Electricity Produces Unique Art

2017 - Volume #41, Issue #2, Page #19

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“Factal Burning” is a new way to create art that uses high-voltage electricity to make artistic branch and root-like patterns on wood and gourds.
    “I like the unpredictability. I can only control where it starts and stops by turning off the electricity,” says Dave Fox, a Michigan woodworker who has been fractal burning for about a year.    Following instructions he found on the internet, he made two burners that he uses individually or in tandem on larger boards. One is made from a microwave oven transformer and the other from a neon sign transformer.
    The neon transformer may be safer, because it is already wired, but Fox prefers the microwave burner because it is “faster and more exciting”.
    It can also be deadly.
    “If you touch the board while it’s burning it will kill you,” Fox says, noting there are contradicting opinions about how much voltage the transformers produce.
    The safest way to operate either burner is to plug and unplug it. Fox added a switch and light bulbs to his burners so he knows when it is on. That’s especially helpful for the neon transformer, which is silent.
    Fox’s setup also includes a piece of pressed insulated board with two blocks of wood on top to support the piece of wood he burns. He uses clips to hold the wires in place.
    After the wood is prepped with soda water (Fox uses 1 tbsp. baking soda to 1 cup water), he turns the burner on and the current takes over until he turns it off. When the piece is finished it can be cleaned off under running water with a stiff brush. Fox prefers to use a piece of Scotch-Brite® sanding pad on a rotary tool to buff out the char and soot before blowing it off with an air hose. After a light sanding, the wood is ready for a finish. Fox typically sprays on Rust- Oleum® Triple Thick Glaze.
    With experience he has learned to read wood grain and that he prefers closed cell dense woods like walnut, cherry, aromatic cedar and hickory. Other fractal burning artists use other woods and even plywood.
    For a little control, Fox says he leaves some areas of the wood dry. He uses the open spaces to woodburn in names, sayings and other customized wording. His heart- and state-shaped plaques with a quote about family and roots have been very popular. He sells them along with coat racks, canes and other items at craft shows and through his website.
    “People sometimes bring their own items that they want burned,” Fox says.
“Gourds have to be very clean and have the wax coating off. They tend to burn with a lot more fine detail because of the density of the material.
    Because of the danger, he doesn’t demonstrate fractal burning at shows, but customers can watch a video of it on his laptop.
    For Fox, who has experimented with a variety of woodworking crafts over the years, fractal burning is a fast, exciting art that allows him to sell beautiful items at reasonable prices.
    A video on his Facebook page shows how the fractal burning is done. There are several websites that show how to build and use fractal burners.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Creation’s Imitations Plus, Dave Fox, 4696 Peck Lake Rd., Portland, Mich. 48875 (ph 517 526-0773; creationsimitationsplus.com).

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Electricity Produces Unique Art AG WORLD “Factal Burning” is a new way to create art that uses high-voltage electricity to make artistic branch and root-like patterns on wood and gourds “I like the unpredictability I can only control where it starts and stops by turning off the electricity ” says Dave Fox a Michigan woodworker who has been fractal burning for about a year Following instructions he found on the internet he made two burners that he uses individually or in tandem on larger boards One is made from a microwave oven transformer and the other from a neon sign transformer The neon transformer may be safer because it is already wired but Fox prefers the microwave burner because it is “faster and more exciting” It can also be deadly “If you touch the board while it’s burning it will kill you ” Fox says noting there are contradicting opinions about how much voltage the transformers produce The safest way to operate either burner is to plug and unplug it Fox added a switch and light bulbs to his burners so he knows when it is on That’s especially helpful for the neon transformer which is silent Fox’s setup also includes a piece of pressed insulated board with two blocks of wood on top to support the piece of wood he burns He uses clips to hold the wires in place After the wood is prepped with soda water Fox uses 1 tbsp baking soda to 1 cup water he turns the burner on and the current takes over until he turns it off When the piece is finished it can be cleaned off under running water with a stiff brush Fox prefers to use a piece of Scotch-Brite® sanding pad on a rotary tool to buff out the char and soot before blowing it off with an air hose After a light sanding the wood is ready for a finish Fox typically sprays on Rust- Oleum® Triple Thick Glaze With experience he has learned to read wood grain and that he prefers closed cell dense woods like walnut cherry aromatic cedar and hickory Other fractal burning artists use other woods and even plywood For a little control Fox says he leaves some areas of the wood dry He uses the open spaces to woodburn in names sayings and other customized wording His heart- and state-shaped plaques with a quote about family and roots have been very popular He sells them along with coat racks canes and other items at craft shows and through his website “People sometimes bring their own items that they want burned ” Fox says “Gourds have to be very clean and have the wax coating off They tend to burn with a lot more fine detail because of the density of the material Because of the danger he doesn’t demonstrate fractal burning at shows but customers can watch a video of it on his laptop For Fox who has experimented with a variety of woodworking crafts over the years fractal burning is a fast exciting art that allows him to sell beautiful items at reasonable prices A video on his Facebook page shows how the fractal burning is done There are several websites that show how to build and use fractal burners Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Creation’s Imitations Plus Dave Fox 4696 Peck Lake Rd Portland Mich 48875 ph 517 526-0773; creationsimitationsplus com

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