Workshop Sketch Pencil Kits

[TonyW]

Some help please good people.

I wish to make a couple of workshop / artist sketch pencils, one for me and one for my hobby machinist friend, and maybe another. So far I've only found one UK supplier, Turners Retreat, who just have the original two piece barrel version, but which has a German clutch mechanism. Looking on the Web I've also found similar kits at Craft Supplies and Penn State, but they mean international postage costs and various UK taxes. Further, the cost of the bushings will only be spread out over a few kits. I therefore want to make sure that I buy decent kits - Keepers. Does anyone therefore know if all of these kits come from the same manufacturer please, or has anyone had problems with any of them?

TIA

TonyW

 

[keithbyrd]

I have made the kits from Craft Supply - no problems at all! Kits were well received!

 

[Skie_M]

I used the version with chrome plating available from Penn State ...

They are a very nice one-barrel design, and can utilize the colored pencil leads (that can write on pretty much any surface) as well as a pen insert .... they leads and pen are locked in place with something similar to a collet chuck, and they are advanced by means of pressing the button on the back of the pen or pencil and allowing the lead or pen to advance out of the tip of the collet. The rear of the pencil twists off and can be used to allow rear loading of additional lead (when you're getting low) and has a built-in lead sharpener inside of the cap.

I love my shop pen/pencil ... my sister loves hers, too! If you don't quite like the idea of getting bushings just for these, then grab a pair of calipers and turn some temp bushings out of some scrap hardwood, and use the calipers to turn the barrel down to proper size!

 

[KenV]

Have used the two barrell design and turned off the center band down to the tube to make a long tube version. Parting tool needs to be sharpened afterwards. Brass under the plating.

Press both tubes onto the center fitting, mount on a mandrel with bushings for the ends, and turn to fit into a long blank.

 

[magpens]

I find that the usual shop pencil kits use lead that is too big in diameter for me.

There is a kit that uses 2mm lead that I really like. It is a Dayacom kit so it's good quality.

Here is where I buy them, but they may not ship to UK ....

William Wood-Write Ltd.

 

[Rockytime]

Perhaps your hobby machinist friend can turn some bushings if you get the dimensions. Or after getting the kits they can be measured for dimensions. I turn lots of bushings from mild cold rolled from the hardware store. Good luck.

 

[TonyW]

Thanks gentlemen, with any of the kits being of good quality I gather.

I just tried measuring a non-standard Sierra type kit for home made bushings incidentally, and it's not as easy as I thought, so maybe I'll try the micrometer next time instead of my Vernier calipers! I must admit to getting a bit frustrated with all of my bushing sets for kits old and new that I'll probably never use again so it is time I cracked the problem ....

Tony

 

[Skie_M]

Two options to try for the no-bushings approach ...

One is to "turn between centers", which works if you have a live and a dead 60 degree cone center pair or make them yourself. The item is placed directly on the cones and held steady in that manner for the entire turning and finishing operation. You will have to stop and measure your progress with the micrometer as you approach the final dimensions.

The other option is similar in function, but still turned on the mandrel. You will make temporary bushings out of some type of hardwood or plastic (PVC or HDPE are ideal, as CA doesn't like to stick to them), and set them up so that they barely fit on the mandrel shaft or drill them to 7mm and use some type of epoxy or Gorilla Glue to put a 7mm slimline barrel into them. Have one end of each bushing flat, to ride against other bushings, and the other end of the bushing tapered down to nothing. The tapered ends will fit INSIDE the pen barrel you are turning, and act like cone centers ... a 60 degree taper is fairly ideal, but not required. Beyond that, follow instructions just like the first set ... use micrometers to determine when you get close to final dimensions, ect ...


If you wish you use the first method but you DO NOT have the 60 degree centers ... You can MAKE them out of some type of hardwood or plastic. A 60 degree angle is ideal, but again, NOT REQUIRED. You simply need to have some sort of dead center chuck for the headstock side as well as a live center for the tailstock side. Turn a piece of hardwood or plastic down to round ... perhaps 6 inches long, and 2 inches wide (when rounded, so that one end could go around your live center in the tailstock).

You'll part it in the middle for 3 inches on either side. The headstock side is simple ... just taper it from the 1-inch mark all the way to the 3-inch mark, where it parts off. The tailstock side can be a bit trickier ... you could make it fit AROUND your live center assembly for a simple slip-fit and it should work fine. The main idea is that you give it as close to an identical taper as the one on the headstock before parting it off.

 

[Mr Finch]

Tony

I believe that these are the cheaper Chinese kits, but, I have had no problem with this:

Woodworkers Pencil - Penkitzandbitz

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