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An end to lost pencil misery
Monday, 27th September 2010 19:28 PM
In my younger days I always had a pencil behind my ear. Let's face it that's the second most useful thing about ears after hearing with! As the years have gone by the hair has thinned and I have become obliged to wear glasses. This means that for some years now the pencil will just not stay behind my ear. Keeping it in the top pocket of my jacket just doesn't work, as it drops out when I bend down to adjust the planer thicknesser. If I keep it in my trouser pocket it either snaps or impales me when I put my hand in my pocket. Consequently I have spent 20% of my workshop time looking for my pencil. Last week my wife bought me for my birthday five excellent H pencils (best for marking out). I am determined not to lose them. So I have come up with the Chris Tribe patent pencil tidy. It's a stroke of genius.
Simply stick a small rare earth magnet to the blunt end of your pencil, PU or superglue will do it. Then one rare earth magnet inside your top and one outside will fix them there. When not in use the pencil can be parked there using the magnet on it's end. It's also useful for keeping six inch steel rules which also have a habit of going walkabout. God I'm so clever!
I have been using the device for a number of days now and find it excellent. The only problem is that the pencil occasionally sticks to a plane of chisel if left on the bench, which it shouldn't be as it should be stuck to my chest. Also I'm not sure if a strong magnet on the chest may affect those with a pacemaker.
The Chris Tribe Patent pencil tidy is from the same stable as the Chris Tribe saw puffer for clearing sawdust when hand sawing, an ingenious device which blows sawdust from around the saw kerf using the motion of the saw, unfortunately this idea did not get beyond the conceptual stage. Although Ross thought it was a goer.
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Your blogger sing the Chris Tribe patent pencil tidy, well loaded with two rulers and a penci
Comments…Add yours
Posted by Lakesha on 25/01/12
A bit surpiresd it seems to simple and yet useful.