# Woodburning straight lines



## EnRouteWoodcrafts (Oct 23, 2012)

I have been woodburning for a while now and feel like im pretty good at it but the problem im having most is trying to get a thin straight line with one of the thin pointed tips. Any advice on how to make my thin lines look straight and not wobbly?
Thanks


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## Iceman567 (Apr 29, 2012)

A few possibilities. Not sure what you are burning the lines into. A small V-gouge and using a straight edge, carve a very shallow v-groove and burn that. Or use a wooden ruler with the _thin_ metal strip on the edge. Too much metal will draw the heat out of your tip.

Good luck.


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## Galaktia (Jan 18, 2013)

Hello Enroute, 

A couple of things that I have used. A pre-drawn line drawn with a graphite pencil, or patterned onto your design using a laser printed line and a patterning bit/heat bit, or a household iron gives you a line to follow and goes will with tracing skill.

As iceman said metal will draw heat from the tip and wood will burn, but if you raise a small metal bar up so it is touching the pyro-pen shaft above the tip it doesn't cool the tip and can act as a guide, raised up and clamped on two short wooden blocks, can give a good mount.

And of course remember it's easier to draw a straight line if you're drawing it diagonally towards your dominant hands side (motor neuron theory) rather than drawing one across or straight down from your bodies perspective. So rotating the piece to the right angle can help.


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