Is this considered a Hand Tool?

[Peter Pedisich]

Hi, I recently purchased this vintage Boston 55 "Ranger" Draftsman's Pencil Sharpener (I'm a draftsman, among other things), from ebay after looking at brand new imported ones from amazon. This was about $4 more than a new one, but had a better paint job, and the handle is wood instead of plastic.

The steel cutters were caked solid with years of packed-in graphite, cedar, and oil that formed a hardened mass like dried glue. I doused it with WD40, let in soak, then ran a pencil down each spiral "trough", more WD40 with a toothbrush... then a bath in simple green and warm water, a few minutes in a 150F oven to chase all the water out, reassemble with a spot of wax and a drop of mineral oil... a little never-dull on the case, and it works like new! It doesn't shave the wood quite as smooth as the electric ones, but the shape and length of the point is superior... perfect for the refined draughtsman.

-Pete

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2VElYilYMVs/VCt3rfKsA1I/AAAAAAAAC8c/JDYBLuF4DOY/s800/IMG_2924.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VhfLiuvbgg4/VCt3quTyQhI/AAAAAAAAC8U/PHjfGpOTtEU/s800/IMG_2925.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f8EkK1b9qA0/VCt3s-micFI/AAAAAAAAC8o/f6S7RJ-_UWo/s800/IMG_2927.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eNB8JjY--oA/VCt3tgGNrsI/AAAAAAAAC80/YibTgRnleLk/s800/IMG_2928.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TxnWni9TeQo/VCt3upQ7aKI/AAAAAAAAC9E/QfE-5xx2LMk/s800/IMG_2934.JPG

[Jim Koepke]

Oooooh it even has a point selector. I'm jealous, you suck and all those other comments.

Though I do have a pencil pointer on the end of my electric eraser. The one I had to take apart once and fix.

jtk

[Dan Noall]

Dude, that thing is sa-weeet! Awesome Deco, too. I'll keep an eye out for one of these, and FWIW I have a buddy who goes to estate sales and always sees one (a typical Boston or the like) screwed to a wall and he invariably asks if it's available. The looks he gets are priceless.

[Jim Ritter]

That's a sweet sharpener Pete. I too am a draftsman mostly in my former career, but still have my board set up and draw by hand. I would have bought that sharpener over a new one too.
Jim

[Bill White]

And I thought that my Boston KS was cool. Shows ya what I know.
Great resto.
Bill

[george wilson]

That is a nice sharpener. Mine are just the standard run of the mill variety. I thought a draftsman's sharpener could also just remove the wood,leaving the naked,unsharpened graphite sticking out. You could then sand the graphite into a chisel edge,or other special edge as desired.

[Mel Fulks]

A good find. I too liked Deco stuff. A pencil sharpener that looks like a photo of the Chrysler building taken from a helicopter! So much better than the post apocalyptic looking buildings ,and pencil sharpeners, currently TURNED (get it?)
out.

[Matthew N. Masail]

That's fantastic. seriously, a must have.

[Jim Matthews]

"Draughtsman", years - quite.

I hope "Vomax the insatiable" devours your
favorite Staedtler 4H

* you suck *

[Art Mann]

That is a really neat pencil sharpener. Congratulations on the find. I am very curious, though, if you will use it in your work. It has been many years since I saw a draftsman/designer using a drawing board instead of a computer.

[Peter Pedisich]

That is a really neat pencil sharpener. Congratulations on the find. I am very curious, though, if you will use it in your work. It has been many years since I saw a draftsman/designer using a drawing board instead of a computer.

Art,
For work I use AutoCAD, but for my own work - in my own shop - I've switched over to full scale details to work out joinery and proportion. I know sketch up and AutoCAD are great, and I've used it, but after doing it all day I need a break from the computer, so in my home shop I go back to doing it the way I began in 1979!
I still have a solid oak Mayline drafting table, but it's covered in hand tools, so expect it to be buried and inaccessible for the next five years...

Here's what I do with my cedar & graphite pencils:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x6HOdY4ELY4/VCyuSdvTiPI/AAAAAAAAC9o/HUPG8z64hJc/s800/IMG_2939.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xSIQ1BS_GIY/VCyuSklwWMI/AAAAAAAAC9s/nZBYqWwulwU/s800/IMG_2941.jpg

[Tom Stenzel]

I had a Ranger 55 just like it. When we moved it was packed in a box. My wife didn't like it, threw it away.
It looked like new.
-Tom

[Jim Matthews]

Classic technique.

Nice hand, and sensitive shading.
Kudos

[Patrick McCarthy]

Peter, perhaps a silly question but I am serious, what type or brand cedar and graphite pencils do you use? And where might they be sourced? Thank you, Patrick

[lowell holmes]

I have a pencil sharpener next to my bench. It has the different size holes. In addition to sharpening pencils, it is good for pointing dowels.

I have been using the plastic pencils that come with the .7 leads and a white erasers. They come 15 to the package and can be thrown away when the break. The fine line they leave is erasable with the soft white eraser on the pencil. The cost just a few dollars for the package.

I worked as a draftsman for many years, but prefer AutoCad now. I do still have two Fugle pencil pointers. I disposed of my electric erasers.

[ian maybury]

Must say I'm another that likes to draw in pencil on draughting film - especially when sorting out layouts/creative stuff/viusalising. In this case because I'm more comfortable - CAD only stated to come in as i was moving on from draughting as an engineer. I have some basic CAD and Sketch Up capability, but find it blocks intuition. Too old - too much thinking about the how rather than just doing, and i forget stuff i'd learned previouly as it's only required at intervals.

The downside I guess is when it comes to re-using, tramsmitting drawings or when stuff is to be made on CNC machines...

[Moses Yoder]

I had a Ranger 55 just like it. When we moved it was packed in a box. My wife didn't like it, threw it away.
It looked like new.
-Tom

In all my years I have never heard a better reason for divorce. I would understand if she fooled around on you, but throwing away a thing of beauty like that is just uncalled for.

[Peter Pedisich]

Peter, perhaps a silly question but I am serious, what type or brand cedar and graphite pencils do you use? And where might they be sourced? Thank you, Patrick

Patrick, I use Dixon Ticonderoga, a stash of boxes I bought about 10 years ago that were made in USA, and some great pencils from Lee Valley.