Sharpening a pencil without breaking it - this seemingly simple exercise actually has many nuances. In the absence of the skill of cleaning a graphite rod and its frame, many products can be damaged. Professional artists and draftsmen pay great attention to correct sharpening - the quality of their work depends on it. Choose a way to clean the pencil depending on your purpose - whether you want a tool for hobbyist drawings, small markings, or for professional use.
Necessary
- - pencil;
- - pencil sharpener;
- - office knife (scalpel, razor);
- - sandpaper.
Instructions
Step 1
Sharpen your pencil with a simple sharpener with extreme caution, as fragile leads often break at the base when using this tool. You should not press hard on the pencil; it is enough to make no more than four turns with the sharpener. Change cheap products more often, as they become dull pretty quickly. In this case, when sharpening the pencil, you have to make great efforts, and the graphite can break.
Step 2
Purchase a quality mechanical or electric pencil sharpener if you frequently sharpen your pencils for homework or office work. In the clerical departments of stores, you can find steel fixtures with a revolving handle, automatic devices and even sharpeners-attachments for a screwdriver. With a certain skill with the help of such sharpeners, you can quickly put a broken pencil in order.
Step 3
To prevent the pencil from breaking during processing, it is important to fix the tool in a certain position. Pay attention to whether the sharpener has stable rubberized feet or a special retainer-clamp. It is also important to choose a jig with different (or adjustable) sharpening diameters for thin and thick pencils.
Step 4
Use a scalpel, sharp utility knife, or razor blade for professional pencil sharpening. Start with the rim, being careful not to thin the graphite too much or it will break. Your task is to clean the pencil by setting the distance from the tip of the rod to the untouched wood covering at 1-1.5 cm.
Step 5
Do not remove a lot of wood from soft pencils - this will prevent them from breaking. Make many small, frequent cuts so that you do not cut off the lead along with the large sparse shavings.
Step 6
Finish the tip of the pencil according to the type of sharpening required. It can be sharpened round; sharpen on both sides in the form of an incisor. To do this carefully and not to break the pencil, it is recommended to use sandpaper.
Step 7
The lead can be prepared so that it will draw both thick and thin lines in a specific position. To do this, free the rod from the wood (the graphite remains intact), then blunt its tip against emery and iron it against a landscape sheet.
