Metal Man Pencil Holder

This looks cool and makes a pretty generic gift (most people have pencils, right?)

- Hacksaw
- Coping saw
- Bench grinder, file, or DREMEL with grinding bit
- Sheet metal
- Vice grips (one pair the needle nose type)
- Protractor
- Blowtorch (if you want to heat treat the steel)

- Download the PDF below and print it off
- Cut out the metal man and attach it to your piece of steel ( I like using magnets to attach the paper)

- Use the hacksaw to cut out the body and the coping saw to cut out the head

- Use the bench grinder, file or DREMEL to round the head and shoulders, and touch up any rough cuts
- If you want the pencil holder to be shiny or want to heat colour it use the bench grinder, file or DREMEL to remove the scale (if there is any; the scale is usually dark grey)

- Use the vice grips to bend the arms and leg to the angles specified in the template (you may need some leverage)
- The "wrists" are indicated by the black rectangles on the template
- You may need to grind or file the feet to make the pencil holder stand without wobbling
- Use a file to remove any marks left on the pencil holder by the vice grips

- To heat colour the pencil holder take the blowtorch and "paint" the pencil holder with heat, pausing for about a minute after every few "strokes" to let the colour sink in
- Here's a list of the approximate temperatures (Fahrenheit) at which colours form:

Pale yellow 400 – 420
Light Yellow 430 – 440
Yellow 450 – 460
Straw 470 – 480
Dark Straw 490
Bronze 500
Dark Brown 541 – 520
Light Purple 530
Purple 540
Dark Purple 550 – 560
Blue 570 – 580
Dark Blue 590 – 600
Light Blue 610 – 620
Blue Green 630 – 640
Grey 650