Fine Lines in Encaustic

The following describes a method for fitting pen points to a heating iron so that you can make fine lines using hot wax in your paintings.

If you have a wood-burning tool with a temperature regulator this will be an easy way to use pen points made for ink.

First loosen the tiny screw on the end of the wood-burning tool and replace the chisel point with the fine point. This may be done by turning the chisel point gently so that its threaded end comes out of the tool. Carefully place the fine point tool in the threaded opening and turn it until is is secure but not overly tight.

Next, take a pen point and place it on the fine point and hold it in place with a small bulldog paper clip.

This clip also doubles as feet to keep the point off your worktable.

Wax may be melted in tins, on a palette and the point dipped in the wax. The point will hold the wax and keep it fluid so that you may make lines with the pen point. You may also dip the point into blocks of pigmented wax to load the point.

The point may be wiped on a paper towel to clean between colors.

Now you have a way to use many pen points with different nibs.