Here’s a classy way to house a carpenter’s crayon. First, get a piece of 1/2-in. copper tubing, about 3-1/2-in. long. You can usually find one in the scrap pile after the plumbers have been on the job. With a hacksaw, make four slits about 1 in. long an equal distance apart in one end of the tube. Bend the resulting tabs in slightly to taper the end of the tube. Now slide the crayon in from the other end, and you’re ready to write. This holder (see drawing) is less bulky and much cheaper than the ones sold at hardware stores.
Mike Tsutsui, Stockton, CA
