faulty plating????

[rich gubbin]

Hi all,
finished doing a roman harvest tonight and after assembly decided to give it a final polish by hand. Then it happened the gold titanium plating started to discolor, going darker like an aged gold. I spent over an hour polishing it to get an even finish. Could this be a chemical reaction with the plating or coating with the polish??
Rgrds
Rich

 

[crabcreekind]

Did you buff the pen when it was assembled?

 

[Snowbeast]

Rich,

I have had a similar discoloration on the gold RH hardware with two different kits. I wasn't polishing or buffing, it just discolored in spotches during normal use.

Been meaning to talk to David at Timberbits about it to see if there were any other problems like this but haven't yet.

Not sure if it's just a bad plating batch or if there is a bigger issue with the plating process itself.

The rhodium plated hardware I used on another pen is holding up just fine with no issues to date. Been carrying it as a daily use pen for almost three months.

Hopefully, we can get this figured out. Hate to have the rest of my unused kits just sitting on a shelf since I won't sell them if they're just going to discolor like this.

I'll keep an eye on this to see what other folks have to say.


Tony

 

[jd99]

I had the same thing happen with the TI Gold Roman Harvest I've put the rest aside, not sure if I'll use them.

I mentioned it to David in my last email to him he offered replacement parts but didn't mention if he had any more issues with them.

I've been buying less and less gold plated kits, as it seems that it's the gold that has the most issues.

Maybe David will chime in and say something.

 

[Linarestribe]

Interesting. I've had mine on my desk for a month and the same is happening to mine. Was think of contacting him soon.

 

[nativewooder]

Methinks it's time to do a little collaborative investigating to see if there is a common link. Is everybody using the same glue? Is everybody using the same type of polish? Is anybody/everybody buffing the #&%$# finish off the pens? Just saying...

 

[nativewooder]

I went to the shop and checked the four I have made and find no problems. Any glue I use near the hardware is some type of epoxy. I only buff the barrels, never touch the hardware. I don't let any women touch them unless they are wearing gloves 'cause with some of the junk they put on their hands the fumes are a killer! These kits are too expensive to eat, but.... Just saying....

 

[jd99]

Methinks it's time to do a little collaborative investigating to see if there is a common link. Is everybody using the same glue? Is everybody using the same type of polish? Is anybody/everybody buffing the #&%$# finish off the pens? Just saying...

I'm using CA from Monty, I don't polish the assembled pen I sand, mm, polish the barrels before assembly. I polish with a buffing wheel and tripoli.

I have other TI Gold pens I did at the same time as the roman harvest and they haven't changed.

I use renaissance wax after assembly to clean, and sometimes before the shows, but I do that with all of my pens and the roman harvest is the only one that has looked this bad, it started on the edge of the clip, then the lower barrel cap started, the centerband and the final look fine I think its just bad plating.

 

[BKelley]

Hi all,

I've had a similar circumstance with a Woodcraft Elegant Wallstreet II Black titanium with gold. First one had sploches on the gold, Local Woodcraft replaced it no problem. Within two weeks the replacement had done the same thing. One of the men who works in the store said he was going to a suppliers show and could he show the pen and get some answers. Answer-- my system emits somthing that makes the gold turn. He told me he would replace the replacement or what ever would please me. I told him just to forget about it, I just would refrain from buying anymore of these kits. I use CA glue for tube to barrel and Simichrome Polish as a finial polish. Do we have a common problem? If so, what is the solution?

Ben

 

[crabcreekind]

Hi all,

I've had a similar circumstance with a Woodcraft Elegant Wallstreet II Black titanium with gold. First one had sploches on the gold, Local Woodcraft replaced it no problem. Within two weeks the replacement had done the same thing. One of the men who works in the store said he was going to a suppliers show and could he show the pen and get some answers. Answer-- my system emits somthing that makes the gold turn. He told me he would replace the replacement or what ever would please me. I told him just to forget about it, I just would refrain from buying anymore of these kits. I use CA glue for tube to barrel and Simichrome Polish as a finial polish. Do we have a common problem? If so, what is the solution?

Ben

Someone told me the woodcraft in spokane sent the whole batch of new wallstreet elg back to berea because they were faulty. What was the problem? I dont know..

 

[Ruby pen turning]

I think it is just low cost crap plating, like gold colored shoe polish. I have had this happen on a few Virage pens. Right out of the bag it was splotchy. So as anyone would do, I rubbed it and it got worse. I don't think I will ever use another gold kit made by anyone again, (accept for the .30 cal bullet from psi) they scratch to easy and are just finicky.

 

[rich gubbin]

just posted a picture of the results in show off you pens

 

[leehljp]

I don't know where it is - but there was a picture posted of this happening on the nib end of a Ti Gold Sierra some years ago (5 or 6yrs). A few, including me had this happen. And since that time, this problem rears its head about every other year on one or two pens or so. It wasn't a big problem but it does happen from time to time. However in this thread, there does seem to be a little higher response already than normal.