography iron. If you want to turn out nice pieces of work you have to invest in the right equipment.The pyrographer has two choices; the solid tip pyrography iron or the hot wire iron. A solid tip pyrography iron is pictured on the right.
Advantages
Relatively cheap
Comes with a selection of tips
Disadvantages
Not so easy to hold
Fixed temperature
Tips are relatively thick
These disadvantages make it harder to produce good work.The tip makes fine work difficult, not just because of the size of the tips, (pictured left) but because the iron is thick and more difficult to hold.
The pyrographer's hand is also further away from the tip which make control more difficult hence a lot of people give pyrography up and move onto something else.

Now don't get me wrong, it is possible with a pyrography iron to produce some acceptable results but it is much harder. On the right you can see the picture of a pansy book marker which I produced with my first solid tip pyrography iron.
Hot Wire (Pictured left)
Advantages
The temperature can be controlled
The iron is smaller, making it easy to hold. Plus, a pen like grip means the pyrographer's hand is closer to the tip.
The tip is smaller
Disadvantages The most expensive option.
Below, you can see a photo of a hot wire tip.
So, there are the choices and I guess the hot wire pyrography iron comes out on top. But, most of us hate spending money and to lash out a large sum on a piece of equipment for a hobby is not an easy thing for some people to do. They like me will be thinking back over money wasted on other hobbies that were just fads and came to nothing.

I started out with a fixed tip pyrograhy iron. It cost my wife about twenty quid and she got it me for my birthday. I used it for a couple of weeks and liked the feel of burning wood but was frustrated by the limitations of the solid tip pyrography iron. During this time I'd read a couple of books on the subject and found that the top people, who are involved in this form of art, use hot wire pyrography irons.

I struggled for a couple of days with my conscience and had a couple of sleepless nights, but eventually I prised open my wallet and spent about £100 on a really good pyrography iron.

The good news is, once I had bought the iron the cost of this hobby is almost zero if you take away the cost of the wood. Here is some more good news, hot wire pyrography irons can often be seen for sale on e-bay so it is possible to save money there. They also have lots of solid tip pyrography irons for sale, you may want to consider getting one of these first if you just want to give pyrography a try.

If you would like to see some more of my pyrography work please click here.
I sell some of my pyrography pieces, like the plaque of a common carp pictured right, at discounted prices on Folksy.com click here to see the shop

If you have any questions about pyrography please get in touch. Next week I will be looking at pyrography iron tips in more detail

Books
I do a lot of my wood burning as a bit of relief from writing and indeed I have worked on many plots whilst having the pyrography iron in my hand. My sixth book The Fishing Detectives: Bun in the Oven is in the proofreading stage and should be published before the end on February. This is the second book in the Fishing Detectives series and I know that it is eagerly awaited by those who have read my other fishing books.
If you would like to find out more about me or my books please click here

Pyrography; The Begining

Hi All
I thought that in this post I'd just explain how I managed to get into pyrography. Actually, it came down to something as simple as space. My main hobby has always been fishing, but I also enjoyed various forms of art.
I like painting in watercolours, daubing in acrylics and have also enjoyed doing some pen and ink work. On the right you can see one of my early watercolours.
The trouble with these hobbies is that take up a lot of space, and that is one commodity I have been short of. I have a computer work station set up to write my books, but only a small desk on which to do any other work. Every time I want to do a painting I have to get out my paints, water pots, brushes and pallets etc. Well, we all know what happens when faced with that sort of scenario and I'm no different, more often than not I couldn't be bothered and turned to something else for entertainment. Below you can see a pen and ink study of eyes. Please click here to see more artwork Anyway, one day my wife and I were having a glorious day out in Derbyshire, we called at a cafe in Longnor for one of their delicious cream teas. I know I probably shouldn't eat such food after my heart attack, but hell, enough of my pleasures have already gone down the pan with the onset of old age. I'm sure an occasional bit of clotted cream, jam and butter on a fruit scone won't clog my stents up too quickly.

Besides being a nice cafe, the tea room in Longnor also sells crafts and the walls are adorned with pieces of pyrography artwork. I guess I was halfway through my scone when my wife suggested I had a go at doing some pyrography myself. Her thoughts were propelled by the fact that my 60th birthday was imminent and she was at a loss regarding a suitable present. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted, so it was agreed that she would get me a pyrography iron and see what I could do.
I don't know if it was because I'd already done some drawing and painting, but I took to pyrography like a mouse to a trap and was soon knocking out pieces that I was pleased with. I did the rooster on the right about three months after getting my first pyrography iron. I think that is important when taking up any sort of creative activity, judge your results by how much your efforts please you, and not what other people think.

The really good thing about pyrograhy, which I mentioned in my last post, is the fact that the equipment takes up hardly any space at all. I have the piece of wood that I am working on on my desk and, if I feel like having a go, I can switch the iron on and be burning wood in less than a minute. Even better than that, when I've had enough I just switch the pyrography iron off and that's it. I don''t have to bother with emptying water jars and cleaning pallets.

In my next post I will give you advice about pyrography irons because anybody who takes up this hobby needs to get the right one. I'll leave you with my latest creation, which I will be probably selling on Folksy.com shortly.
If you would like to see my pyrography website, please click here.
If you would like to see some pyrography items for sale at discounted prices on Folksy please click here.
Beyond that, if you are interested in finding out more about me or my books, please click here.

Burning Desire

Hi all,
This is my new blog which replaces "A Sassenach's View of Scotland," I couldn't do anymore of those because I've run out of material. If ever I get the chance to go on holiday ever again, Scotland will be my destination and I will give you a blow by blow account.
In the meanwhile, I hope to entertain you with information about pyrography and other forays into the world of art. On the subject of art, I saw a report on last night's news that said that people who were involved in any sort of art felt better and visited the doctor less often than those who are not interested in the subject. I can see how that could work, but given my general state of health, it must mean that if I wasn't doing a bit of art work I'd have one foot in the grave.
So what is pyrography, I hear you ask.
Well, it's nothing complicated that's for sure because if it was I wouldn't be doing it. I've had enough stress in my life to scuttle a battleship and I've got stents in my heart to prove it. For me, hobbies must be free of stress, so I guess skydiving missed its chance.
Pyrography, literally means, writing with fire, but in reality it means using something that looks similar to a soldering iron to burn pictures into wood, like the one on the right of a woodpecker.
Pyrography has got lots of advantages over other forms of art, especially when it comes down to cost. Once you have purchased a pyrography iron all you need are some bits of wood to work on. There is no need to keep spending money on paint and brushes etc. Another advantage of pyrography is that it doesn't take up much room. I've tried painting in oils, acrylics and watercolours but they take up a lot of space and time. To paint properly one needs a big space for the paints, pots of water and mixing pallets etc, whereas with pyrography all you need is the iron and the lump of wood you are working on. No time is wasted on, changing pots of water or cleaning pallets, with pyrography I just sit down and get on with it instantly.

If ever you've thought of doing something arty but you can't be bothered with getting all the kit out, pyrography might be just the thing to try.

I have only been doing pyrography as a hobby since last April, but I'm very pleased with what I've produced so far and have also sold a few items. Okay, the profits may be small, but if I can get my hobby to pay for itself then I'm happy enough with that.

In future pyrography posts I will explain where I get my wood from and how I go about my projects. For now, I'll leave you with one of my latest creations, a nice little pot that is perfect for giving a ring to a loved one on Valentines day.
If you have any questions about pyrography, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
If you would like to see more of my pyrography Please click here,
or if you would like to find out more about me and my books, click here.
If you are interested in buying any of my pyrography items at discounted prices please click here.

The Last Post; Scotland

Hi All,
Here is my last post regarding our tour of Scotland. It was mid-afternoon when we left the Kyle of Tongue and set off down the lonely A836 to Laig. Unhappily for us our journey wouldn't end there because the following morning we'd be heading further south and after a stop over in Moffat, we'd find ourselves back in the urban sprawl we call home. Still enough of that for now, let's get back to the journey.
After a few miles we came to Loch Loyal which was in a splendid setting surrounded by moorlands and mountains. The road sticks to the shore for the whole of it's length presenting visitors like us with a splendid panorama. Above I can be seen viewing one of the many lochs that can be found in this part of Scotland. Once Loch Loyal was firmly in our rear view mirror we carried on through a remote landscape until we came to Altnaharra. This is a small settlement with an hotel and a few guest houses which are no doubt kept busy by Munro Baggers (people who are obsessed with climbing mountains over 3000 feet high). The hamlet is situated on a crossroads, which is rare in this part of Scotland. A very small road heads off to the west, down through Strathmore to emerge on the north coast near Loch Eriboil, which we passed through earlier in the day. The other road out of Altnaharra heads due east and follows Loch Naver which lies just beyond the village.From here we carried on our journey southwards and after passing between two large mountains we arrived at Cask Inn. The place is named after what must be one of the remotest pubs in the British Isles. It's a very thirsty 12 miles from the nearest settlement at Lairg. .Eventually, we arrived back at the lodge and after spending another glorious evening watching eagles soar across the mountain tops opposite, we went to bed for the last time in Sutherland.My wife Terry Anne can be seen above scanning for eagles from the balcony of our lodge. The following day we were up early and set off on the long journey back to southern Scotland. I had intended on sticking to the A9 for most of the way but it was so busy when compared with the roads we'd be on, that when we got to Killiecrankie we turned right and followed a road around the almost deserted shores of Lock Tummel. Here we picnicked and walked the dog before commencing the rest of our journey to Moffat where we had a bed and breakfast booked for the night. We like Moffat even though it is always busy with tourists. We had a nice meal in the same hotel that we'd used a couple of years earlier and then for some unknown reason went for a short drive before retiring for the night. It was on this short excursion that when driving along the top of a ridge that looked over the M74 motorway we came across a roadside that was populated with parked cars and people with cameras and telescopes. They must be Twitchers (people obsessed with birds) I thought, perhaps there is an eagle in the vicinity. Anyway, being nosey we parked up and got out of the car to see what all the fuss was about and it turned out these people were Chuffers (people obsessed with steam trains) and a steam train was due up the valley at any moment. So we waited and watched with great excitement as the train came thundering along the pine tree covered valley that the railway track shares with the M74. If you look closely at the photo you can see one lane of the motorway and the cars.
Trains aren't really my thing but it provided a full stop to what had been a great holiday. As it happens the next morning we found ourselves sharing a breakfast table with another couple and when I told them about the steam train the man was almost in tears. Apparently he was he was an old chuffer of extreme persuasion and was mortified that he'd missed the event. We calmed him down by promising to send him a copy of the photo I took and he seemed well pleased with that.
After breakfast we drove non-stop back to Stafford and that was the end of our holiday. In fact it is the end of a Sassenach's view of Scotland because I have run out of material. You don't need to get the violins out, but due to domestic circumstances beyond my control we haven't been on holiday for over two years. However, the day will come when I and my wife will, with hearts full of joy and excitement, head north again to the majestic wilds of Scotland.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as I have writing it and that you have a happy and prosperous new year.

If you would like to find out more about me or my books Please click here,
or if you would like to see some of my pyrography click here.
For my pyrography at special prices Please click here.
To see some of my wife's art and crafts click here.

Ullapool and Durness

Hi all,
You may be sad to know that the post after this will be my last regarding a Sassenach's view of Scotland. The journey has been great but alas I am running out of material. To make matters worse, we only had a film camera at the time and it developed a sticking lens during the last couple of days of our holiday. We didn't realise until after the film had been developed when we found that half of the pictures we'd taken hadn't come out. Sadly, we don't have as many photos of a beautiful place that we should have. The good news is, I've still got the memories which will forever be etched in a special place.

Anyway on the Wednesday we went due west from our lodge at Rogart, near Lairg and followed a single track road, with passing places. The journey to Ullapool and back was 110 miles, which is a mighty long way on single track roads. The good thing about travelling around those roads in Scotland is the lack of traffic and the great visibility. Most of the countryside is wide open with great vistas so you can see the approach of another car from miles way.
The journey was great and so was Ullapool. We had a walk around the town then a spot of lunch in pub before visiting a garden and then starting back. It's sad that we have no pictures, but these things happen.

The following day we set out on another of our epic journeys; a drive along the side of Loch Shin and then up to the furthest North West Point of Scotland. Well as far as you can get in a car, it is possible to walk to Cape Wrath or even catch a special mini bus certain times, but we'd be close enough.

We started the journey by going West as we had in the previous day, but when we reached Lairg, instead of carrying straight on, we turned right and followed the banks of Loch Shin. Not long into the trip we came across a field of Highland cattle, which both my wife and I find adorable.

We stopped and took several pictures all of which came out okay.


As per the day before we were travelling on a single track road with very little in the way of traffic. The scenery all the way to Durness on the North coast was nothing short of breathtaking. Views of lochs, forests and mountains frequently gave way to vast areas of moorland where we felt as if we were the only creatures on earth. The only bad thing I have to say about Durness is that the price of petrol was eye watering; luckily, I filled up the previous day so I managed to retain the lining in my wallet.

After having some refreshments in Durness, we followed the coast road around Loch Eriboll. We stopped a while and took in the coastal scenery which included a Salmon Farm. From our vantage point on the cliffs we could watch the magnificent fish leaping into the air trying to get free from the cages which had become their home. We then crossed the Kyle of Tongue and having travelled almost 100 miles on single track roads we sadly turned South to return to our lodge. I will describe the journey back in my next post.
If you would like to find out more about me or my books please click here
or if you would like to see some of my pyrography work please click here
I sell some pyrograhy items at discounted prices on Folksy.com please click here
Finally, my wife also sells some very nice craft items which can be seen by clicking here.

Dunnet Head

Hi all,
Last week saw us half-way around our circular tour to John o Groats and back. I will pick up the story from where we left it at Dunnet Head which is the most northerly point of mainland Scotland.
After leaving Dunnet Head we followed the coast road for about 25 miles miles, through the lovely little town of Thurso and eventually came to the outskirts of Portskerra where we turned left and headed back to our lodge in Lairg. We were going into what is known as, The Flow Country, an area of peaty bog that stretches for thousands of square miles.The next bit of road we'd travel on was classed as an 'A road', but if it was around our way, it would be called a lane. This, the A897 was the remotest bit of road I'd ever driven on in my life. Miles and miles of moorland stretched in every direction and if you passed a car going in the other direction you waved because it was nice to know you weren't the only people on earth. We would have to get used to being on our own because it would be 38 miles before we reached civilisation again in Helmsdale. Actually, I tell a lie, after about fifteen miles of wilderness we came to a place called Forsinard, where the railway line crosses the road. It has a station and a nice looking hotel, but that's about it. It reminded me of one of those frontier towns you used to see in the old western films and half expected some tumble weed to bounce down the road to greet us.We really enjoyed our trip through the remote Flow Country; we stopped every now and again for a cup of tea out of our jumbo flask and we walked our dog. We also stopped every now and again to photograph herds of wild dear that were often found grazing along the side of the road.By the time we'd got back to our lodge it was late evening and the mist was beginning to sweep across the mountain range opposite our lodge. We'd had a great day out and seen Scotland at its best.
If you would like to find out more about my books please click here
or if you would like to see some of my pyrography work please click here
With Christmas just around the corner you may like to know that I am selling some of my pyrogrpahy work at discount prices at this shop. please click here
My wife is also selling some of her craft-work in the shop next door please click here.

Bossyboots

Hi All
just a quick post to let you know that I have just finished my first book trailer video which, will hopefully, help promote my book Bossyboots. I don't think it will win any oscars, but I had a lot of fun doing it. I even got to play my guitar on the sound track. If you like good music, you might want to turn your speakers down low or even off.

I'm hoping santa is going to bring me proper video camera when he slips down the chimney this Chrismas and then I can do something a bit higher tech. Meanwhile I thought I'd share my debute into the world of films with you.

If anybody is interested, I did it using windows movie maker which comes free on most computers. Perhaps not the best video editing software, but it's free, so I can't knock it.

Here's the link and I'd love to hear your comments. Book Trailer