Maple Leaf Pencil kits

[MrBubblehead]

I picked up 7-8 of these pencil kits. They look great but the mechanisms seen like complete garbage. As it stands I'm not sure if I'm comfortable selling them.
Are all of the cheap pencil kits this way? The are a pain to replace the lead in. The lead seems to move when the pencil is lifted.

Any tips to making them work better or should I cut my loses and just use the blanks for pens?

 

[darrin1200]

This type pencil mechanism works well, but it has a very tight tolerance. If he tube is 1mm to short, it could cause the problem you are talking about.

This mechanism works by the click button pressing down on the end of the pencil mech, pushing it in and releasing the pencil clutch. There is a very short stroke of movement for the mech to release the lead, then push it forward. If you tube is to short, then the pencil mech can be pressed up against the clicker just by inserting it in the pen. It doesn't take much.

You can fix the ones you have, by just cutting a hair off the end of the pencil mech. Optimally, when installed, the pencil mech should just touch the clicker, without pressing against it. If it is a little short, that's fine, it just means your clicker may jiggle a little.

Not sure if this clears it up. I just used this method to modifiy a pencil mech to fit the Luxor pen kit.
If you have any questions, give me a shout.

 

[MrBubblehead]

Sorry, I was frustrated and forgot to mention that these pencils use a twist mechanism. I ruined one so I tore it apart and i don't think there's anyway to make these ones work good. I see the site I got these from no longer sells the twist version. Just the click type with Schmidt inserts.

 

[darrin1200]

I didn't know that the Maple Leaf kit ever came with this style of pencil mech. If you got them from Wood-Write, ask Bill if he has the printed instructions for this mechanism.
These propel mechanisms, is one of the first types of mechanical pencil.
These mechs work well, Its just a different style.
When a lead is worn out, the last little piece is removed, and a new piece is pushed back in its place. The leads inside, under the eraser, are there for storage.

Here is quote from a pencil DMP (Daves Mechanical Pencil) blog

Quote
PARKER
From 1950 – 70 era leaflets.
"TO INSERT NEW LEAD: Turn cap to the right until metal piece emerges from the tip to be sure all the old lead is out. Turn cap back until its stops. Insert new lead completely into the point. Press the end of the lead gently on a hard surface to secure the lead in the pencil."

SHAEFFER
From a 1980's leaflet. Actually it's all diagrammatic so I have written this interpretation.
"Turn mechanism until remaining lead is expelled, and then turn mechanism back until it finally stops. Hold pencil point upwards and insert a piece of lead into tip and feed it all the way in. Turn pencil over and gently press lead down on flat surface to fully seat it home." (Note the similarity to the Parker instructions)

End Quote