archer6817j
Enlightened
I had these two lights coated as samples to test the process and see if there is any interest in Cerakote for my lights. These are nickel plated and then Cerakoted. I make a custom fixture for each light so the threads are masked as well as the inside of the head...meaning the threads retain the nickel plate as well as the mounting surface for the LED.
Cerakote is tough but it's not indestructible. You should expect it to wear, just like any other coating.
Light #1: Graphite Black (SOLD: "276")
Light #2: Flat Dark Earth
LED Options:
MCE (6500K N Bin / 5700K / 4000K)
XML (6500K U2 / 5700K / 5000K)
XRE (6500K R2)
XPG (3200K High CRI)
Price: $275 each
Egrep, I know you asked about a light in FDE so that one is yours if you want it! If not, it will be available to others. I'll also be taking orders for other Cerakoted lights if you are interested.
Above is the setup I use for Cerakoting. I fixture each light before I send it out. There is some tricky stuff going on the in the tailcap to hold the steel dowel pin. You can see the orange silicone o-rings that resist the high temp in the curing oven. These must be thrown out after each use. The head of the light contains a teflon plug that I machined. The teflon also resists the high temperatures and can be scraped clean for re-use. The q-tip is stuck into a hole that allows the interior of the body to vent during baking, otherwise it would explode. Right now the q-tip is keeping the cerakote from getting inside the head.
I created this "shadow" effect by installing an o-ring around the base of the dowel pin. I thought they would be a little "blah" without a little shine somewhere. I like that it peeks through and let's you know is not just another "coated light" that gets sprayed right on top of the base metal. I also keeps the bore of the tailcap clean...to accommodate a trit ready titanium tailcap button I'm working on. It will be a precision fit with an o-ring so the cerakote would foul the fit.
Here is a shot of the result of the masking. All critical conductive surfaces, o-ring grooves, and threads are still nickel. I'm not sure how other people do it, maybe they spray the cerakote over the top of the base aluminum...but that's not how I roll. These lights are precision from front to back.
I'm going to start shipping my "special" lights with these blue Flurosilicone o-rings. They are about 10 times the cost of a standard nitrile o-ring but they resist everything, especially oils and fuels. If you want to scuba dive inside a tanker truck filled with jet fuel...these are the o-rings you should use. Overkill? Is that even a question?
Cerakote is tough but it's not indestructible. You should expect it to wear, just like any other coating.
Light #1: Graphite Black (SOLD: "276")
Light #2: Flat Dark Earth
LED Options:
MCE (6500K N Bin / 5700K / 4000K)
XML (6500K U2 / 5700K / 5000K)
XRE (6500K R2)
XPG (3200K High CRI)
Price: $275 each
Egrep, I know you asked about a light in FDE so that one is yours if you want it! If not, it will be available to others. I'll also be taking orders for other Cerakoted lights if you are interested.
Above is the setup I use for Cerakoting. I fixture each light before I send it out. There is some tricky stuff going on the in the tailcap to hold the steel dowel pin. You can see the orange silicone o-rings that resist the high temp in the curing oven. These must be thrown out after each use. The head of the light contains a teflon plug that I machined. The teflon also resists the high temperatures and can be scraped clean for re-use. The q-tip is stuck into a hole that allows the interior of the body to vent during baking, otherwise it would explode. Right now the q-tip is keeping the cerakote from getting inside the head.
I created this "shadow" effect by installing an o-ring around the base of the dowel pin. I thought they would be a little "blah" without a little shine somewhere. I like that it peeks through and let's you know is not just another "coated light" that gets sprayed right on top of the base metal. I also keeps the bore of the tailcap clean...to accommodate a trit ready titanium tailcap button I'm working on. It will be a precision fit with an o-ring so the cerakote would foul the fit.
Here is a shot of the result of the masking. All critical conductive surfaces, o-ring grooves, and threads are still nickel. I'm not sure how other people do it, maybe they spray the cerakote over the top of the base aluminum...but that's not how I roll. These lights are precision from front to back.
I'm going to start shipping my "special" lights with these blue Flurosilicone o-rings. They are about 10 times the cost of a standard nitrile o-ring but they resist everything, especially oils and fuels. If you want to scuba dive inside a tanker truck filled with jet fuel...these are the o-rings you should use. Overkill? Is that even a question?
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