8 votes
Accepted

How to remove charcoal droppings on an eraser?

You need to erase on a blank sheet of paper or a rougher surface to "sand" the dirty part of the eraser out. You can erase on your desk surface to get those dirty crumbles out. Your eraser is getting "...
fuzzy_onesie's user avatar
7 votes

Signing a new credit card

Banks and financial institutions prefer the miserly thin line you dislike. Forgers love thick lines that disguise small irregularities in a bogus signature. It's VERY difficult to forge a signature ...
Stan's user avatar
  • 14.1k
7 votes

What to do with left over calendars of previous years?

If you can keep them until 2026, the days will be aligned the same as they are in 2015. ie Jan 1st is a Thursday and 28 days in Feb. EDIT : More explanation. You can use a 2015 calendar as a 2026 ...
Dave's user avatar
  • 1,749
7 votes

Randomizing papers

Take a well shuffled deck of cards and paperclip a card to each one in turn. Then sort them into deck order A..K spades followed by A..K hearts, A..K diamonds, A..K clubs.
Dave's user avatar
  • 1,749
7 votes

How can I remove gel (?) Ink from a book?

If all your attempts at removal fail or you do indeed damage the paper in an attempt at doing so, I suggest what I would have probably done instead of writing directly into the book: Use a matching (...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 3,195
6 votes

How to deal with eraser shavings effectively

The two items you linked to are novelty items and are unlikely to work well. The tool professionals (e.g. draftsmen) use for this job is a drafting brush like this one: (not recommending this ...
Hobbes's user avatar
  • 6,284
6 votes
Accepted

How to remove/hide/destroy senstive information written on paper without a machine?

Ripping it up is as secure as the obfuscation you can apply to the task. A shredder is actually not a very secure method, unless your total shredded quantity is high. Re-assembly is just a jigsaw ...
Tetsujin's user avatar
  • 2,231
6 votes

How to remove/hide/destroy senstive information written on paper without a machine?

Eat it If it's a small amount of paper, then eating it would be very effective.
James's user avatar
  • 1,884
6 votes
Accepted

Stuck photos while inside an envelope

If they are gelatin-emulsion based, as used in traditional photography (or some coated ink-jet papers), hold the back side of the pack over a steaming kettle and let the steam slowly loosen the rear-...
DrMoishe Pippik's user avatar
6 votes

How to COMPLETELY peel off a sticky price tag or label on a book or item without the gunky residue?

Use a hair dryer and pull perpendicular. It softens the glue so that it stays on the sticker instead of the book. Glue residue can be removed with white spirits. However, some glues are really hard ...
Mrten's user avatar
  • 201
6 votes
Accepted

How to write with a pen upside down?

Good that you mentioned astronauts in one of comments, because this reminded me some myth that cosmonauts used to use pencils while NASA spent lot of money on creating spece pen This article says ...
running.t's user avatar
  • 548
6 votes
Accepted

Fuse / patch two papers side-by-side without noticeable seam?

Turn the ticket over and work on the back. First, clean the desk where you will work. Use good lighting in your work area. Wash your hands thoroughly. Carefully match the two pieces and join them ...
Stan's user avatar
  • 14.1k
5 votes

Signing a new credit card

An engraver/Dremel. I just signed my new credit card with an engraver with a thin point, and it looks great and is visible (even without ink). I might use a thin sharpie to write over it. A ...
ljepson74's user avatar
5 votes

How to revive dried up pens

The idea is that the tip is clogged. And you want to allow it to flow again. -- You may try to dilate the tip (and slim the ink) with heat to allow the ink to flow. Other answers have already ...
Theraot's user avatar
  • 171
5 votes

How to seal envelopes without licking

Use a cool mist humidifier. I discovered this by accident one day. Stuffy nose & allergies so I brought a humidifier to work. Just run the glue part of the envelope back & forth across the ...
user17835's user avatar
5 votes

How to remove/hide/destroy senstive information written on paper without a machine?

If you have a lighter or a match stick, burning it will be a good option. Off-course, it's better to burn it on a metal surface away from flammable substances. If you can't find metal surface, you can ...
Varun Sharma's user avatar
5 votes

How to comfortably carry a pen drive in any attire without risk of physical damage?

Many flash sticks / pen drives nowadays have keyring loops. I simply carry a flash stick on my keyring - like this... As my keys are always in my pocket if I'm outside the house, the flash stick is ...
Chenmunka's user avatar
  • 1,838
5 votes

Applying identification mark on a glass trophy

Even simpler than the clear tape mentioned in another answer: Write or draw directly on the (bottom of) the trophy with a permanent marker, remove it with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover when ...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 3,195
5 votes

Stop ink stains on hand when writing for left-handed people

Most left-handed people I know turn the page at an angle (which differs between individuals) that allows their left hand to slide above or below the line they just wrote. This certainly needs some ...
Elmy's user avatar
  • 2,976
4 votes

How can I sharpen pencils without a dedicated sharpener?

I like to use an emory board to sharpen or shape a drawing pencil. I don't expect it would work well for starting from scratch ; ) with a new pencil, but works well otherwise.
Suzz's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes

How to remove/hide/destroy senstive information written on paper without a machine?

I often use your idea of writing over the letters with other letters. But I always write over every letter with an "8" and then an "X". That makes every letter look like exactly the same weird ...
BrettFromLA's user avatar
  • 11.6k
4 votes

How to write with a pen upside down?

Use a pencil, maybe? (I don't have enough rep to put this in comments)
Sachin's user avatar
  • 283
4 votes

Pen writes faint

You say it happens evey time with a new pen (I assume you mean regardless of the brand). From what I can see you are applying quite a lot of pressure when writing. I don't know if it is possible, but ...
user18894's user avatar
4 votes

How do I enhance my handwriting?

The pen you write with makes a lot of a difference. Dark-inked and thick-pointed pen will make your handwriting look 'smooter', if that's what you are after. However, I think that as long as your ...
user18894's user avatar
3 votes

Signing a new credit card

Invest in the fisher brand of pens called "space pens". They truly live up to the hype, they write every time, on basically whatever surface you need to write on (within reason, obviously not concrete ...
Nathan grate's user avatar
3 votes

How to remove wrinkles from a crumpled piece of paper?

If you are looking for a faster but not as effective way to smooth out paper, you can run the paper over the edge of a desk. (Pretend like the paper is a string and the edge of the desk is a pulley ...
B00sTMe15TeR's user avatar
3 votes

How to seal envelopes without licking

To expand on the "wet sponge / cloth / finger concept": As we are dealing with multiple envelopes, I recommend layering the flaps of the envelopes, slightly staggered, so that the sticky parts of the ...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 3,195
3 votes

How can I sharpen pencils without a dedicated sharpener?

It is actually easier to sharpen a pencil with a box-cutter than a pocket knife (it is sharper, so you need to apply less pressure, which allows you to have more control over what and how you are ...
user18849's user avatar
3 votes

How to revive dried up pens

There's one solution / it works all the time! Wet a napkin and take the ink cartridge and roll it up in the napkin/ place in mic for 20 sec !
Generro g's user avatar
3 votes
Accepted

How do I get a new ball pen to flow?

The one thing that helps me a lot with this issue is to use the pen against the sole of my shoe, I really don't know why or how it works. I was given this tip as a kid by an older friend and I've done ...
Just Do It's user avatar
  • 1,188

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