The pencil housing is now complete. Insert the mechanism through the gold cap, until it stops. The point will emerge through the brass insert, and the threaded portion of the mechanism should be visible. Holding the gold button top of the mechanism firmly in the housing with your thumb, thread the gold tip onto the threaded portion of the mechanism, until the tip is firmly positioned against the barrel. Press the gold button two or three times to extend the lead.
Re-press the gold button several times to start a new lead.
To replace leads, remove the gold button and eraser. Slide several leads into the chamber and replace the eraser and button. This is typically a result of the fragile lead breaking somewhere along the line during shipping. To fix, remove the mechanism from the pencil and grasp it near the point with one hand and near the top with the other. Vigorously exercise the mechanism by pressing down with the upper hand.