Simplify the following text for a Grade 10 native English-speaking person.
Original: A juniper or incense-cedar plank with several long parallel grooves is cut to make something called a slat , and the graphite\/clay strings are inserted into the grooves .
Simplified: A juniper or incense-cedar plank with several long parallel grooves is cut to fashion a â slat , â and the graphite\/clay strings are inserted into the grooves .