We have a new display set up at the Library courtesy of Bob Powell of Dalton. Pyrography is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or more commonly called woodburning. Bob started doing woodburning back in grade school and never lost his fondness of the hobby. Starting out he used the basic wood burning tools that a lot of us got as kids in a kit. But when Bob retired he bought a specialized tool kit that allows him to achieve a large range of tones and shades. By varying the type of tip used, the temperature, or the way the iron is applied to the material he can create many different effects. Light-colored hardwoods such as sycamore, basswood, beech and birch are most commonly used, as their fine grain is not obtrusive. However, other woods, such as maple, pine or oak, are also used. After the design is burned in, the wooden objects can be colored or varnished over to protect the design. The display will be set up for the next month, so when you are in Kingston stop in and take a look.
