Editing Pencil (section)

==Manufacture==

The lead of the pencil is a mix of finely ground [[graphite]] and [[clay]] powders. Before the two substances are mixed, they are separately cleaned of foreign matter and dried in a manner that creates large square cakes. Once the cakes have fully dried, the graphite and the clay squares are mixed together using water. The amount of clay content added to the graphite depends on the intended [[#Grading and classification|pencil hardness]] (lower proportions of clay makes the core softer),<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Pencils.com |title=The HB Graphite Grading Scale |accessdate=14 March 2012 |url=http://www.pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321203027/http://www.pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale |archivedate=21 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and the amount of time spent on grinding the mixture determines the quality of the lead. The mixture is then shaped into long [[spaghetti]]-like strings, straightened, dried, cut, and then tempered in a [[kiln]]. The resulting strings are dipped in oil or molten wax, which seeps into the tiny holes of the material and allows for the smooth writing ability of the pencil. A [[juniper]] or [[incense-cedar]] plank with several long parallel grooves is cut to fashion a "slat," and the graphite/clay strings are inserted into the grooves. Another grooved plank is glued on top, and the whole assembly is then cut into individual pencils, which are then varnished or painted. Many pencils feature an [[eraser]] on the top and so the process is usually still considered incomplete at this point. Each pencil has a shoulder cut on one end of the pencil to allow for a metal [[ferrule]] to be secured onto the wood. A rubber plug is then inserted into the ferrule for a functioning eraser on the end of the pencil.<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], "Appendix A</ref>