I have been looking into getting a branding iron to mark my cutting board. I am curious, anyone here have one or use it to mark your projects? If you have one, what did you put on it, how many lines. I am not sure if name is enough and I was thinking about name and website, but just wondering what you have or what you would do?

Hi John,

Yes, my family bought me one a few years ago and I use it on every piece I ship from my shop and not only that I also autograph it as well as to date the autograph.

Mine say Hand Crafted by Ralph Jones London,Ohio

Ralph

I was thinking of using this mostly on cutting boards although I am sure I will use it on everything else.

I wanted them to see it and be able to contact me without putting a phone number on it. Numbers might change and that was also my thought on web sites.

I guess just name and city, state would be fine.

John,
As I stated on mine is three lines with the top line Hand Crafted
By Ralph Jones
London, Ohio
There is no date, phone number or address and I get business from sea shore to sea shore and border to border and mostly all by word of mouth.
 

John, I know this waaaay late, but I was just wondering, did you ever get that branding iron, and if so, where and what design did you settle on?

John I got one from Woodcraft that is the two line electric model. I have replaced it once and I am about to replace it again. If you drop it, it will break the ceramic piece inside and then it will not heat. Yes, I have dropped it twice. You don't have to replace the head, just the handle and heating element.

 

I love it and everything I make has my brand on it.

I've been planning on making one.  I figure I can smelt and pour brass into plaster mold that's been  drying for a couple years and in the bottom of the mold I'll have  carved my signature using my little pantograph that I made.  There'll be nothing more.   No ducks no saws no hand planes  Just my name;  my signature actually

All the great ones like Antonio de Torrez Jurado and Stradivarius  along with the great majority  Victorian era cabinet makers used nothing more than their names.  So I  figure it ought to be good enough for me.

I like that Cliff.

I'd like a stamp or brand with,

 

Courtland Woodworks

US Veteran Made

 

Cool huh?

I need to get on that, my last customer protested a bit that I was unable to brand work I did for him. I signed it on the back where nobody would ever see it, but he really wanted a brand.

Branding projects seems to be growing. I sign mine with the year. I have seen some brand the Jewelry boxes they make on the side of the drawers. The larger projects I have done, I took a wood burner and inscribed the piece with a cross and a dove. Then company name and my name and year. I would guess something like an iron would be more consistent in size etc.

Branding projects seems to be growing. I sign mine with the year. I have seen some brand the Jewelry boxes they make on the side of the drawers. The larger projects I have done, I took a wood burner and inscribed the piece with a cross and a dove. Then company name and my name and year. I would guess something like an iron would be more consistent in size etc.

But there is a lot to be said for the uniqueness of doing each one by hand as you do Wayne. I think that adds a nice personal hand made touch to, sometimes consistency gets boring.

Has anyone ever checked what temp their electric iron reaches when it's ready to brand? I have one that's heated with a torch and have a little touble getting the temp just right. If I knew what the target was I could use my non-contact thermometer to get it ready.

i just use my wood burning tool an put R&L WW on mine(R=ron,L=LIL my wife)since she is my QA on my projects,if she dont like it ,in the scarbin an statr over lol

Has anyone ever checked what temp their electric iron reaches when it's ready to brand? I have one that's heated with a torch and have a little touble getting the temp just right. If I knew what the target was I could use my non-contact thermometer to get it ready.

 

 

572F is the flash point for dry wood.  So anywhere around there would do the trick.