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Thanks to social media I have recently become interested in pyrography. (My first ever attempt was recorded in this post if you want to check it out.) So, when I stumbled upon the Scorch Marker Pro I immediately knew I wanted to try it.
The Scorch Marker Pro is non-toxic, heat activated, made in the USA, invented by a firefighter and avid woodworker. It is a great option for beginners and children.
For the first out of the gates test I wanted to simply try the market on a piece of scrap wood to see how (and how well) it worked.
To start, it is very similar to a paint pen (except fairly clear). You shake the marker and then you have to pump the tip on a piece of paper or paper towel to prime the bullet tip.
After that you are good to go. The packaging suggests preparing your piece of wood by sanding it with 220 grit sandpaper. After that you simply draw your design in your desired location and then fan it with your heat gun. The directions on the packaging say to be sure to keep your heat source moving. If you leave it in one spot for too long, it can scorch other (non-marked) areas (potentially ruining your design and piece).
Yes, you do need a heat gun. Before using my heat gun, I attempted to use an old hairdryer…as they say these days – epic fail. I happened to have an old heat gun, but I tried it out first with a hairdryer (because I thought more people might have one of those lying around). After a whole minute of direct heat from the hairdryer there was no color change on the marked areas. Once I set the heat gun to it the marked areas came to life!
Some great heat gun options include:
I made a real-time video of a simple test project which you can watch below.
Some of my favorite things about the Scorch marker:
- It is made in the USA (a thing that matters to me – we see those words on too few things these days)
- It has both a bullet tip and a foam brush tip. One is designed to better cover a larger area, the other for more detailed and finer lines.
- There was no smell. The marker itself did not stink – I was honestly afraid it would.
- It is overall less dangerous (unless you are the type who eat Tide Pods…) than the traditional pyrography pen – less risk of accidentally burning yourself.
Have you tried the Scorch Maker Pro?
What did you make with it, and what did you think of the results? Let me know in the comments below.