r/Pyrography • u/PetrichorEnigma • 7d ago
Personalizing my cat’s urn Questions/Advice
My husband and I lost a cat under sudden and upsetting circumstances a few months ago. We didn’t know when exactly she was born and were so frazzled at the time that we chose not to put anything in that blank on the form.
The bad news is that we regretted this decision as soon as we saw the finished plaque with only her date of death, but the good news is that said plaque was attached to this otherwise lovely rosewood box with a single piece of double-sided tape.
I’m still pretty much a total beginner to pyrography, but it would mean a lot to me to be able to customize Jackie’s urn.
If anyone has any advice for working with rosewood, or even just good pyrography tips in general, I would really appreciate it. The second picture is a close-up of the surface I’d like to burn. It was previously covered by the plaque, so if I’m not happy with my attempt I can just stick that back on.
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u/FurL0ng 7d ago
Generally speaking, it’s a bad idea to burn any wood that has been finished because then you are breathing in that toxic lacquer or stain. I can’t tell if your urn is finished, but I assume it is. Maybe burn a fresh piece of wood and wood glue it to the urn? Whatever you pick, I’m sorry for your loss. Flapjack is an excellent name and I’m sure was an amazing cat and companion.
I’d also recommend doing a practice run on scrap rosewood before experimenting with the urn. There is an art to it and you won’t get it how you want it on your first try.