Mechanical pencil feed

Re: Mechanical pencil feed

John K Jordan

I have fixed many that wouldn't feed. Sometimes it's from the exit tube getting bent, sometimes a clog.

I disassemble and sight through the tip, cleaning and straightening as needed. I manually feed a piece of lead through the hole to make sure it will go. Check the feed mechanism operation - it may need cleaning or lubricating (dry lube).

Re: Mechanical pencil feed

Jerry Gibbs

Thanks I will try although it recently happened to a new pencil after first lead used.

Re: Mechanical pencil feed

John K Jordan

Make sure you open the back and dump out all the lead. Look for a clear path through the whole pen. A small broken piece of led can stop things up.

If it's a new pencil and valuable maybe the seller would replace it.

JKJ

What brand and type of feed

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

It would help to know what type of mechanical pencil it is.

Re: What brand and type of feed

Jerry Gibbs

Both Pentel.5mm. One feeds by clicking a side pad. The other feeds by pushing the pen body near the tip. Have problems with both. Both are cheap. Pens.

Re: Mechanical pencil, what I have

CharlieL

EAGLE TURQUOISE 3375 2.0MM DRAFTING MECHANICAL PENCIL from the mid 70's and never had a problem with it. I bought it when I was in a high school drafting class. I see there are some on eBay.

trash 'm

John K Jordan

>>>Both Pentel.5mm. ... Have problems with both. Both are cheap.

Unless I was homeless or bored I'd spend maybe 60 seconds on one then throw it in the trash and get some good quality pencils. This is what I use in the shop. I keep some from 0.3 to 0.9mm.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HXQXA

For cheap pencils I buy them by the dozen or two dozen, about 20 cents each.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CDEUBO

JKJ

Thanks

Re: What brand and type of feed

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

I routinely use the Pentel Sharp Drafting pencils and the Twist Erase pencils and have very few if any issues with them. I use the HB leads in them. The drafting pencils can be disassembled and you can clean the three jaws that grip the lead. The Twist erase models don't seem to be able to be disassembled, but then I've never needed to.

Lee

Re:+1 for 2.0MM Drafting Pencils

Hank Knight

I've been using 2.0MM drafting pencils for 10 - 15 years. They're simple to operate and the lead is a lot more robust than the 0.5MM Pentels. I have a few of those too, but for marking, layout and general use, you can't beat the 2MM pencils. They require a special sharpener, but it's cheap. I have several and keep one on my bench.

Special Sharpener

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

For the 2.0mm pencils, I find a piece of used sandpaper works very well. Just angle the lead to the sandpaper and spin the point. Fast and easy. T.

Re:+1 for 2.0MM Drafting Pencils

John K Jordan

>>>I've been using 2.0MM drafting pencils for 10 - 15 years.

I like those too.

Have you tried the .9mm pencils? Same mechanism as the .5 but a lot stronger at almost twice the diameter. At the lathe I keep the .5 and .9.

Re: Special Sharpener

Hank Knight

I use sandpaper occasionally too, but I find the carbon messy. The little sharpeners capture it and it doesn't get al over everything.

Never enough pencils!

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

Aside from the 2.0 mm, I also use .9mm pencils with hard leads. I have many of them scattered around the shop. I don't have a habit of putting them in a pocket. It's amazing for how many I have, they seem to evaporate when I'm looking for one!

keeping up with pencils

John K Jordan

>>>Aside from the 2.0 mm, I also use .9mm pencils with hard leads. I have many of them scattered around the shop. I don't have a habit of putting them in a pocket. It's amazing for how many I have, they seem to evaporate when I'm looking for one!

I came up with a way to make sure I have a pencil exactly where I need it - I stick them to magnets where I use them and always put them back on the magnets. The pencils are ALWAYS there.

The nice Pentel with steel clips will stick directly. Plastic and wood pencils and sharpies I first wrap with a bit of soft iron wire. This is at the lathe. I do the same thing at the bandsaw, drill press, etc.

JKJ

I made a living with those 2mm mechanical pencils

Dick Coers

You roll the holder with you fingertips while drawing a line to keep the point wearing evenly. I wore the knurl and paint off on a many of those. At first we all had abrasive pads on our tables, hung off the tray. We held it there with rubber bands so you could sharpen, slap the pad against the bottom of the tray to remove the dust, then just let go. The spinning sharpeners were a God send! We still kept the abrasive pads though, to put the chisel point on the compass leads. For woodworking, you could put in a piece of 9H and basically score the wood. We didn't notice the graphite dust in the air because everyone smoked. A room full of draftsman and engineers would develop a haze by 8:30 and remain all day! I worked with engineers who had to empty their ashtray after lunch.

Re: I made a living with those 2mm mechanical penc

GolfSteve in Calgary

Did you have the rotary power erasers also? I loved those.

Re: I made a living with those 2mm mechanical penc

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

Yup, I was one of those Engineers :>). I still have some of the pencils and lead in the shop, along with a sharpener and one of the paddles with sandpaper strips adhered at the top. Still has a few strips left! When I left Draftsmen were using Cad so had little use for drafting equipment.

Of course I still have my slide rule from the 60's. Can't remember all the scales anymore but do use it occasionally to draw straight lines!