A Gift Idea, And A Handy Hi
Gift Idea.
What do you do when someone who doesn’t wear jewellery, brings you a large cabochon and asks you to make something with it? Well, my first response was to think of some kind of box, with the stone mounted in the lid.
But rather than make a useless dust collector I went for a dust collector with a purpose. So here is my silver box incorporating a pencil sharpener. It is held in place by screws and washers and two threaded tubes, in case it needs to be replaced in the future.
Handy Hint.
If you are about to throw out an electrical appliance incorporating a heating element, it is likely to contain a sheet of mica, which is a silver-grey flame proof mineral, used for insulation and to support the wires. The piece I found is exactly 1.0mm thick but can be split with a craft knife, which also could be used to cut it, although that is more easily done with a saw. Alternatively, you can find small sheets online.
The first picture shows a rectangle of mica, with the exact length and breadth of the sharpener, wedged in place to locate the threaded tubes and a little retaining bar, prior to soldering. On the outside, a thin sliver of it has been placed under the twisted wire decoration, so that it could eventually be cut off flush with the front.
Other uses are bound to occur to you in times of need. Dennis.
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Originally Posted by caroleallen
; I get loads of ideas when I can't sleep too, but none as good as your pencil sharpener.
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