Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Why spend $50 on a lathe burn wire tool when you can make one for next to nothing?
In this video, you and I are building a burn wire from scratch—complete with turned handles, threaded inserts, and a high-carbon steel guitar string that leaves crisp, black lines on your turning. I’ll walk you through the build, show how to use it safely, and explain what to avoid so you don’t get burned—literally.
This tool takes about 15 minutes to make and delivers bold contrast lines that look amazing on spindles, knobs, handles, and more. We’ll even talk about string choice (spoiler: don’t use the wound ones), wire tension, and what happens when you forget to pull it out before you let go.
Wires:
#9 wire (ultra thin) 6 pack → amzn.to/44Luxt7
#16 wire (medium) 6 pack → amzn.to/4kYqNcB
#24p wire (thick) 5 pack → reverb.com/item/50572863-ernie-ball-plain-steel-024-6-pack
#24p wire (thick) 1 pack (only if you can't get it from reverb) → amzn.to/3H08e9U
"Playlist of bitesize tips used" → youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBXNh1Ik9FmYR53HIhBcbVzYN8hLXQhH
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Make Things
00:00 Intro
00:24 1. Materials
01:27 2. Marking the handles
02:59 3. Adding threaded inserts & assembly
03:25 4. Wire/Strings
04:44 5. Operation/Safety
06:18 Credits
#letsmakethings #lathe
Why spend $50 on a lathe burn wire tool when you can make one for next to nothing?
In this video, you and I are building a burn wire from scratch—complete with turned handles, threaded inserts, and a high-carbon steel guitar string that leaves crisp, black lines on your turning. I’ll walk you through the build, show how to use it safely, and explain what to avoid so you don’t get burned—literally.
This tool takes about 15 minutes to make and delivers bold contrast lines that look amazing on spindles, knobs, handles, and more. We’ll even talk about string choice (spoiler: don’t use the wound ones), wire tension, and what happens when you forget to pull it out before you let go.
Wires:
#9 wire (ultra thin) 6 pack → amzn.to/44Luxt7
#16 wire (medium) 6 pack → amzn.to/4kYqNcB
#24p wire (thick) 5 pack → reverb.com/item/50572863-ernie-ball-plain-steel-024-6-pack
#24p wire (thick) 1 pack (only if you can't get it from reverb) → amzn.to/3H08e9U
"Playlist of bitesize tips used" → youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBXNh1Ik9FmYR53HIhBcbVzYN8hLXQhH
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Become a patron! → patreon.com/makethings ←
Huge thank you to my patrons that keep this thing going!
*MAKER TEAM*
Michelle B
Keith Current
William L McNally
Rich Lightfoot
Tutor the Barbarian
Aubrey G.
Nukebert
Sam W.
Aaron Knows DIY
G. Salazar
David B.
Marc B.
Richard B.
Make Things
00:00 Intro
00:24 1. Materials
01:27 2. Marking the handles
02:59 3. Adding threaded inserts & assembly
03:25 4. Wire/Strings
04:44 5. Operation/Safety
06:18 Credits
#letsmakethings #lathe
