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Pen Kit Plating
An introduction to the plating options for
wooden pen kits.
Pen making kits are available in a wide range of finishes
and metal platings. There are a lot of options out there and quality
varies considerably. WoodZone.com prepared the following article
to help you understand some of the plating options and what to look for
when selecting a pen kit.
When I first got into pen making, I purchased the
necessary tooling and supplies to make ten pen kits. After a short
learning curve, I was able to produce the pens quickly and efficiently. The
finished pens looked beautiful. I gave away eight of the pens and kept one for myself. After a while I started noticing that the gold plating on
my pen was starting to wear off. I was disappointed and imagined that the
pens I gave away were doing the same thing. (Thank goodness I hadn't sold
them!)
This experience got me interested in learning more about
the plating process. I was determined not to repeat the same mistake on my
next batch of pens. What I learned is that there are a number of plating
processes that can be used - and the quality varied dramatically. There are
pen kits on the market that are made from extremely cheap internals and
inferior parts. Fortunately, most reputable suppliers don't carry these
kits. The next level of kits are made from reasonable quality parts and
plating. This is the quality I had purchased for my first batch of pens.
The top quality pens are harder to find, but are well worth the effort if
you want to ensure your pens have a longer lifespan. (We only sell top
quality pen kits at WoodZone)
Before we discuss the various plating options, let's first
look at the process itself. Plating pen kits utilizes a process where
precious metals are electrically, chemically, or mechanically deposited
onto the surface of the pen's parts.
Please Note: All plating options may not be
available in every pen kit style.
Gold Plating
Gold plating is the most common pen finish, although many of the silver
finishes have become more popular recently. Gold plating is ultimately not
durable when exposed to abrasion. Even the best plating will eventually
abrade - it just takes a lot longer to do it. Gold plating can be made
more durable depending on the method used to plate, additives in the gold,
and techniques employed.
No matter what is done, all gold plating will wear off
over time when abraded. This is simply a fact of physics as gold is a very
soft metal. Plating other than gold can be very durable.
24K Upgrade Gold Plating
At WoodZone, all of the gold plating used on our kits is 24K
"upgrade gold". Upgrade means that the parts are plated using
the "rack method" and that small amounts of cobalt or palladium
are added to the plating chemicals. In the "rack method", the
parts are separated and plated individually on a "plating tree".
This enhances the durability of the gold plating. The tumbled method,
which we do not use, produces an inferior gold plating and is less costly.
Titanium Gold Plating
The titanium gold plating method produces the most durable gold pen kit
plating available. The process used is called PVD (particle vapor
deposition). In this process, Titanium nitride matched to the color of
gold is molecularly bonded to the part and then 24K gold is bonded
(sputtered) on the part to achieve a color match. The parts are again
re-plated after this. The final result is that the parts will virtually
never show wear. This is a very unique pen kit plating process and is not
used by the suppliers of the bulk commodity kits.
18K Swiss Rose Gold Plating
This is a very rare and unusual plating. Copper and gold are combined
in such a way that they both plate with their atoms equally mixed
together. The parts are specially treated before plating and the plating
is deposited in a very thick layer. Not only does this produce a beautiful
sumptuous look but is very durable. Under regular careful use the plating
should hold up for several years.
Chrome Plating
Chrome plating is extremely durable and will last for many years under
normal use. The chrome plated pen kits have become very popular in recent
years reflecting a trend toward this look.
Platinum
Platinum offers a very durable hard plating. If you select a pen kit that
uses real platinum rather than rhodium, it should be expected to hold up
under normal careful use for many years.
Black Titanium
The black titanium process uses titanium oxide molecularly bonded (PVD).
This plating
is unbelievably hard and durable. It will last for many, many years. The
black titanium plating process gives the pen kits a very unique and stylish
look.
Conclusion
Hopefully you now have a basic understanding of the plating options
available in pen kits. We offer an ever-expanding selection of pen kits,
finishes, and accessories at WoodZone.com and hope you'll take some time
to look them over. If you have any questions concerning pen kits or our
products please send us an email.
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