FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions


How to achieve optimal burn-ups ?

The surface to which the brand is to be applied should be smooth and flat. The iron should be applied perpendicular to the surface of the material: guide supports are available to assist in maintaining alignment in production and performance-critical situations.



How long do I need to press on the material?

In our experience, it takes burn-times of 5-8 seconds . However, it depends on which kind of material you burn and should be determined by experiments. Do not over-heat the surface during branding as this will cause the brand image to “bleed”. Test on scrap material to determine the ideal duration for which the brand needs to be kept in contact with the surface and try to maintain that timing.


 

How do I clean my engraved plate?


The brand can be cleaned using a nylon brush, whilst the brand is still warm (approx 100 degrees C).
Do NOT use a steel or brass brush as this may cause irreparable damage to the branding iron.

Plastic residues in stamps can be removed simply by placing the stamp plate overnight in Nitroverdünnung. This softens the plastic and it can be brushed or small areas cleaned with a needle.

Sandpaper can be found in our online shop.

ATTENTION! Cleaning with a steel or brass brush can cause irreparable destruction of the stamp!


 

Can I warm a branding iron on a hot plate?

For burning wood - NO

Minimum temperature for brand on wood: 375 ° C

Hobs have a very great heat at the contact points . However, the measurable temperature is already 3 mm above the plate only 320 ° C. This means that heating of 3 mm of the base of the die with only 320 ° C in the conventional engraving depth. The more energy must be needed to burn the die fed by the relief. However, this is impossible , since the contact area is too small . ( Subject = contact area ).

Marking of plastics - MAYBE.

The marking of plastics requires a much lower temperature than the burning of wood. The operating temperature is dependent on the set is plastic. It is determined by preliminary testing whether the required temperatures can be achieved.

Our test result :
When testing a Ceran cooktop with a fully lying flat round punch of 40 mm diameter, the measurable temperature after 15min 450 ° C. The total contact area was 12.56 cm ².

With engraved stamps, the contact area is considerably smaller and depending on the subject.


 

Are burnups weatherproof?

Yes.
The image is formed when hydrocarbons (blocks of wood) are cleaved by the influence of heat into carbon and various gaseous constituents. The carbon remains connected to the base section. Too intense burning can result in loose carbon, which dissolves. The focal image is thereby not impaired. Burn-ups are UV stabilized.




 

How long should I preheat my branding iron?


Note that it takes some minutes for the branding iron to reach a stable working temperature and use of the iron before that stable temperature is reached may result in inconsistent performance. For the 18 mm irons a warm-up time of 5 minutes is required and for the 38 and 48 mm irons at least 10 minutes – preferably 15 minutes - especially in cold conditions.



 

How can I determine the temperature of my stamp without thermometer?

As with all metals are formed on the surface of brass tarnish. These iridescent colors are oxidation products vary according to temperature and allow a rough determination of the temperature.
This table shows the tempering colors at certain temperatures. (PDF download)



 

How can I determine the type of my branding iron and where can I get spare heating elements for it?

The type of your branding iron you can determine using this table. Please compare this to your known parameters with those in the list. When you click on the type / model you are automatically directed to the page of the relevant Ersatzheizwiderstandes in our shop.