Loss-Proof Comb

My comb sticks to the soft leather on my key wallet and my comb often falls out of my pocket unnoticed. I am tired of replacing combs. I have tried to put my comb into a different pocket, but sometimes forget and lose another comb.

I looked for a folding comb, but those often looked like a dagger, and that will not work well at airport security. I decided to make a wooden frame into which I can mount a comb.

Materials

• Hardwood
• #6 x 1/2 wood screw
• Spray finish

Tools

• Table saw
• Sander
• Vise
• Plane
• Drill and bits
• Countersink
• Half-round file
• Screwdriver

I have some beech I can cut down to fit the size of my comb. I cut it to be just a little longer than the comb.

I set the depth on my saw's cut to be just a little more than the height of the comb. I set a tall rip fence.

I very carefully used a pusher stick arrangement to cut a slot for the comb. I had to move the fence a little and make a second cut to get the necessary width on the slot.

The piece of wood was thicker on one side than the other. I need both sides of the slot to be the same thickness. I could have resawn the wood, but I did not want to risk things going wrong while sawing a small piece, even with pusher sticks.

I put the wood in a vise and used a hand plane to reduce the thickness some. Then I used a sanding drum above a small table surface to reduce the thickness and be certain both sides are parallel.

I used the sanding drum to round and shape the wood by hand. The small wood screw will hinge the comb so it folds out like a pocket knife. I drilled a hole through one corner of the comb and used that as a template for locating and drilling a hole in the wood. Then I used a countersink for the screw head.

The comb is mounted in the wooden frame. The countersink has been made for the screw head.

I made a half-round cutaway so I can grasp and open the comb.

I used a spray shellac to finish the wood. Although it does not show clearly, the finish added a nice golden tone. I should lose far fewer combs now.