Recently, someone posted that they were looking for a way for students to “sign” their projects, but wanted an alternative to the expense of purchasing individual branding irons.
I have two solutions. One from a craft class my wife attended, the other from a publication.
In the craft class, an ordinary typewriter is used to type the text onto a paper dinner napkin or paper towel. The napkin or towel is then torn around the text. Once it is affixed with ordinary Elmer’s white glue, all the napkin disappears, leaving just the text visible.
As usual, while looking for something else, I came across this article. It originally was published in the Sept/October issue of Today’s Woodworker; as follows…
Put Your John Hancock Here
Want to leave your mark on your woodworking projects? You don’t absolutely need a branding iron.
Have your local printer or copy shop make a transparency (like those used for overhead projectors of your signature or logo. Next, to get a mirror image of your logo, place the transparency face-side-up in a photocopier, which allows you to reduce or enlarge it to suit your project.
Now place the photocopy on your project and apply heat with an iron or woodburning pen to transfer the toner. For best results the wood must be sanded as smooth as possible.
L.K. Bolay Oak Harbor, Ohio
Practice…’till you can do it right the first time.
Replies
Here's another solution. Buy a Staedtler pen from Office Depot and write whatever you want on light-colored wood. It bleeds a little into the wood, so you may want to apply a finish first. Then apply another coat over the ink. Staedtler claims the ink is "indelible, light-fast, waterproof, archiveable, forgery-proof."
I use a black Uniball pen. Simple, permanent - and most important - "signed" by the hand of the maker.
I have used a fine pint paint pen(can get in multiple colors). They will write on most anything and dries quick. It can be applied anytime.. on the raw wood or in between clear coats.
Garry
http://www.superwoodworks.com
I played with ink-transfers to wood (from either Xerox or laser-printer images, same thing) quite a bit this summer. Heat will do it, but I found that far, far better was to soak the image from the rear with an orange cleaning agent called Citru-sel (IIRC). Other 'orange' products I tried didn't work, I found this stuff at a hardware store. It is amazing - the image just shifts right over.
And, I found no need to do transparencies - once an image is scanned into your computer, you can easily reverse, resize, etc. The nice thing about these image transfers from paper to wood - no bleeding, very sharp edges. I've gotten into the habit of using the same 'technology' to transfer curves, cutting patterns, etc. onto stock.
Clay
Have you seen anything about the longevity of such transfers?
Nope, but since it's just transferring the same powder/ink as xerox copies use, I wouldn't worry about it fading. Xerox copies will have the paper yellow sometimes, and thermal-fax paper doesn't last, but I'd expect toner on wood to last and not fade. Never tried colors though, only black.
Clay
I sign two ways.
One is to write my name, the date, and my town in pencil on the [unseen] back of the piece.
The second, for a "finer" work, is to make a simple label on nice paper, with a freehand drawn border, and whatever inscription is appropriate. I'll yellow glue this on the inside of a drawer. I find this somewhat fragile, but still permanent method is very satisfying.
What I do is use a dremel and carve it onto the piece in an unseen area. It is as permenent as the piece itself. I also date it.
Darrin
These are all good ideas, but do not really work if the item is going anywhere near water - like a cutting board. The only other thing is to get a wood burning pen and use that.
I use a woodburning pen and sign each piece (name, month, year) in an out of the way spot.
I "sign" everything with a set of initial stamps (1/8"). In wood, I try to find a piece of endgrain and stamp name, town, date. It will be there forever. In my school shop (metals) I have students do the same.
I have recently started using one of those vibro-etch markers to sign and date my pieces.
I sand down an inconspicuous place and with a sharpie write my name, city and date. Then use shelac over it. No amount of stain or finish will ever stick to that very easily.
Regards,
Scooter
"I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow." WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Sounds like a good practice to protect the writing, except that every finish under the sun will stick to shellac if it is dewaxed. If it contains wax, you can eliminate the waterborne poly--it won't stick. But just about everything else will.
The alcohol in shellac is a solvent for Sharpie ink.
Have a simple rubber stamp made. Say anything you like. With a black stamp pad, you would really think it's burnt in.
Greg
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