I started fractal burning about 5 years ago after seeing a demonstration from someone else. I became determined to do it, did the research on how it works, how to make my own machine, and how to remain as safe as possible while building the machine and while burning.
As we all know, wood is not conductive. To begin my process I have to add a solution to the wood grain to make it conductive. Since I upcycle most of my items, there is a lot of sanding involved to begin with. This helps the solution to soak into the grain. I think use my machine to apply 2200 volts of electricity to the wood. When I do this you can watch the electricity travels from one lead to another, searching for the path of least resistance to connect the circuit! I have a bit of manipulation using my solution in specific ways and arranging my leads where I want them to be. This is a DEADLY process and should not be performed by anyone!
Once the burn is complete, I am left with a burnt up, charred mess, I use a wire brush and scrub out all of the char leaving various fractal ruts and rivers throughout the wood. I then sand to a fine finish and add a few coats of polyurethane, wood dye, spsrurethane or whatever the project calls for! When doing sitting boards, I use a food safe wax on one side of the board and do not burn it. These leaves us with a decorative side and a functional side!
