Howdy. I’ve been a lurker for a bit and decided I’d throw an idea out to see what everyone thought.
What are your thoughts on powder coat a light like the L2? I know anodizing, chroming, polishing, and any type of metallic painting is popular but I’ve never seen a powder coated light.
I’ve been powder coating for about ten years. Mostly car parts but I’ve done glass, ceramic, even certain plastics. I understand there are a lot of misconceptions about powder coating such as it adding an appreciable thickness, it chips easily, or melts off at higher temps. I can tell you that with a good powder coater none of that is true. The thickness of powder coat is closer to that of paint. For instance, on a L2 you would not lose much of the checkering on the grip. It would most definitely be there and feel right…it’d just be slightly less pronounced. Powder coating will not chip. I’ve hit pieces with a hammer and dropped pieces to test. The only time it chips is if it wasn’t bake at the right temp for long enough. Once flow out happens, the powder forms a flexible layer that bonds to the host. As for heat, I’ve coated calipers on track cars and even seeing temps over 600f the powder and color hold up fine.
The one downside is chemical resistance. Brake fluid, acetone, and such will not immediately harm the powder. However, leaving any type of chemical stripper on for long enough will soften and discolor the powder.
I can do any color that can be dreamed of. Here’s a few examples. If seeing a light powder coated is something you all would be interested in seeing let me know.
Powder coat and cerakote has been done many times on flashlights, over several years. I don’t think too many have been done though, just because of the cost and because many of them did not come out as hard as anodizing did. Also, many people prefer a matte finish ano, just for a better grip.
Maybe some will be interested, but if you are looking for sales, you would probably need to do a few samples and let a couple of members review and stress test them, before people would jump on them.
Just my thoughts.
An almost indestructable finish on a flashlight?! Most people in general don’t know the benefits of powder coating so it’s hard to appreciate the value of it, and no one wants to pay extra for it due to that. It would be a much more resilient finish, but good luck steering the consensus in that direction. They are brainwashed into believing anodization and cerakote is better, somehow!? Your pics look good! Love the colors, that’s the work of an experienced pro. I can’t fit anything bigger than a 14” wheel in my oven, but I can appreciate all the hard work you put into doing all of that, knowing firsthand how involved the process is
You can get a blf A6 in raw aluminum for pretty cheap, they’re easy to take apart. Might be a good place to start.
Thanks fellas. I’m not looking for sales as I just powder coat for the enjoyment of it. I was always a mediocre painter but I understood powder coat right away. To be honest, if a flashlight came to me clean, it’d be like $5 to $10 to coat. This is assuming that whatever coating that came on the light didn’t out gas or create some unusual problems. Old automotive aluminum can do that. Aluminum soaks up oil like a sponge and when you heat it to baking temps the oil out gases…or leaks back out through the pores of the metal. When that happens, the finish is ruined.
I have a spare L2 I’ll coat. There are powders that resemble the characteristics of cerakote. Most are high temp high chemical resistant type coatings. You see them used on exhausts, which is what’s on those headers in the pic of the engine. And some powders have a grain texture, sort of like skateboard grip tape.
Any ways, I’ll do something and we’ll see how it goes. I enjoy this forum because I don’t have Surefire type money to spend on numerous lights. I have a modest Fenix collection, a couple of L2s, and two D and C cell Mags with Malkoff upgrades.
I checked out the threads recommended to me and wow, there is some great talent on this board. I can’t speak with definitive authority on cerakote but I have handled my fair share of firearms. Here are my honest thoughts—cerakote is great and does what it was meant to do. However, just like any finish, it will wear away over the years in the spots that are continually touched such as the cockng serrations on the slide. Powder coat and anodizing will do this too. That’s just what happens after you rub something (literally) 20,000 times.
Powder coat just offers something different. The various metal flakes, pearls, and candy colors are fun to show your friends. Like coated the valve covers on your 69 Camaro and seeing your friends’ face when you pop the hood and unveil some wicked color.
As I said, this is just for fun. I’ll do a L2 and see what happens. There’s no money to be made at $5 to $10 a piece, especially when you factor n cleaning, prepping, out gassing, and then adding and individually baking multiple coats. If I can get my powder covered, I’m fine as the rest may be a lot of work but it’s close enough to free not to matter,
I’ve not been brainwashed to believe anything….anodizing is chemically bound to the metal as an oxide. Aluminum oxide is quite hard, but I’ve seen good powder coat do about as well in the durability department.
You won’t beat anodizing for chemical or heat resistance……the chemistry just won’t allow for it. Aluminum oxide melts at a higher temperature than than the metal does.
Those are some pretty cool colors, and it would make for a different feel to the light.
Nice job!
