Was looking at my torch collection the other day, and thinking that one of the reasons I like the P1 so much is that it has some color to it. Almost all of the rest of my collection is either black, stainless or a "metal" color.
So I was contemplating maybe taking some of my flashlight bodies to a local powder-coating company and let them shoot it with whatever color-other than black-that they were shooting. Curious about the cost, I did some research on the net and found this.
Here is a partial quote. Mind you, I haven't tried this (yet) but it sounds promising.
How to Powder Coat Paint small parts without the cost. Here is a little tip for all those who want to powder coat parts on their cars. Baked on enamel. It is basically as good as powder coating, hard as nails, and easier to do then you think. 1. Clean part... whether that includes sanding and grinding, but have clean part. 2. Paint... you can either prime it or not, but paint it with your color of enamel. Doesn't matter what brand, what price, or what color. 3. Bake... use a oven, one in your garage if your lucky, or beg the wife. 375 for twenty minutes. If you use one in the garage you can just put it on a baking sheet and go for it. If you have to use the wifes, let it dry overnight. This just lets the VOCs' evaporate. Then take it inside and bake it. 4. Wait. After twenty minutes turn off the oven and let it sit. 24 hours, don't open the oven and peek, just let it sit. 5. After 24 hours go ahead and take your part out and use.
I would not think that anodizing would have to be removed to use spray-on enamel, but I may be wrong.
Not that I don't.... like them . They're just boring.
Adding a colored tailcap , front o-ring & lanyard helps makes them, not as boring
Duracoat, Ceracoat ,Alumahyde and Engine Enamel works. Just not as tough as anodizing. Can't remember the details, but it seems like it was Old Lumens that uses a texture paint on some of his mods. Not necessary to remove the anodizing , but a light bead blasting would help improve the paints adhesion.
Back in Feburary I painted a 2 D cell plastic / poly ( what the heck ever ) flashlight using Purple Krylon Fusion Paint (for my niece) A quick clean, trip thru a blast cabinet, then cleaned again. Dad added a Terra Lux drop-in and a 6 pack of new batteries to the mix. She's tickled to death and so far the paint job still looks good.
Actually anodizing makes a good base for painting, since it's neutral. Just make sure it's roughed up if the ano is smooth, so the paint gets a good grip.
I use Rustoleum Textured paints and my "oven consists of two 100watt (incandescent) goose necked lights.
I set the part (head, body, tailcap), on the table, in between the two lights (which have been turned to face the part). I get the lights up real close to the part (2" either side) and I "bake it" till I get to a temperature where touching the edge of the part is so hot I can't touch it for more than a second or so. Then I back the lights away to about 4-6" for a while and then even farther away for a while longer.
It's my budget form of baking and it works really well. The first stage takes about 10-15 minutes, then about 15 minutes in the second stage, about 30 minutes in the third stage and then turn the lights off and let it cool the rest of the way down. I aosl clear coat it with Krylon Clear Gloss Acrylic. It protects the textured paint well and it doesn't have to be baked.
If I had an oven outside in the garage, I would just use it as you have recommended.
I disagree. Black is easily the best absorber of heat (putting your hand on a black car in the sun compared to a white car will tell you that) but with paint on a flashlight, the bigger concern is emitting heat to the atmosophere. And all colors of paint are "black" in the infrared, and emit heat at pretty much the same rate.
In fact, painted lights will emit heat much faster than bare-metal lights. Logic would seem to tell you that the paint would put a coating of insulation between the atmosphere and the metal making it transmit heat at a slowe pace, but that is not true. In fact, it is a selling point for powder-coating shiny metal objects that you want to radiate heat at a faster rate. The first valve covers that were painted were done so to emit heat better, not to just look cool.
The big question is, does anodizing count as 'bare metal' or does it conduct based on color as opposed to plain, shiny metal.
LOL, I'm a bit pugnacious today, sorry. But painting your flashlight won't hurt heat dissipation at all. Check out the in-room radiators that you see at Sears or Home Depot. Most of them are painted white, not black, because it doen't really make a difference and people seem to prefer white interior furnishings rather than black.
My wife is going to freak out when she sees me playing with my flashlights and my laser-thermometer tonight...
Haven't found anything that will stick to anodizing. That includes roughed up with coarse sandpaper, etc. Tried Krylon fusion and that rubs off too. I won't use Rustoleum, which I refer to as Never-Dry.
Sorry to hear that Rich, I have never had a problem with Rustoleum in the Textured series. Yes, other Rustoleum products are rough to work with, but that particular series works good. (Only if it is baked correctly). Krylon fusion is bad. I never use it. Only Krylon acrylic clear, for top coat, because it’s acrylic.
When I prep a maglite, I use 600 or 1000 grit paper and 0000 steel wool. Then I use alcohol to clean it and spray on very light coats of Rustoleum. Very light, so that it takes several coats to fully cover, with about 2 minutes between coats. Then I use the heat to bake the paint on.
Paint is a Coating. Ano is not a coating, it actually builds into the aluminum substrate so it can't chip or peel. There's no comparison between paint and ano. Ano done right is tough as nails, paint is not. It's all in what the individual wants. If you're going to drop it on cement or bang it against something (rough duty), don't bother painting it. You won't be happy with it. (you meaning anyone).
I have to agree with stevetexas and disagree with you. The "radiators" that you see in Sears and HomeDepot are NOT really radiators, but are convectors. Wood stoves on the other hand tend to be painted flat black because they really are radiators of heat. Objects that reflect radiation well are also poor radiators and objects that absorb radiation well are also good radiators as well. Black appears black because it absorbs radiation. A shiny object appears shiny because it does not absorb (it reflects). BTW this is also why stealth aircraft are flat black.
Now having said all this, A green flashlight will radiate well, except for the color green.
A little off-topic, but stealth aircraft aren't flat black. They use dark grey on the F-117 and B2 as camouflage because those aircraft are intended to only fly at night. Dark grey blends into the night sky better than pure black so makes for better camouflage.
The F-22 Raptor stealth fighter is a light grey camouflage since it's meant to fly both day or night.
dchomak, there is a lot of support for the "black absorbs best and therefore also emits best", so I'm not saying you or Steve are wrong, but there is another side to it, this is a good read.
I think the bottom line for flashlights is that it does not make any noticeable difference what color the torch is, but the texture will have a much greater impact.
Yes flat black is the best for heat, but a flashlight? Really?. Come on guys, put 3 XM-L emitters in a flashlight and it's going to get hot! I don't care what color you use, it's going to get hot and to top it off, it's going to draw down the batteries fast. If you have 3 XM-Ls pulling 3+a each, it won't be long before the light gets dim, so with a large heatsink chances are the batteries will go before any black exterior coating is going to make a real difference. Every high powered (SST-90 or multiple XM-L) light I have seen, the batteries sagged faster than the overheating problems could occur. High powered leds are going to put out more heat than any black is going to overcome. Cut some fins in it if you really want to help the heat, but I think the color deal is pushing theory past common sense with flashlights.
I would love to see some real life testing with a multiple XM-L light in original black ano, silver, polished aluminum, chrome, white, etc. The same exact light in several finishes and measured in the same exact controlled conditions, before I ever would worry about the color having any adverse effect.
Of course, with all the lights out there, it still wouldn't matter. Which light? Put a XM-L U2 in a P60 sized light and run it at 3+amps and it's going to get hot. No matter what the color, it will get hot. Put that same XM-L U2 in a D Maglite with a really big heatsink and it's going to get warm, but not near as hot as the P60.
I think, to qualify the statement, you would have to state that with a certain sized heatsink in a certain sized light, with x amount of fins cut, the difference between white and black would be ___. Otherwise there's way too many variables for a blanket statement about colors not working for high powered leds.
My first use of it seemed to be successful. It's been only a few months since the project was completed if there is a problem with this stuff I'd really like to know. And I had seriously considered using it on my G2. Is there a better option ?
So, am I the only guy that had to look up "pugnacious"? Thanks, Troop, at least I've learned something today. I think I could have found a way to use it on the forum too, but since that guy is MIA now, it doesn't look like I'll have the chance.
I'll try to toss it into the conversation up at my mother-in-law's later. That should go over big. :glasses:
The allure of tactical flashlights in part, the beginning, was the fact that they were optimized for use. They had a "military" look to them (Why would anybody buy a HUMMER) (function over form)
I Like colored flashlights!
Here is a picture of the flashlight that I modified for my wife.
Note the inefficient cooling surfaces at the head and tail (Shiny aluminum), and the purple body (not flat black). I anodized the body to her favorite color.
Not optimal, but there is more to life than just function.
I’ve just had problems with it. Drying and setting up hard has been the problem. I fould it to have a slightly “tacky feel” to it even days after the initial spraying. Might have been me, but I just don’t care for it. The only Krylon product I use is the clear acrylic, for coating reflectors and for a top coat. It dries fast and is fairly durable.
I don't care for regular Rustoleum either. The same problem with being tacky. The Rustoleum textured series has been (so far) the best I have tried, but even with it, there has to be a top coat of clear, or it remains too soft (not tacky, but slightly soft). The top coat of krylon clear acrylic seems to harden the rustoleum below it.
Actually I prefer automotive paints, but I just don't like the prices of the stuff.
