We use pencils starting from kindergarten. But few of us know how to make pencils, which wood is used for these purposes. It is noteworthy that the creation of these stationery is carried out in each factory in its own way. But at the same time there are general points that are fundamental to the production process.
Which tree?
Classic wooden pencil has an important component - wood, the quality of which depends on the operation of this accessory. It is clear that not every tree is suitable for these purposes. In the past, industry used Virginia or red cedar wood, which belongs to the genus of junipers. Long fibers, lack of knots, ease of processing - this is what attracted attention in this material. But due to the high cost, European and American brands that produce pencils began to use California cedar wood. Moreover, on its basis, high-quality products are created that are used for graphic and artistic purposes.
In most cases, pencils are made from alder, linden, pine, California and Siberian cedar, as well as such a rare tree as jelutong. What tree are pencils made from in our country? In most cases, from alder and linden, which in Russia is a huge amount.
Alder is not the most durable material, but it has a uniform structure, which makes the processing easier and preserves the natural color. As for linden, it meets all operational requirements, and therefore is used in the production of both cheap and expensive pencils. Due to its good viscosity, the material holds the lead firmly.
A unique material for creating pencils is cedar, which is widely used in factories in Russia. It is noteworthy that not healthy wood is used, but specimens that no longer give nut.
Core: what is the basis?
The production of pencils is carried out using a special rod. Graphite lead consists of three components - graphite, soot and sludge, to which organic binders are often added. Moreover, graphite is a constant component, including color, since it is precisely the lead that leaves a trace on paper.
The rods are created from a carefully prepared mass, which has a certain temperature and humidity. It is important that the mixture does not dry out, as this will affect the wear of the equipment. The kneaded dough is molded with a special press, then passed through the equipment with holes, which makes the mass look like noodles. This noodle is formed into cylinders from which the rods are extruded. It remains only to calcinate them in special crucibles. Then, the rods are fired, and after it the fattening is performed: the pores that are formed under pressure and at a specific temperature are filled with fat, stearin or wax.
How to make colored pencils? Here, the fundamental difference is, again, the core, which is made from pigments, fillers, fatliquoring components and a binder. Here the core production process is as follows:
- manufactured rods are placed in special grooves on the plank and covered with a second plank;
- both boards are glued with PVA glue, while the core should not be glued;
- the ends of glued boards are aligned;
- preparation is performed, that is, the addition of fat to an existing mixture.
It is noteworthy that the production of pencils is taking into account the consumer properties of the products. So, cheap ones are created from wood of not the highest quality, and the exact same - not the highest quality - shell. But the pencils that are used for artistic purposes are made of quality wood, which has double gluing.
Wood preparation stage
Pencils are produced from well-selected wood, which is processed to produce bars. Beam cutting is necessarily performed along the length of the pencil, and allowances must be taken into account, as the material will dry out. On a special multi-saw machine, bars are cut into boards, which are impregnated with paraffin in special autoclaves. This procedure helps to improve the mechanical properties of the future product.
Depending on what the pencil is made of, it will also be sharpened. It is believed that neat chips are obtained if the products are made of pine, linden or cedar wood. In addition, it is important that the stylus is properly glued - such a pencil will not break even when dropped.
Which shell?
The simplicity and beauty of a pencil depends on the shell. Since pencils are made of wood, it must meet the following requirements:
- Softness, strength and lightness: during operation, the shell should not break or crumble, like the entire case.
- Do not exfoliate under the influence of natural factors.
- Have a beautiful cut - smooth and shiny, while the shavings themselves should not break.
- Wood must be resistant to moisture.
What equipment?
The production of pencils is carried out using diverse equipment. For example, the purification of clay, from which a graphite rod will subsequently be created, requires special mills and crushers. Processing of the mixed dough is carried out on a screw press, where the core itself is formed from the dough with rollers with three different gaps. For the same purposes, a die with holes is used. Drying of wooden blanks is carried out in drying cabinets, where the products are rotated for 16 hours. With good drying, the wood acquires a moisture level of a maximum of 0.5%. As for colored pencils, they are not subjected to heat treatment due to the presence of fillers, dyes and fatliquoring components in them. On a special machine, trimming of pencils is performed in length.
Drying out
How are pencils made? In the production process, drying plays an important role. It is carried out in special wells with the help of machines, and the boards are stacked so that the drying is as efficient as possible. In these wells, drying takes about 72 hours, then the boards are sorted: all cracked or ugly products are discarded. The selected blanks are ennobled with paraffin, calibrated, that is, special grooves are cut on them, where the rods will be located.
How are pencils made in production further? Now the milling and flow line is used, on which the blocks are divided into pencils. Depending on what shape the knives are used at this stage, the pencils are either round, or faceted, or oval. An important role is played by the mounting of the lead in a wooden case: this should be done firmly and reliably, which reduces the risk of loss of lead elements. The elastic glue used for bonding makes the lead stronger.
Coating features
Modern simple and colorful pencils are presented in a huge variety of designs and colors. Since pencils are made in the factory, they pay close attention to each stage of production. Painting is one of the important stages, since it must meet a number of requirements. The extrusion method is used to finish the surface, and the end is finished by dipping. In the first case, the pencil passes through the primer, where at the end of the conveyor it turns over to apply the next layer. Thus, a uniform coating is obtained.
Painting quality: what does it depend on?
The quality of the painting depends on how the paint and varnish materials themselves meet the established requirements, whether the priming machine is set up correctly, and whether the drying time for pencils on the tape is respected. Any pencil factory uses quick-drying compounds that form on the surface a solid, strong and flexible film that adheres well to the surface of the wood.
Painting is carried out with special primers, which have a certain viscosity and contain pigments. If the pigment portion is large, this will reduce the gloss of the film and will require further application to the surface of the nitro coat. Even simple pencils are varnished using nitrocellulose glossy varnish.
If the pencil is dark in color, then it is painted in at least 5 layers and 4 layers of varnish. To achieve light shades, a combination of 7 layers of paint with 4 layers of varnish is used. Moreover, for a uniform and accurate coating, it is important that the surface has a maximum of 18 layers. The end parts of the pencils are painted in a dipping machine, into which the frame with pencils located on it is lowered.
Pencil rim
Depending on how the pencils are made and from what materials, their frame may vary. In the traditional version, the lead has a wooden frame, but the modern market offers a wide selection of products in plastic, varnished and even paper cases. On the one hand, this adds to their beauty and unusualness, on the other hand, if dropped from such pencils, little will be left.
After painting, the pencils are finished. For this, various stamps and foil of different colors are used. This process is called thermostating.
What is the hardness?
All colored and simple pencils are distinguished by the hardness of the lead, which is reflected in their marking. You need to choose them this way: the thicker and harder the paper, the harder the graphite core should be. But too hard graphite can damage the paper. In Russia, you can buy pencils of the following marking:
- M is soft.
- T is solid.
- TM - hard-soft.
Marking should be known when choosing pencils to create drawings or drawing in the appropriate technique.
Features of colored pencils
What pencils are made of simple, we have already figured out. Now you need to understand when and how colored pencils appeared . It is known that the first products with colored stylus appeared in 1820, however, whoever invented them remained a mystery. At the heart of colored lead is a combination of a connecting substance, colored pigments and filler. Glue kaolin acts as a connecting substance, due to which the stylus is formed. As colored pigments, well-ground high-quality colored materials are used, and the pigment may be an organic or inorganic base. The color pigments themselves are created on the basis of materials that are resistant to fading under the influence of sunlight and environmental safety. To date, pencils are available in 36 colors according to the Pantone international shade scale. As for fillers, kaolin and chalk are used in this quality, which are subjected to thorough grinding.