Branding Irons?

Anyone ever used custom branding irons to mark headstocks or other guitar parts? Its pricey as hell but i kinda like the idea and it looks cool.

I've got one and if you get it right they look great.

BUT - you only get one shot at it and if you screw it up there's no easy fix.

It's hard to get the temperature just right and then judging how long and hard to press down. I always have a nice big piece of scrap neck wood close by and try it out several times as I heat up the iron. I usually make 6 or 8 trials on scrap before I hit the headstock. I actually seldom use it anymore.

I always thought that'd be a great idea... until I saw the prices. Woodworking catalogs have very basic branding irons, like just with initials, for around $40; anything decent seems really expensive.

I bought my dad an iron for steaks, though, for Fathers' Day a few years ago. I was amazed at how hot it needed to get, even for steak, to get a well-defined brand. I'd imagine getting a really decent brand in wood would take some talent.

I was thinking that you could also use it as a stamp. Put in a press and press the headstock until the logo is imprinted. Then inlay it with black epoxy. Sand smooth. What do yall think?

There's always the hobby wood burning kit too. It's a fancy soldering iron. You draw something a design on the wood with a pencil. The you take the iron and go over the top.

I was thinking that you could also use it as a stamp. Put in a press and press the headstock until the logo is imprinted. Then inlay it with black epoxy. Sand smooth. What do yall think?

Here's an article on doing inlay with dyed epoxy:

http://www.woodsmith.com/files/issues/173/adding-an-epoxy-inlay.pdf

I think routing the design out, as if doing traditional inlay,
might work better than stamping.

Working with a light colored wood can be tricky. With dark
wood like ebony, small errors in the rout are disguised by
gluing the inlay with epoxy dyed black.

Thanks for bringing up this idea -- I want to try it soon.

Yep. I had a local farmer/ guitar player weld me up a set, took him half an hour, cost me $10

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/tvvoodoo/stellar%20pics/general%20guitar%20pix/cowboycaster/heating2.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/tvvoodoo/stellar%20pics/general%20guitar%20pix/cowboycaster/rockerburn.jpg

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/tvvoodoo/stellar%20pics/general%20guitar%20pix/cowboycaster/rangeandstrap.jpg

actually I only needed two, the nine is simply the six turned upsy-daisy

If you are branding a body, do it before you put anything on the wood.

my experiments on various finishes did not yield very satisfying results.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/tvvoodoo/stellar%20pics/general%20guitar%20pix/cowboycaster/testpattern.jpg

The brand by the way, is registered as "Rocking Sixty-Nine|

Love the Rocking 69.
I did a little wood burning on my first build, pine body was okay, the maple neck heated unevenly. Not as bold as branding.

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There's always the hobby wood burning kit too. It's a fancy soldering iron. You draw something a design on the wood with a pencil. The you take the iron and go over the top.

My friend does amazing woodburnings, and this is exactly what I'm going to get him to do with my headstock. I'm thinking some fancy scrolly type thing

Complex angles and scripts don't suit themselves well to branding. If you look at Tvvoodoos irons, you will see flowing curves, and the letters don't come back and touch themselves. On an animal, those tight curves and intersecting lines will actually form on big blob of a scar because the extra heat from the two lines and intersecting corners put out more heat than a single line. Wood burning on the other hand, you can work a single are at a time and control the temperature.

I like brands, I think they are cool.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/2012-02-09124045.jpg

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/2012-02-09124037.jpg

When I branded these guys, I had to do quite a bit of sanding to remove surface burns.

I have been emailing with a company called Brand-First. Looks like you can get a custom image up to 2" for $75 plus shipping. Im thinking about trying it. Im having trouble getting them a working image though. They need it in Vector file and mine is in Word. Im not really a computer guy but I gotta find a way to convert those images. Anybody know how to do that?

I typed

word file to vector converter

into google and got tons of good info and suggestions.

Her is the place im thinking of using incase anyone is interested....

http://www.brand-first.com/index.htm

I have been emailing with a company called Brand-First. Looks like you can get a custom image up to 2" for $75 plus shipping. Im thinking about trying it. Im having trouble getting them a working image though. They need it in Vector file and mine is in Word. Im not really a computer guy but I gotta find a way to convert those images. Anybody know how to do that?

That's where I got my branding iron and I just sent them a jpeg... no issues.

Her is the place im thinking of using incase anyone is interested....

http://www.brand-first.com/index.htm

Actually, now that I clicked your link, thats NOT where I got mine...

Mine came from a place called "Brand New"... http://www.brandnew.net/default.asp

Thanks for the info jkingma. I sent those folks the JPEG. Maybe I'll go with them..

Were you happy with them? How about the iron, quality work?

Were you happy with them? How about the iron, quality work?

Fast and friendly service. The quality of the iron itself is top notch.

The only problem (like I mentioned before) is that you only get one shot and they are very hard to get consistantly good results.

Do you think it would work as a stamp used to imprint the design in a small press then inlay with black epoxy? that would give a more consistent look wouldn't it?

I think that depends on the design of the logo and how hard the wood is. My logo has big thick letters... I'm pretty sure it won't work like that.

You could take your neck to a sign maker and have your logo laser etched.

Mine has thin lines, so maybe I'll try it and see.

Colt, laser etching huh? I do have a buddy with a sign shop...I'd rather do it myself though. I'll keep yall posted withany progress

My brother in law has a laser etching... he helped me make this strap for a custom client.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h156/tvvoodoo/Strapping%20young%20fellow/skyhighandkreature.jpg

That thing will burn into anything, up to 600 dpi accuracy and a tele body would fit inside the box - ideas came pouring forth...

My branding irons came in. I ordered them from BrandNew.net. Nice folks, quality work and affordable. Got both of these for $160 shipped. I like em



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