body material

[ag94whoop]

Just curious....
it seems that virtually all the flashlights discussed here are machined billett aluminum and hard coated

do all of you prefer this over glass-reinforced plastic?

the GRP can be less expensive,equally, if not more, durable, scratch resistant etc

aluminum bodies are nice for thermal but from the torches I have seen, many dont actually mate the full star to the body for sinking

what do yall think?

 

[Jay R]

I have yet to find GRP that won't scratch when you run a nail down it when a good HA III coating won't. Also, GRP gets brittle at low temp. Freezing cold hands, fumble, drop your light on a rock...Aluminium dents, GRP shatters.
Don't forget that aluminium conducts electricity as well. With a GRP body you would have to put the whole metal strip, plastic rivits to hold it, some kind of connection 'thing' at the thread... This all takes room.
Heat transfer is a big deal. Even just connecting the edge of the star to the body makes a big difference. GRP would insulate it and the star would burn out really fast.

 

[yellow]

the bare emitter or star has to be mounted to a heatsink,
this sink has to be press fittet into the alum. body.

If the edges of the star touch the body or not, is nearly irrelevant - if the primary sink is made bad