Wood burning pattern/stencil from a photo - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

DSHWoodworks · 08-27-2009, 04:17 PM

Hello all its been a while,

Is there a way to make a pattern/stencil from a photo, transfer it onto the wood so I can make a wood burning of the photo???

I have a black and white photo of my girlfriend that I would love to do as a wood burning piece but I don't know how to get a pattern of it to the wood.

If I was a good artist I wouldn't need a stencil but thats not me, pattern required here......LOL

Thank you in advance.

wood-n-things · 08-27-2009, 04:29 PM

I'm not a pyrographer (wood burner) but I have done a couple small projects and I used carbon paper and traced the pattern onto the wood. It worked for me, I'll bet there is a better way though.

DSHWoodworks · 08-27-2009, 06:00 PM

Thanks wood-n-things, I was afraid that carbon paper would be what people would say...lol. I guess I will try it that way and see how it goes. Thanks again!!!

wood-n-things · 08-27-2009, 08:50 PM

There are other mediums for transferring patterns to wood but for burning I'm not sure what most use. This is just what I tried cuz I got tired of burning off the patterns...That is another story..

Let us see some pics as you progress with this project if can find the time...We exist for pics and sawdust.

moondog0331 · 08-28-2009, 05:21 PM

i do a good bit of burning and the very best way i found is graphite paper. it leaves no black marks on wood can be used many times over. i gwt mine from sawdustconnection.com

DSHWoodworks · 08-28-2009, 06:36 PM

Thanks moondog, I will have to get some. I have not done much burning but I have been looking into it lately and the ideas just keep comming. Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a "real" wood burning kits also....lol.

Thanks again.

ubgoofy2003 · 08-30-2009, 04:22 PM

Hi, Woodworks. I do all of my scrollsaw patterns by tracing from paper to wood via
carbon paper. I first copy my photograph onto paper & transfer it by carbon paper to another sheet of paper. That's so I can touch up the transfer for sawing. I can't have any floater's on the pattern when I go to cut. You could do yours the same way, only you don't have to worry about floater's(that's a part of the pattern that would fall out when you cut it). It does take some artistic ability to know what to trace onto your pattern. Hope you can work something out for your new hobby. By the way those "real" woodburner's are expensive ! Good Luck
Perk

08-27-2009, 04:17 PM	#1
DSHWoodworks Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 22	Wood burning pattern/stencil from a photo Hello all its been a while, Is there a way to make a pattern/stencil from a photo, transfer it onto the wood so I can make a wood burning of the photo??? I have a black and white photo of my girlfriend that I would love to do as a wood burning piece but I don't know how to get a pattern of it to the wood. If I was a good artist I wouldn't need a stencil but thats not me, pattern required here......LOL Thank you in advance.

08-27-2009, 04:29 PM	#2
wood-n-things Behave Yourself..I can't. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Right here ---silly Posts: 4,478 Blog Entries: 1	I'm not a pyrographer (wood burner) but I have done a couple small projects and I used carbon paper and traced the pattern onto the wood. It worked for me, I'll bet there is a better way though. __________________ The Mike One of them anyway. Don't be so open-minded. Your brains will fall out!

08-27-2009, 08:50 PM	#4
wood-n-things Behave Yourself..I can't. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Right here ---silly Posts: 4,478 Blog Entries: 1	There are other mediums for transferring patterns to wood but for burning I'm not sure what most use. This is just what I tried cuz I got tired of burning off the patterns...That is another story.. Let us see some pics as you progress with this project if can find the time...We exist for pics and sawdust. __________________ The Mike One of them anyway. Don't be so open-minded. Your brains will fall out!

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08-27-2009, 06:00 PM	#3
DSHWoodworks Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 22	Thanks wood-n-things, I was afraid that carbon paper would be what people would say...lol. I guess I will try it that way and see how it goes. Thanks again!!!

08-28-2009, 05:21 PM	#5
moondog0331 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1	i do a good bit of burning and the very best way i found is graphite paper. it leaves no black marks on wood can be used many times over. i gwt mine from sawdustconnection.com

08-28-2009, 06:36 PM	#6
DSHWoodworks Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 22	Thanks moondog, I will have to get some. I have not done much burning but I have been looking into it lately and the ideas just keep comming. Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a "real" wood burning kits also....lol. Thanks again.

08-30-2009, 04:22 PM	#7
ubgoofy2003 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 490	Hi, Woodworks. I do all of my scrollsaw patterns by tracing from paper to wood via carbon paper. I first copy my photograph onto paper & transfer it by carbon paper to another sheet of paper. That's so I can touch up the transfer for sawing. I can't have any floater's on the pattern when I go to cut. You could do yours the same way, only you don't have to worry about floater's(that's a part of the pattern that would fall out when you cut it). It does take some artistic ability to know what to trace onto your pattern. Hope you can work something out for your new hobby. By the way those "real" woodburner's are expensive ! Good Luck Perk