DISCUSSION
So, I have been discussing Cerakote on the forums. I have Cerakoted all of my firearms and a few of my flashlights. Several people have approached me to Cerakote their flashlights. For those that haven’t seen or participated in the conversation, you can find it here.
Cerakote is a spray on 2 part heat cured ceramic paint. It is usually pretty durable. I will say that It is harder to spray flashlights compared to firearms. It goes on thin so it doesn’t affect threads, but it doesn’t conduct electricity so it can’t be used on contact points for flashlights. That means a lot of taping off and plugging and just general pain in the butt procedures so that the light will still function after being Cerakoted. This also means it is hard to control transition areas from Cerakote to no coating as flashlights aren’t generally smooth like firearms. They have lots of little small ridges and heatsinks that make it all the more difficult.
This isn’t necessarily to sell my services. I just wanted somebody to independently test Cerakote compared to the standard anodizing on budget flashlights. That way it is unbiased and people that want their lights Cerakoted will know what to expect.
TEST
That being said, I wanted to send out a sample of my work to somebody to evaluate and test before I offered to Cerakote somebody’s light for them. The forum unanimously nominated Dale to do the testing. I have already mailed off a pair of cheapo SK68’s to Dale. One is regular anodized and the other is Cerakoted. I will add, I was in a rush to Cerakote the light and there are a couple small imperfections. I didn’t have time to blast them back down and respray them. If I didn’t get to mail them off yesterday, I wouldn’t be able to complete the lights for another 2-3 weeks (my dad is having surgery), so I opted to send them out as is. Dale is in total control of the testing. PLEASE DO NOT POST TEST REQUESTS IN THIS THREAD!!! You can make requests here, but ultimately it is Dale’s decision on what he wants to do. I’m sure he will some up with something inventive. These tests are to compare Class I or II anodizing to Cerakote, not the function of the light. Anodizing may win some of the tests and Cerakote may win some of the tests. They are two totally different types of finishes, and there are no indestructible finishes out there. At the end of the tests, Dale will decide if he were to get a custom flashlight, would he want the standard anodizing or for the light to be Cerakoted. What Dale bases his opinion on is his choice. It can be looks, durability, or whatever. I’m giving Dale full control to test what he wants and decide what he wants.
CONTEST
Dale will make a decision which he prefers, anodizing or Cerakote. Dale’s decision is the deciding factor in the contest. You will post which one you are picking. Those that choose what Dale picks, will go through random.org for selection.
To be eligible for entry, you must have been a member before 6-1-2015 and have at least 10 contributing/question posts (only posting entries in contests or want to sale/buy forums doesn’t count). If you only come here to sell stuff or enter contests, then you need not post! Your first post is the one that counts. All others after that will not count toward the contest. Entries will be stopped 6-20-2015 or once Dale tells me he is ready to start posting test results, whichever comes last.
The winner will receive a free Cerakote job with return shipping by me. If you win, I will let you know the colors I have available. Send me a picture or a model of your light for approval. Lights with deep fins that are close together are damn near impossible to spray and get adequate coverage, therefore I need to approve the light to ensure that I can spray it. Ship me your light, and I will spray it and pay for return shipping (see note below)
I was going to initially limit this to US residents only, but I will open it up for the international peeps with a couple of stipulations. I will pay for return shipping, but you will need to pay for insurance. My fear with international shipping is you sending me your favorite light and it being lost in transit. My suggestion is that it would probably be cheaper to buy a host or light from Mountain Electronics or somewhere else and have it shipped to me. I will then spray it and return it to you. International shipping will already be 2-4x the amount of domestic shipping, so in an effort to keep it fair between international and domestic as far as cost of the Cerakote and shipping, I ask that you cover the cost of the insurance. If you choose to not insure the package, I will not be held responsible for any lost or damaged packages/lights.
Also, if whoever wins does not wish to have a flashlight coated with Cerakote, you can choose to be the designated winner but pick an alternate of your choice to have a flashlight coated.
If I left something out or you have any questions about the contests, please post them in your comment (after your pick).