As a part of a group project a magnetron deposition system was designed, constructed and commissioned for producing thin film coatings. Deposition of molybdenum nitride films has been carried out using reactive magnetron sputtering for characterization. The films were characterized in terms of their thickness, hardness and adhesion. The films were reasonably hard but poorly adherent to the steel flats. A wear test rig designed, constructed and commissioned by another research student to carry out impact wear tests was adapted for adhesive wear tests. Progressive wear tests have been done on titanium carbide (5% titanium) coated, titanium nitride coated and uncoated specimens of four substrate materials. The substrate materials are: i) D2 tool steel, ii) D3 tool steel, iii) Vanadis 4 and iv) Vanadis 10. Titanium carbide coatings proved to have good wear resistance but titanium nitride coatings did not. Different coatings imparted different wear resistance to the substrate. The substrate materials have a profound effect on the wear resistance of the coated surfaces.