Wood Burning Tips and Nibs Explained: Which Tip Does What

Choose the mark you want to make

A tip’s shape changes how much hot metal touches the wood. A rounded contact helps with curves and dots; a narrow edge helps with crisp lines; a broader surface helps spread tone. Heat, movement, wood grain and tip angle also affect the mark, so test on matching scrap before starting your design.

Tip shape	Useful for	First practice mark
Rounded writing or ball tip	Curves, lettering and dots	A row of small circles and dots
Universal or chisel-style point	Lines and wider marks using different faces	Thin and broad parallel strokes
Calligraphy tip	Thick-and-thin lettering strokes	Short strokes in two directions
Spoon or rounded shader	Smooth fills and gradual tone changes	A pale-to-dark strip
Skew or knife-style tip	Fine straight lines, edges and texture	Short lines following the grain

Writing tips and universal points

A rounded writing tip or ball tip can move through curves without needing the same edge alignment as a chisel. Try it for lettering, small outlines and stippled dots. The resulting line width depends on the tip size, heat, contact and wood.

“Universal” is a maker’s name for a multipurpose tip, not a standard shape or fitting. Many solid-point universal tips have an angled, chisel-like face. Use the edge for a narrower mark and a broader face for more coverage. Check the shape in your tool’s guide rather than treating every universal tip as a rounded writing tip.

1. Draw a straight line, an S curve and a small circle on scrap.
2. Try the tip with light contact and a steady movement.
3. Rotate the wood to keep the stroke comfortable.
4. Compare the marks before changing heat or choosing another tip.

Calligraphy tips for thick and thin strokes

A calligraphy tip has a shaped edge that can produce different widths as the stroke direction changes. Its exact profile varies by maker. It suits broad lettering and repeated border marks when you want that variation.

Start with a consistent tip angle and draw short strokes in two directions. Practice the joins separately. Rotating the tip mid-stroke can change the mark, but it is not necessary for every letter. Use a light touch rather than pressing an edge into the wood.

Spoon shaders for gentle tone

A spoon shader has a curved working surface that can glide over the wood. A flat shader offers another broad contact shape. Choose a size that fits inside the area you want to shade, and tilt it just enough to bring the intended surface into contact without digging in an edge.

1. Make a light patch on scrap using overlapping strokes.
2. Keep the tip moving so it does not leave a dark stop mark.
3. Build a darker area with controlled passes.
4. Practice easing into the lighter area instead of ending at a hard line.

Try the same drill with the shading guide. A wider tip is useful only when you can control its full contact area.

Skew tips for fine edges and texture

A skew presents an angled edge; knife-style tips have a narrow working edge. They can make crisp lines and short texture strokes, including hair or feather details. The names and profiles overlap between brands, so look at the actual tip rather than relying on its label alone.

Try short strokes before long ones. Support your hand, rotate the board as needed and let heat make the mark. If the edge catches or cuts a groove, reduce pressure and check your angle, surface preparation and heat on scrap.

Match replacement tips to your pen

Wire nibs are shaped resistance-wire elements, often formed into loops or flattened working surfaces. Solid points are more substantial metal attachments heated by the tool. Wire systems often respond faster, but both types can handle lines and shading with suitable tips. See the wire-nib and solid-point comparison for the broader differences.

Fittings are not universal. Threaded solid points, screw-clamped wire nibs, plug-in tips and fixed-tip handpieces use different connections. A similar-looking tip is not proof of compatibility.

The Outus 23-piece wire-nib assortment is listed for high-impedance LH30, LH40, LH50, LH60, LH70, LH80, LH90 and LH100 machines. The seller specifies approximately 1 mm wire. This is a model-specific replacement option; it is not a screw-in solid-point set or a universal replacement for other brands.

Change tips using your tool’s instructions

1. Identify the fitting. Check whether your model changes a tip or a complete handpiece.
2. Switch off and unplug. Rest the tool securely in its stand and let the hot parts cool completely before handling them.
3. Use the specified tool. Your manual may require pliers, tweezers or a screwdriver. Do not force a stuck tip or twist a fixed nib.
4. Seat the replacement correctly. Align threads or tip legs and tighten only as directed.
5. Test before continuing. Reconnect only after assembly, allow the tool to heat as instructed and try the new mark on scrap.

There is no single safe cooling or warm-up time for all burners.

Clean without changing the tip shape

Carbon buildup can interfere with smooth contact. Use the cleaning method approved for your particular tip and burner. Different makers specify different scrapers, brushes or polishing methods; a method intended for one tip is not automatically suitable for another.

Switch off and let the tool cool before routine handling. Do not improvise with a wet cloth on a partly hot tip, a pencil eraser, or an abrasive that could change the working edge. Replace damaged tips and stop using a loose or bent connection. If a clean tip still gives patchy marks, check the surface, heat and technique in the troubleshooting guide.

Build a small tip practice board

Start with the compatible tips supplied with your burner. Make one row each for lines, curves, dots and shading. Label the rows in pencil with the tip name and your tool setting, then compare which shapes feel easiest to control.

Add a new shape when a project calls for it. A writing tip, an edge tip and a shader cover several common tasks, but the best starting selection depends on your tool and the marks you want to make.