Let’s take a look at the wood burning kit and what it offers. This is another tool that is targeted at beginners to the hobby. This is an interesting design in that it is very simple and straightforward. You plug in the tool to make it hot and you unplug it to turn it off. There is no power switch or button and there is no temperature control. It is all or nothing on this one! We like that this wood burning kit comes with a lot of different tips for the iron. We like the variety especially for beginners. Some of the tips are heat stamps in certain shapes such as a crescent moon shape so we’re not sure how much use they would get. We would only recommend this very basic tool to a first timer and even then you might find yourself wanting to upgrade soon.
Product Specifications
- 120 Volts
- 3’ Power Cord
What’s Included
- Wood Burning Iron
- Finger Grips
- 20 Different Pyrography Tips and Hot Stamps
- Solder Tip and Hot Knife Tip
- Stencil
- Foldable Metal Stand
- Plastic Case
- 3’ Cord
ProsCons
SimpleShort Cable
Beginners ToolNo Temperature Control
20 Different Tips includedHandle Gets Hot!
CheapFlimsy Stand
Things We Like
Stencil and Storage Case Included
This kit comes with a stencil which is a nice touch. It includes an uppercase alphabet and numbers that are roughly half an inch tall and a few symbols such as a heart and square. This could be a nice feature for a beginner that wants to do some lettering on one of their art pieces. The side of the stencil can also be used as a straight edge to save yourself from finding a ruler. There is also a plastic storage case that is included with this kit. Typically I store my extra tips in small pouches because I’m not patient enough to pop everything back into a case like this but I can see how it would be nice for certain individuals.
It’s Simple
The Sparkleberry Industries wood burning tool is extremely simple and sometimes that’s a good thing. There’s no fancy features, settings, knobs, or dials. This kit is very plug and play and therefore very appealing to someone who doesn’t want to deal with the learning curve of something more high tech. The tip does heat up rapidly but then again so does the entire tool. We had to use gloves with this one!
Things We Would Change
Cord Length Could be Longer
The 3’ cord on the Sparkleberry Industries iron is one of the shorter power cables on irons that we’ve seen. What this means for you is that you will either need to be working directly next to a power outlet or you will need to have a large gauge extension cord. It seems like for a little more money Sparkleberry Industries could have opted for a 6’ cord. I suppose they are trying to keep the cost of the kit low to appeal to their target audience of beginners. It’s an interesting design choice not to have a power switch on the unit itself so you might find yourself unplugging the unit quite often if you want to cool the iron off. Again, this is probably a design choice to keep the cost of the unit low.
More Insulation Needed
Speaking of cooling off – this unit doesn’t have as much insulation as others that we have reviewed. This means hot and uncomfortable hands if you plan on using it for extended periods. Even while wearing the supplied finger grips we had to opt for a glove after a short time. The finger protectors supplied with this kit look like they were cut from a pair of kitchen gloves. I personally wouldn’t wear them as I would be afraid of them melting to my skin in the event that my fingers touch the iron. They don’t provide much protection from the heat either and are mainly for added grip. There are much safer alternatives for keeping your hands insulated that will still allow you to have a good feel for the iron.
Flimsy Wood Burner Stand
The stand included with this kit feels flimsy. It has to be bent into the correct shape and isn’t sturdy enough that I would trust it for long term use. On top of that you would have to fold it back flat if you wanted to put it back in the storage case. I wouldn’t suggest going that route either as the metal it’s made of feels like it would break after too much folding back and forth. A flimsy stand and a tool without a power switch seems like a bad combination if you ask me. Please be sure to unplug this woodburner anytime it is not in use.
Conclusion
This wood burning kit by Sparkleberry Industries is an alright tool if you are just beginning pyrography. I really couldn’t recommend it to an experienced artist but for a beginner on a budget it will get the job done and will allow you to experiment with some different tips and stamps to see what you like. Make sure that you have some kind of glove to insulate your hand from the hot handle if you plan to work with this tool for long projects.