Comments on: How-To: Get Emergency Light from a Pencil http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:08:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: hmmmmm http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-124332 hmmmmm Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:48:21 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-124332 well I just carry a 9 volt battery and steel wool. Short the steel wool on the battery and then i put it in the fuel cell then there is all kinds of light. well I just carry a 9 volt battery and steel wool. Short the steel wool on the battery and then i put it in the fuel cell then there is all kinds of light.

]]> By: Jay C http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-119626 Jay C Wed, 19 Sep 2007 05:10:44 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-119626 it a great demostration of what you can do in a pinch. good reference. this method is used in a large scale for melting steel and other metals. great idea and use on a small scale. thanks it a great demostration of what you can do in a pinch. good reference.
this method is used in a large scale for melting steel and other metals.
great idea and use on a small scale.
thanks

]]> By: Daniel Rutter http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-115401 Daniel Rutter Sat, 08 Sep 2007 20:08:02 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-115401 I agree that it's somewhere between silly and moronic to use a pencil lead in this situation, when you can probably get your hands on a perfectly good interior-light bulb without even unbuckling your seat belt :-). Speaker wire will also get hot if it's feeding a white-hot normal-thickness pencil lead. I think this is also less likely to work for long with common hard pencils, since they have a higher ratio of clay to graphite in their leads. I've only ever made about ten glowing pencils in my life so far, though (plus a larger number of propelling-pencil leads...), so I can't say I've done an exhaustive survey :-). I agree that it’s somewhere between silly and moronic to use a pencil lead in this situation, when you can probably get your hands on a perfectly good interior-light bulb without even unbuckling your seat belt :-).

Speaker wire will also get hot if it’s feeding a white-hot normal-thickness pencil lead.

I think this is also less likely to work for long with common hard pencils, since they have a higher ratio of clay to graphite in their leads.

I’ve only ever made about ten glowing pencils in my life so far, though (plus a larger number of propelling-pencil leads…), so I can’t say I’ve done an exhaustive survey :-).

]]> By: Crusty Justy http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-115361 Crusty Justy Sat, 08 Sep 2007 16:46:48 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-115361 I would think that if you HAVE a working car battery and wire, you can probably find something more practical, like say oh a light bulb! just twist one out of a socket and you're good to go, because if you have enough light to actually split a pencil, then you have enough light to find a bulb....dont you think? I would think that if you HAVE a working car battery and wire, you can probably find something more practical, like say oh a light bulb! just twist one out of a socket and you’re good to go, because if you have enough light to actually split a pencil, then you have enough light to find a bulb….dont you think?

]]> By: eric http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-114906 eric Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:04:55 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/2007/09/07/how-to-get-emergency-light-from-a-pencil/#comment-114906 Cute hack, but not terribly practical IMO. You can only work one-handed now, otherwise you'll burn something or short out the battery (ooh pretty sparks and burning wire!) Cute hack, but not terribly practical IMO. You can only work one-handed now, otherwise you’ll burn something or short out the battery (ooh pretty sparks and burning wire!)

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