Top 10 Woodburning Tips and Their Uses
- For Solid Point Burners -
I get asked all the time which woodburning tips you should use for which project.
Really, you can use a lot of different tips for the same project. Well lovely, it all comes down to this...
...which do YOU like better?
I'm all about empowering pyrography artists.
So I'm going to show you the top 10 most common tips and their uses so YOU can make the best choice for your project.
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Did I tell you I made a Board?
I used all the woodburning tips on a basswood board.
The goal wasn't to make it pretty.
The goal was to see which techniques were the easiest, what took some work, and what was a downright pain.
I give you a sample for the shading tip from the board down below.
You can get access to the full board image FREE when you sign up!
1. Universal Point
This one was named the "universal point" because it can pretty much do everything all the other woodburning tips can do.
Buuuut I don't recommend using it for everything.
In this little article, I deep dive into what I love - and don't love - about the universal tip and it's cute little sister, the mini universal point.
Mini Universal Point - ain't she cute?
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Straight lines
- Shading
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Dots (unless you like triangles)
- Lettering - large block lettering is easiest, cursive is hardest
Hard Uses - choose a different tip
- Curved lines
- Circles
2. Calligraphy Point
In many ways, these woodburning tips are similar to universal tips. Explore the calligraphy tip more in this little article right here.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Straight lines
- Shading (smaller areas than the universal point)
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Dots (but the triangle pattern could be a cool texture)
- Lettering
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- Curved lines
- Circles
3. Flow Point
This one feels like working with a bullet-tipped permanent marker - and it's pretty versatile. Read up on this smooooth tip here.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Straight lines
- Curved lines
- Dots
- Curved lettering - although not the most crisp burn
Okay Uses - Not the Easiest
- Block lettering
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- Shading
4. Mini Flow Point
This is more like using one of those fine tip permanent markers.
See this quick little article on what I love about the mini flow tip.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Straight lines
- Curved lines
- Lettering (thicker lines)
- Dots
- Circles
Okay Uses - Not the Easiest
Not many middle ground techniques for this tip. It's either good or awful.
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- Shading
5. Cone Point
The cone point is a decent little tip. Not my favorite, but it's not a total looser either.
Read more about the cone tip here.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Straight lines (more fine)
- Curved lines
- Dots
- Circles
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Lettering
Hard Uses - choose a different tip
- Shading
6. Shading Point
This little leaf shaped tip is probably one of the most versatile of all the solid-point woodburning tips.
Check out this article digging deeper into the shading tip and it's best uses.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Lettering (especially fine lines)
- Dots (small)
- Shading
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Lines - curved or straight
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
I think this one handled all the techniques fairly well.
7. Tapered Point
This is probably my least favorite tip, but it might not be yours. Get the low down on the tapered point in this quick little article.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Lines - straight and curved
- Dots
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Lettering
- Circles
Hard Uses - choose a different tip
- Shading
8. Transfer Point
The best uses for this "point" actually have nothing to do with actual "burning" - although I consider this point extremely valuable.
Read this little gem to find out the awesomeness that is the transfer point.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Transferring laser printed or copied designs to wood
- Pulling dents out of wood
Okay Uses - Not the easiest
- Light shading in large areas
- Faded straight lines
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- Eh, I'd choose another tip for ALL the pyrography techniques.
9. Hot Knife Point
This comes highly recommended for cutting thin plastics, foam, that kind of thing.
If you use it for wood burning, it doesn’t really leave a dark mark.
I discovered it was better to use it cold and scrape designs and texture into a space you've already burned.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Scraping off burned areas (to fix mistakes or add highlights)
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- All pyrography techniques that involve actual "burning"
10. Hot Stamp Points
These are mostly for decorative designs. I’ve seen some interesting pieces made with a few creative pyrographers who used it to make art.
But for the most part, these woodburning tips are fun for filling in designs or creating borders around pieces.
Quick View:
Best Uses
- Decorative designs or borders
Hard Uses - Choose a Different Tip
- All other burning techniques
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