Do you buff completed pens?

[Dale Lynch]

Hi fellas, do any of you buff your completed pens?If so do you have any problems with plating coming off?I use Disco PBC to buff my CA finish and agian lightly on the entire pen after assembly.While this has worked just beautifully before on different platings, this time all the rhodium plating came of with hardly any effort.The supplier says it may be the compound that caused it to wear away.So again I ask if and what experience do you have with buffing plated parts.Any information is helpfull.

 

[dgscott]

I buff everything, but in the case of plated parts, I cover the plated portion with tape before buffing. Like lots of others, I buff with Tripoli then White Diamond, neither of which tend to treat plating kindly.

Doug

 

[hehndc]

I buff mind prior to assembly.

Steve

 

[ed4copies]

Years ago the "wear test" for plating was to buff it.

Anything over 15 seconds of white diamond would usually take off the plating.

Definitely, buff your blanks BEFORE assembly.

 

[jttheclockman]

Why would you take the chance??? Buff before you assemble. How do you buff when you have a clip on the pen???? Thats if you even need to buff. I know some do this in place of MM so I understand that part but before assembled is the way to go.

 

[Dale Lynch]

I do buff the blank before assembly.I also like to give it a quick final buff after assembly.I did a test and buffed a rhodium trimline, both clip and again on the nib.I held it in one place for 1 minute.The plating showed no wear.

I thought rhodium was rhodium,one wears off easily, the other impervoius.What gives?

 

[ed4copies]

I do buff the blank before assembly.I also like to give it a quick final buff after assembly.I did a test and buffed a rhodium trimline, both clip and again on the nib.I held it in one place for 1 minute.The plating showed no wear.

I thought rhodium was rhodium,one wears off easily, the other impervoius.What gives?

Welcome to the wild world of pen purchasing.

NO, what one company calls rhodium is not necessarily what another calls rhodium. There is no industry standard, as we found out some years ago when we learned "Germany" did not mean 'MADE in Germany' when used on a fountain pen nib. Oh, and "iridium" should not be taken to mean there is actually iridium anywhere NEAR the nib.

Some companies have made pen kits for years. They have a track record of honesty. Others are newer and have "borrowed" the earlier company's kit names and have mimicked the names of the platings. You might find that some "gold" kits have no gold.

Unless you have lots of time with nothing to do, pick a vendor you trust and let HIM do the homework. Unlike the jewelry industry, there is no "standard" upon which you can rely.

 

[Jim Burr]

I haven't yet...and no issues! But some of the direction I'm headed will need buffing. My 1642 is set up for pens finally so the 1014 is going to buff stuff for me. We'll see what happens!

 

[Dale Lynch]

I do buff the blank before assembly.I also like to give it a quick final buff after assembly.I did a test and buffed a rhodium trimline, both clip and again on the nib.I held it in one place for 1 minute.The plating showed no wear.

I thought rhodium was rhodium,one wears off easily, the other impervoius.What gives?

Welcome to the wild world of pen purchasing.

NO, what one company calls rhodium is not necessarily what another calls rhodium. There is no industry standard, as we found out some years ago when we learned "Germany" did not mean 'MADE in Germany' when used on a fountain pen nib. Oh, and "iridium" should not be taken to mean there is actually iridium anywhere NEAR the nib.

Some companies have made pen kits for years. They have a track record of honesty. Others are newer and have "borrowed" the earlier company's kit names and have mimicked the names of the platings. You might find that some "gold" kits have no gold.

Unless you have lots of time with nothing to do, pick a vendor you trust and let HIM do the homework. Unlike the jewelry industry, there is no "standard" upon which you can rely.

I was thinking along the same lines,but with less clarity.

So it could be gold, gold ti,or fools gold?

I don't know about the HIM part since I'm not standing face to face,but I'll do that.