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(03-23-2018, 07:57 AM)Cooler Wrote: I just picked up a package of Delguard .5mm HB pencil lead. When I get home I will test it out and compare it with (whatever) is in my pencil now.
I use Incra rules quite often and thus am regulated to using 0.5mm lead as they require it for the precision.
I'm currently using Pentel high quality leads (don't recall the specific model) but do experience breakage. More likely because I have too much lead exposed.
Curious if the Delgard pencil will alleviate that? May have to pick one up to try.
Also curious to see how the Delguard leads work out.
~Dan.
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Here is a review on pencil leads. I was amazed that there were so many differences in writing qualities from different leads. It leads me to believe than one or more of these is best suited for writing on wood. It may take a bit of experimentation.
https://www.jetpens.com/blog/mechanical-...son/pt/887
The Uni-Hi-Uni reads like the most likely candidate
![[Image: 29471.jpg?mark64=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5qZXRwZW5...dab49c88ac]](https://static2.jetpens.com/images/a/000/029/29471.jpg?mark64=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5qZXRwZW5zLmNvbS9pbWFnZXMvYXNzZXRzL3dhdGVybWFyay5wbmc&markalign64=dG9wLHJpZ2h0&markscale=19&q=90&s=e3d153e476106b75d48e65dab49c88ac)
So now I am on a quest for the best .5mm pencil lead!
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Just don' carry the .5 in your shirt pocket, feels like a needle. Roly
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(03-22-2018, 12:29 PM)Cooler Wrote: Will the 0.7 mm lead fit in the holes on a Incra ruler?
NO. Here is a link to
Incra's web site where they state 0.7 will not work. Note there pencils are $0.95 each Roly
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I use a drafting pencil which uses a 2mm HB lead. It's kind of a hybrid of a mechanical pencil and a conventional pencil. Clutch advances the lead, but you mechanically sharpen it. I can go a pretty long time on a point in the shop, it doesn't break, and if I need it to fit any of my Wood Peckers or Incra marking tools, I can sharpen it to the appropriate level fairly quickly.
Math is tough. Let's go shopping!
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HB is one of the Hard leads. For me I use a 1mm lead since I have a heavy hand.
One thought for you tho is using a scribe in the hole. You can make it deep enough and run a pencil after that to darken it up.
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I got my delguard today and wow... what an amazing pencil. I am heavy handed and have yet to break a lead. Thanks for the tip OP
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It seems counter-intuitive, but you need a softer lead and not a harder lead. A hard lead is more brittle and will break easier. A hard lead also requires more pressure to get a line on your wood that is easily seen. Go with HB or softer lead. With pencil leads, you also basically get what you pay for. The el cheapo leads don't have the quality control of the better leads and thus can have more inconsistency in their lead which can lead to more breakage in use.
Good luck with your search.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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(03-28-2018, 08:32 AM)AHill Wrote: It seems counter-intuitive, but you need a softer lead and not a harder lead. A hard lead is more brittle and will break easier. A hard lead also requires more pressure to get a line on your wood that is easily seen. Go with HB or softer lead. With pencil leads, you also basically get what you pay for. The el cheapo leads don't have the quality control of the better leads and thus can have more inconsistency in their lead which can lead to more breakage in use.
Good luck with your search.
I am not sure that applies to the new polymer leads, though you might be right. The harder leads are stronger but require greater pressure to write. The softer leads require less pressure. But you have to be able to modulate your pressure on the lead--something I have a difficult time accomplishing. Also, when I draw across grain I pop a lot of leads.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-polymer-...-of-pencil
We had mechanical pencils in the 1960's and the early 1970's but those pencils were only available in the thick 0.9mm size. In those days graphite was mixed with clay to create the various grades. Clay is very brittle and any size below 0.9mm was subject to breaking under the normal stress of writing or drawing. This is what limited the sizes of mechanical pencils back then.
It was not until the late 1970's and early 1980's that graphite mixed with polymers allowed for the now ubiquitous 0.5mm mechanical pencils.
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(03-23-2018, 06:52 PM)JohnnyEgo Wrote: I use a drafting pencil which uses a 2mm HB lead. It's kind of a hybrid of a mechanical pencil and a conventional pencil. Clutch advances the lead, but you mechanically sharpen it. I can go a pretty long time on a point in the shop, it doesn't break, and if I need it to fit any of my Wood Peckers or Incra marking tools, I can sharpen it to the appropriate level fairly quickly.
I'm with JohnnyEgo. I use a 2mm lead holder with HB lead. HB is plenty dark enough for most of my needs and the 2mm lead is ever so much stronger than my .5mm Pentels. I keep a manual pointer handy and a couple of turns refreshes the needle point. I have 4 or 5 of these and use them for 90% of my shop work. I have several .5mm Pentels that I use occasionally for drafting and various other things, but the 2mm pencils get the bulk of the work. I first saw the 2mm lead holders at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine 5 or 6 years ago. It was a revelation. I bought a couple while I was there and have never looked back. There are two styles: one that JohnnyEgo describes with a clutch that advances the lead a couple of mm with each press of the button on top. The other one has no clutch, just a collet that releases the lead when the button is pressed. You have to catch the lead, adjust the length manually then release the button - or you can just hold the pencil above your bench top at the desired distance as you press and release the button. The bench top stops there lead at the desired length. I much prefer the clutch advance style.
