Wednesday 7 August 2013

Geek out with a DIY Pencil Guard

Wooden pencils are wonderful tools for writing and drawing, but if you've tried to take them out and about, you'll have become aware of the disadvantages that spring from having an exposed point knocking around in your pocket, bag or pencil case. Sooner or later the point will snag, or you'll get graphite marks everywhere. You might stab yourself, or someone else.

May I present the solution? This is what I'm calling a Pencil Guard. You can make it at home for pennies and it will make it much easier and more pleasant to carry and use your pencils away from the desk.


You need to begin with some clear PVC or silicone tubing. It needs to have an inner diameter of exactly 7mm. Tubing is usually specified using two measurements, e.g. 7mm x 9mm. The smaller number will be the internal diameter, the larger number the outer diameter. This is the one I bought. You'll probably want to order just a metre of this, unless you carry a very large number or pencils around with you.

All you need to do is use a very sharp knife to cut 40mm lengths of tubing. Each one is a Pencil Guard.

Carrying a pencil using a Pencil Guard will mark you out as a careful and resourceful user of traditional writing instruments, or - as my wife would have it - a geek.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Helpful!
I need to get a 'lid' of sorts for my scalpel... This would be handy!

Carol said...

I use a pencil on 2nd pen loop in my home personal ff and scratched myself a couple of times. Thanks for this!

Cloudberry said...

Geek indeed! My artist paint brushes have a similar device to protect the bristles.

pattygardner.com said...

Ray, you are brilliant!

gpt said...

Great idea! Will help me keep the inside of my pencil pouch clean.

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