Rubberization

I have been enjoying my little Rebel single-AA flashlight quite a bit.
However, my one problem here is that I often need to hold the light in my mouth to get work done. Aluminum flashlight housings are rough on your enamel.

I put some heatshrink on it first, but found two problems- one, it tastes awful! And it loosens up over time anyways.

Tried some E6000 stuff... well, just cured a little bit of it and tasted. Yeah, it's awful too.

I have worked with PlastiDip in the past but I know from experience it doesn't bond really well to metals. No bad taste though. The dip cans are expensive and don't last long once opened too.

Silicone would actually be many people's first choice, but I doubt I'd be able to remove it if it wears out or I just don't like it. And it can't be repaired, new silicone doesn't stick effectively to old silicone.

What seems to be working though is this Amazing Goop stuff, it's another product of the company that makes E6000. No bad taste. It bonds moderately well to metal but can be peeled off if I don't like it. It's also a glue where you can always add more to the old material and it'll stick.

Have other people done their own rubberization? What works?

• I place strips of skateboard tape at select portions of the flashlight housing.
• I use the shrink tubing found at hardware stores. I have found them to last longer than those sold at Radio Shack, Frys, etc.

The tape helps to keep the tubing from sliding.

I use clear vinyl tubing at the ends of a few lights I own. It helps them to tailstand, helps with gripping and helps with mouth-holding. Never noticed any taste one way or the other. It's really cheap and usually easy to install or de-install. Warm it up in hot water for more difficult installations.

Oznog said:

....... I have worked with PlastiDip in the past but I know from experience it doesn't bond really well to metals. No bad taste though. The dip cans are expensive and don't last long once opened too........

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Years ago I used the dip cans of plastidip to rubber coat my Mag2D for electrical safety reasons while I was in the navy. The first couple tries did wear off fairly easily. But I found that if I did several coats until the PlastiDip was thick enough to have some actual strength to it, it held up very well. It lasted several years and was somewhat difficult to remove after I found CPF and decided to convert it to a ROP.

As for getting the opened cans to keep from drying out. Don't rely on the snap on plastic cap that comes with it. That's OK for a short period while you're working with it. But if you want to store it away and have it be usable weeks or months later, the trick is to first cover the open end with aluminum foil, as smoothly as possible, then snap the plastic cap over the foil. The solvent can't make it through the foil and the extra material helps tighten the fitting of the plastic cap so it holds the foil for a good seal.

I use clear heatshrink tubing on my MillerMods L0P. It doesn't have a taste that I notice. It does loosen up after a while and needs to be re-shrunk. But it's a good solution for me.

Greg

Oznog said:

Have other people done their own rubberization? What works?

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My solution to this problem is a head light

You might consider silicone rubber surgical tubing if you can find a source for a small quantity. I use it in my neon shop for everything from gas and air lines to blow hoses. It is available in a variety of wall thicknesses and diameters. It is natural silicone rubber in color, has no taste and is hypo-everything.

I've traditionally gotten a friend who owns a drug store to order it for me in 50 ft rolls. Even at his cost it is fairly expensive, especially if you only need a few inches. You might check McMaster-Carr, MSC and other MRO suppliers to see if they sell it in cut lengths.

John