Abstract: The process for coating pencils comprises the treatment by accelerated electrons of pencils provided with a layer of polymerizable resin, in which the pencils are introduced into a chamber under inert atmosphere in which they fall freely while passing through streams of accelerated electrons.The apparatus for the practice of this process comprises especially a drying device for the resin constituted by a closed chamber (6) containing two electron guns (7, 7') and having an inlet opening (8) in its upper wall for the introduction of the pencils and an outlet opening (9) in its bottom for the evacuation toward the exterior of the treated pencils; the introduction opening and the outlet opening are disposed vertically the one under the other in such a manner that the pencils can pass from the one to the other through a vertical free fall.