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Thread: Twig pencils

  1. #1
    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Twig pencils

    While pruning Russian olives, I admired the red bark and thought they'd make nice pencils. So I ordered long leads from the Faber-Castell website and got some long, fine drills (1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 2.0 mm). The heartwood is soft and the drill follows it.



    Rambling around our place, I clipped twigs from several species: serviceberry, lilac, redosier dogwood, willow. Once they season, I'll make a batch of pencils for holiday gifts.

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    As an artist who loves working with graphite, is the sort of gift I’d appreciate! And a bunch would look so nice in a desk cup. Really beautiful.

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    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Those are SO cool - what a brilliant idea for a gift. Kudos.

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    I don't use pencil for my sketches (only if I really need it), but looking at these pencils, I can't help but to drool.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Got long leads from the Faber-Castell website. The drills were a bit tougher, but McMaster-Carr has extended length bits in sizes such as 2 mm.

    So far, I've carefully pushed the leads into the holes without any glue. If you break the lead while inserting it, pieces fall out when it's sharpened. I might try a scrim of wood glue on the next batch.

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Quote Originally Posted by Chip View Post
    Got long leads from the Faber-Castell website. The drills were a bit tougher, but McMaster-Carr has extended length bits in sizes such as 2 mm.

    So far, I've carefully pushed the leads into the holes without any glue. If you break the lead while inserting it, pieces fall out when it's sharpened. I might try a scrim of wood glue on the next batch.
    Dropping pencils - bad, very bad. I learned this the hard way with very pricey colored pencils

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    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Made more twig pencils, from different species of shrub.



    Top down: Russian olive, lilac, redosier dogwood, redosier dogwood, and Russian olive.

    Cut some Titebond wood glue with water and brushed it on the leads before putting them in. Rather than using my fingers to push them down, I carefully tapped them down with a small block of wood and didn't break a single one.

    Only two B (soft) leads left, so I'll get on the Faber-Castell site and order more.

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    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Here's a chart showing the different grades of pencil lead, hard to soft:


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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Very interesting variant, looks authentic!

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Nice! Those things don't grow on trees.... oh...yes they do...

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    So organic and cool -looking.
    I also enjoy your description on the making process.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Guess I wasn't the first to think of it. Checked Etsy, which is awash in twig pencils.

    I could try custom twig pencils, with the buyer specifying the sort of wood and the hardness of the lead.

    But I think I'll just make them for fun and give them away.

  16. #13
    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Been in the shop most days, making twig pencils. My limit is about twelve at a time.

    A quick question: what lead on the scale do you use most often? Or do you use different types for different tasks?


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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Depends on the use case.

    For writing purposes most people are using between 3H and 2B, most 0815 pencils are HB.

    For drawing purposes usually HB down to the softest available are used.

    Harder than 3H are imho not used often (at least I know no common use case, beside some technical special things).

    But at the end also personal preferences counts.


    Cool gimmick.
    I wonder if you dry the wood in advance?

    If not completely dried out before making it I wonder if the wood movement while drying isn’t breaking the leads (also when surrounding humidity changes afterwards again).

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    These are fantastic!

    Have you considered using shellac on the leads, rather than glue? I have re-saccing pens on the brain right now which totally accounts for this suggestion. :-)

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    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Thanks. It would probably work just as well. I have a wee bottle of sac shellac on hand.

  20. #17
    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Technical update: sharpening my beauties, I discovered why most pencils are made of cedar, which is rather soft. The harder woods are a right bugger to sharpen. It takes a strong grip and the lead often fractures when you're nearly there.

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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Very cool!

  23. #19
    Senior Member Chip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Twig pencils

    Gave away a few handfuls for Christmas. Here are the leftovers.

    Some more twiggy than others.



    It's a pleasant surprise how well the drill seems to follow the heartwood. Only about one in ten pokes out to the side, not always the curved ones where you'd expect it.
    Last edited by Chip; February 2nd, 2022 at 03:16 PM.

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