# Mechanical Pencils



## Merkava_4 (Nov 22, 2012)

You guys use a mechanical pencil to mark your lines? I'm getting tired of running to the pencil sharpener every 5 minutes. Which one is a good one? I tried a 0.7mm but that size breaks too easy. I'm assuming a 0.9mm would be more durable. Your thoughts?


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## Lilty (Dec 20, 2006)

I prefer the 0.7mm it does break easily need a lighter touch.


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

First, think about what you are marking and why. If you are marking a board for a cut on a power saw, you usually don't need more than a small tick mark. If the saw is going to cut straight, there's no sense squaring a line across. Any marks that are left have to be removed in many cases, so don't mark unless necessary. When you need a mark, keep it light.

Ordinary mechanical pencils aren't sharp or strong enough. Get a couple boxes of decent wood pencils, a bit harder than standard #2, have several at hand. Put a couple electric sharpeners where you need them the most, not in some far away corner. I have one under my bench and one next to the miter saw. Keep 20 or 30 pencils around and you'll always have one ready. A pencil can be a woodworkers most important tool and probably the cheapest, not a place to cut corners or not be prepared. 

If you want a non wood pencil, you might consider drafting lead holders. They use a much thicker lead and are sharpened with a hand sharpener called a lead pointer, specifically made for these leads. Look for drafting supplies. You can have different holders for different types of lead, some have a pointer in the cap.
http://www.draftingsteals.com/20502.html


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## RogerInColorado (Jan 16, 2013)

Frankly, the best sharpener is a mechanical one that costs $2.00 at Staples or Office Max. I buy a half dozen at a time because I don't go there very often. I can carry it in my shop apron, but I also park one next to my miter saw, in my tablesaw T fence and on the base of my bandsaw and drill press. I don't have to chase anything down. The Staples ones are a circle with half of it being a (not very good) eraser. The Office Depot one looks like one of those 35 mm film cans. I used to have an electric one, but when the blade goes, it's scrap. Cheaper does a better job.


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## plainolebill (Mar 31, 2013)

Fastcap tape measures have built in sharpeners, less acute than a standard pencil sharpener so the tip is less likely to break.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Oh goody...a discussion about pencils. Reminds me of this story...

A half brained handyman was on a ladder cutting off eave boards with a hand held circular saw. He slipped and fell off the ladder. It was either on his way down, maybe in trying to regain his balance, or when he hit the ground, that he cut off his ear.

He got on his hands and knees looking around for it. A passerby asked him what he was doing and offered to help him look for it. Both guys were then searching the area. A few minutes later, the passerby shouts out..."I found it", and shows it to the handyman.

The handyman looks at it and says..."That's not my ear, mine had a pencil behind it".:laughing::laughing:

*Now, about pencils*

I agree that for me it depends on what I'm marking to assess what type of instrument I'll use. For general note taking, or making shop drawings on a pad, I like the old style of Scripto mechanical pencils.
.







.
The replacement leads were available in paper containers with a slide out wood tray grooved to hold the leads. Later the leads were sold in a metal container with a slide open top. Erasers came in little boxes, or in tubes.







.
For doing drawings on my drafting table, I use a leadholder. They don't have erasers, so, I use an electric eraser. For precise marking I may use any of the mm sized ones....3mm, .5mm, .7mm, or .9mm. I wonder why they are in odd mm.

For exact marking for cuts, I'll use an X-Acto knife with a #11 blade. If using a leaded type marker, it will have a presence of some width. It would be a matter of deciding on which side of the pencil line, or whether it would have to be cut down the middle of the mark. With a knife mark, there is no discernible width to deal with.

HD has a nifty little item called *"Pencil Pull"*. It's a clip on case with a retractable cord. On the end is a formed soft rubber holder that you push in any pencil. 








 







.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I do use mechanical pencils and I prefer them. I have a couple pretty nice one from when I frequented a drafting / print supply for work ($$$) but I mainly use these little pencils I found at Office Depot. 

They look like a real pencil but are plastic and come at least a dozen to the pack for cheap. They are black/grey and I have them strewn about the shop so that there is never a pencil out of reach.

Or that was the plan they always seem to be congregating on a side bench to avoid me!


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

I a word: Pentel. Shop around, prices vary.

http://www.staples.com/Pentel-Sharp-Mechanical-Pencils/product_SS205229


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I have two inexpensive mechanical pencils. They have an eraser in the top which is handy.

I use the 0.5mm leads since I want to be able to use the pencil with my Incra rules.

There are many types of leads, some more robust than other.

I am using the Pentel Hi-Polymer 120 0.5mm leads. Pentel claim "Extra strong". They do seem to hold up better, but do break. No surprise. Just push to expose new lead.


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## handymanrichard (Mar 14, 2013)

Since we are talking about pencils, how many roll there pencil when making a line to keep the lead sharp?


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

I'm with Dave. I use the 0.5mm. I have a couple of the Incra pencils but found a package of a dozen (I think) at Walmart pretty cheap. :smile:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

handymanrichard said:


> Since we are talking about pencils, how many roll there pencil when making a line to keep the lead sharp?


If I need a sharp line I use a marking knife


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## Bill White 2 (Jun 23, 2012)

Staedtler and Kohinoor drafting pencils here.
I do use Pentel for notes, etc.
Bill


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

Dang! You all are a smart bunch :thumbsup: Mechanical pencils and exacto knives, who knew?
I've been using plain old #2 pencils all these years. I need to step up my game!


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## KJGCT1 (Jan 26, 2018)

*Mechanical pencils*

I don't know how all you guys use a standard mechanical pencil with that skinny lead. Go to woodcraft and buy yourself a mechanical pencil with 2 mm lead. Not only will you not break it, but there is a sharpener built into the top, just unscrew it and sharpen. I have never broke a tip with one on even the roughest wood, and you can get lead in colors for marking dark wood like walnut.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

I use a .7 mm mechanical pencil made by a company called Zebra - Model M-701 with Pentel 4H lead. The 4H lead doesn’t break as easily as softer leads. I got both at my local art supply store, but they’re available online.


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## Pineknot_86 (Feb 19, 2016)

I use leftover #2 pencils from when the kids were in grade school- have a bunch of them. To me, no big deal to sharpen them. Can't see buying something when I have two lifetime supplies. If I need a fine line, I use a cheap knife from a flea market.


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## bargoon (Apr 20, 2016)

I use cheap Bic .5 mm mechanical pencils with a light touch.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I like fine pens and pencils, the finer the better. I have the following to make marks:

* Fancy Swiss-made marking knife. 
I bought it from Woodcraft before I knew better. I thought I needed a marking knife, and the salesman sold me a nice one. This knife has a flat edge on one side and a bevel on the other side, which is supposed to guide the knife to keep it pressed against the straightedge. You can use it for both right and left side marking. http://www.pfeiltools.com/en/products/carpenter-tools/marking-knive.html

* Wheel marking gauge.
It looked like it would be the best way to make marks that are parallel to the edge. I thought it would do a better job than the combination square. http://www.rockler.com/rockler-wheel-marking-gauge

* Pointy marking gauge made from wood with brass inlay for wear resistance.
I got it from a retired woodworker. It has two needles on one side for mortices, and one needle on the other side.

* Mechanical pencils.
My favorites are the Sanford Pro-Touch II 0.3 mm and various Pentel 0.5 mm versions. Yeah, the leads break a lot, but I just click the button to push out more lead and carry on.

* Traditional wood pencils.
We have many #2 pencils from when our children were in school. We have an old electric sharpener in my office. I keep a bunch of pencils in the garage/shop. I bring in the set of them when they need sharpening.

Which is the best? Honestly, I don't know. If I had to choose, I think the traditional wood pencils are the simplest and easiest to use. My only issue is that they get dull fast, and I like sharp, fine lines. 

I am still struggling with the scratching and cutting marking tools. You must press firmly to get cuts that you can see later, but it is harder to control the cutting when you are pressing hard. I need more practice.


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

I am not exactly sure what I used 5 years ago but today I use plain ol’ #2 pencils. I have a pencil sharpener mounted on the wall above one of my work benches. If the pencil I am using gets a bit dull it only takes a minute and a few cranks and it is needle point sharp. I bought a couple boxes of, I think, 30 pencils each and have them scattered around the shop. Usually there are 3 or 4 pencils within reach no matter what I am doing or where I am working.


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## 35015 (Nov 24, 2012)

KJGCT1 said:


> I don't know how all you guys use a standard mechanical pencil with that skinny lead. Go to woodcraft and buy yourself a mechanical pencil with 2 mm lead. Not only will you not break it, but there is a sharpener built into the top, just unscrew it and sharpen. I have never broke a tip with one on even the roughest wood, and you can get lead in colors for marking dark wood like walnut.


Hmmm....???

Well, from our shops perspective as Timberwrights, furniture and related items...2mm just would not work, simply put. Everything is designed (including timber frames) to 0.5mm. 

Most layout is in ink before cutting, and these are 0.7 to 0.5mm traditional bamboo, or modern pen.

When lead is used it maybe 0.7mm at the thickest possible to use on "rough work" and even then the 0.5mm is what fits the Incra rulers, and is always close at hand.

I just don't see it possible to use anything as large as 2mm?


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## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

I expect if my shop was only used for woodworking and that specific environment where I was only doing one specific thing with all the room dedicated to that, a mechanical pencil would be ideal. I like them for writing tasks around the house. But, for general use in the shop where I do mechanical work, carpentry, construction and a bit of woodworking things, every mechanical pencil I have put in the shop or in the construction apron has broken in no time. At this particular point in time, I am using the Home Depot pencils exclusively and for markers I use Sanford Sharpies.

I hope to reach a time where I can peruse this thread and decide that mechanical pencils will be a good idea and pick up a couple/few of those suggested.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

cheap ball point pen (s) as in free :vs_cool:


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## EWerner64 (Jan 8, 2018)

I have more #2 pencils then I have projects for the foreseeable future! Part of my shop maintenance is to ensure they are all sharp and ready to go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

For rough work I use these. They sharpen easy, the lead is thick and since they're triangular, they don't roll away. 


https://www.officedepot.com/a/produ...MIzKfXp_j22AIVyEoNCh3vVg_GEAQYAiABEgLie_D_BwE


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

A key thing in my wood carvings, most of them, is to maintain the center line. Lots of left/right body parts to keep the same.
I'll use whatever I find = pencils of many kinds, scratch stocks (quite like those), straight edge and skew chisel.

If I did a lot on flat goods, I think I'd drift in the direction of a marking knife, 
light cut, and a very strong angled light to see it.


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## 35015 (Nov 24, 2012)

Robson Valley said:


> A key thing in my wood carvings, most of them, is to maintain the center line. Lots of left/right body parts to keep the same.
> I'll use whatever I find = pencils of many kinds, scratch stocks (quite like those), straight edge and skew chisel.
> 
> If I did a lot on flat goods, I think I'd drift in the direction of a marking knife,
> light cut, and a very strong angled light to see it.


Hey RV,

Interesting field to retire from I noticed in your profile!!! Wish I had a couple more lifetimes to live...I would love to have finished my Field Zoology and Botany Degrees...

To your observations on carving...I too like struck lines with a really sharp edge. 

Because we work in Asian Line Rule (often erroneously called "center line rule") for layout and some of the textile and stone carving layout methods as well, I get to draw on my other interest of Textiles (aka Tailoring, Weaving, etc) and stone carving. From stone there is a lot of cross over in what you do in wood. Some of those methods may interest you.

I would also not that if you like struck lines/marks, try getting your hands on some "000 Insect Pins" they are a great carving aid in both wood and textiles.


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

I just kinda use whatever I've got nearest. Ranges from a nice mechanical to a whatever pen or other pencil I've got laying around. Never liked pens though, I always worry about getting the mark out.


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## kklowell (Apr 4, 2016)

I just bought some cheap mechanical pencils this week, and so far I like them.


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