Pen part finish testing

[DCBluesman]

This is a PERSONAL post. I wanted to see if I could give some definition to the wearing of the finish on the pen parts in various kits. In no way is this test or the results to be interpreted as coming from the IAP or being validated by the IAP.

My set up is very similar to one that the is used by furniture manufacturers to test fabric samples. I set up a 1/3 HP motor to an oscillator that moved a rubber plate back and forth 3 inches. I attached a small piece of corduroy to the plate. I then mounted various pens parts...caps, centerbands and clips...to a block of wood with 5 minute epoxy.

I then ran the motor at a fairly low speed (500 RPM), timed to approximate the number of brushes against the part. I then tested the parts from various manufacturers. I will not report on the results by plating type and NOT by manufacturer as there would need to be a more rigid structure to testing one manufacturer against another. Let it suffice to say that I used parts from all 3 major manufacturers.

Results
24kt gold plating - Some visible wear at 3-5,000 brushes
Upgrade gold/epoxy gold - Some wear at 5-10,000 brushes
Silver - Some wear at 15-20,000 brushes
10kt gold - some wear at 15,000-20,000 brushes
Chrome, platinum, rhodium, titanium - No noticeable wear at 20,000 brushes
Rose gold - Not tested

These results are from a single test. I haven't subjected them to independent verification. I don't claim that they are accurate, but only the results that I obtained. Use the information at your own discretion and risk.

 

[btboone]

Wow. Great information Lou. For the titanium, is that the smoked chrome looking stuff they call titanium, or is it the gold colored titanium nitride? TiN is a super hard coating.

 

[DCBluesman]

I should have clarified that, Bruce. The titanium that I am referring to is the titanium gold and the titanium/rhodium that the three major manufacturers are using on their parts.

 

[btboone]

So, there's 3 main manufacturers. Are they all from China?

 

[Tropical]

Nice. Great info. Thanks. ..... how come ya didn't try the rose gold?? hee hee[]

 

[Fred in NC]

Lou, that is a great service you have done by running this type of test, and posting the results. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Guest]

transmission tests next?
And they say I have too much time.
Lou that took a lot of work,what was the impetus for the test?

 

[Daniel]

Lou,
I for one a glad that somebody did something like this. You are right in pointing out that this is not a definitive study. but it is a study at least. Not a wear and tear from desk use, or time spent at the bottom of a wifes purse. prehaps we could use some of the less popular parts from the parts swap to do a more complete evaluation???
I also take it that your study is saying 24kt gold 3000-5000 brushes. not mearly 3. etc. actually i did have to think about it twice then decided there was no way you got the devise shut down after only 3 brushes []
I was also wondering. did you change the corduroy piece for each new part? thought a build up of small plating particals might change the abrasivness for successive trials.
at any rate this is the best evaluation of platings I have seen yet.
now start figuring out a test for toughest finish.

 

[DCBluesman]

Bruce--I think they're all from Taiwan. I'm a tinkerer. I just like to know stuff. I forgot to order rose gold, Tropical. And Eagle, you know I'm a tinkerer. I just love to know stuff.

 

[DCBluesman]

Yes to both questions, Daniel. 3-5,000 is really 3,000-5000, 15-20,000 is 15,000-20,000. And yes, the material was replaced for each part. It was an old corduroy jacket that had seen better days.

 

[btboone]

I went to some factories in Taiwan for some electric paper towel dispensers I was working on. They have huge high tech factories with a 95% female workforce. It was really neat to see. I'd love to see the factories where the pen stuff is made. The traffic was scary. There was 5 lanes of traffic on a 3 lane city street, (no sidewalks) with bicycles, scooters, pedestians, and sleeping dogs in the streets all thrown into the mix. Definitely a hair raising experience.

Lou, being a tinkerer is good. [] I think that's how I'm now doing what I'm doing.

 

[Randy_]

Lou:

Thanks very much for that most valuable information. Think I am going to stay away from 24K kits altogether. For the extra buck or two 10k, seems like a much better choice. When I start building some of the fancier pen kits, I will be using the titanium or platinum plating. Not much sense in putting out a finely crafted pen only to have the plating "go South" after a few years of use!!!

 

[dougle40]

Thanks Lou , that's super information to have !

 

[wayneis]

Lou you mentioned Silver, is that the solid sterling silver?

Also I was wondering if anyone knows for sure what type of plating or finish is used on first Berea's Exotic plated kits, and what CSUSA calls their Satin Finish kits? Is this a Powder Coated platinWayne

 

[Fred in NC]

Has anybody noticed whether the clips wear faster than the rest of the parts?

 

[Rudy Vey]

Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />Has anybody noticed whether the clips wear faster than the rest of the parts?

That is what I always see, the clip goes first, the the centerbands.

Rudy

 

[DCBluesman]

Wayne, the manufacturer of the silver clip that I used just advertises it as silver. Clearly it was not solid, since I could see what appears to be brass after LOTS of rubs.

 

[btboone]

Wayne, if I had to guess, I would say the satin is electroless nickel plating. I've had some aluminum chainrings coated with it. It very hard and slippery and has that same satin look.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

"Lou you mentioned Silver, is that the solid sterling silver? "

Wayne, In the sterling sliver kits the nib, center band and top piece are solid sterling, the clip is silver plated. Silver bends very easy. You couldn't use the pen more than one time as when you cliped it over something it would not return to the original location.

 

[dougle40]

You couldn't use the pen more than one time as when you cliped it over something it would not return to the original location.

I've done a lot of silversmithing in the past and that statement is <u>SOOOOOO</u> true .

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

Lou,
When you get done rubbing all the plating off all the parts that you want to test would you consider running the same test on different wood finishes?

Like Mylands Friction Polish. Enduro WB Poly, lacquer, shellac, regular poly and what ever else is out there.

I would think they all would have to be applied to something about the size of a pen blank and on the same type of wood or even wood from the same board so those variables could be eliminated.

Neat idea you have here and thank you for coming up with it, doing it, and letting all of us know about it. Consumer Reports has nothing on DCBluesman!

 

[DCBluesman]

What? And keep having all of the fun myself? []

 

[Randy_]

Lou:

I was thinking some more about your platting test and am wondering about the details of your methodolgy. Can you give us some idea of the force with which the pen parts were pressed against the corduroy??

And I second the idea of testing a few of the commonly available finishes when you have the time. Shame to have all of that nice test equiptment around and just let it sit idle!![]

 

[DCBluesman]

Minimal force against the clip was used as I was simply trying to replicate the effect of sliding the pen into and out of a pocket. I used corduroy such that it would provide kind of a worst-case scenario. As for my motor, it's back to a grinder for now.

If there is sufficient interest and cooperation, I could run some tests on finishes, but it would need to be a coordinated effort...I just don't have the experience to properly do all of the finishes.
Someone remind me after the first of the year and I'll see what kind of test I can run.

BTW, I will NOT run tests by brand, but only by product category. I just don't want any manufacturer getting up in arms over a less-than-scientific test. [8D]

 

[Daniel]

I was gonna ask the same thing about presure. I didn't figure you had much of a way to measure this. but it could be important.

 

[Guest]

How about a picture of the testing rig sans motor?