2. This method will require cutting a tenon to the depth of the brass tube to accept
the center band.
Berea Hardwoods
Round To
p
Euro
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ean Double Twist Pencil
Method 2
1. This method will cut the blank for the cap the size needed at the out set.
Therefore, there will be no need for parting the tenon.
2. Cut the blank for the cap to 1 25/32” or, to be exact, 1.7895”, long.
Follow these steps for both methods.
1. Drill each blank with the letter “O” drill bit.
2. Polish the brass tubes with sandpaper. This can be done by hand or on a power
machine such as a belt sander. The purpose of the sanding is to clean off the
oxidation and roughen the tube so that the glue will have a better adhesion
surface.
3. Plug the ends of the tubes with the material of your choice. Some use base wax or
Play Dough or even a slice of potato. Just push the ends of the tubes into a thin
section of the material. This will form a plug to keep the glue from getting into
the tube.
4. Clean the tube, after plugging, with acetone or alcohol on a rag.
3. Prepare your glue. We recommend two part epoxy glue that is available in all
hardware stores. Use a fast drying type, one hour or less. Be sure to mix it
thoroughly. (A Post-it Note Pad makes an excellent mixing place. When you are
finished just tear it off and throw it away.) Polyurethanes and thick flexible CA’s
can be used, but they each have their drawbacks.
4. Place some of the epoxy into the blank using a small piece of dowel or other small
stick.
5. Roll the appropriate tube in the epoxy.
6. Insert the tube with a twisting motion until it is almost in the material blank. Then
use the dowel to push it until the end is flush with the blank. Use the stick to rake
off the excess glue even with the blank and the tube.
7. Push the brass tube through the blank until the other end is flush with the blank.
Then rake the glue flush with that end. Now push the tube back into the blank
until the tube is equidistant between both ends of the blank.
Note: If using Method 2, push the brass cap tube until one end is flush. This will
leave a portion of the brass tube exposed on the other end. This will receive the center
band.
8. Move it aside for 60 minutes until the epoxy has had time to reach its maximum
strength.
9. If you are using CA glue, the wait is much shorter. When using polyurethane the
wait will be about 24 hours.
10. When the glue has cured, use a hobby knife to remove the plugs from the ends. It
is also a good idea to clean the tubes with a brass gun cleaning brush or a rolled
up piece of sandpaper to remove any glue that may have gotten into the tubes.
11. Not cleaning out all glue from the tubes is the most common cause of pencil
failure. BE CERTAIN that all dried glue is removed from inside the tubes before
proceeding.
12. Using a barrel trimmer of the proper size, face off the ends of the blanks until you
can just see bright brass. STOP facing at this point. Your pencil’s proper
2