Signiture on pieces

[OzarkSawdust]

Who signs, stamps, brands, etc. their finished work? Maybe a photo of it?

What is your preferred method? Sharpie, rubber stamp, branding iron, burning pen or ????

I'm thinking if I make stuff good enough to sell I should put my name, or make a logo, on it to remind folks to get another of my pieces! 

[OCtoolguy]

This is a subject that I asked a while back too. I got a lot of differing answers so I took the best of them and "did it my way". I found a good used pyrography burner on eBay and bought it. Now, I can actually sign and date my work. It truly adds a personal touch to whatever you do. In fact, I bought two of them and now have one for sale so if anybody is interested, PM me and I will go deeper into it

[OzarkSawdust]

1 hour ago, octoolguy said:

This is a subject that I asked a while back too. I got a lot of differing answers so I took the best of them and "did it my way". I found a good used pyrography burner on eBay and bought it. Now, I can actually sign and date my work. It truly adds a personal touch to whatever you do. In fact, I bought two of them and now have one for sale so if anybody is interested, PM me and I will go deeper into it

I made a keychain last year and used this to put granddaughter's name on it. Are you talking about using the pointed one and putting my name in it?

 

[kmmcrafts]

I mostly use a fine point Sharpe pen.. but also have a woodburner tool to do this.. I also have ordered address return labels with my website address and business name on them.. I stick those to the bottom of my clock bases and also to the gift box that I use to put ornaments in..  I find that for me the Sharpe or the stickers work best.. don't have to wait for the burner to heat up etc.. Also for what it's worth.. I sign the project but also put the sticker over the area where I signed it at.. In case the sticker falls or wears off..  

[OCtoolguy]

18 hours ago, OzarkSawdust said:

I made a keychain last year and used this to put granddaughter's name on it. Are you talking about using the pointed one and putting my name in it?

 

That should work just fine. I wasn't sure of tip heat with a simple woodburning tool so I opted for something that I could regulate. I bought the first one and it had one dedicated tip that had been designed for doing the quills on duck decoys. It works great but I wanted to get one that had many tip options and the Colwood came available at a price that I couldn't turn down and it has many tips. I have to practice signing my name though so it is readable. I'm no artiste!

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by octoolguy

[OzarkSawdust]

31 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

I mostly use a fine point Sharpe pen.. but also have a woodburner tool to do this.. I also have ordered address return labels with my website address and business name on them.. I stick those to the bottom of my clock bases and also to the gift box that I use to put ornaments in..  I find that for me the Sharpe or the stickers work best.. don't have to wait for the burner to heat up etc.. Also for what it's worth.. I sign the project but also put the sticker over the area where I signed it at.. In case the sticker falls or wears off..  

Good idea with the labels! I saw your clocks on Etsy, nice work! Do you sell many of them? How about the ornaments?

[dgman]

I have a branding iron that says HANDCRAFTED BY DAN GALLO. You can order them from any woodworking store. I don’t date them because sometimes items don’t sell the the same year I make them. I always brand on the back side or bottom of the item if there is room. My feeling of signing the front of an item should only be done if you created the pattern. I am not a pattern designer so I would never sign on the front. 

[kmmcrafts]

23 minutes ago, OzarkSawdust said:

Good idea with the labels! I saw your clocks on Etsy, nice work! Do you sell many of them? How about the ornaments?

Thank you, 

Yes I sell around 300 ish clocks a year.. and a whole lot of ornaments.. big custom order last week of  200 ornaments for a company that'll be handing them out at their annual Christmas party.. I have 6 companies that order ornaments every year like this.. in the 150- 200 piece order range.. the one last week was a new to me one.. maybe they'll like them well enough to come back again next year then I'll have 7 yearly return customers with large orders.  ..  It gets monotonous cutting large quantities though.. but the money helps pay bills..

[Foxfold]

I've just started 'signing' my work. I use a writing tip and my Pyrography Machine.

[loftyhermes]

3 hours ago, Foxfold said:

I've just started 'signing' my work. I use a writing tip and my Pyrography Machine.

If I could write as neat as you do Brenda I would sign my work the same way. 

[OCtoolguy]

7 hours ago, Foxfold said:

I've just started 'signing' my work. I use a writing tip and my Pyrography Machine.

I would love to be able to write like you Brenda. Absolutely beautiful.

[Foxfold]

3 hours ago, loftyhermes said:

If I could write as neat as you do Brenda I would sign my work the same way. 

 

1 minute ago, octoolguy said:

I would love to be able to write like you Brenda. Absolutely beautiful.

 Oh Heavens, you don't think I do it 'freehand' do you ?  No, I print my name with a font I like in Inkscape,  on my laser printer,  turn it over so that it will print out backwards, then 'iron' it on to my work  with my 'old' pyrography pen, then burn over it with my 'new' pyrography writing tip.  I think it works really well.

[kmmcrafts]

3 minutes ago, Foxfold said:

 

 Oh Heavens, you don't think I do it 'freehand' do you ?  No, I print my name with a font I like in Inkscape,  on my laser printer,  turn it over so that it will print out backwards, then 'iron' it on to my work  with my 'old' pyrography pen, then burn over it with my 'new' pyrography writing tip.  I think it works really well.

That is how I was doing it.. and still do custom / personalized ornaments where the ornament is too small to cut out something personalized.. Just did a couple medical helicopters ornaments with the hospital name on them this weekend for customers.. Much easier to do this way than to free hand it all.. No way would someone buy a personalized ornament if I was free handing them, LOL

 

[loftyhermes]

39 minutes ago, Foxfold said:

 

 Oh Heavens, you don't think I do it 'freehand' do you ?  No, I print my name with a font I like in Inkscape,  on my laser printer,  turn it over so that it will print out backwards, then 'iron' it on to my work  with my 'old' pyrography pen, then burn over it with my 'new' pyrography writing tip.  I think it works really well.

Oi, that's cheating but clever and nice cheating.   

[Foxfold]

33 minutes ago, loftyhermes said:

Oi, that's cheating but clever and nice cheating

Ladies don't 'cheat' ---  we improvise  

I used to use 'tracing paper' and trace it then burn it, but this is way easier.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Foxfold

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, Foxfold said:

 

 Oh Heavens, you don't think I do it 'freehand' do you ?  No, I print my name with a font I like in Inkscape,  on my laser printer,  turn it over so that it will print out backwards, then 'iron' it on to my work  with my 'old' pyrography pen, then burn over it with my 'new' pyrography writing tip.  I think it works really well.

I never knew you could do that Brenda. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks. If there are more details please post them. Does it matter what kind of paper you use? And the ironing process, is it as straightforward as that?

 

[OCtoolguy]

I have been freehanding my sig w/date. I practice a bit and then write it with a pencil. Then burn it with my pyro pen.

 

[Woodrush]

I have never signed my work

[Wilson142]

22 hours ago, Foxfold said:

 

 Oh Heavens, you don't think I do it 'freehand' do you ?  No, I print my name with a font I like in Inkscape,  on my laser printer,  turn it over so that it will print out backwards, then 'iron' it on to my work  with my 'old' pyrography pen, then burn over it with my 'new' pyrography writing tip.  I think it works really well.

And sadly the myth dies.