Introduction: Make Wooden Pencils

By Make Something TV
About: I am a full-time online content creator, designing, creating and teaching the art of woodworking. I have an art background that I incorporate into my projects and focus on originality and design.

Quick and easy woodworking project anybody can do with a tablesaw and a router. A perfect way to get rid of the scraps you have lying around.

Step 1: Cutting Pencil Blanks

Cut two thin strips of your favorite wood. Size doesn't matter yet as we'll be cutting down to size in a later step.

Step 2: Route Groove

Using a v-groove bit route a very small channel in each piece. This will be used to hold the pencil lead.

Step 3: Drawing Leads

For the graphite I'm using drawing leads I picked up from Amazon.

Step 4: Gluing Up

Add plenty of wood glue to each half and insert the drawing lead in the groove.

Step 5: Clamp It Up

Now clamp tightly and let dry for at least one hour.

Step 6: Cutting Down to Size

Now you can cut your pencil down to size. I found an existing pencil and used that as my size guide.

Step 7: Cutting to Length

Then cut the pencil to length. Here in the photo I'm cutting all my pencils at once.

Step 8: Sanding

Using a jig with adhesive backed sandpaper and two pieces of wood angled at 120°, I sand some angles to create a hexagon shape.

Step 9: Finishing

Optional: add a coat of polyurethane to bring out the beauty of the wood and add a bit of protection.

Step 10: Dip in Paint

Optional: Dip the end in white paint for a decorative look. I angled my dip for an added effect.

Step 11: Sharpen Your Pencil

And finally sharpen away! I did find that some exotic woods are very hard and takes a bit of force to sharpen.