Bill58
Native Texan
I can't find the original, recent thread on this so I've started a new one. To all of you who anxiously (humor) awaited the outcome of this inquiry, here it is. I sent a letter to a USA coating firm and got a disappointing answer. Below are the Q&A. Now we know why it hasn't been used to date. Dead deal.
Q. Have you had any experience PVD coating a typical 35 mm metal (chrome over brass, aluminum, SS steel) camera w/ your functional finish in a matte or semi-gloss black or dark gray? Are colors such as O.D. purple, red, yellow available? Do you have any pictures?
What does this cost if the camera is sent to you disassembled?
_________________________________________________________
A. The metals you mention can all be coated but the surface finish and reflectivity of the metal on each piece would determine the look. The color you want is comes from either titanium carbo-nitride or titanium aluminum nitride or carbo-nitride.
The wearability of the coating on aluminum might also not be adequate for wear from handling
We would not do something like this because each piece of the camera would require special fixturing to ensure even coverage since this is a line of sight process.
Yellow is available as titanium nitride and some special effects from interference type coatings can give the colors you mention but the are uneven.
Cost per batch exclusive of handling ranges from $300 to $500. not including cleaning or setup of the machine.
You might consider automotive type paint to get the color and wear required.
Q. Have you had any experience PVD coating a typical 35 mm metal (chrome over brass, aluminum, SS steel) camera w/ your functional finish in a matte or semi-gloss black or dark gray? Are colors such as O.D. purple, red, yellow available? Do you have any pictures?
What does this cost if the camera is sent to you disassembled?
_________________________________________________________
A. The metals you mention can all be coated but the surface finish and reflectivity of the metal on each piece would determine the look. The color you want is comes from either titanium carbo-nitride or titanium aluminum nitride or carbo-nitride.
The wearability of the coating on aluminum might also not be adequate for wear from handling
We would not do something like this because each piece of the camera would require special fixturing to ensure even coverage since this is a line of sight process.
Yellow is available as titanium nitride and some special effects from interference type coatings can give the colors you mention but the are uneven.
Cost per batch exclusive of handling ranges from $300 to $500. not including cleaning or setup of the machine.
You might consider automotive type paint to get the color and wear required.
