I find myself often looking for a pencil and have to walk around the shop to find one.
I use those magnetic strips to hold some of my turning tools; so here's a little tip I'd like to share. There are these little longish nuts (about 1/2 inch long) that just fit a pencil perfectly; you can just screw them onto a pencil by hand. I just cut the pencil near the eraser end and screw each end of the cut pencil into it. Then I hang several of these on several magnetic holder strips around the shop near my lathes.
I've been hanging a variety of pencils and sharpies from magnets. I fasten the magnets to a machine or to a wood surface with screws. The pencils and things have a couple of wraps of the soft iron wire that used to be called bailing wire, now sometimes called tie wire. The wire will fit anything. If the wire doesn't hold tight enough I hold it on with a bit of aluminum tape.
I stick the pencils to several places: the front of the bandsaw, on a false front on little shelves just behind my lathes. I find the magnetic Sharpie holders especially useful at the bandsaw when converting green logs to turning blanks. (I use the click kind for one hand operation.)
A pencil is always handy! I've been evangelizing this for some time and I think I finally got a convert recently. :-)
I do something similar. I use the countersunk ring magnets. A drop of hot glue secures them to the pencil/marker and easily released when a new one is needed. The recess helps a lot in holding it to the marker but is made to mount with #4 screws if you wish.
This shows the style. I can't determine how to post a pic. The ones I buy are about 50 cents each.
I used to lose my pencils. Then I came an idea that holds my CA glue bottles and a bunch of pencils. Drill holes in a piece of wood that is the same size as the outside dimensions of a piece of PVC pipe. Fore holes will work for the CA a day a bunch of pencils. Place on the headstock.
I hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread but does anyone know a good brand of bar magnet? Something that will hold tools and not drop them if there as a jolt, slammed door or one tool knocking into another when removing.
Harbor Fright, Lowe's, and Home Despot all carry a variety of powerful rare earth magnets in different shapes. If you get the unplated, meaning not shiny silver, type, I like to wrap them in tape or the can chip on impact.
I used ca for my 1st magnetic pencil, the little 1/4" size, now I hot glue tiny washers to the pencil and stick a magnet wherever I need a pencil handy. If the surface doesn't hold a magnet, I hot glue the magnet to that surface. I still lose pencils but little washers are cheap especially if you remove them from disposable items.
Magnet 4 Less out of Plano Texas has just about anything you can imagine in magnets - from 1/8" X 1/16" with 0.8 lb pull up to 6" X 4" X 2" with 1,300 lbs pull force in a unshielded block - how would you ship that?
An excellent selection of round ones with and without countersunk holes, which is what we tend to want. I have found the prices to be reasonable and the service good. I have no connection other than a satisfied customer.
I like useing adhesive backed velcro on pencils. Put the fuzzy side around the pencil, put the hooked side any place you need a pencil. My shop has a pencil at all stationary tool locations.
In regards to the Harbor Freight bars I would stay away. My "good" ones came from Hartville and they are very strong. I was in HF and they had theirs on sale for $6 (half price); there was a reason IMHO. Two of the HF's will not hold as well as one of my first.
This is where I get my rare earth magnets from. Not sure how the compare in price to other but they are very good and sometimes have closeouts at great prices.
I have two about 2" or so in diameter and maybe 1/2" thick. If I put one on a flat steel surface I cannot remove it without sliding it off the side. The two stay together with a 1/4" plastic spacer - if the spacer was left out I suspect I would have a hard time getting them apart. These came with warnings of serious physical damage to any part of the body that got caught between the two.
I'm having trouble imagining handling one 4" in diameter.
I just buy the economy pack of about a couple dozen at Walmart or wherever which usually makes them dirt cheap. I sharpen them and then "scatter" them around the shop with more than one near the popular locations.
I may have to re-distribute after a while and when too many have disappeared I do it again.
