Painting Anodized Streamlight Body?

[Gemster]

Can the anodized bodies be painted? Black is too easy to lose track of.
Anything special to know about it?

 

[pilo7448]

You can remove the ano with lye.. Or I used yellow can oven cleaner. Then the paint would most likely adhere better. This was blue, I sprayed it with cleaner, then sanded it down, painted it black then sanded that down again. (I know I'm crazy)

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[Gemster]

You can remove the ano with lye.. Or I used yellow can oven cleaner. Then the paint would most likely adhere better. This was blue, I sprayed it with cleaner, then sanded it down, painted it black then sanded that down again. (I know I'm crazy)

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How do you keep it from oxidizing now?

 

[pilo7448]

I don't have that problem here in Las Vegas.. We usually run 8-9% humidity , nothing much oxidizes or rusts. But you said you wanted to paint it right?

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[nbp]

How do you keep it from oxidizing now?

There are lots of bare aluminum lights. Aluminum doesn't really oxidize or "rust" like a high carbon steel does so there's no reason you can't use the bare alu light without anodizing. I have been using a bare alu Okluma for years and minus the dings and scratches it looks the same as when I got it.

Beyond that you can put whatever you want over the anodizing but it will likely scratch and flake off and look terrible. I would try some colorful lanyards or similar for something eyecatching.

 

[pilo7448]

Bare aluminum hds[emoji16]

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[bykfixer]

If you don't use it much the bare alluminum will dull over time. A haze will form making it appear somewhat tarnished. But a rub down with a soft cloth can get it looking all sporty again. Now if it gets used a lot it'll stay clean looking.
If you prefer a color, the powder coat method is good.

A bit about powder coating
https://advancedplatingtech.com/blog/types-of-powder-coating/

 

[lightfooted]

To be accurate, bare aluminum oxidizes almost immediately upon contact with air. Just go check out Nile Red's YT channel to observe this.

 

[Gemster]

There are lots of bare aluminum lights. Aluminum doesn't really oxidize or "rust" like a high carbon steel does so there's no reason you can't use the bare alu light without anodizing. I have been using a bare alu Okluma for years and minus the dings and scratches it looks the same as when I got it.

Beyond that you can put whatever you want over the anodizing but it will likely scratch and flake off and look terrible. I would try some colorful lanyards or similar for something eyecatching.

I am assuming that you don't own a motorcycle with aluminum engine and transmission covers. Even if they are polished, they eventually oxidize and get dull.

 

[Gemster]

If you don't use it much the bare alluminum will dull over time. A haze will form making it appear somewhat tarnished. But a rub down with a soft cloth can get it looking all sporty again. Now if it gets used a lot it'll stay clean looking.

I have never had that kind of luck. It always takes aluminum or "semichrome" polish and a lot of elbow grease, and even then it's hit or miss getting into the nooks. I wonder about the Stiron with all the cooling grooves on the handhold area; that might never be polishable unless something like pipe cleaners are used. I think the therapy bill would be too big.

 

[Gemster]

It's beginning to sound like I should bite the bullet and just buy the "pink breast cancer support" version of the Strion to get a noticeable color.

 

[bykfixer]

Unless something has changed, Streamlights have never had a really durable coating. I don't know enough about the differences between Type 2 and Type 3 anodizing. Or for that matter the differences alloys of alluminum that the anodize can bond to better or not as well. I just know a Streamlight with heavy use tends to show a sort of petina after a while where alluminum starts showing through at edges and corners.

Many find that look charming. It's like battle scars.

A SureFire 6P with coating removed.
I bought it like this about a year ago and have not polished it or anything. I use air craft stripper to clean coated alluminum car parts. A plastic putty knife, a dental pick and a toothbrush.

A 4 year daily trouser pocket carry versus a shelf queen.
And remember folks, chicks dig scars……

 

[nbp]

I am assuming that you don't own a motorcycle with aluminum engine and transmission covers. Even if they are polished, they eventually oxidize and get dull.

My point was that it doesn't really matter if your flashlight is bare alu. Maybe you want your cycle to gleam in the sun, but who cares about the flashlight surface getting a touch hazy if you really wanted to strip off the anodizing? Lack of ano isn't going to hurt anything; plenty of them come that way. It's not going to rust and pit and have parts seize together like something made of iron will without coating. The flashlight will work the same whether it has black anodizing on it or not. I thought that it was obvious what I was getting at with my comment but apparently not. I don't see why a hazy flashlight is worse than a black one that is all scratched up, but YMMV.

Anyways, If color is what you are after I would get something that comes in a different color or decorate it with a paracord lanyard or wrap.

 

[Gemster]

As far as painting, Streamlight didn't know how to prep or paint the body. Not an inspiring testimony.

 

[bykfixer]

It's not really a case of knowing how or not to but more of a choice of methods used. Painting and coating are two different animals. Coating alluminum is more like plating than painting.