Sawdust
Connection...The Woodburning Specialists! As a professional
woodburner and instructor I have the expertise in woodburning tools that
most dealers do not have! I
offer the best selection and quality of woodburning tools such as Nibsburner
and Razertip all at affordable prices. I am your complete source for woodburning tools and
supplies. I carry the finest woodburners on the
market from the leaders in the industry. The bottom line is that I
use what I sell and I only deal with companies that have provide the best
products and the best customer service. Please read about my
business philosophy below.
As a professional
pyrographer and instructor I have had the opportunity to use every brand
of burner made in Northern America and have sold several different brands
over the years. Most have come and gone because of poor quality
and/or customer service, both of which are very important to me and to my
customers. Of all the brands, I have found that Nibsburner and
Razertip have both the best quality and customer service which in my
opinion are critical when considering a major purchase such as a
woodburning tool. Both companies stand behind their products and
give you, the customer, the best and the fastest customer service should
you have a problem. No worries about feeling like they are doing you a
favor and no worries about being without your burner for weeks or even
worse months. I feel confident that you will have no regrets buying
either brand and you will get years of enjoyment using any one of their
burners.
I carry woodburners
for every budget and suitable for the beginner to the professional. I want you to be happy with the woodburning
tools you buy from me and I want to be sure that the company who makes the tools will stand
behind their product and provide good follow-up service should you ever need
it.
As a professional woodburner I
have the expertise to help you select the right woodburning tools for your
needs. If you don't know what burner or pens to get contact me and I will
help you select the right woodburner and tools for your specific needs and
budget and as always, there is no charge to help you choose the right tools.
My goal is to help you get set up with just what you need rather than trying to
sell you lots of extras.
I know how overwhelming it can be
to find the perfect burner and deciding what pens you need to get started.
I want to help you make that decision based on your needs within your budget.
My goal is to provide you with all the information you need here to make a
decision. If you still have questions,
please email me and I will be happy to
discuss your needs and make some recommendations. I want to make buying
woodburning tools fun, not stressful!
The Burners we sell
Razertip offers great
tools, great customer service and
still the best warranty on the market...an unconditional warranty on the
woodburning power unit and all fixed-tip pens. If they fail for any reason
it's covered. Razertip has been the leader in the industry with
their state-of-the-art handpieces with foam grips which are now vented for
even more comfort. Their nicrhome tips are all highly polished for
smooth burning, create less build up of carbon and are easier to clean.
Razertip products have been best sellers for over 25 years and have the
widest variety of tips available.
Nibsburner started in
1983 by a frustrated wood carver named Nibs who sat in his studio wishing
woodburners would effectively control the burn temperatures.
Nibs decided to build
his own woodburner. A retired electrician, he combined his knowledge of
electricity and love of carving to produce an effective woodburner. Nibs
perfected the woodburning unit in 1984 and named it after himself, “The
Nibsburner”.
Over the years his
woodburning systems became popular among pyrographic artists as well as
carvers.
Alice Bongirno
joined Nibs in the fall of 1988 and in the next 16 years working with him
she gained a wealth of experience in all aspects of woodburning and
manufacturing. Now Alice has perfected the woodburning tools and
pens and like myself, is a very hands-on owner. I have been impressed with her
enthusiasm, interest in satisfying the customer and working with me to
make my favorite pens as well as packing the woodburning systems just the
way I like them. So, it's a small family-owned business just like we
are
and Nibsburner offers a 2 year warranty on all burners and 90 days on all
pens and tips (with normal use). All of Nibsburner's pen tips come
with highly polished tips and hopefully Alice will be offering foam grips
in the near future. Every woodburning system comes complete with
pen(s) with tips, cord(s), and handpiece holders. I have our woodburning
systems packed with my favorite pens but you can switch them to the pen of
your choice at no extra charge. Nibsburner is still a family-owned business and made in
the U.S.A.
INTERCHANGING WOODBURNING
PENS/BURNERS
Many brands of woodburning pens have different connectors so if you are trying
to interchange one brand of pen on a different brand woodburner be sure you have
the right cord. I have photos of each brand of woodburning pen and the
connection at the end. Make sure it will work on the burner you have
before ordering. If it doesn't match check out one of the adaptor cords we
carry. If you are unsure please
contact us.
What pens/tips do I really need to
get started?
That is the $64,000 question!
The answer to that question is if you are buying a detail burner such as Colwood
or Razertip you only need 3 pens to do just about anything. Every
woodburner has their favorites and here is what I personally use and recommend:
1. Shader - I prefer a bent spear shader such as the Razertip HD5MP,
Nibsburner #5BSM or #5BSSM, all designed to my specifications by Nibsburner and Razertip. This is by far the best all around tip because it can do just
about anything and it will get into tight spots that round or square shader's
can't. The spear shader is one of the most versatile pens and there isn't
much you can't do with it. I do my smooth shading (gradient shading), fur,
hair, feathers and just about everything with just this pen. While some
people prefer spoon or round shaders, the spear can do so much more and it does
offer so much versatility most people find they do most of their work with just
this one pen.
2. Writer - I prefer a very find writer and have found the most versatile
are: Razertip F99.008 ball stylus or the F9P that I designed or the new
Nibsburner #4M Micro Writer. All of these tips are small, just like fine tipped pens and can
do curved lines, cursive and block printing, hatching and cross hatching, etc.
All very versatile choices.
3. Round-heeled knife - My preference here is and always has been
a round-heeled knife because again it is more versatile than a flat skew. It will do curved
as well as straight lines which you cannot do with a flat skew. My
favorites are: Razertip: #14D, which has a blunt heel, is a bit more
versatile. It is another one designed to my
specifications or the HD14SM both are round-heeled knives and because of their
size are the most versatile size to do almost anything. Nibsburner now
makes my versions of these pens, KN14B & KN14BM. The 14B has a blunt heel making
it a bit more maneuverable than any of the other sizes.
My philosophy is and always will be is that more is not necessarily better. Buy the tools
that are the most versatile so you don't have to buy more. I'm never one
to push a lot of pens on people and I prefer that people start off with the
necessities and build on that as they learn and grow. People think I'm
crazy for discouraging customers from buying more tools but I honestly prefer
people to buy versatile tools that can do more than to buy more tools.
Some people, like myself stick with just those 3 pens and don't have any need to
expand except if you decide to perhaps burn on miniatures and need smaller
versions of everything.
Please check out my
Razertip tutorial and
Nibsburner tutorial
for more detailed information, FAQ's, etc.
Want to know how woodburning pens are made
and why they cost as much as they do????
Well, check out the
Nibsburner page where I talk about my
meeting with Alice Bongirno of Nibsburner and my education on the making of
woodburning tips, handpieces and woodburning equipment. What an eye opener!
Perhaps you'll have a better appreciation of the time and effort involved in
making every tip and handpiece. They are NOT mass produced! Every
one is made by hand!
WOODBURNING STARTER KITS
Just starting out -
try our woodburning starter kits to go along with your new woodburner!
I have put together packages that are perfect for those who are just getting
started. They are complete with everything but the burner.
The kits include: instructional book, wood,
transfer paper, something to clean your tips and some offer a variety of the
most popular pens. Everything you need to get started and all
at a great "packaged" price. I also have kits that offer the
most popular pens used by gourd artists.
Just choose your burner and the kit of your choice!
The kits you see on my website are only available from me. I have
been offering starter kits for many years to help newcomers fine everything they
need to get started. My kits offer the most popular and versatile pens and supplies needed for someone just starting out
based on my experience as a woodburner and from my experience teaching and working with
woodburners for many years. It is my goal to provide you with kits that
will give you the most for your money. My bottom line is more is not
necessarily better. I am not in business to sell you products you don't
need.
ATTENTION BURNMASTER CUSTOMERS!
I no longer sell Burnmaster
woodburners, however I do sell woodburning pens that will work on them if used
cautiously. Because Burnmaster operates on a 3 volt system I do not
recommend using Razertip or Optima pens. Their tips are thinner than many
brands and they are made to work on a 2 volt systems. Using them could
result in the pens burning out. You can use the Colwood pens on the
Burnmaster but be sure to use the lowest temperature necessary to accomplish the
job to avoid burning out the tips.
Just as an added note, woodburning
pens work best when used on the same brand of woodburner because they were made
to work with that burner.
ABOUT MY BUSINESS & PRICING
PHILOSOPHY
I started my own business back in 1993 and have been an artist for longer than I
can remember. I have been a pyrographer, gourd artist and teacher for many years. I work on wood,
gourds and many other materials so I fully understand the needs of pyrographers
and gourd artists.
I have used just about every brand of woodburning tool made in North America and
I have sold several brands of woodburning tools over the years and have
discontinued selling some brands for lack of customer service or performance
issues. My philosophy is simple, I only sell the tools that
I personally use and can stand behind. The company must provide the same
outstanding customer service that I provide the end user, the customer.
As a professional pyrographer I can offer my customers
the expertise not available from many dealers who may be carvers or woodworkers
but only use a burner to enhance their carvings. They have no expertise in
the needs of pyrographers (drawing designs on gourds and wood). They may sell a variety of
carving tools
and equipment and only sell woodburners as a side line.
I have been selling woodburning tools since 2000 and the companies I represent
have made pens based on my specifications so that I can provide pyrographers the
best and most versatile woodburning pens on the market. The key being
versatile so you don't have to spend a fortune on a lot of tools you don't need.
I have always offered my customers discounted prices
on all woodburning tools and accessories and will continue to do so.
My father, who was in the retail business for over 50
years told me that offering customers a discount as well as the best customer
service was his way of showing customers that he cared about them and their
needs, not just making money. He was offering discounted prices long
before Wal-Mart was even in existence. When I started this business I
decided to follow in his footsteps, not as a means of competing with other
dealers, but as a means of helping people save money while affording them the
opportunity to buy the best quality products.
And how many dealers offer you the opportunity to try the woodburning tools in
your own home and if it isn't what you expected you can return it?
Not many, but that's exactly what I do! Check out my
no-hassle
guarantee
I don't sell on Amazon or Ebay and I don't negotiate prices to try to price
match other dealers who sell woodburners at heavily discounted prices. I
might not have the cheapest prices but I have and always will offer the best
service to my customers. I also won't sell you tools you don't need like
many dealers do. It's my philosophy to only sell you what you need and
nothing more!
So, if you are looking for good service and good prices from a professional
woodburner who has the expertise to help you make the right choices for your
needs you have come to the right place! If you're looking for a bargain
and don't need any help please feel free to shop ebay, Amazon or other dealers.
My goal is to keep my customers
happy, burning and coming back because of our service and competitive prices!
Happy Burning©!
Nedra Denison
The Wattage Controversy
How Woodburning Units Work
Virtually all of the modern
woodburning units are constructed in the same manner. A transformer
provides the power and is controlled by a device not unlike a light dimmer
that passes the power to a handpiece cord where a burning pen and tip are
attached. The transformer's purpose is to step down the voltage to a
usable level that is regulated by the controller that passes the power
through the cord to the handpiece and tip.
There has been a lot of
misleading information concerning wattage on woodburning units. Many
manufacturers make high wattage claims that are false. We have tested many
of these units and have found that they all consume less than 45 watts of
power, including the units claiming to deliver 130 watts max.
Simply put, wattage is
power; and generally speaking, more is better than less. The logical
question to ask is how much wattage does one need. To answer this, we
conducted an experiment in our shop using a wattmeter, a Detailer with 18
gauge cord, and a "K" tip (small point). Several feather barbs were burned
on a piece of basswood with the Detailer's control knob set to 3. We were
able to burn a nice, crisp "toast" colored barb. The wattmeter registered
10 watts! Next, we set the Detailer to full power. The "K" tip glowed a
bright orange, the basswood burned a burnt black, and the feather barbs
looked horrible. The wattmeter registered 27 watts. With respect to
woodburning, we feel that wattage rating is severely overrated. You should
chose a woodburner that has the features that you require, and a price tag
that fits your budget....Colwood Electronics Inc.
Why do different manufacturers boast about their watts and amps?
“Watts are not amps. Some manufacturers state that their tools vary between 20
and 130 watts. It has been proven beyond any doubt that there are no burners
that exceed 45 watts. Some brands claims of 130 watts of
output are false; they are under 40 watts. Also, the statement that "the
higher the watts, the quicker you can draw" is not completely accurate. As a
general statement, with all things being equal, it is true. However, you need to
take into account the ability to supply current (amps) to the tip. High current
flow is critical to tip heat recovery. Our Razertip 2 volt transformers are
rated at 10 amps. It is the amperage, not the voltage that gives fast tip
recovery. Detail Master and Nibs operate at around 3 volts (compared to our
Razertip’s 2 volts). In theory, the extra voltage helps with faster tip heat
recovery, and it gives them a 50% increase in wattage over us, but it has the
unfortunate by-product of heating up the cord and the handpiece body faster as
well. Then there is the tip wire itself. Our Razertip pens use an alloy that
doesn't require nearly as much power to heat it as the Detail Master wire does
(Razertip’s more energy efficient), so our Razertip standard tips running on 2
volts will recover their heat as quickly as the heavier Detail Master and Nibs
tips operating at 3 volts. As a thumbnail guide, watts can be roughly calculated as amps x volts. Using
this quick method of estimating watts, our Razertip burner comes in at 20 watts
(2 volts x 10 amps). The Detail Master/Nibs burners would come in at 30 watts
(10 amps x 3 volts - assuming a 10 amp transformer rating; I don't believe their
transformers are actually rated this high). Razertip could achieve 20 watts by
using 120 volts and 1/6 amps, or 20 volts at 1 amp, but our Razertip burner
wouldn't work well because everything would get hot. The lower the voltage, the
better - but if the voltage gets too low, contact becomes an issue. It's easier
to keep consistent contact at higher voltages. We could also easily change to a
3 volt transformer (like Detail Master and Nibs), but our pen bodies and cords
would heat up too quickly, and I doubt that CSA would pass a 3 volt burner
because of a risk to the operator burning himself on a hot pen body. I believe
that we have a better product because of the lower voltage and overall design.”
.....Cam Merkel, President Razertip Industries
I'm
not an electronics expert, electrician or engineer, but here's my own input on
this issue. If you have ever tried a craft burner most of them are between
25 and 30 watts. They can burn wood almost black so as Colwood and
Razertip have implied above, wattage is not the issue and you shouldn't get
fixated on wattage claims. They will all accomplish about about the same
job. So what you really need to look at are the company's reputation,
features of the woodburning systems, the pens, the price, customer service,
warranty, etc. Make your choice based on all of those items and most
important....what you can afford, Do not make your decision based on WATTAGE!!!
Happy Burning©
Nedra Denison
