Pentel Pencil assembly question

[Raif Harik]

Hi, So I have my pentel mechanical pencils and have remove the guts. But there are a couple problems. Or maybe really only just one. Basically there is a brass piece on the very end. The chrome tip screws onto this. The body of the pencil ( original ) has an inside lip. Wide enough to let the threads through but not wide enough to allow the entire metal piece through. This way when you push the body of the pencil from the top it wil contract the spring and advance the lead.
The problem is that there is like 1/32 inch difference and my pencil tube doesn't have that nifty lip!. The only think I can think to do is to get a little piece of aluminum and drill a tiny hole in it then ca glue it to the end of the tube.
I'm sure there's a better way so please let me know what you think. I have included pictures to try to illustrate.
Thanks,
Raif

 

[Walter Mooney]

Raif,

Pentel pencils are my pencil of choice. I've made several, haven't ever used a tube. Umpteen years ago I bought a drill bit and mandrel from someone in Florida (IIRC). Can't remember his name. Probably bought it around 2006 or so. What I got was a 'step drill bit' and a mandrel. Anyway, attached is a photo of one of my pencils, in cocobolo I think, along with a photo of the drill bit and my measurements of it. I will tell you that correct/exact blank length and depth of drilling is critical, because you need about 0.5" from the internal shoulder (within the blank, formed by the step drill) to the finished end of the blank, so that approx. 0.3" of the guts of the pencil protrudes out, onto which you would screw the silver nib. And the blank gets VERY THIN at the 'nib' end, so be very careful when you're turning. I forgot to include in the drawing that the bushings that came with the mandrel are 0.267" (17/64", the same as the main part of the drill bit) at the business end of the Pencil, and 0.342" (11/32") at the eraser end of the pencil.

Hope this helps. Good luck with this, and be sure to post one or two finished products!

 

[Raif Harik]

Crimony man! Where in blazes am I gonna find one of those??? Uggg. I've done a few searches and come up with nothing. Perhaps I just need the right keywords.
Thanks,
Raif

 

[Richard Coers]

All kinds of videos and tutorials on line for drilling with different sized drills. Google "pentel wood pencil tutorial"

 

[Raif Harik]

Well I'll be. If I watch enough youtube videos I can do anything. No I'm serious! I can do ANYTHING!
Sorry key and peal reference.
So indeed, I turned my long 7 mm bit into a step drill! I mean it ain't perfect, but it'll do. I then started searching for how to make a mandrel and I found this site

- The Perfect Collection

The site quality is truly offensive but I guess you gotta take what you can get.
$45 is kind of a lot but given that you get bushings and all that, it's reasonable.

Anyway, here's another question that I can't easily youtube. It seems there are a bunch of different pentel pencils. I'm wondering if the guts are all pretty much the same or if there is a preferably model? The above site mentions a 2mm elite mandrel, but I'm not sure what the difference is. Then lastly is there a good source for bulk purchace of whatever model you recommend?
Thanks for the help.
R

 

[Richard Coers]

I assume all the Pentels are the same except for some internals. The lead diameter is the main difference. If you want any kind of info on pens, here is the know all forum; https://www.penturners.org

 

[Timothy White]

Try this web site Don shows you step by step how to do it.

http://penmakersguild.com/articles/pentelpencil.pdf