Safer Fractal Wood Burning (Lichtenberg) Setup

CW: Fractal Burning/ Lichtenberg
Warning: Do not try this at home. This video is purely for educational purposes and is not an instructional video. Improperly trying to replicate this could result in serious injury or death.

I recently received a lot of traffic on a video I made showing a piece of wood that I burned using the lichtenberg wood burning, or fractal burning, method. Unfortunately it was a lot of negative comments. I learned that the sudden upswing in views and comments was due to a video put out by Ann Reardon @HowToCookThat stating the dangers of this hobby. This video is in response to the stir that created on my video and not directly in response to her video itself. Again, do not attempt this at home.
Thanks for watching!

My set up includes a neon light transformer (30mA) which puts out much less current than the standard microwave transformer (500mA). While it will not immediately stop your heart like a microwave transformer that does not make it safe. This is also not a car battery wood burning set up though it could technically be converted to be

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

#howtocookthat #fractalburning #woodworking

[johnmayer]

Electronics instructor here, we built Jacob's ladder out of the neon transformers out of neon signs between 10 and 15 kw and yes, they are very dangerous. Having the safety implements you have (we do to) makes this safe as well as the learning environment. We always stress the safety when ever we are dealing with this type of voltage and current. Your neon transformer is safer than most other setups I have seen. Explaining the why as well as demonstrating your techniques makes this memorable. Great fractal design!!

[bloop]

Oh come on. She did not start a “witch hunt”. She presented factual information with the intent of warning people so others didn’t die or get seriously injured. She sure as hell didn’t tell anyone to “go leave mean comments.”

[waify]

there is nothing wrong with educational videos. the problem came when other youtubers presented this as a fun easy at home craft that anyone can do. anyone playing with microwave transformers is at serious risk of death, regardless of experience. that's an important fact that 95% of these fractal wood burning videos forget to mention. fortunately for me i watch styropyro and he has warned against the dangers of playing with microwaves for years. i feel really bad for all the people who actually died when they thought there were just doing a fun project

[kittyphillips]

All Ann Reardon is doing is fighting for the rules to change on dangerous hacks. She highlights the potential dangers that aren't always being disclosed by creators/channels. Props to you for showing an awesome setup by the way you clearly know what you are doing, but not everyone is as skilled as you are which is where the problem is.

[TheChargersrt]

It's amazing how people can get upset about things they have no idea about. If someone wants to start such a hobby, they should inform themselves anyway. Writing comments to everyone because something is dangerous is absolutely unnecessary. If you don't have common sense, you shouldn't pick up any tools anyway. Thank you for this video, well done.

[treverthetree]

It’s great that you’re showing your set-up, and telling people how to do this safely. It’s far better to have content where fractal burning is done safely. Witch hunt definitely isn’t the right term for someone looking to save lives, and you don’t need to be so cocky and condescending towards other people. Tagging Anne isn’t right either and is kinda just unnecessary. Karen also isn’t the right word, but I can see why you’d be pissed bout the situation and how things would just slip out. I agree that this is really cool and encourage you to continue cause you clearly know what you’re doing, but please just be a little nicer and stay careful and vigilant. Peace.

[tormlen]

I can see how your setup is safe, and the end product looks really cool. Overall, you seem pretty level-headed and knowledgeable. However, Ann Reardon's video specifically talked about the dangers of using a microwave transformer for the electricity and a set up very different from yours. Laypeople just see "fractal wood burning" and think it's all the same thing. Ann Reardon's channel focuses on cooking and debunking "hacks", and her main audience (myself included) probably don't understand the intricacies of how electricity works. I'm sorry that you had to deal with so many negative comments, but I don't think the original video was intended to be a witch hunt. Unfortunately, influencers can't exactly control the actions of their audience.

[emberwoodandcrafts-thomastritt]

Worked with electricity and much higher voltages most of my adult life, great video and reenforcement of safety! Putting mine together and I defaulted with the switch (with built in fuse and indicating LED) and foot petal for the same reasons. I have been trained and overtrained to work with things like this and knowledge is by far the best safety tool.

[umusharief]

Your setup is definitely very safe when compared so many videos out there.
Ann's video was towards instructional videos that were focusing on Microwave setups, which you also agree are dangerous.

[minuszero]

"Do not become the path of least resistance...you will die." I love that!

[thepopslice]

Even though it is dangerous, your set up is super sensible. So huge kudos for that

[roohalji]

It's ok that you're practicing a safe method. But don't use such words as "witch hunt" . Educate, don't try to be cocky about it.

[ericthiel]

For my set up, I bought a transformer specifically made for fractal wood burning and set up a plastic table on a giant rubber mat. I ran 15 feet of extension cord to my house and plug it in from 15 feet away, I have a camera on the surface to watch until it's done, I unplug the device and go grab my wood. It may seem over kill, but be damned if I'm going out like that lol. Nice set up!!

[lzwbthu]

Thank you this a very helpful straightforward. I just received the same machine as you were using and that is why I choose this one was for the double (triple) safety setup! For those that are going ??? 1) It has to be plugged in. 2) you have to turn the switch to on. 3) You have to press the pedal. Let us just say I respect electricity, I use it too much to be scared! Again thanks for sharing!

[daveb.]

I like that you added the foot pedal. Two other safety features I've thought of is to add a 1"-2" red light that will let you know if the power is on. The other is to use something like the orange rubber safety fencing around the work area with a light weight door/gate. The gate would be controlled by an electric lock. If the power is off, it's unlocked. If the power is on, it would automatically lock. On/Off switches and foot pedals can fail. This is one of those things that you can't be too safe with. Happy woodworking!

[ak]

This was a great tutorial. I gathered all my equipment and had an electrician wire up everything IAW Australian wiring standards.I used a 12, 000v neon sign transformer. Noting that the foot control is approximately 2 metres away from the work piece makes it pretty safe. I made my first wood burning cutting board last weekend and I used purple resin for the lighnting bolts. Turned out great, and I am more than happy to use this high voltage burner because of the safety elements you have put in place. Well done. Too bad I cannot upload a picture of my creation, this is definitely a different woodworking hobby, I love it. Thank you for showing us novices how to do things safely.

[NoleMercy]

Good on you my friend. You know what else could be considered not safe that's on YouTube? Jumping monster trucks, drifting, sky diving, alligator wrestling, calling an MMA fighter a sissy... The list goes on but ALL of that, all of it, is for entertainment or information. I watched a guy hypnotize a 16ft great white shark on here. Doesn't mean I'm going to go do it. If someone else does, well, there's that 'remove the warning labels and watch the population count drop' thing everybody talks about. Great video, thanks for posting 👍

[justdon]

You have provided a great presentation, for those with reasonable knowledge of the risks. Rightfully so, many videos are a bit dramatic with regard to the risks, and others don't elaborate enough. I think yours was informative and to the point. The foot pedal kill switch is paramount. Most folk don't understand the effects of an electrical shock and how it affects your muscles. Many years ago I was hanging drywall and had a running screw gun in one hand, and reached behind the drywall to find the metal stud. At the same time, someone rolled a spool of cable over my cord and shorted it out. My hands locked onto the tool, and the stud. I was screaming my head off, but no one heard because your vocal cords lock up as well. Had it not been for a momentary break in the connection that let me fall away from the stud, I might not be here to type this. Good public service video!!!

[vinceagashi]

None of the comments you cherry picked are remotely "hate-comments". They are completely reasonable. Is that the best you could find? That being said, you are clearly being safe. Videos like this one can be valuable, because kids are gonna do what they want, and having safe resources is important. It is also clear you aren't the target of the "Witch Hunt" as you are not using a microwave transformer.

[cxrlplays]

I want to start woddburning with a pen, I’ve done welding for work and assumed it should be the same technique with a pen as mig welding and learn how to adjust heat. After i learn that, this is my next goal because it will make lightning or tree branches in my work :). So thank you for showing me because I’m stubborn so rather theres videos to learn or not I’m gonna try it so i’ m glad you made this so now i know how to do it safelly. So all the haters can hate all they want!! But I’m happy you made it so i have less research to do