Life, Liberty and DIY
Everyone should really have an Air Quality Monitor in their workshop so they can stay safe and healthy.
Unfortunately, they can be pretty expensive to buy off the shelf. However, there is an alternative to an expensive machine. Just make one yourself.
In this episode I talk about what I did to make one, future development plans I have, and the quality difference from the research I did.
I also talk about the future plans I have to help others make their own.
This pencil doesn’t break its lead like almost every other mechanical pencil. I hated using mechanical pencils until I saw this one in action.
There are a lot of different pencils that exist out there for using with woodworking. While this isn’t directly meant to work with woodworking, it is excellent for it.
The Pentel GraphGear 1000 is a great pencil you should add to your arsenal.
I think the feature of this pencil that stands out above all other mechanical pencils is the retraction of the tip does. When you open up the back clip to put it in your shirt or apron the tip retracts. This helps to protect the led from breaking.
Another great feature is the lead comes out at a slower rate. So every click pushes out less graphite than most other penciles. This is great for not overusing graphite and wasting it.
A feature the manufacturer doesn’t talk about, which I like, is you can take it apart and clean it. I get sawdust in there at times and need to blow it out, and I can get all of it out.
There are a couple of different problems with the pencil that you should be aware of before you buy.
The first problem is the pencil seems to break easily if it falls just right. I accidentally dropped it on the concrete floor and it broke the retraction ability of the pencil.
My experience with the eraser has been terrible with the 2 that I have owned. I don’t know what it is about some erasers, but it just seems to smear the graphite. My dads pencil seems to erase fine, but mine suck.
I know I mentioned that these pencils can break easily, and the eraser isn’t that great. However, I also went and immediately bought another pencil when it broke. That is how much I like these pencils.
I also think the small feature where it pushes out just a little bit of graphite at a time is one of the key reasons I haven’t had to replace the graphite since I have bought it. I was expecting to replace it regularly, as that is what I remember from high school.
I totally recommend the Pentel GraphGear 1000. Check it out I think you will like it too.