RZ Mask – When I first started woodburning I used to get headaches all the time. After hearing someone speak at a pyro summit I learned that it could have been from inhaling smoke. Since then I have used a mask whenever I burn. RZ masks have been my go-to as they are easy to find both online and in-store. What I love about RZ is that they have replaceable filters, they are washable, and filters are not that expensive. They also have regular and high airflow filters. The high airflow is excellent if you are burning for an extended period of time especially if you have respiratory issues.

Turntable: I absolutely love this turntable. It makes burning wood like decorating a cake. Doing things such as turning my work and making curved lines is much smoother than working on a fixed surface. It also lessens the chance of scratching the back of the wood. This particular turntable tilts so I can angle it where it is comfortable for what I am doing. Depending on what I am burning I like the versatility of being able to burn flat or on an angle. I also added cat tongue tape so it holds the piece when I have it tilted.

Since I burn on high heat it produces a lot of carbon. This sticks to the nib and it makes it hard to burn evenly so I added a Razertip brass brush to the bottom of my turntable to clean my nibs frequently.

Bosch Orbital Sander Prepping wood and finishing wood is much easier with an orbital versus hand sanding. It takes less time, is far less painful, and gives a more even finish. I like to go down progressively from 120 to 320-grade paper when I prep. Believe me, that is a lot of sanding. I also like to overburn and then go over it again with a 120 to make the lines crisp so we’re looking at as many as four times that I will sand one piece. It’s also nice that I can attach my shop vac to catch the dust.