Grease pencil

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Two grease pencils Grease pencil.jpg
Two grease pencils
Historical diplomatic usage MPK1-426 Sykes Picot Agreement Map signed 8 May 1916.jpg
Historical diplomatic usage

The grease pencil, a wax writing tool also known as a wax pencil, china marker, or chinagraph pencil (especially in the United Kingdom), is a writing implement made of hardened colored wax and is useful for marking on hard, glossy non-porous surfaces. This pencil is usually made from non-toxic opaque wax (such as paraffin, beeswax, ceresin, carnauba or spermaceti wax) [1] that is similar to a crayon but stronger.[ citation needed ] Marks made by grease pencils are resistant to moisture and can usually be removed by rubbing the marked surface with a paper towel.

Grease pencils are available in several forms. The outer casing may be made of wood (like an ordinary pencil) and sharpened with a knife or pencil sharpener. Other types are covered in paper and sharpened by pulling a string to peel off the paper, needing no additional tools to remain functional. More recently, it has been produced in propelling form, essentially similar to a mechanical pencil, this type in particular being associated with knee boards employed by NATO aircrew.

Surfaces used with grease pencils include glass, rock, polished stone, plastic, ceramics, acetate, and other glazed, lacquered or polished surfaces, and metal, as well as the glossy paper that is used for photographic printing (particularly for contact sheets), x-rays, maps, and for marking edits on analog audio tape and film. It is also used to label theatrical lighting gels. It is often used as a construction or handyman's marking tool as it rarely scratches the surface it is used on. It may be used to mark a wet surface. They are also favored among some traditional artists. They were also used to mark glassware, during production (the original Chinagraph is so-named for marking porcelain during manufacture) and in medical or scientific applications.

Grease pencils were also widely used during the mid-20th century in aircraft control centers, military radar defense system stations on land and in aircraft carriers in particular. As information came in from radar and radio operators, technicians would take details of aircraft locations, vectors, weapons and fuel status and other information and write it in reverse on a large, clear panel of glass, which was readable to the officers on the other side of the panel. The information would be continuously updated as the situation changed. They have largely been replaced by digital displays in the modern era.[ citation needed ]

In the days when broadcast studios had a library of LP records, a track which was prohibited from public performance could be defaced by a wavy white or yellow chinagraph line, giving a visible warning to the presenter as well as making that track unusable.[ citation needed ]

Grease pencils are also commonly used by fire brigades in the United Kingdom. Entry Control Officers who monitor firefighters wearing SCBA use them to write information such as their location on a control board. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pencil</span> Writing implement

A pencil is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wax</span> Class of organic compounds which are malleable at room temperature

Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low viscosity liquids. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents such as hexane, benzene and chloroform. Natural waxes of different types are produced by plants and animals and occur in petroleum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Engraving</span> Incising designs by cutting into a surface

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper as prints or illustrations; these images are also called "engravings". Engraving is one of the oldest and most important techniques in printmaking. Wood engraving is a form of relief printing and is not covered in this article, same with rock engravings like petroglyphs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marble sculpture</span> Three-dimensional art form from marble

Marble has been the preferred material for stone monumental sculpture since ancient times, with several advantages over its more common geological "parent" limestone, in particular the ability to absorb light a small distance into the surface before refracting it in subsurface scattering. This gives an attractive soft appearance that is especially good for representing human skin, which can also be polished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiteboard</span> Surface for nonpermanent markings

A whiteboard is a glossy, usually white surface for making non-permanent markings. Whiteboards are analogous to blackboards, but with a smoother surface allowing for rapid marking and erasing of markings on their surface. The popularity of whiteboards increased rapidly in the mid-1990s and they have become a fixture in many offices, meeting rooms, school classrooms, public events and other work environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pencil sharpener</span> Tool for sharpening a pencils writing point by shaving away its worn surface

A pencil sharpener is a tool for sharpening a pencil's writing point by shaving away its worn surface. Pencil sharpeners may be operated manually or by an electric motor. It is common for many sharpeners to have a casing around them, which can be removed for emptying the pencil shavings debris into a bin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eraser</span> Stationery item used for erasing marks on paper

An eraser is an article of stationery that is used for removing marks from paper or skin. Erasers have a rubbery consistency and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some pencils have an eraser on one end. Erasers can come in various shapes and colors. Less expensive erasers are made from synthetic rubber and synthetic soy-based gum, but more expensive or specialized erasers are made from vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone carving</span> The act of shaping stone materials

Stone carving is an activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, stone work has survived which was created during our prehistory or past time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil pastel</span> Stick consisting of powdered pigment and an oil-based binder

An oil pastel is a painting and drawing medium formed into a stick which consists of pigment mixed with a binder mixture of non-drying oil and wax. Oil pastel is a type of pastel. They differ from other pastel sticks which are made with a gum or methyl cellulose binder, and from wax crayons which are made without oil. The surface of an oil pastel painting is less powdery than one made from gum pastels, but more difficult to protect with a fixative. Oil pastels are bold and bright. They can be blended easily but they can break easily too.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scriber</span> Hand tool for making marks on workpieces

A scriber is a hand tool used in metal work to mark lines on workpieces, prior to machining. The process of using a scriber is called scribing and is just part of the process of marking out. It is used instead of pencils or ink lines, because the latter are hard to see, easily erased, and imprecise due to their wide mark; scribe lines are thin and semi-permanent. On non-coated workpieces marking blue is commonly used to increase the contrast of the mark lines.

Marking out or layout means the process of transferring a design or pattern to a workpiece, as the first step in the manufacturing process. It is performed in many industries or hobbies although in the repetition industries the machine's initial setup is designed to remove the need to mark out every individual piece.

A writing implement or writing instrument is an object used to produce writing. Writing consists of different figures, lines, and or forms. Most of these items can be also used for other functions such as painting, drawing and technical drawing, but writing instruments generally have the ordinary requirement to create a smooth, controllable line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polishing (metalworking)</span> Abrasive process for creating smooth finished surfaces

Polishing and buffing are finishing processes for smoothing a workpiece's surface using an abrasive and a work wheel or a leather strop. Technically, polishing refers to processes that uses an abrasive that is glued to the work wheel, while buffing uses a loose abrasive applied to the work wheel. Polishing is a more aggressive process, while buffing is less harsh, which leads to a smoother, brighter finish. A common misconception is that a polished surface has a mirror-bright finish, however, most mirror-bright finishes are actually buffed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpenter pencil</span> Pencil designed for use by carpenters

A carpenter pencil is a pencil that has a body with a rectangular or elliptical cross-section to allow it to be used as a quick reference to 1/4 and 1/2 inch measurements. The shape also helps prevent it from rolling away as a secondary function. Carpenter pencils are easier to grip than standard pencils, because they have a larger surface area. The non-round core allows thick or thin lines to be drawn by holding the pencil slightly rotated. Thin lines are required for high precision markings and are easy to erase, but thick markings are needed to mark on rough surfaces. The lead is strong to withstand the stress of marking on such surfaces. The pencil is robust to survive in a construction environment when carried together with heavy tools. The core is typically stronger than in other pencils. Carpenter pencils are used by builders because they can mark on surfaces like concrete or stone. This shape and lead density aid in marking legible lines with a straight edge that are clear and easy to follow with a saw blade. Carpenter pencils are typically manually sharpened with a knife, although special sharpeners can be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parchment paper</span> Cellulose-based paper used in baking and cooking

Parchment paper, also known as baking paper, is a cellulose-based paper that has been processed so as to obtain additional properties such as non-stickiness, grease resistance, resistance to humidity and heat resistance. It is commonly used in baking and cooking as a disposable non-stick paper. It is greaseproof paper that can be used for several different applications, its surface prevents the food from sticking, and also is highly heat-resistant and can be used in temperatures up to 220°C. It should not be confused with waxed paper, which is paper that has been coated with wax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colored pencil</span> Type of art medium

A colored pencil, coloured pencil, map pencil, pencil crayon, or coloured/colouring lead is an art medium constructed of a narrow, pigmented core encased in a wooden cylindrical case. Unlike graphite and charcoal pencils, colored pencils' cores are wax- or oil-based and contain varying proportions of pigments, additives, and binding agents. Water-soluble (watercolor) pencils and pastel pencils are also manufactured as well as colored cores for mechanical pencils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charcoal (art)</span> Form of dry art medium

Artists' charcoal is charcoal used as a dry art medium. Both compressed charcoal and charcoal sticks are used. The marks it leaves behind on paper are much less permanent than with other media such as graphite, and so lines can easily be erased and blended. Charcoal can produce lines that are very light or intensely black. The dry medium can be applied to almost any surface from smooth to very coarse. Fixatives are used with charcoal drawings to solidify the position to prevent erasing or rubbing off of charcoal dusts.

References

  1. Holben, Ellis, Margaret; Brigitte, Yeh, M. "Categories of Wax-Based Drawing Media". www.cool.conservation-us.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2018-09-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. London Fire Brigade (2006-11-17). "Respiratory protective equipment - breathing apparatus – operational procedures" (PDF). WhatDoTheyKnow. Retrieved 2022-08-24.