Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

On Jun 22, 2:33*pm, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.



Being a douche is apparently a progressive disease.


Dave

"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any other
drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing is
that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a Model
502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to give you a
fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress

Didn't you try a pencil sharpener? There's sometimes dark stuff in the
middle of the wood. A sharpener will work on either end.

Write down these instructions:

If you download the manufacturer's setup/operating, and service manuals,
you'll find out whether your specific model requires unleaded or leadfree.

With a mill, a sine plate and an indexer it's a fairly easy procedure to
create a 6 faceted point. You'll need a precision level or a tube with
antifreeze in it.
With a lathe, it can be very complicated.. do not attempt this complex
operation without coolant. It's best to use the stinky kind.
Check the lathe with a test bar first, then paint it.

A: yes

It might not even be safe to consider any of this without first posting in
numerous NGs.

Find an auction with a pallet of pincels and win it. A couple of them will
probably have stuff left in them, but they might not be the right colors.
Find out what colors to paint them.

If they don't tell you what you wanted to hear post stories about strangers
in the news or stock tips, etc.

Anamolus90210


"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any other
drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing is
that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a Model
502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to give you a
fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress



Don't rile him Ed. He can get sarcastic.



--Winston

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9 Pentels were were the
rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I sharpened was for a compass.

Wes

--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad

Wild_Bill wrote:
Didn't you try a pencil sharpener? There's sometimes dark stuff in the
middle of the wood. A sharpener will work on either end.

That's a great idea. I'll stick this in a pencil sharpener.

XR650L_Dave wrote:
On Jun 22, 2:33?pm, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.



Being a douche is apparently a progressive disease.

What are you talking about?

"Winston" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because
there's no telling how long it will be before you have to order them
online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you
need a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler
makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also
have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any
other drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing
is that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a
Model 502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to
give you a fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue
to keep the graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress

Don't rile him Ed. He can get sarcastic.



--Winston

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g

--
Ed Huntress

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you
need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the
rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I sharpened was for a compass.

Wes

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress


--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad

Wes wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking:

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because
there's no telling how long it will be before you have to order them
online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick;
you need a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them
(Staedtler makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to
sharpen. I also have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones.
They both work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I
sharpened was for a compass.

Wes

--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad


That dates you pretty well.

Personally, I prefer my lead holders (often with 6H, HB, and 4B leads) for
doing my planning.

I also use one with a thin long-shanked knife blade for cutting stencils.

CAD is handy when you have enough power to run the 'puter but it's easier
to use "old tech" when doodling at the coffee shop. grin

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

"RAM³" wrote:

CAD is handy when you have enough power to run the 'puter but it's easier
to use "old tech" when doodling at the coffee shop. grin


Being able to sketch something so I can make another is a pretty handy skill I retained.

Wes

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline. g

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking:

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g

He's not a "kook", Ed, since that term would elevate him lightyears above
his actual position.

I, personally, thank you for your excellent post.

BTW, the Hobby Lobby chain carries a limited range of lead hardnesses but,
at least, they DO carry them and the holders.

FWIW, the sharpener/pointer I use is an A. W. Faber "Mentor" 50/58 which
has 3 openings and blades: 1 for gross sharpening of lead pencils [leaving
the lead exposed], 1 for putting a fine point on the exposed lead and
refining the taper of the pencil, and 1 strictly for leads used with a
holder. The body is a 9mm thick disk (flattened on the side with the holes)
with a coin edge.

Kept in its leather? case, it goes into my pocket as soon as someone askes
what it might be! grin

"RAM³" wrote in message
. 10...
"Ed Huntress" wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking:

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g

He's not a "kook", Ed, since that term would elevate him lightyears above
his actual position.

I, personally, thank you for your excellent post.

BTW, the Hobby Lobby chain carries a limited range of lead hardnesses but,
at least, they DO carry them and the holders.

FWIW, the sharpener/pointer I use is an A. W. Faber "Mentor" 50/58 which
has 3 openings and blades: 1 for gross sharpening of lead pencils [leaving
the lead exposed], 1 for putting a fine point on the exposed lead and
refining the taper of the pencil, and 1 strictly for leads used with a
holder. The body is a 9mm thick disk (flattened on the side with the
holes)
with a coin edge.

Kept in its leather? case, it goes into my pocket as soon as someone askes
what it might be! grin

Ha! I have a couple of toys like that. Nobody else gets to touch them.

One is my Dietzgen duralumin drafting set, pre-WWII. It's complete, and it's
going to stay that way.

--
Ed Huntress

--
Ed Huntress

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress"
scrawled the following:


"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline. g

I'm pretty gray at the ripe old age of 55, so I take the discounts,
telling them I'm a youngun only _after_ I've paid.

I let them get angry instead of me. g

--
The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life,
acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can
do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.
-- Euripides

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:56:43 -0400, the infamous Wes
scrawled the following:

"RAM³" wrote:

CAD is handy when you have enough power to run the 'puter but it's easier
to use "old tech" when doodling at the coffee shop. grin

Being able to sketch something so I can make another is a pretty handy skill I retained.

Yeah, those old technical/mechanical drawing class skills still come
in handy, don't they?

--
The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life,
acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can
do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.
-- Euripides

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get
lead for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up,
because there's no telling how long it will be before you have to
order them online. They come in at least two different diameters.
They're quite thick;
you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler
makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I
also have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both
work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the
rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I sharpened was for a
compass. Wes

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)



--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad

Hey , I'm under 60 (a little...) and I learned to draw with a T-square and
triangles . And lead holders ... I learned to sharpen the leads with a piece
of sandpaper glued to a flat piece of wood .
--
Snag
3rd year drafting students got to use the machines ... articulated arm with
vert and horizontal rules , and I could swap the rules and rotate the head
90 to make it into a "lefty" .

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Winston" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has
a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if
I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth.
Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because
there's no telling how long it will be before you have to order them
online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you
need a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler
makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also
have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work
fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any
other drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less
wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I
just missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing
is that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is
a Model 502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to
give you a fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a
tissue to keep the graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress

Don't rile him Ed. He can get sarcastic.



--Winston

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g

--
Ed Huntress


Ed, here in PA (Pure Apalachia), it is still possible to buy Eagle Turquoise
dozen-packs (on a three-week order, mind you) in just about any hardness you
wish- I use 2B for nearly all my drawings, shop layout, and just plain
writing. The sharpeners available are the sandpaper cone thingie (which I
never liked because I am an "artist", not a common draftsman), flat pads of
sandpaper on a little paddle just like they sold a half-century ago, and a
neat little plastic thigie about !/8" x 1/2" x 1-1/4"with a sharp ( ouch,
dammit ! ) little steel blade.

Flash

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress"
scrawled the following:


"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to
me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline.
g

I'm pretty gray at the ripe old age of 55, so I take the discounts,
telling them I'm a youngun only _after_ I've paid.

I let them get angry instead of me. g

Smart. I take the discount for haircuts. It's only fair. There isn't much to
cut these days.

--
Ed Huntress

"Snag" wrote in message
news
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get
lead for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up,
because there's no telling how long it will be before you have to
order them online. They come in at least two different diameters.
They're quite thick;
you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler
makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I
also have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both
work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the
rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I sharpened was for a
compass. Wes

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)



--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad

Hey , I'm under 60 (a little...) and I learned to draw with a T-square
and triangles . And lead holders ... I learned to sharpen the leads with a
piece of sandpaper glued to a flat piece of wood .
--
Snag
3rd year drafting students got to use the machines ... articulated arm
with vert and horizontal rules , and I could swap the rules and rotate the
head 90 to make it into a "lefty" .

Huh. I didn't know you could swap them. That's why I hated them. I got a
Mayline, instead, and it was useful for graphic arts as well as drafting.
It's also good for cutting out fancy paper airplanes and kite panels. g

Luckily, I never had to do complicated drawings. The machines were great for
that.

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress"
scrawled the following:

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)
Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes
'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to
me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline.
g
I'm pretty gray at the ripe old age of 55, so I take the discounts,
telling them I'm a youngun only _after_ I've paid.

I let them get angry instead of me. g

Smart. I take the discount for haircuts. It's only fair. There isn't much to
cut these days.

--
Ed Huntress



The topic was pencils...

as in - how much lead in the pencil, old man?

Ed Huntress wrote:

"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I was probably one of the last to take mechanical drafting in high school.

I like the sharpeners where you inser the lead holder and spin it in
cirles, like a crank, and electric erasers. I saw both of those in use as
of a few years ago at engineering company. the owner was fast on the
computer, but even faster with a pencil and rolling ruler for quick
sketchs.

lead is still easy to get at any decent stationary store in Chicago. I've
not seen the good sharpeners though. The booklet of sandpaper on the
wooden board is still available though.

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

the coolest one I have has a window in the ferrule. You turn it to show
the type of lead currently installed.

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress"
scrawled the following:


"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to
me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline.
g

I'm pretty gray at the ripe old age of 55, so I take the discounts,
telling them I'm a youngun only _after_ I've paid.

I let them get angry instead of me. g

Smart. I take the discount for haircuts. It's only fair. There isn't much
to cut these days.

--
Ed Huntress



Heh! Haircuts?

Some guys even shave.

I still have most of my hair, slightly taller forehead than when I was in
high school. I get a haircut at least twice each year, need it, or not.

Haven't put a razor to my face since 1964. Don't expect I'll be doing it in
the near future, either.

Harold

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, the infamous "Ed Huntress"
scrawled the following:

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)
Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes
'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened
to me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily
decline. g
I'm pretty gray at the ripe old age of 55, so I take the discounts,
telling them I'm a youngun only _after_ I've paid.

I let them get angry instead of me. g

Smart. I take the discount for haircuts. It's only fair. There isn't much
to cut these days.

--
Ed Huntress



The topic was pencils...

as in - how much lead in the pencil, old man?

Jeez, it only took you two topic changes. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress

Ed Huntress wrote:

I let them get angry instead of me. g
Smart. I take the discount for haircuts. It's only fair. There isn't much
to cut these days.

--
Ed Huntress


The topic was pencils...

as in - how much lead in the pencil, old man?

Jeez, it only took you two topic changes. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress



Hey now, don't blame me if your mind wanders...

On Jun 23, 5:36 am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress
Thanks for the tutorial Ed - they are still available, nice sketching
pencils, easier to manage than the tiny small diameter plastic modern
ones (they break too easy) Didn't know about the custom sharpeners
though, I use me pocketknife. As an aside, I did a unit at school on
"mechanical drawing" , ie how to do sketches to aid making things,
perspective drawing, use of engineering symbols and notation, drawing
re-assembly sketches, marking out angles, circles, dividing same.
Interesting, the very first exercise on page 1 was practising drawing
(freehand) straight lines - which sounds easy until you try it, takes
a while to get the precise muscles in your hand used to the
concept....so, their still teaching the "old way" - I did it last
year...
Also did an "intro to Autocad" - wow, 25 commands to draw a straight
line g - wont have enough years left to master it...

Andrew VK3BFA.

On Jun 22, 9:36*am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message

...



Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any other
drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing is
that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a Model
502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to give you a
fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress

My Dad cut a square of upholstery foam and put a hole partway through
the center the size of the Mars sharpener and put the sharpener in the
hole. Then you stick the sharpened point in the foam to clean the dust
off it.
Karl

Cydrome Leader wrote:
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.


They are called clutch pencils ,and you can still get the lead (
graphite ) refills for them.Mine has a sharpener in the other end .

--
Kevin (Bluey)
"I'm not young enough to know everything."

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's
no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you
need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

What the heck are these things. I learned drafting when 0.3 to 0.9
Pentels were were the
rage then. The only bare lead (graphite) I sharpened was for a compass.

Wes

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress


--

Too late for graphite, too early for Cad




True! I used them in school, and then bought my own. I was still in junior
high then. I'm almost 69 now.


Steve R.

"Andrew VK3BFA" wrote in message
...
On Jun 23, 5:36 am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress
Thanks for the tutorial Ed - they are still available, nice sketching
pencils, easier to manage than the tiny small diameter plastic modern
ones (they break too easy) Didn't know about the custom sharpeners
though, I use me pocketknife. As an aside, I did a unit at school on
"mechanical drawing" , ie how to do sketches to aid making things,
perspective drawing, use of engineering symbols and notation, drawing
re-assembly sketches, marking out angles, circles, dividing same.
Interesting, the very first exercise on page 1 was practising drawing
(freehand) straight lines - which sounds easy until you try it, takes
a while to get the precise muscles in your hand used to the
concept....so, their still teaching the "old way" - I did it last
year...
Also did an "intro to Autocad" - wow, 25 commands to draw a straight
line g - wont have enough years left to master it...

Andrew VK3BFA.


LOL! I can produce a drawing the old way faster than a professional cad
operator! The only advantage of cad is easy distribution of copies, and
corrections/modifications.

Steve R.

On Jun 23, 5:31*am, "Steve R." wrote:

LOL! I can produce a drawing the old way faster than a professional cad
operator! The only advantage of cad is easy distribution of copies, and
corrections/modifications.

Steve R.

And precision and data interchange and material takeoff and cam and...

Not that I don't appreciate the convenience and elegance of hand
drawing...

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:21:49 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:56:43 -0400, the infamous Wes
scrawled the following:

"RAM³" wrote:

CAD is handy when you have enough power to run the 'puter but it's easier
to use "old tech" when doodling at the coffee shop. grin

Being able to sketch something so I can make another is a pretty handy skill I retained.

Yeah, those old technical/mechanical drawing class skills still come
in handy, don't they?

Used to drive the teacher nuts in school - as a first class
assignment the teacher handed out an Isometric Breakdown (Here are
three views, now go draw it as an Isometric, or vice versa) and
figured it would take a whole period and he could go back to the
Sports Section of the paper. Three minutes later, I'm done.

The second one, he stood there and watched. Chin on the floor. Easy
A course.

And people wonder how I fix things without the instructions. ;-)

Well hell, if you put the hydraulic fluid in a hole here, it has to
come out over there if they cross-drilled from here to here (see the
plug for the check-valve access)...

Finally scored a K&E Paragon drafting machine, now I have to
remember how to work it again...

And there's a nifty portfolio around here somewhere with a miniature
drafting machine riveted to it. Add an 8-1/2" x 11" graph pad, and
you have an instant studio on your lap.

-- Bruce --

Steve R. wrote:
"Andrew VK3BFA" wrote in message
...
On Jun 23, 5:36 am, "Ed Huntress" wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress
Thanks for the tutorial Ed - they are still available, nice sketching
pencils, easier to manage than the tiny small diameter plastic modern
ones (they break too easy) Didn't know about the custom sharpeners
though, I use me pocketknife. As an aside, I did a unit at school on
"mechanical drawing" , ie how to do sketches to aid making things,
perspective drawing, use of engineering symbols and notation, drawing
re-assembly sketches, marking out angles, circles, dividing same.
Interesting, the very first exercise on page 1 was practising drawing
(freehand) straight lines - which sounds easy until you try it, takes
a while to get the precise muscles in your hand used to the
concept....so, their still teaching the "old way" - I did it last
year...
Also did an "intro to Autocad" - wow, 25 commands to draw a straight
line g - wont have enough years left to master it...

Andrew VK3BFA.


LOL! I can produce a drawing the old way faster than a professional cad
operator! The only advantage of cad is easy distribution of copies, and
corrections/modifications.

Steve R.



I very nearly doubt that, Steve.

I can still draw with a stylus in hand, but after years of drawing with
CAD, I sketch with a mouse - pretty quickly.


Mostly that's because I don't use Autocad (which as Andrew rightly pointed out
creates a high quality vacuum!)

Richard

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:36:51 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead for
them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because there's no
telling how long it will be before you have to order them online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you need
a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler makes a
good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also have a
Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any other
drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing is
that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a Model
502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to give you a
fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue to keep the
graphite dust off of your paper.
Or stab the cigarette filter centrally mounted for this purpose - can
even be one retrieved from the urinal.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:20:31 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Winston" wrote in message
...
Ed Huntress wrote:
"Cydrome Leader" wrote in message
...
Hi

I have a Steadler MARS-780 lead holder. It is made in Germany, and has a
pocket clip. It is made very nicely. It has been on my desk for days.

It doesn't have any lead.

what should I do? It seems to have a place for the lead to fit, and if I
press the cap/sharpener, three jaws open up. They look to have teeth. Is
this to hold the lead?

Do I write with the side with the lead?

Why is this called a lead holder? Does it have to do with holding lead?

It is a very clever device.

Ha-ha! You probably were born too late for that stuff. g

I have a half-dozen or so of them, and several other brands. They're
drafting pencils, also used by graphic artists. You can still get lead
for them at a good graphic-arts supply store, but stock up, because
there's no telling how long it will be before you have to order them
online.

They come in at least two different diameters. They're quite thick; you
need a special sharpener to produce a conical point on them (Staedtler
makes a good, compact one that uses an internal file to sharpen. I also
have a Boston desk model that uses sandpaper cones. They both work fine.)

But in use, they often were NOT pointed to a conical shape. Like any
other drafting pencil, they often were filed or sanded to a single- or
double-sided wedge shape, for drawing long straight lines with less wear.

Here's some info but I don't think they show how to sharpen. Maybe I just
missed it:

http://www.staedtler.com/upload/mech...s_gb_11481.pdf

The nice thing about them is that they're much more rigid than modern
mechanical pencils. Artists and draftsmen both like that. The bad thing
is that they have to be sharpened a lot. With a Mars sharpener (mine is a
Model 502), the device is compact and takes only two or three spins to
give you a fine point. Then you give the point a quick wipe with a tissue
to keep the graphite dust off of your paper.

--
Ed Huntress

Don't rile him Ed. He can get sarcastic.



--Winston

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g
"I don't need lead in my pencil - I don't have any letters to write!"
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On 22 Jun 2009 22:57:20 GMT, "RAM³"
wrote:

"Ed Huntress" wrote in rec.crafts.metalworking:

I forgot he was a kook. Damn, I'm going to stop trying to be helpful. g

He's not a "kook", Ed, since that term would elevate him lightyears above
his actual position.

I, personally, thank you for your excellent post.

BTW, the Hobby Lobby chain carries a limited range of lead hardnesses but,
at least, they DO carry them and the holders.

FWIW, the sharpener/pointer I use is an A. W. Faber "Mentor" 50/58 which
has 3 openings and blades: 1 for gross sharpening of lead pencils [leaving
the lead exposed], 1 for putting a fine point on the exposed lead and
refining the taper of the pencil, and 1 strictly for leads used with a
holder. The body is a 9mm thick disk (flattened on the side with the holes)
with a coin edge.

Kept in its leather? case, it goes into my pocket as soon as someone askes
what it might be! grin
I should've done that!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:54:53 -0400, Wes wrote:

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes
You are only as old as you feel so I only have birthdays in odd
numbered years. Both Junior and I are 35 this year.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:57:06 -0400, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Listen, young fella, if you were over 60, you'd know better. d8-)

Only 51 and got carded yesterday.

Wes

'Didn't believe you were really a senior citizen, eh? That's happened to me
in reverse several times. They offer me senior rates. I angrily decline. g
At 80, former Landlady had to regularly prove her eligibility for
senior's discount.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada