I suppose everyone here knows what a stock DRY torch looks like:
Here's one with a different look:
I also wanted a couple of bodies to match the new P60 bezels, at least until I can find a coater/anodizer. Top is a Solarforce L2M, bottom a Surefire L60 body:
Comments are welcome.
How did u remove all the black ano,?that is sweet looking
I used Greased Lightning to remove the ano, then a 2-stage polish on the wheel.
Do u soak it in it ? Did u take it all apart first? I thought u need the ano in the inside ?
where do u find Greased Lightning
Walmart ,lowes etc
I took everything off by soaking the disassembled light completely.
If I need to electrically isolate anything in the head, I'll likely use LED-Seal. It goes on thin, and it's optically clear.
That is waaaaay cool. I want to try it but I'm scared I'll mess it up.
waycoolFoy
Thanks, Foy. You should practice on one of your beater L2s - I bet you like the results.
You must have read my mind but . . . I must be honest; my first thought was that fugly stainless L2T somebody posted a few weeks ago and how stunning my L2T would look stripped to silver and buffed beyond spectacular.
The wife works a half day tomorrow so, Foy is going to Home Depot to secure a begining portion of Greased Lightining. By the way Chicago; it's guys like you with projects like this that make this board awesome.
bravoFoy
now that is some bling!
I don't suppose you measured operating temperatures before stripping? Maybe you'll notice a difference just by feel.
I used "super clean" (wal mart) to remove DRY (bezel) anno today. It took about 20 minutes. Don't leave it in a really long time because it reacts w/ aluminum (although not severely).
The p60 heads look great. I preferred v2 when they weren't on the lights but now I like v1. It matches the host so well that most people wouldn't think it is an add-on.
Well done. That looks fantastic! I have been dreaming up ways to customize my dry. Stripping the anno and polishing was one way, and then machining tritium slots and loading the thing with trits once polished. That'd be pretty neat I think. Who knows lol. Thanks for sharing!! Gorgeous work.
You probably ought to just set up a small anodizing shop at your place and be done with it. Caswell (I think) has a kit. It's the only way to do all these lights you are accumulating, before you go blind from the glare that is... Might as well get the dyes too.
Very nice job on these!
Nice work, Chicago X. Planing of doing it on just the bezel.Don’t know if there’s greased lightning here. I do recalled years ago manage to remove the paint on racing bikes sports rim with so called ‘paint remover’ from any hardware shop. I am not sure if the paint on those jap sport rims is anodized.this paint remover stuff is very corrosive and got to handle with care. Do you guys think it will works on a DRY?
Thanks for the kind words.
MILO - I wouldn't use paint stripper/remover on this one. The product in question is a degreaser; it is much more mild on one's skin, if spilled.
You want something with alkaline builders, so a drain cleanser will work too. Please be careful, and use gloves and eye protection when playing mad scientist.
Awesome work, X! I didn't know you had two DRYs. Those L2 lights look sweet with those heads and I agree with dthrckt - the v1 head looks great on that l2m!
That looks really nice. Think I might give it a go, but doesn't the aluminium oxodise now its unprotected?
Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) will strip ano nicely.
But - it can give you really, really nasty burns. Always add the pellets/crystals/powder/whatever to water - NEVER EVER the other way round. Unless you enjoy alkali burns. They are a lot nastier and take longer to heal than acid burns. Believe me, I learned this the hard (as in hospital) way. The result of doing it the wrong way round is impressively nasty.
Wear gloves and eye protection. Really. Ask s1mp13m4n how much fun it is being unable to see. And act accordingly.
I've spent around 30 years (on and off) working with dangerous materials and have learned to respect strong sodium hydroxide solutions. I suggest that you do too.
No. Aluminium in air more or less instantly forms a protective coating of rather hard aluminium oxide. Essentially anodisation is just encouraging and thickening this naturally occurring coating.
Well said.
Remember the three As - Always Add Acid, or in this case Always Add Alkali.
You always add the acid or alkali to the solution (or water), rather than adding water to the acid or alkali. Doing the opposite will almost guarantee you a story to tell about that particular scar or missing eye.