Need help on a pencil

[Bill Grumbine]

Greetings all

I am looking for some help for a customer of mine. He wants a pencil, 0.5mm lead, and no longer than 4.5" - 5" max. Shorter is better. The regular slimline pencils are too long. This is a guy who put in his back yard fence with a laser level and a protractor to keep tolerances within hundredths of an inch, so he will be adamant about the size. I have looked all over the place to try and find something like this, and am coming up with nothing. So I am here to see if you guys might be able to help me out. I turned many thousands of pens and pencils back in the 90s, but things have changed a lot since then, and I am not up on all the possibilities.

 

[turbowagon]

Welcome to the forum, Bill!

A Sierra or Sienna pen kit can be modified easily to accept a 0.5mm Schmidt mechanism. The finished length is about 5 1/8", so it may be too long for your purpose.

Here's an article in the Library on how to make the conversion:

http://content.penturners.org/library/pencils/sierrapencil1.pdf

- Joe

 

[turbowagon]

Another option is a style known as the Atlas, Polaris, or Carbara, which is shorter (I think around 4 7/8" finished length):

But I DO NOT RECOMMEND the pencil version of this kit. The pencil version of the kit only accepts one lead at a time, and you must manually feed it in. A big turn-off to the end user. Instead, I believe there is a way to convert the pen kit to accept Schmidt mechanisms. I will look around and get back to you.

- Joe

 

[turbowagon]

Here are the instructions to modify the Atlas/Polaris/Carbara kit to accept a Schmidt DSM pencil mechanism:

http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Pen_Kit_Instructions.htm

NOTE: that both the converted Atlas or Sierra will not have integrated erasers, but the integrated erasers on pencil kits are typically junk anyway. I prefer to include a separate high quality eraser with pencil sales.

- Joe

 

[Bill Grumbine]

Thanks for the answers Joe! I will check out the links and articles.

 

[Smitty37]

Right

Another option is a style known as the Atlas, Polaris, or Carbara, which is shorter (I think around 4 7/8" finished length):

But I DO NOT RECOMMEND the pencil version of this kit. The pencil version of the kit only accepts one lead at a time, and you must manually feed it in. A big turn-off to the end user. Instead, I believe there is a way to convert the pen kit to accept Schmidt mechanisms. I will look around and get back to you.

- Joe

You're right, the finished length of a Polaris is about 4 7/8th maybe a 32nd longer

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Welcome to the forum, Bill! I really enjoyed your DVD!

Andrew