Making A Branding Iron Fun & Interesting. I’ve wanted to do this for a while, more or less just to try it out to see how difficult it would be and how well it would work. I’ll confess that I have always been attracted to this type of thing – rubber stamps, branding irons and other ways to “print” the same pattern over and over. I have had really good luck with the toner transfer method, but thought this would be an interesting project. I made a short video on making and testing the branding iron: The first decision was how big to make the letter, and I was limited by a couple of factors: f. Branding works by putting an hot iron on hide that burns the cattle's pigment. The hair grows back on the cattle and has no color. This leaves a distinct symbol on the cattle. History Of Branding. How to brand animals. They used branding to single out who the slaves belonged to. Some ways to brand animals are by manually wrestling them to the ground. Why use a branding iron? What makes branding irons a good marking solution over other options? One of the greatest advantages of branding irons is that they are an inexpensive solution. The marking surface is easily customized with almost any design and they are long lasting with minimal maintenance.  Below you can see how quickly and easily a branding iron can be used to make a deep, lasting mark in PVC piping. Using a branding iron.  Design- Clean, simple designs work best when branding. Busy or highly detailed Woodworking Logo Branding Irons Of art can result in less than satisfactory results. Custom bronze dies can be engraved per your artwork or provided with a pocket to hold interchangeable type or logos. Then, slowly turn the adjustment knob counter-clockwise, an approximately quarter-turn. Time needed for heating up the branding head: Allow minutes. Scar tissue swells, so branding designs how iron branding works typically pretty basic, lacking the tattoo-like intricacy that could be lost to the healing process. On light colored animals irn bald is desirable because the how iron branding works brranding with no hair shows up better that a white brand. Selecting a Branding Site Before branding, care should be taken in selection of the site to be branded. The regulator connector has a left-handed thread, requiring counter-clockwise tightening.

This is especially true because the same branding set up can be used to mark any number of materials. Our branding irons are sold with optional temperature regulator's to ensure consistent results. Some testing is required in order to determine the optimal branding iron temperature for your unique combination of material and design. Below you can see how quickly and easily a branding iron can be used to make a deep, lasting mark in PVC piping.

When making a branded mark with a hand held or drill press branding iron there are five factors that determine the successful outcome of the mark:. To learn more about how to successfully mark your brand using a branding iron, download our free How to Make a Quality Brand guide.

The guide will provide you with a detailed explanation of all five factors that make a successful brand. This post was published on February 26, and updated on February 26, Topics: Branding Irons and Branding Dies. Check out our articles about direct part marking, how to mark different materials, application stories from our customers, and much more. Industrial Marketing by Top Line Results. The skin of the animal contains millions of hairs which make up the animals coat.

Figure 1 is an enlarged, simplified drawing of one hair shaft with its color pigment producing follicle CF and its growth follicle GF , both shown below the skin. Under normal circumstances, hair grows as a clear shaft like a clear straw from the GF. On colored animals, pigment black, brown, red, yellow etc.

The result is that hair at the brand site contains no pigment and appears white. This is the desired result-a uniform, white brand. On light colored animals the bald is desirable because the dark skin with no hair shows up better that a white brand. Freeze branders are cast of copper alloy brass which is generally preferred because of its temperature holding capacity. Corresponding numbers are stamped on top of the handle, enabling you to choose the proper iron without removing the brander for the coolant container.

Before branding, care should be taken in selection of the site to be branded. Each state or county may have its own regulations regarding the placement of the brand on the animal. Be sure to check with your county clerk, county extension agent or state brand inspection agency about branding and brand ownership regulations. When branding on the shoulder, be sure the iron head is not partially on a thinner muscle mass over the scapula with the remainder if the iron head on a heavier, deeper muscle mass not covering bone.

Unequal head pressure can produce a non-uniform brand. This situation can also arise when branding on the rear end; a portion of the branding iron head is partially on the rear of the pelvic bone and the remainder is on the muscle below. Alcohol will be needed for this branding method. Among refrigerants used are methyl, ethyl, or isopropyl alcohol. Acetone is another very good refrigerant, because it is clear and the quantity of dry ice in the container is always visible.

Some of the suppliers of acetone are drug companies, welding supply firms and animal health supplies. After extensive use, alcohol will lose strength because of its tendency to absorb moisture.

Alcohol should be changed after branding approximately head of livestock. Branding times vary according to the type of metal in the irons times shown here are for brass freeze branding irons available from BIU and the age skin thickness and color of the animal. Branders should calibrate their freeze branding irons by branding the recommended times and keeping accurate records of times and results. Within five minutes the indentation will disappear and swelling will begin.

The brand will be readable but the swelling will cause the mark to have two or three times the thickness that the actual finished brand will have. The brand will be swollen for 48 to 72 hours. After the swelling dissipates the brand may not be easily seen.

About 20 to 30 days the brand will begin to get flaky and scaly. By the third or fourth week the scab will start to turn loose. Once the scab is gone, white, peach fuzz type hair should appear in 30 days. Full hair growth will depend upon the time of year the brand is applied.

Dry ice and the cold liquid can cause injury to humans, and precautions should be taken so these do not come in contact with your skin. Acetone and alcohol are flammable and should be used in open air or a well-ventilated building.

Avoid smoking and keep this material away from open flames or electric cattle prods. Vapor from this liquid is also dangerous to the tissues of your eyes and nose.

Before ordering a freeze brand as proof of ownership or a registered brand, contact your state brand inspection agency. The use of such irons is subject to laws relative to each individual state or county. Before you start branding actual food items, make sure the branding iron is hot enough for the desired branded mark. As different food products require different degrees of heat See Test Branding below you may want to brand samples prior to branding the actual steaks, etc.

The steak branding irons we offer can be heated up on gas grills as well as charcoal and propane grills, on a gas stove, or with a propane torch. The iron should be very hot. As soon as it starts turning a dull red, immediately remove it from the heat source. Apply even pressure for a few seconds about seconds.

Depending on the food and weather conditions, it may be necessary to re-heat your iron after each or a couple of branded marks. Branding different food products requires different degrees of heat. Your first few branded marks may not be perfect. That is why we recommend test-branding samples of your food products in preparation for further branding. After a few branded marks, you should get a good sense of how long it takes to heat up your steak iron and how many seconds to keep it in contact with the food you will be branding.

While this is far from the top end of the branding iron, we always recommend handling the branding iron with some sort of kitchen mitt or leather grilling gloves. After your steak iron has completely cooled off, simply wash it with soap and water, dry it well with a kitchen towel and then briefly over a flame.

If residue remains, use a stainless steel bristle brush to remove it. Place the branding head under running water to rinse off any remaining loose residue. Remember to thoroughly dry your entire branding iron, first with a kitchen towel and then briefly over an open flame.

Taking these simple steps will prolong the life of your steak iron. With proper care, this branding iron should last a long time. As this branding iron is not stainless steel, it can rust if not cleaned and dried immediately. Gently hand washing the iron with a little dish washing soap and water will usually clean it. If this iron should rust, you can simply clean it with a small stainless steel wire brush and rinse off any loose debris by holding the iron under a running faucet.

Once more, remember to wipe it dry and complete drying by placing your clean iron directly in an open flame. With proper care, this branding iron can serve you for a long time. This branding iron is stainless steel but still requires proper cleaning to ensure a sanitary branding iron. Hand washing this iron with dishwashing soap and water will usually clean it well and drying it thoroughly soon after is recommended.

If residue remains on your iron, you can easily remove it with a small stainless steel wire brush and rinse off any loose debris by holding the iron under a running faucet. Keep your Branding Heads clean by using a Brass Wire Brush for brass branding heads and a Stainless Steel Wire Brush for stainless steel branding heads to remove any and all residue.

NOTE: Brushing the front of your branding head will help obtain clear branded marks. When not in use, keep your branding head s wrapped in a soft, lint-free cloth. This will help prevent your head s from getting nicked or scratched. Electric irons should be unplugged until you are ready to use them again. Remember to remove the cloth wrapped over your branding head before plugging in your iron and before turning on your temperature control unit.

Contact Us Phone : Email : sales infinimark. Canoga Park, CA Instructions and Care. Time needed for heating up the branding head: Allow minutes. Factors that can affect heat-up time include: Branding head size, temperature control unit setting, and changes in work area conditions such as draft, temperature and humidity. Optimal dwell time Holding branding head in contact with surface being branded : seconds — Factors that can affect dwell time include: Branding head size, temperature control unit setting, and weather conditions around work area.

Start off any branding session by pre-heating your branding head for minutes, while your temperature control Personal Branding Iron 5g unit is set to maximum.

Make sure to test-brand some scrap pieces of your material s so that you can adjust the temperature control unit based on your test-branding results. Branding Procedure Choose a safe, well-ventilated work area for all your test-branding and branding sessions.

Make sure your scrap pieces are on your work surface, and ready for test-branding. Ensure that the items you intend to brand are smooth, flat and dust free. Then set them on a flat, smooth and clean heat resistant work surface.

Plug your temperature control unit TCU. Make sure your branding head is firmly attached to your heating tool and is resting on the provided stand or cradle, or on a heat resistant safe surface that cannot burn, nor catch fire, such as a brick.

Wait about 15 to 20 minutes for your branding head to heat up. Then your branding iron should be ready for you to start test-branding.

Place the heated branding head in full contact with the surface of your scrap piece for about 1 second, remove and check the mark you have obtained. If necessary, adjust your TCU percentage setting, as well as the dwell time.

Lower percentage suitable for lightweight leather and higher percentage for heavier-weight. Your branding iron should then be ready for you to start your test-branding. Place the heated branding head in full contact with the surface of your scrap piece for about seconds, remove and check the branded mark obtained. If necessary, adjust your TCU percentage setting as well as dwell-time. Lower percentage suitable for softer woods and higher percentage for hard woods.

Wait about 20 minutes for your branding head to heat up. If necessary, adjust your TCU percentage setting higher or lower as well as dwell-time. After obtaining a few test-marks, pause a few seconds to allow your branding head to recover and regain heat. Once you obtain the desired branded test-marks on your scrap pieces, proceed to brand your products. Tip C: It takes longer for the iron and head to cool off than to heat up.

Prolong the Life of Your Branding Iron Be sure your branding head is firmly secured to your branding tool. Practice Makes Perfect It is imperative that you practice on scrap pieces of the material s you intend to mark before branding your actual items. Items needed for detaching and reattaching branding heads: Vice Channel lock or adjustable wrench 2 Cloth rags If the branding head and heating tool are hot, allow them to cool off.

Then wrap the head in a rag to protect it from nicks and scratches. Use a smaller iron when branding calves.

The brand grows with the animal. In some areas freeze branding is popular for identifying individual animals but is not a legal method of identification. Instead of just damaging hair follicles so the hair grows white, it kills them and damages the skin, creating the appearance of a hot brand.

James England of the University of Idaho, said the two key factors for a successful freeze brand are clipping the area very close to the skin and pre-wetting the skin with alcohol.

The area should be brushed clean, clipped and then brushed again to make sure there is no loose hair or skin scurf to interfere with the iron getting right next to the hide.

Then apply alcohol to completely wet the shaved skin, and immediately place the branding iron on the wet area. We like to clip and then go over the area again with surgical clippers for a closer shave.

This gives the best results. England prefers liquid nitrogen rather than a mix of alcohol and dry ice, because he feels you can get the irons colder and make a better brand. Irons should be placed in a small Styrofoam container, set inside a more durable container. Fluid should be deep enough for the irons to be completely submerged.

It takes a few minutes for them to chill enough. Use a timer or a watch with a second hand to make sure you apply the irons long enough and no longer than necessary.

For young horses, six to 12 seconds is adequate. For adult horses, the brand should be pressed against the skin for eight to 12 seconds. Calves have thicker hide than a horse and adult cattle have the thickest, so it takes 30 to 40 seconds for mature cattle.

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