How can I finish a closeout twisty?

I just bought a twisty off the factory closeout page. Any ideas how I can put a finish on it?

Making an acid bath and trying to anodize it myself is beyond my skill level. Is there a kind of paint that will stick to aluminum? How disappointed will I be when it gets all scratched up and nasty looking?

Does Sharpie make a permanent marker in green? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Check out www.brownells.com

They have a bunch of metal finishes designed for aluminum. There's a spray on finish that you bake to "cure" it. Very durable.

Specifically here: Alumna Hyde

I did mine in Alumahyde and it came out pretty well. Not as durable as the anodized ones I got from JS Burley's but it survived EDC in my pocket:

My post about this in the ARC forum

I finished my twisty, a few weeks back, with Alumahyde, dark, parkerizing, gray per BigWonton's suggestion.
It turned out great and seems very durable....time will tell.
Just make sure the aluminum is very clean and dry before applying it. I didn't, on the first try, and it did not stick and cleaning it up for the second try was a real pain. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
Thanks for the great suggestion BigWonton /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I'll have to check it out. Has anyone tried the O.D. Green? The "natural" HA looks more green than grey to me.

It's too bad they don't sell the stuff in those little tiny glass bottles like you get to paint model airplanes and stuff. I don't really need a whole can, and I usually make a big mess with spray paint.

I have also recently received one of the twisty packs in aluminum and I must say it is very cool.I liked it so much I just ordered 2 more with one being reserved for my buddy Owen.
I do not mind the idea of painting it and I like the ideas here of using alumahyde.Does anyone know if you have to sand or rough up the surface of the bare tail packs before painting with this product?
BK95 you stated yours turned out well but did not stick the first attempt.Did you just clean yours good or did you have to lightly sand it first?
I actually do not mind the color as it is but Owen has one that is anodized and it does look very nice.

Alumahyde II is self-priming and you shouldn't have to do much surface prep. I steel-wooled mine before I sprayed it because I didn't know if there were any surface coatings on the twisty. The two most important things about Alumahyde are that the surface needs to be totally clean and free of grease/oils and once sprayed, it needs to sit for a week or two to allow the epoxy to cure.

Robocop.: I did not sand it at all. my first cleaning method was just to wipe it down with a clean cloth. It looked clean when I received it I did not think it needed much. The second time I used very warm water, Dawn dishwashing liquid and a toothbrush. After soaping and brushing, I rinsed it off with hot tap water and let it dry for a day. The Alumahyde finish appears to be sticking very well . I EDC this Arc in my coat pocket and no sign of wear after a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the help bk95....
I have an extra twisty pack on order as I plan to use them both on my 2 LSLs.I am going to try to paint one of them as soon as I can find some of this alumahyde paint.
Anyone know if this stuff is available at Home Depot or maybe even Lowes?
I think I have seen it somewhere before but can not remember where.I also have a Harbor Freight here locally and may check there.

The web address for Alumahyde is here. This is where I got mine.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1117&title=ALUMA
Good luck. Hope it works out as well, for ya, as it did for me.

I live in the UK, and I don't think we can get the alumahyde here. Are there any suggestions to any alternatives?