December 21, 2008

Hi everyone,

I was up till seven in the morning last night and it's four o'clock now (I've been under Linksome deadline pressure lately), so I'm gonna tuck into bed and assemble this week's entry tomorrow. I have the photos readied, they just need assembling.

In the meantime, here are some tools I came across on a neat blog called "Cool Tools", and I thought some people might find them helpful:

This is a mechanical pencil that has a mechanism that rotates the lead a tiny bit with every stroke, preventing it from developing that chisel profile mechanical pencil leads ten to get as you draw. I personally strive for that chisel shape and can't draw with a lead that doesn't have it, (by using the blunt side I can keep my lines indistinct enough for inking and also not dig into my paper as much), but I know many people actually rotate their pencil by hand to prevent it, and according to the review this pencil is solidly built and long-lasting.

I don't use the kind of lead pencils that need sharpening, but if you do, I can concur with the review that this is the best lead pointer available. And here is their review of the sort of pencil you'd use with the lead pointer, if you've never heard of a lead holder pencil as opposed to a wood pencil.

Here's my favorite tool that I saw on the blog: a Japanese paper drill, which is a punch that rotates as you press, putting a neat hole through up to 15 pages of paper in one press, anywhere you want it. I bet you could do some fun things making minicomics with this thing. Off the top of my weary head, you could do a comic where someone had shot holes all the way through the book. Or you could bind the book with paracord, since the holes would be just large enough. Or you could do a comic about facial piercings, draw a face on the cover, and pierce it according to people's requests when they bought it. Or, you know, it doesn't need to be a face on the cover. You could get crazy. This thing just looks like an amazingly fun little toy.

Okay, so I'm gonna go to bed, and I'll post my tutorial tomorrow. Good night!

4 comments:

LOOKA said...

Yep! The paper drill does rule!

Shhhhhhhhh: It also rocks for making precise holes for binding things without folding, glue or tape. Just using plain thread to hold the books together, called "japanese binding"...

MK Reed said...

Hey! That's my paper drill! It's probably my favorite tool I bought this year too, it makes it MUCH easier to do stab bindings. I kept meaning to do a post on it but you beat me to the punch.

Anonymous said...

I have that exact same lead pointer for my turquoise pencil leads, and contrary to what the reviewer says, the leads break easily (until you really get the hang of it), and any time I put one of these in my bag, I end up with blue dust all OVER my papers and supplies, to the point I've started keeping it in a plastic baggie. I even tried putting an eraser head in the top opening, and still the shaving somehow manage to leak out. They also don't come with instructions, so for someone who's never used one before, they're downright confusing. Which hole does the lead go in again? ;D

In spite of its flaws, however, it's still the best pointer on the market, and once you get the knack of it, they're easy to use and the leads don't break so easily. Just use some cheaper leads the first few times you use it.

Raluca Z said...

there's a cheaper version of the lead pointer which I use.
it's home-made but then again homemade tools are sometimes better.

It uses sanding paper - fine grain, the ones you usually use for sanding wood boards.

You go find yourself a small size cilindrical recipient with a good sealing cap. The best ones are shallow. Cut the sanding paper and stick it to the circular walls of the recipient. And here you go- your own lead sharpener.

It doesn't leak dust 'cause of the sealing cap. It's pretty straightforward to use, it offers many style of lead pointing depending on the inclination of the lead. When you wear the sandpaper you just take it out and stick another one.

Personally I use a small tomato juice tin can as a recipient and as a cap - a Carlsberg beer plastic cap. I discovered it fits. It is pretty rudimentary but it does its job and most of all - it doesn't leak dust.