Speaking of pencils, what the...?!!

[karlkuehn]

My Dad sent me a bunch of moose racks/leg bones that he and a friend got on the Yukon last summer and in exchange he wants a couple pen and pencil sets. He chose the Black Ti Euro pens as what they want for them, and I've had them sitting around for a few months while I'm cutting/degreasing/bleaching bones and curing antlers

I just started looking at the pencil mechanisms after reading spitfire's post. How in the world does the new lead load in there when you run out on the current one? Most of my eversharp things just run out and the new one just drops in place from the 'standby' tube. I'm not seeing that happening with these mechanisms.

What gives? Please tell me that you don't have to load each individual lead by hand by pushing the button and shoving it in through the nib.

Seems like there's a real deficit in our craft for decent pencil mechanisms.

I really need to start paying more attention about step drills and taps and dies and such. How does one go about becoming a mechanical engineer? heh

Any help on this would be really appreciated before I start hacking and drilling on these antlers. If I need to switch kits, now's the time, I guess!

 

[Aderhammer]

You pull the pen in half, unscrew the tranny and pull the black little cap off the mechanism

 

[karlkuehn]

Originally posted by Aderhammer

You pull the pen in half, unscrew the tranny and pull the black little cap off the mechanism

Every time you need new lead?

 

[THarvey]

Karl,

I have only done one of the European pencils. It was a two for one deal (the first and the last).

I do not like the way the mechanism works. There is too much movement in the assembly for my taste.

The mechanism will hold 3 - 5 pieces of lead and advance the next as one finishes. It is not the smoothest movement, but it works.

I am still looking for a pencil kit that I like. If you find one, please share your source.

 

[karlkuehn]

Well, that's *cough* good news I guess. Near's I could tell, you'd have had to reload it by hand.

How hard is it to make a decent mechanism?! Geez, I could tear apart any one of my mechanical pencils and find something better than what we have to work with. Even the stupid Bic disposable ones work better than what we get.

 

[Aderhammer]

Originally posted by karlkuehn

Originally posted by Aderhammer

You pull the pen in half, unscrew the tranny and pull the black little cap off the mechanism

Every time you need new lead?

Yup it's the same deal as the cigars. doesn't take that long if you know how to do it.

 

[Dalecamino]

Don't look at me ! I haven't a clue ! [8D][8D][8D]

 

[THarvey]

Karl,

I forgot to mention that it has a tendency to break lead and jam the mechanism.

 

[karlkuehn]

Originally posted by THarvey

Karl,

I forgot to mention that it has a tendency to break lead and jam the mechanism.

Oh, good. More good news. Maybe I'll be able to talk them into a letter opener instead of the pencil...

Sheesh! [B)]

 

[gerryr]

If you're planning to make a pencil from moose leg bone, the pencil mechanism may well be the least of your problems.

 

[karlkuehn]

Originally posted by gerryr

If you're planning to make a pencil from moose leg bone, the pencil mechanism may well be the least of your problems.

Nah, I just filleted the usable bone from the leg bones, sanded and stuffed it into a HP bath for a while.

 

[Rudy Vey]

If you want a decent , good quality pencil, get a kit that uses the Schmidt pencil mechanism. Examples would be Perfect Fit Convertible (similar looking to an European), Gent Jr, El Grande. You can also make the Sierra into a pencil using this mechanism. Mudder here wrote a nice instruction how to do it.

 

[Hello]

I have some pencil kits.....I they either came from Mudder of chastings.....I made one, but didn't really examine how it worked....just gave it to my dad in passing sorta'......I thought, and I could be wrong of course (because I find that I am wrong way too often lately), that the new lead loads into the top...the cap comes off to make the eraser usable, and the eraser will pop out to reveal a hole for loading new lead.

 

[Russianwolf]

karl, where did the kits come from? The reason I ask is I've seen two different mechinisms on the Euro pencils. One is like the Cigar, twist in one dirrection to extend the lead and twist back to lock it in place. The other you twist in one dirrection to extend the lead (the more you twist the more comes out) and twisting in the other retracts the lead.

The former was from WoodPenPro and the later was PSI.

The PSI kits I believe you have to load the lead in through the nib and rotate it alll the way back in (or at least twist the mech all the way back, then put the lead in through the nib.) I couldn't figure out any other way to change the lead.

I have both mechs at home and can take a picture tonight to show what I mean. I stopped making them both as neither is all that nice and the kits themselves were a pain 8mm for PSI and about 8.5mm for WPP.

I also have one kit for the Berea double twist Euro that I haven't finished. It's a pain in the butt to. There is a reason that I've stopped doing Euros all together.

 

[karlkuehn]

They're PSI kits.

 

[Russianwolf]

Here are the two mechs, the top is bothg the PSI 8mm pencil and the Berea double twist (although on the Berea kit, the 8mm tube then goes inside another tube). The bottom is the WoodPenPro mech.

The WPP mech is a self feed, but the PSI/Berea I don't see how it can be. I do like the action on the PSI/Berea mech better than the twist-twist back movement (similar to cigar pencils) on the WPP kit though.

I think I'm joining the "I don't do pencils other than pentel club"