That should look really good in a darker grey, like gunmetal grey would be phenomenal.
This is what I am in for, take your time for the best tint. I have one or two other lights to tide me over until then.
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:+1: :+1: :+1:
So much effing around with this project… 
After 1½ years of thinking about everything until it hurts, they suddenly decide it will be dark grey?
I have a clear anodized Lumintop HLAAA which is very well done, so WTH “didn’t work” ??
I’m not sure what the ape means though, but that pic has one of the longest location addresses i’ve ever seen.
That’s not an address, it is the actual image code.
Very naughty to do that, if everyone did the BLF server would soon grind to a halt.
Images should be linked elsewhere, not embedded. I too know how to do it, but never have.
Aha, i see.
You bring up an excellent point. However, according to Lumintop that is nickel electroplating. I guess it still retains machining marks and adds protection but without lockout, yes? Could be a compromise…
Nickel plating?
Really?
Nickel is usually ‘warm white’ -ish.
But you’re right.
Threads look coated to but can’t lock out.
I have another very well clear coated AAA light by the way, a silver Olight i3E.
Seems different from anodizing too.
It’s on there very good though, whatever it is.
After a closer look, the HLAAA is indeed slightly ‘warm white’ tinted, unlike the i3E, which almost looks like stainless steel.
You can mix metals and do varying amounts of polishing/sanding/etc to make it look anywhere from terrible to jewelry and everything in between.
It’s not sudden; it was decided months ago based on feedback here in this thread. After two rounds of prototypes, the surface still wasn’t right so we asked people what they’d like to do — the prototype’s light grey ano with seams, a traditional dark grey ano, or completely bare unanodized aluminum. About 80% wanted dark grey, so that’s what the plan is.
I was hoping more people would be interested in bare aluminum, but maybe that can happen later sometime.
The i3E has “PVD coating”.
PVD = Physical Vapor Deposition
Maybe chrome?
I thought bare aluminum was the bases from the beginning. I also like dark grey. If they later offer bare aluminum I will buy another.
Alright...
I removed my name calling in my earlier post.
Anyone that marked that post as rude can unmark it now.
EDIT: Originally I didn't think the post was all that bad, but my rudeness meter says otherwise.
I have learned my lesson and will try not to call people names in the future.
I like clear but a grey of some kind is great too. The feature set is still amazing, no matter what the finish is.
On the upside, converting an anodized aluminum light to bare aluminum is easy. Just give it a soak in Greased Lightning and you’re good to go. Want a more polished look? … no problem: pull out the fine sandpaper and metal polish.
I think you may have been given the run-around.
Anodising, or otherwise finishing metals, is not a new or mysterious process. And avoiding “seams” is pretty basic. Just indicative of pushing up the current and cramming the pieces into the tank to maximise throughput at the expense of quality.
Dying them dark grey, instead of light grey or clear, is just a cosmetic way of avoiding the root cause. Make it black, and call it “HA3” and nobody would know, or care (unless they have ever encountered real HA3, actually best done un-dyed and sealed differently)
If Lumintop just don’t know how, or care, to do it properly, in several ways, well that is sad, considering that that is what they signed up for. Even if they didn’t initially know how, they could have learned on this project.
This started off as having a fine machined surface finish, with clear anodising for protection. Bare metal, no ano, would also have been good. But we are where we are.
Count me in!
From the OP, in the beginning…
“For a lot of us mere mortals, seeing the cool things machinists make on their lathe is just a dream.
Hence the finish of the FW3A will be clear anodizing, no sanding/beadblasting before anodization.
The idea is to give all the chance to have a light looking like it came of a lathe with the protection of anodizing.
(surface finish details are still being worked out though)”
From what I remember from the GT thread, Lumintop does not do the anodizing in-house. Their parts are sent out to a nearby company that specializes in anodizing.
Here is a post of mine from 5 months ago. This was the problem they had with the light gray finish. (To refresh everyone’s memory):
The prototype gray looks fine to me except for the “seams” in the finish. I never noticed them on the earlier pics.
.