Ti gold question

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EricRN

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May 16, 2019
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Hi, Does anyone know if kits advertised as Ti gold or black Ti are plated with the metal or solid titanium alloy? I'd assumed they were just plated, but it seems odd to plate titanium.
 
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DrD

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In reality, it is titanium nitride which is coated/bonded to the underlaying metal material by most typically a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. TiN (chemical name for titanium nitride) is naturally golden in color. Look at your TiN coated drill bits for example. Through additional processes in the deposition of the TiN, other colors are produced, most typically "Black Titanium" or more recently to us pen turners, "Blue Titanium." The TiN coating is far more wear resistant and harder than other such coating. The degree of wear resistance is a direct function of the deposition process, the thickness of the coating, the process control maintained over the process, etc., etc. As such not all TiN products are equal.

Back to your original question, a Titanium Gold pen has some of its' components coated with Titanium in the form of TiN.

Hope this helps.

DrD
 

EricRN

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May 16, 2019
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In reality, it is titanium nitride which is coated/bonded to the underlaying metal material by most typically a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. TiN (chemical name for titanium nitride) is naturally golden in color. Look at your TiN coated drill bits for example. Through additional processes in the deposition of the TiN, other colors are produced, most typically "Black Titanium" or more recently to us pen turners, "Blue Titanium." The TiN coating is far more wear resistant and harder than other such coating. The degree of wear resistance is a direct function of the deposition process, the thickness of the coating, the process control maintained over the process, etc., etc. As such not all TiN products are equal.

Back to your original question, a Titanium Gold pen has some of its' components coated with Titanium in the form of TiN.

Hope this helps.

DrD
Thanks. I thought it was something like that. But then I read something about titanium gold alloys and wondered if that was what the kits were made of. But that seemed expensive ...
 

DrD

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Yeah, I think that is what the manufacturers want us to believe. Some are really straight forward though. I have had several conversations with the folks at Berea Hardwoods and Jim was/is always very straightforward about the coatings he uses. This is not a plug, this is a statement based on the details of the processes he employs. For "bespoke" pens, I choose to use BHW silver plated pens, and am unabashed to ask "bespoke" prices for such pens. The remainder of the pens I turn are in Ti-Gold. Ti-Black or Chrome.
 

SteveJ

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Jul 11, 2012
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Yeah, I think that is what the manufacturers want us to believe. Some are really straight forward though. I have had several conversations with the folks at Berea Hardwoods and Jim was/is always very straightforward about the coatings he uses. This is not a plug, this is a statement based on the details of the processes he employs. For "bespoke" pens, I choose to use BHW silver plated pens, and am unabashed to ask "bespoke" prices for such pens. The remainder of the pens I turn are in Ti-Gold. Ti-Black or Chrome.

Sorry if this hijacks the OP, but what are/is BHW silver plated and where do you get it?
 

magpens

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@DrD

Thanks for your insight on these plating issues ... good to know the info you have provided !!
 

thewishman

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Mar 9, 2006
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Reynoldsburg, Ohio, USA.
In reality, it is titanium nitride which is coated/bonded to the underlaying metal material by most typically a physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique. TiN (chemical name for titanium nitride) is naturally golden in color. Look at your TiN coated drill bits for example. Through additional processes in the deposition of the TiN, other colors are produced, most typically "Black Titanium" or more recently to us pen turners, "Blue Titanium." The TiN coating is far more wear resistant and harder than other such coating. The degree of wear resistance is a direct function of the deposition process, the thickness of the coating, the process control maintained over the process, etc., etc. As such not all TiN products are equal.

Back to your original question, a Titanium Gold pen has some of its' components coated with Titanium in the form of TiN.

Hope this helps.

DrD

Berea is my main source of kits since I started and I recommend their goods highly. Chrome and Black Ti are my favorites.

There is a bit more to their gold Ti plating. If I remember correctly, there is a thin gold plating added over the top of the Ti because the TiN is not actually gold colored. The top gold layer can wear off leaving just the TiN exposed, it is very obvious and not a good look. I have not had many issues, but I rarely use gold-ish platings. The silver and the platinum platings also wear.
 
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