Fractal Wood Burning: HOW TO

WARNING: I do not recommend ANYONE trying fractal wood burning.

Here is the kill switch I use in the video! Just a little over $20 on Amazon!

I do not claim to be an expert on fractal wood burning, but I have made hundreds of these fractal wood burned pieces. I also work for an Eletrical utility company for my day job so I have spent a lot of time working with very high voltage electricity. And throughout my experience I have learned to ALWAYS be careful when working with electricity.

This video is meant for the people like me who know how dangerous fractal wood burning is but are going to do it regardless. Or for those who are already fractal wood burning but don’t know all the ways to keep themselves safe. I do not want to encourage anyone to try fractal wood burning, but if you are, this is the safest possible way to do it (in my opinion).

This method of fractal wood burning utilizes 3 layers of rubber protection;
1- rubber mat on the ground
2- rubber mat under work piece
3- rubber gloves
Two layers of Eletrical safety switches;
1- kill switch mounted on the fractal burn device.
2- dead man switch between the outlet and devices power cord. This is THE most important piece for safety.

RULES:
1. ALWAYS assume your device is ENERGIZED and NEVER touch the leads with your bare hands. If you need to move your Eletrical leads; step off the dead man switch, turn off the kill switch, and don your rubber gloves.
2. ALWAYS use a DEAD MAN switch. Place the dead man switch far enough away that you are going to be safe (6 foot or so).
3. Use ALL your RUBBER protection. Isolate your self from the ground by using a rubber mat over your entire work area. Isolate your work piece from the ground using a rubber mat under your work piece. Isolate yourself with rubber gloves.
4. FREAR & RESPECT the electricity. Fractal wood burners use extremely high voltage (2,000v) and enough amps to stop your heart in a second, DON’T FORGET THAT!

While this is NOT a fool proof method and accidents can still happen; follow my instructions for fractal wood burning and it will keep you much much safer. I have made hundreds of fractal wood burned pieces and I have learned through the years these tips and tricks for staying safe.

Please check out my other YouTube videos and my Instagram account where I post videos and other cool fractal wood burning content!

[briangilroy]

The deadman switch actually saved my life when my rig bit me. If the switch hadn't broken the circuit almost immediately after contact I would have died for sure. As it was, even the split second the 4000 volts went through my body was enough to fuse my contact lens to my cornea which ultimately caused me to lose my eye. It left exit wounds on my fingers. Needless to say I dont mess with it any longer.

[sadCasserole]

If you're thinking about giving this a go, don't. Its so incredibly dangerous and can leave you permanently disabled, or worse, dead. The amount of electricity that the device produces is incredibly high, and could easily be fatal if even the slightest thing goes wrong. There have already been over 30 reported deaths from fractal wood burning accidents in the US alone, don't be the

[DustyHoney]

34+ people died doing this in the USA. Another 30+ people died doing this in the UK. There have also been some deaths reported in Australia.

[ssgeek]

DO NOT DO THIS.Transformers are galvaniclly isolated so the rcd or main breaker will not trip if you get a 2kv shock ftom that microwave transformer.Mains trips only see the primary side load😯

[PapaRoachie]

Y’all PLEASE LISTEN to the warnings here… this is DANGEROUS… a friend of a friend’s boyfriend is now in Hospice because he was electrocuted doing this. And it wasn’t his first time either. He’s practically brain dead. :( PLEASE BE SAFE

[alfiewillis]

Thank you so much for just outright telling people how dangerous it is and doing your best to provide safety measures for people who *do* want to play with that risk anyway. I saw a thing on Twitter just a couple of weeks go where a big account was hiding posts informing people how dangerous it is and I appreciate you going out of your way to inform people and responding to comments honestly. Thank you again.

[clytle]

Glad someone is actually showing a safer way to do this. I work on things with higher voltage and current than this and you must develop a method for doing it safely. Nothing is 100% safe. I would add a couple lights to indicate the power is on. Switches can weld themselves on.

[xgoldshwangx]

Tbh this is one of the safest burner set ups I’ve seen would love a video on how your burner is set up tbh

[kevinouellette]

Pretty awesome man! That is def a much safer way to. I m glad you posted this video because you just saved a whole bunch of lives by doing so . This is such an appealing art form, lots of people want to do it and this is the safest option . Good stuff !!

[tonycarpaccio]

Have you heard DJ Shipley talking about his electrocution when fractal burning skateboards? Unreal man. Anything you can do to make it safer do it.

[engtimofeev]

The safest way possible is to use remote controlled HV switch with a visible air gap. Visible air gap means the operator can clearly see the state of the circuit just by looking at it. These are used on power distrubution stations. You need two switches, one for each HV lead. To engage the system, you connect transformer outputs to respective leads; to disengage you connect both transformer outputs to common grounded rail, shorting it. The sequence is: get away from the table, engage switches, verify the connection visually, step onto the pedal, burn, step off the pedal, disengage switches, verify disconnection and grounding visually, approach the table.

[jadewolf]

I understand you’re posting this to show your safety mechanisms so other people can do it your way if they’re going to do it anyway but I feel like since at least 50+ people have died trying to create these wood pieces I personally would never ever want to post any how tos or instructions. Someone could watch this but still not be careful enough and then they die… what if a little kid came barreling around the corner when they got home and the adult didn’t realize they were nearby?? There’s just no way to control for every possible accident with such dangerous tools

[scottbyrd]

Question!! Do you have a video on making your device for the burning? Nice work and very smart to do a deadman switch. Finding best safe practices is key if you’re going to do it! Respect electricity as it is very dangerous!

[harleyhaynes]

Pretty cool idea... Some ideas as someone who deals with employee safety (No I am not a safety professional) On your dead man switch, may add a light for a visual cue. Also, as part of your procedures, I would unplug the unit from power anytime the transformer or leads were being handled. We all have our own risk tolerance, but safety switches fail also.

[irishful]

so you're betting your life on a footswitch. I do HV-AC testing daily and it's the second time in a year that the footswitch has broken so I don't trust these. One time I had the switch stay on but on a 400v testing rig so it didn't hurt as much as 4000v but still...

[MrJdsenior]

As an electrical engineer, I think this is a great idea. It is so easy to get bitten if you are not totally careful. Assuming everything is always hot, in the way you handle the clamps is the right idea, too.

[sockruhtease]

I think you constantly emphasizing the danger is responsible, but reminding people its electrocution, not fire/heat is also a good idea

[JCDwyer]

Nice pointers, man. But I think I’m gonna heed the “don’t try this yourself” part most of all!!

[michellejobeblsmillhollonf]

Thank you for this. I will be adding a Deadman switch to our unit ASAP. We were introduced to this last year but after a scare I have not wanted anything to do with this type of burn but now I will be giving it a fresh look. I do appreciate the art if it but continue the respect for death enough to be careful. Thanks again & remain safe. Your work is beautiful.

[jadarose]

Watched a show where 2 beginners doing this for the first time, at their home, accidentally killed themselves and set the whole house on fire. This is by no means a little art project.