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Signing your work

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I did a search and found lots of information. Many suggested the Sakura Pigma Micron pen. However, I don't want to purchase a set and let some sit on a shelf for ages. Have a piece that I'm working on and need some way to sign it. Any alternatives? Thanks.
 
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Zig calligraph pens....variety of colors....let dry 3 to 5 minutes before putting finish over them.....online ....I think Joanne carries them....hobby lobby ....Michael
 
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Dremel engraver - relativelyinexpensive, lasts forever. I grind the needle to along taper to write small. Never have to worry about the ink running, works with all finishes.
 
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I also use a dremel engraver, but I fill it with the Cindy Drozda's gold stick. I use the dremel on the lowest setting and did not modify the tip. I also use my wood burner.
 

odie

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Signing your work is one of the most important things you can do to convey uniqueness and artistry. If you want to separate yourself from the "herd", you need to do something that impacts the observer at the subconscious level.....and key his senses towards an appreciation that's generated by his own aesthetic triggers. That can be a very tricky objective for sure, and it's not just the method you use, but the way you illuminate the aesthetic triggers at that subconscious level.

I have my own opinions about engravers, sharpies, micron ink pens, colored fills, inserts, pyrography, and etc......lots of information, minimal information, big vs small......and so forth......but my opinion is unique to myself.....so, I'll just add my input in the paragraph above, and maybe it will strike a note with a few others......or, not! o_O

-----odie-----
 

john lucas

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Here are examples of the engraver and a small pyro pen with a low heat setting. I don't have a sample of the micron pen or rubbing wax into the signature. The problem I have with rubbing wax into the signature is most of the woods I use are fairly porous and the wax also rubs into the pores around the signature and it looks terrible. If you use the wax put a lot of finish over that area to fill in the pores first.
 

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Thanks. Off to Hobby Lobby tomorrow. Have a generic Dremel but don't have a steady hand for it.
 
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I use the pyrography pen, in a home made/adapted power transformer, the info on the wood will stay and not streak or muddle with my Polymerized Tung Oil Finish over it.

As a testament to its staying up to use, a picture of 6 individual salad bowls I made for my oldest son that have been used for better than 15 years, washed and oiled etc, made this picture earlier this past year, so in use for 15 years and you can see the signature is still real nice IMO.

So yes starting with a good pyrography unit might be looked upon as expensive, after 20 years of use that will be less costly than getting pens that might not work that well and will fade away.

Salad bowls.jpg
 

john lucas

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The Dremel takes practice. So does pyrography. You have to develop what I call "the touch". Just enough pressure and speed but not too much. The downside of the permanent markers is they aren't always permanent. Oh they may not fade but sometimes it's easy to wipe them off. They will also smear if you try to put finish over them. I spray a very light finish over them to prevent the rub off and then sometimes use a wipe on finish over that. For my Christmas ornaments that aren't handled much it seems to work just fine.
 
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Thanks, John. Your statement is what I suspected. I was thinking of the Sakura pen with WOP over it. Any thoughts on what it will do? Forget it to keep from ruining a good piece of cherry? I'm making a bee hive like in my avatar.
 

john lucas

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Try it and see. Pens aren't that expensive. Wiping might be a problem. I would try it on scrap to see. You might try dabbing one layer on a let that dry and then try wiping. I have tried a bunch of pens and some work better than others. Wish I had kept notes so could give out better info but alas I'm terrible about that and I have a memory about an inch long.
 
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John,
I used sharpies for a long time and had some problems with the ink running after the finish was applied. It would rarely not show up until later. It also seemed to fade over many months or years. I've used sakura pens on rods and tried them a couple times on bowls without any better luck than the sharpies, though not enough of them to know about the fading. If you really want a nice inscription on your work, the woodburner or engraver approach will give you lasting, nice looking results, after some practice and assuming you have a steady hand. Or a laser CNC machine!
 
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these signatures were done probably 5 years ago.....bleached maple with poly.....oak.....Bradford pear.....both with oil after signature.....usually let signature dry 3 to 5 minutes before applying finish.....signature done with Zig pen
 

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I have just started to use my pyrography machine to sign my work. One thing I was advised as someone new to doing this is to make two parallel lines on the base as a guide and write between them to add the signature, wood type and what ever you want to put on there this should help make it look tidy. Well I will soon find out as I am working on three pieces at the moment
 
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I just use 1 line.....I used the grain lines....a little harder when bleaching
 
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When I sign my work, I sign my full name, the date I completed the work, and what the wood is. I believe that the buyer appreciates having that information permanently attached to the work so that they don't have to worry about forgetting what the wood is or who made it. As someone mentioned above, it provides a personal touch that buyers appreciate.
I've been using Pigma Micron archival ink pens with great success and no fading. They come in 01, 03 and 05 micron size tips. The ink is a micro pigment that is waterproof and fade proof according to the manufacturer.
 

Martin Groneng

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I totally agree with Paul's approach. Full name in signature form, year only as who really cares about the exact date turned/finished and wood type. All I have ever heard over my years of turning is that buyers "totally dislike" all the other identity forms, especially "Initials", like who the heck is XYZ? Don't you always sign your cheques, credit card, drivers licence, etc. with a pen for authenticity. Any other form could be forged.
 

Bill Boehme

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When I sign my work, I sign my full name, the date I completed the work, and what the wood is. I believe that the buyer appreciates having that information permanently attached to the work so that they don't have to worry about forgetting what the wood is or who made it. As someone mentioned above, it provides a personal touch that buyers appreciate.
I've been using Pigma Micron archival ink pens with great success and no fading. They come in 01, 03 and 05 micron size tips. The ink is a micro pigment that is waterproof and fade proof according to the manufacturer.

It's interesting ... I have a bunch of the 05 Pigma Micron pens that I bought from David Nittmann several years ago at SWAT and was curious about the actual size of the writing tip. I found that they have a wide range of pen sizes, but the number on the pen doesn't correspond to the actual size. There is a large range of sizes and here is a chart that gives the actual size in millimeters for each pen: https://sakuraofamerica.com/pen-archival#three. It turns out that the "05" pens are actually 0.45 mm which is close, but the "01" pens are 0.25 mm which isn't close. Also, the "08" pens are 0.5 mm so there isn't even a linear relationship. :D
 
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I totally agree with Paul's approach. Full name in signature form, year only as who really cares about the exact date turned/finished and wood type. All I have ever heard over my years of turning is that buyers "totally dislike" all the other identity forms, especially "Initials", like who the heck is XYZ? Don't you always sign your cheques, credit card, drivers licence, etc. with a pen for authenticity. Any other form could be forged.
My experience is a bit different with customers caring about what the wood is. I've only had positive comments with my writing the type of wood on the bottom, especially with spalted woods and burls.
 

Martin Groneng

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In rereading how I phrased my earlier comments, Paul, YES, wood type is important. I did not mean to give it a "negative" thought.The first question always asked when a person picks up a turning is, "what is the wood"?
 
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most of my pieces have a title.....I give paper slip with title...wood type...my name....how to renew if oil finish........discuss not to display on glass or in front of air or heat vent....most of my sales are to people that know me......lost interest in craft fairs many years ago......that is just my preference and not to disparage the hard work and sales of other Woodturners.....everyone has to make their own decisions and goal fulfillment.....
 
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I have just started to use my pyrography machine to sign my work. One thing I was advised as someone new to doing this is to make two parallel lines on the base as a guide and write between them to add the signature, wood type and what ever you want to put on there this should help make it look tidy. Well I will soon find out as I am working on three pieces at the moment

The two lines is nice if you have the room, though I normally do not use it that way to sign my work even if I have the room.
But you will find the way that works best for you, not everyone does the same thing, a good thing I think :)

White Oak.jpg Myrtle.jpg
White Ash.jpg
 
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I have not found a way to sign wood - I sign on top of sealer sanded to 3000 before going to clear coat. I found that the Sharpie will not survive - paint pens will endure the 2K urethane clear coat.
 
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Just finished a bee hive. I signed the bottom with the Sakura pen and put one coat of WOP over it. Looks good and the ink didn't smear. Thanks to all!!
 
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most of my pieces have a title.....I give paper slip with title...wood type...my name....how to renew if oil finish........discuss not to display on glass or in front of air or heat vent....most of my sales are to people that know me......lost interest in craft fairs many years ago......that is just my preference and not to disparage the hard work and sales of other Woodturners.....everyone has to make their own decisions and goal fulfillment.....
Why not display on glass? What am I missing? I've not heard anyone say that before.
 
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Why not display on glass? What am I missing? I've not heard anyone say that before.

we have state natural history museum here in town.....when they first opened they asked local artisans for work to be displayed in snack bar sourverner area....they displayed the items on glass in glass columner tall case.....it took the finish off bottom of mesquite hf.....they had it about 9 months or so.....one of my early hf
 

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Paul, that is interesting. What finish was on the mesquite? Would that be a factor? Sort of putting a hot dish on a napkin or paper towel on a table and the paper sticking to the table?
 
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the bottom is slightly cupped....notice the outer edges retained some finish....the finish is oil.....either velvet oil or Danish oil....I would guess velvet oil @ that time period, I could repair using either but the mesquite outside sides are still pristine....this one is 9 1/2 tall with top. . 1 1/2 inches. body 8 inches tall....like I say early....I believe you can get a better curve with the width greater than the height
 
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Interesting that the Zig pen signature was not effected but oil removed

Title.....Apache Revenge......early summer late springe when I turned it....Hot hot......I looked down and my hands were black.....
 
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If you turn a foot ring instead of a flat bottom, the piece will have less tendency to wobble. Then sign your work in the recessed bottom, and it will be protected from whatever the glass (or whatever) affects the finish.
 
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we have state natural history museum here in town.....when they first opened they asked local artisans for work to be displayed in snack bar sourverner area....they displayed the items on glass in glass columner tall case.....it took the finish off bottom of mesquite hf.....they had it about 9 months or so.....one of my early hf

This is interesting. I just joined our local artist coop and the best space is a multi-level glass display. My work has been there a week and I could see faint rings of dry oil on the glass today. The Tried & True finish (Danish oil/varnish/beeswax) has cured two months.

Guess I'll find out! The other turner in the coop uses WOP, CA, and shellac and has had work there for a year, and individual pieces have sat for at least a few months. I didn't see any rings under his work.

I'll keep everyone posted if it becomes a problem.
 

odie

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This is interesting. I just joined our local artist coop and the best space is a multi-level glass display. My work has been there a week and I could see faint rings of dry oil on the glass today. The Tried & True finish (Danish oil/varnish/beeswax) has cured two months.

Guess I'll find out! The other turner in the coop uses WOP, CA, and shellac and has had work there for a year, and individual pieces have sat for at least a few months. I didn't see any rings under his work.

I'll keep everyone posted if it becomes a problem.

Hi Zach........I'm betting the beeswax is the culprit. Does it ever dry out completely? If your works are sitting on a glass shelf, inside a display case.....there are likely lights and heat considerations under these conditions.

This is interesting, because I've been using the Watco Danish oil for many years, and never had a problem with it......but, I don't know if they've ever been displayed on a glass shelf before. (My bowls have been displayed in art galleries in AZ and CA, but I've never been there in person to see how they were displayed.)........I'm interested in hearing your conclusions about this.....

-----odie-----
 
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Zach, I also use Watco Danish oil as Odie does and never have had a problem with oil residue. We have a glass shelf show case where some of my bowls are displayed and have not had any oil ring residue from the Danish oil.
 

Bill Boehme

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The resins in some softwoods, notably cedar, can interfere with the polymerization process of varnishes and curing oils especially in confined areas such as the inside of boxes that aren't exposed to normal air circulation. This could possibly include the bottoms of bowls.
 
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