# Weird idea-white HA aluminum??



## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 15, 2006)

I am not an engineer nor do I know if my idea even would be considered HA.Call me crazy, but I was thinking, why couldn't the bodies of flashlight body tubes have the same finish as the DMT cerafuse knife sharpeners? Technically speaking, only the surface would be affected, therefore allowing the aluminum to maintain most of it's toughness while maintaining the hardness. If someone were to be able to get inj on how DMT did that, it would make HA look pretty weak(remember, that stuff can grind down steel, so car keys and whatnot should be no problem; I think that HA can be scratched by a knife or file, and will flake off eventually). This would solve allow for a titanium white tough as diamond finish on flashlights.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 15, 2006)

Almost forgot to add, the I am assuming that aluminum oxide would go pretty deep into the aluminum, probably would be thicker than HA, and would basically be a matte finish. Any thoughts?


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## PhotonFanatic (Apr 15, 2006)

[email protected] Messenger said:


> If someone were to be able to get injfo on how DMT did that.


 

Start here. It does look interesting, but cost may be prohibitive. And what does it feel like in the hand?


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 15, 2006)

the price would probably be more than a Ti mclux for sure, as for how it feels, probably like the DMT knife sharpener. As i said before, this was just a concept that i thought someone might be interested in.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 15, 2006)

I think there was someone who asked about white anodize a while ago, this might just be the answer if they have the money to do so.


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## Mini-Moder (Apr 15, 2006)

I would have it done! It sounds like a sweet idea. I imagine it would look pretty cool to.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 15, 2006)

it's about time something put HA to shame :devil:, I did a bit more reading on it, and so far from the looks of it, the hardness seems to be something along the lines of articficial sapphire (essentially pure aluminum oxide, or mineral glass), and I know that stuff it super tough (only topped by titanium nitride, zirconium dioxide, tungsten carbide, and diamond). Just a warning, that stuff doesn't come cheap, a DMT cerafuse sharpener is 20bucks, which is probably well over the price of HA...still a bargain compared to titanium. Hopefully, I could see this idea gain some momentum...may I suggest 1aa lux with matching clip?

update: I just read the specs, it's actually 4 times better at adhering to aluminum than HA and is over 4 times harder!!


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## Morelite (Apr 16, 2006)

sounds like a great idea


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## will (Apr 16, 2006)

I had asked about a white or yellow maglite some months back. 
about this coating - I think it would be great, if it can be done without affecting the operation or the maglite. 

I read through the coating write up. It looks like the ceramic is .012 inch thick, (anodizing is .001 thick). ceramic is an insulator, anodize is not. I am not familar with the process involved, but for sure all the threaded areas would have to masked off completely. the clearance between the head and the barrel would have to be checked, the threaded area for the head which is currently anodized would have to masked off as well, this is a multiple start thread and would not be easy to machine again. all the threaded areas have to maintain electrical contact. 

so - having said all that - best bet would be to have a sample done up and see if it works. best thing about this coating, it is white and you gain the ability to sharpen knives on it.. (I have a few ceramic tool sharpeners - the feel to the coating is not smooth, kind of like a natural pearl, there is a slight 'bite' to it. )


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## greenLED (Apr 16, 2006)

Isn't ceramic coating what the Gladius initially used? I tend to think hardness= brittleness, so a really, really, really hard coating on a light might not be all that ideal with all the "bumping" our lights take (at least mine).


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 16, 2006)

greenLED said:


> Isn't ceramic coating what the Gladius initially used? I tend to think hardness= brittleness, so a really, really, really hard coating on a light might not be all that ideal with all the "bumping" our lights take (at least mine).


 
That's what i thought at first, but i don't think that's what the gladius used, that stuff could chip because it did not penetrate the aluminum, cerafuse uses the aluminum oxide found already on the aluminum on itself, i think, it also adheres better to the aluminum so i don't think it would chip, let alone flake. as for the fact that it is an insulator, well, i guess that that would be the only drawback, but the, i guess you could always mask ity off before you start the process.


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## will (Apr 17, 2006)

I am waiting for a response to the note I sent to the WHYCo company. the following is the note I sent. I also read through the information on their web site about the ceramic coating. I am hoping that they can mask of the threaded areas on the maglites, they have to polish after the coating is applied and I am sure that will affect the threads. I am also concerned about the thickness of the coating. There is only .006 clearance between the head and the body on the AA lights. One other concern is the cost - . 

(the ceramic coating is non-conductive)

I will let you know what their response is 

Will

I am interested in ceramic coating a maglite aluminum flashlight. I
have a few general questions about the process.

1. the flashlight is anodized, does this have to be removed?
2. there are threaded parts, can the threading be masked off?
3. I would want the ceramic coating to be only on the outside of the
flashlight can the interior be masked
or plugged in some way?
4. there is one part that has a slip fit over another, the clearance
on this is around .007 inch. How
thick is the ceramic coating ? Is it .012 inch?

5. what would the cost to do this be? For one light? for twenty?for fifty?
I do not want a formal quote at this time - just a rough amount. You would
most likely want to see the light itself to give an accurate price.

These are AA flashlights. they consist of 4 parts, the head has 2, a
threaded ring and the head it self, the threaded ring holds the clear
lens, The battery tube has 2 parts, the tube itself and the threaded
end cap. All these parts are anodized, and can be taken apart to only
the 4 parts mentioned.

Thank you very much


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## HarryN (Apr 18, 2006)

HA is also a pretty good insulator BTW.


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## Dr_Joe (Apr 18, 2006)

Fascinating concept !


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## jsr (Apr 18, 2006)

Sounds cool! I'm interested to know what comes out of this. Just for clarification of HA/HCA/HA3, as HarryN mention, it's a pretty good insulator (enough that your light won't work if the conductive path is HCAd). HCA/HA3 also grows into the aluminum, usually an equal depth into the aluminum as above the Al. HCA/HA3 can be anywhere from 1mil to 6mil thick typically...it's up to the client on what he wants to pay for. Thicker requires longer time in the bath and resultingly costs more as it lowers the shop's thru-put. 12mil from this ceramic coating is really thick in comparison!...especially if it grows into the Al also. Any idea how deep it grows into the Al?


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 18, 2006)

i think it said that stuff here http://www.whyco.com/Cerafuse/characteristics.html


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 18, 2006)

btw, i don't think there is a difference between ha and hca, both are just type 3 anodize


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## will (Apr 19, 2006)

I received an answer back from WhyCo. I can send 2 maglites for samples to see if this is a good idea or not. I also sent Michael ( from WhyCo ) a follow up note. That follows his answer. 

Let me know if there is an interest in this so I have an idea of how many, if it goes ahead. At this time - this is not a formal offer or anything, I just want to get an idea of the interest 


Hi

I am interested in ceramic coating a maglite aluminum flashlight. I
have a few general questions about the process.

1. the flashlight is anodized, does this have to be removed?
2. there are threaded parts, can the threading be masked off?
3. I would want the ceramic coating to be only on the outside of the
flashlight can the interior be masked
or plugged in some way?
4. there is one part that has a slip fit over another, the clearance
on this is around .007 inch. How
thick is the ceramic coating ? Is it .012 inch?

5. what would the cost to do this be? For one light? for twenty?for fifty?
I do not want a formal quote at this time - just a rough amount. You would
most likely want to see the light itself to give an accurate price.

These are AA flashlights. they consist of 4 parts, the head has 2, a
threaded ring and the head it self, the threaded ring holds the clear
lens, The battery tube has 2 parts, the tube itself and the threaded
end cap. All these parts are anodized, and can be taken apart to only
the 4 parts mentioned.

Thank you very much



I am a member of a collectors group I don't know how many folks would
be interested in this, part of it would depend on price. We just did a
special anodize for 40 lights, we had requests for an additonal 40


In answer to your request for info on ceramic coating,

1. Yes the anodizing must be removed, however this could be done in-house
before we coat the parts
2. Yes, we would mask the treaded parts, or use them as contact points
3. It is possible to coat the exterior only
4. The coating would not be thick enough to effect the slip fit with that
tolerence.
5. Without the parts in hand my best guess is $10 - $15 per light. It would
depend mostly on labor as the size of the light is on there website, and i
feel fairly comfterble with that surface area estimate. As a general rule
the MAO coating costs about $0.60 a square inch, give or take based on how
labor intensive the racking masking gets.


I measured the head and the battery tube with a tape measure, I came
up with 16.625 square inches, that times the $.60 would make it just
under $10.00 for a 2AA maglite.

the masking would be very straight forward, the battery tube is 2
pieces, the tail piece which has an external thread just under 1/2
inch long. the battery tube has an internal thread and an external
thread for the head assembly. which is just under 1 inch long. The
head assembly is 2 parts, here again the external thread is 1/4 inch
long. I would want all the internal areas to be plugged and not
coated.

I did not mention that the barrel has a diamond knurl 2 1/2 long , and
the head has a straight knurl 1/4 inch long. I would prefer to leave
this on if possible.

The price you gave - is there any discount for large quantities? I ask
this because I would probably want to do a few pieces first - sorta
like a test run... I can mask off the areas I would not want coated, (
plain masking tape just to have an example)

Thank you for getting back to me in a timely fashion.


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## jsr (Apr 19, 2006)

[email protected] Messenger said:


> btw, i don't think there is a difference between ha and hca, both are just type 3 anodize


 
Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I was talking about different anodizing processes. Most people know it has HA3, which isn't the correct name technically. It should be HCA or just HA...I just wrote all 3 so everyone knew what I was talking about.

BTW, my addiction started with a KeyMate too...still love that little bugga.


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## will (Apr 19, 2006)

This process puts a ceramic coating on the aluminum. 

by the way - if CPF still has the response time problems that are happening now - 1 minute response time - I might want to move this off the web site and go directly through email - just a thought right now..


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## Chronos (Apr 19, 2006)

I'm definitely interested. May have a Mag 2D or 3D and an AA done. Please keep us updated!


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## will (Apr 20, 2006)

I put a note in the maglite collection posts - does anyone know for sure what aluminm alloy these lights are, and secondly, are all parts the same?

the reason being - different alloys will yield different colors with the ceramic coating.
White is on 6063, 5052 and others
7075 is grey to blue/black
2024 is brown

Other alloys I cant say for sure, it depends on the type and % of
alloying elements

so - I am going to send them 2 and have samples made.


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## trivergata (Apr 20, 2006)

this looks interesting..............I'll have to watch

Josh


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## Led_Blind (Apr 20, 2006)

I would love my HDS in ceramic white! Lets see how it goes


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## will (Apr 20, 2006)

I mailed off the 2 samples to have them ceramic coated. I am not sure of the color that will be returned, this depends on the aluminum alloy used by maglite. I asked maglite what is was, Have not received an answer. 

on a second note - this process will cost approx. $.60 per square inch, the 2 AA maglites are approx 16 square inches - cost will be around $10 a light. I don't have a mag C or D around to measure, but I guess it would be at least 3 to 4 times more - I don't know if $30 to $40 is worth it. 

Also - ceramic is somewhat abrasive, this coating is used on knife sharpeners. put it with with anything else and it will rough up that finish.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 20, 2006)

when you get them back, revisit the flashlight vs ipod scenario, lol,(kid starts crying)


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## karlthev (Apr 20, 2006)

I'm interested---for some bare aluminum lights!



Karl


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 20, 2006)

hopefully they don't turn out brown and grey:eeew: ...the white one would look the best out of all of them, personall,(although it would be a pain to clean and maintain)...if it can hold up against a brazing torch(which it should), that would be great :lolsign: . Hypothetically, it shouldn't react to anything alkaline(ie lye), so once it's on, it stuck there for good.


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## will (Apr 20, 2006)

It's intetesting - I have a ceramic sharpening stone, it gets dirty easy. I have to use a household cleanser to clean it - ( ajax - bon ami - stuff like that )


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## Mini-Moder (Apr 21, 2006)

Hey will, do you think these will have better ,worse, or same heat dispersion than the stock Mini-Mag?


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## will (Apr 21, 2006)

Well - let's see, they use ceramic tiles on the bottom of the space shuttle, they do not transmit heat, those are a few inches thick. my guess - no difference, the coating is very thin.. However, if it was thicker, I would think that the heat would not be transmitted through the coating...


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## Mini-Moder (Apr 21, 2006)

I suppose that it would hold the heat in more, wouldn’t it. I was thinking about using one of these (if the run takes place) for a Lux V mod. But I am thinking now that, that might not be the best idea...:lolsign:


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## will (Apr 21, 2006)

I did a quick search on yahoo 'ceramic coating heat tansfer' The short answer is that ceramic will block heat transfer, but that is generally for thick ceramic blocks. I also have asked WhyCo the same question..


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 21, 2006)

I was worried about how a heatsink would work out


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## Navck (Apr 21, 2006)

[email protected] Messenger said:


> when you get them back, revisit the flashlight vs ipod scenario, lol,(kid starts crying)


 
Been there, done that.
HA3 will always crush plastic construction, especially iPods. My light wasn't damaged, the iPod lost its corner.
Also - That kid was jabbing the iPod into my ribs and challenging me to hit it with my light, so it's fair game.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 21, 2006)

Navck said:


> Been there, done that.
> HA3 will always crush plastic construction, especially iPods. My light wasn't damaged, the iPod lost its corner.
> Also - That kid was jabbing the iPod into my ribs and challenging me to hit it with my light, so it's fair game.


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 22, 2006)

question for will, any news on the heat insulating properties of the cerafuse finsih from whyco?


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## will (Apr 22, 2006)

No - the guy at whyco did not get back to me, I don't want to push him too much - I just sent him the 2 maglites and I think he is doing me a favor with the hope of getting more business, I just hope it works out and we get all the parts back white. I don't think I would use this coating with the idea of better heat dissapation, I do know that ceramic is an insulator, both electrical and thermal.


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## karlthev (Apr 27, 2006)

I've got a couple of bare tubes I'd sure like to try with this "new" finish. With the rough surface, it sounds as though hte grip factoe will make the light secure in the hand during wet weather, a fairly frequent condition in my use.



Karlthev


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## will (Apr 27, 2006)

Just to let you know - I mailed the 2 samples last Thursday, 2-3 day delivery. I sent Mike, contact at WhyCo, a note on Tuesday asking if he received them. I sent a follow up note a few minutes ago. I have not heard back from him. I hope he will get back to me sometime today..

The ceramic sharpening stone I have does have some grip when it is wet. certainly better than anodizing.


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## will (Apr 27, 2006)

OK - he has them. They are set to be coated early next week .

any guesses as to what color(s) they will come back as. Maglite would not tell me what aluminum alloy they use..

these are the choices

White is on 6063, 5052 and others
7075 is grey to blue/black
2024 is brown

the maglite broke down into 4 parts. the bezel, the head, the battery tube,and the tailpiece..


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## karlthev (Apr 27, 2006)

Well, I'm really not so concerned about the color rather the end finish and durability but, keep us posted!  


Karlthev


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## Led_Blind (Apr 27, 2006)

If the coating turns out to be harder than HA and grippy then blue\black colour wouldnt matter.... brown may look odd tho :\


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## karlthev (Apr 28, 2006)

Yeah, I agree, brown wouldn't be my first choice though my hair color once was....(sigh...) good camo color though!!!



Karlthev


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## will (Apr 28, 2006)

My guess is that Maglite uses 6063 aluminum, this is considered aircaraft aluminum, 7075 is also considered aircraft, but this is more expesive and slightly more difficult to machine - it's harder. I don't think it is 2024, that is the stuff usually used for screen door frames and is very soft. But that is just a guess. Could end up some white and some blue. Greenled has been de-anodizing (not sure if that is a word) 2AA maglites. He has indicated the barrel reacts differently than the tailpiece. 

Once the coater finishes them I will put a note here, should be next week sometime..

I keep putting this in my posts here - this ceramic coating is the same stuff that is used for knife sharpeners, it has an abrasive quality and will 'sand' anything it rubs up against. I am not planning on regular use for the one I will get, but rather a display piece. 

Just another note - I was not able to get any kind of quantity discount, (unless we get over a 1000.). The price for these should be between $10-$15 just for the coating.


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## Chronos (Apr 28, 2006)

Heck, for $20/each I'd have at least a larger Maglite and maybe a minimag ceramic coated.


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## mobile1 (Apr 28, 2006)

From a usability point of view, a coating that is so hard might chip and flake easily (since the underlying metal is softer). When you get the first units bang it onto an edge and see what happens....

However interesting characteristics. I think MagLite is not using Aircraft Grade AL, Kyle thinks their AL is pretty low quality (or used to be - might have changed). I'll try to have a prototype sample done for the AL Gatlight V2... however don't know if its possible regarding buildup, tolerances and masking. The company hasnt answered an email email or returned a phone call yet...


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## [email protected] Messenger (Apr 28, 2006)

cerafuse is integral to the aluminum, i think what you're talking is a liquid ceramic coating.


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## karlthev (Apr 28, 2006)

$10-$15 a piece certainly accessible from a price perspective.


Karlthev


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## NoBS (May 4, 2006)

deleted


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 4, 2006)

right now we're playing the waiting game so to speak


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## will (May 5, 2006)

I will send my contact there a follow up note a little later this evening. The last note I got he indicated they were going through a certification process and that was taking a lot of their time. I had sent the 2 samples, with an idea that maybe, just maybe there would be 25- 50 more if the samples were what we were looking for. I guess, and rightfully so, we are a small order. I do not think they are a small shop.. 

once I get them back, I am going to have another member of CPF evaluate the sample ( person already picked out ) and take pictures and all that..


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## will (May 6, 2006)

I did get a note back from my original contact, who said he would call the guy who is actually supposed to email me with a status. No word came back. 

so - there is no news ....


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## will (May 7, 2006)

I will send out another note sometime Monday to see what is happening here with the ceramic coater. I wish he was local so I could just stop by. Once I hear back with some information I will pass it along.


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## will (May 9, 2006)

Sent 2 notes today - got a response back from the computer guy - he was going to talk to the person doing the coating.


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## karlthev (May 9, 2006)

Thanks! This looks interesting....  



Karlthev


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## will (May 9, 2006)

I received this note back - 

" Hi Phil:
I do not see any Flashlite parts here. Mike is on vacation, he will return
next Monday. I will check further. "

I will put something in this thread when the status has changed.

and this came later today.

Hi Phil:
I do not see them anyplace, perhaps he mailed them back to you or hid them someplace. 
Regards,


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## karlthev (May 12, 2006)

Hey!!! Wadaya mean!!?? I think we should call to see what's going on!! Just kidding....and still interested!


Karlthev


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## will (May 12, 2006)

My contact gets back from vacation on Monday - I will send a note to him and the other guy who went looking for the maglites. I have the feeling that he has not done anything with them yet. If they were done and he mailed them, I should have received them by now.


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 12, 2006)

will said:


> My contact gets back from vacation on Monday - I will send a note to him and the other guy who went looking for the maglites. I have the feeling that he has not done anything with them yet. If they were done and he mailed them, I should have received them by now.


 
i here ya bro, hopefully he didn't lose the mag parts, hopefully he doesn't say something like they were destroyed in the process


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## will (May 12, 2006)

Fortunaltely I don't have a lot of money tied up in the samples. I got them at Wall Mart. I just want to get them back to see if this is worth while or not..

have a good weekend..


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## will (May 15, 2006)

I got this back to day - so - maybe in a few days

Phil sorry it took so long, i have been working out tooling for the lights,
i would expect to ship this week

mike


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 15, 2006)




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## karlthev (May 17, 2006)




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## will (May 17, 2006)

you know it's bad when the only replies are emoticons.....


anticipation . . . .


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 17, 2006)

:lolsign:


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## karlthev (May 17, 2006)

Well, I sure don't want to make it any worse....sorry 'bout that!

Karlthev


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## will (May 17, 2006)

I still have a good sense of humor. 

At least no one else has any money involved - I would feel bad if that were the case.


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## mobile1 (May 17, 2006)

This company actually could be making some money if they were a bit more professional... We were thinking about having a GatLight prototype done with that new coating however I don't think we want to be worried whether we ever get anything back.... They never responded to emails and phone.... I defenitely wouldn't send out anything to them where some of your customers have some money invested... too risky,


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## will (May 18, 2006)

I sent them 2 mini mags - cost $18. for the 2, plus shipping to them $4.00, plus the $20 to have them coated. my concern with sending them samples had only to do with the coating, not delivery...

I am sure I will get them back - 

.
.
.
.
sometime


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## will (May 19, 2006)

Sent Whyco yet another note. Let's see if they get back to me. If I had known it would take a month to do these I would have been OK with that. I don't like being told this week, then the next week and so on. 

at any rate - have a good weekend


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## will (May 19, 2006)

Sent them another note this afternoon - no response - I hope that no one was depending on this. I will not add any new posts unless I hear back from them - one way or the other. 

I am thankful no one else has any money involved in this - 

maybe there is another ceramic coating company we can look into.


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 19, 2006)

will said:


> Sent them another note this afternoon - no response - I hope that no one was depending on this. I will not add any new posts unless I hear back from them - one way or the other.
> 
> I am thankful no one else has any money involved in this -
> 
> maybe there is another ceramic coating company we can look into.


 
i just found a supposedly higher wear resistant type of ceramic coating called zirconium dioxide, i'm not sure if it can adhere to aluminum though. I'm looking for other coatings right now, eventhough cerafuse is still the top material right now, and most cost effective integral aluminum coating, next to good old fashion ha.


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## will (May 22, 2006)

there is no need to add to this -

Phil-

Parts are in the tank right now. First tube is complete. coating is
white, so alloy is most likely 6061. I would expect at this point to ship
tommorrow.


Mike


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## Chronos (May 22, 2006)

Progress at last, or so it appears... I still think I'd be in for coating a mag and a minimag if the process works. Thanks for the updates will!


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## will (May 22, 2006)

My plan, depending on how this comes out, is just to do the minis. The charge is $.60 per square inch, a regular mag would probably be around $30.00 or so.


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## karlthev (May 22, 2006)

Well, I'm watching this like a hawk so, please keep us all posted. Thanks.


Karl


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## will (May 23, 2006)

Well - they are finished - they were given to UPS for delivery..


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 23, 2006)

oh joy, FINALLY!  Can't wait to see some pics:huh:


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## karlthev (May 23, 2006)

Well Phil, give us impressions and pics if ya can! There's a few (maybe more, who knows?) who are just waiting to see watcha got!  


Karl


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## nakahoshi (May 23, 2006)

Finally good news


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## Led_Blind (May 23, 2006)

And the crowd roars "show us ya pictures"


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## smknman (May 23, 2006)

If these don't chip easily I definantly want in.


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## PEU (May 24, 2006)




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## will (May 24, 2006)

They are here - just got them from the UPS truck. took some pictures - here we go... I put in a standard black maglite and one that I powder coated pure white - 

This ceramic coating is the same that is used for knife sharpeners. The feel is like 320 grit sandpaper, not smooth or slippery. This should not be put in contact with anything else, it will sand it down or scuff it up. 

The color is not consistant piece to piece. This is the result of the base maglites not being manufactured from exactly the same stock, there is some variation in the alloy used. There is some shadowing in the color.

The masking is not clean - but I don't really care about that. 

The base of the head has a chip line, I am pretty sure that is the restult of the base being very thin. ( This should be cut back on a lathe and then rounded over )

I assembled them and they don't look bad. The coating feels porous, It will suck up dirt and oil like there is no tomorrow.

( by the way - the picture is accurate - the head, bezel and tailpiece is slightly darker, the head being very mottled in appearance )


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## karlthev (May 24, 2006)

Hmmmm...I wonder if there is a way to seal the coating so that it won't be a grease magnet and knife sharpener at the same time...? Also, I wonder about the possibility of a chip....I guess it must be brittle?


Karl


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## will (May 24, 2006)

karlthev said:


> Hmmmm...I wonder if there is a way to seal the coating so that it won't be a grease magnet and knife sharpener at the same time...? Also, I wonder about the possibility of a chip....I guess it must be brittle?
> 
> 
> Karl



I do not know what could be used to seal this. I did a maglite in white powder coat paint, looks great...


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 24, 2006)

seems to be more like a conversation piece than a real tool, too bad the alloy isn't consistant. See if it can sharpen a knife :lolsign:. The grey version will probably look better.


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## greenLED (May 24, 2006)

I have this mental image of gigantic Maglite knife sharpeners now.  The finish looks silky-smooth. Could you clear coat the ceramic to seal it?


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 24, 2006)

greenLED said:


> I have this mental image of gigantic Maglite knife sharpeners now.  The finish looks silky-smooth. Could you clear coat the ceramic to seal it?


 
I think that there was one alloy that made a black coating? I think it was 7050, if somone can find a light made of that alloy, that would be interesting...I suspect that black would look more like matte ha and make the dirt and whatnot less noticeable. As for clear coating, I don't think there is anything that can help with that  I guess those will have to either be show pieces or incredibly dirty maglites (another new idea, the older it gets, the more CAMO the finish will be :lolsign: )


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## Anglepoise (May 24, 2006)

Keep us posted as to how the finish holds up.
I have always wanted a TiN coating on aluminium but have been told many times that the soft aluminium will dent and cause cracking in the harder coating.
Will be interesting to see if this is the case with the ceramic.


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## will (May 24, 2006)

I assembled one of these, there was some ceramic coating on the inside of the head. This in turn rubbed against the rubber gasket, which in turn left black marks on the outside of the body. I removed the loose ceramic coating and scrubbed the 'dirty parts' I got some on my finger and as I grabbed the head the dirt transfered to the head. I got most of it off, but the head has a shadow now in two areas.

the first pic - center bottom





the second - center top


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## dca2 (May 24, 2006)

Most ceramic knife sharpeners recomend cleaning with an abrasive powder like Comet or Bar Keeper's. This coating gets better and better


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## will (May 24, 2006)

couldn't find the comet - I have used that on my ceramic sharpening stone.


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## will (May 25, 2006)

I sent one off to another CPF member to get a second opinion on these. 

my own opinion after a day is that - 

If you want a white maglite - powder coat is the way to go

the finish is extremly hard - I tried to round the edge of the head with a file to smooth it over, the head showed no change, the file was damaged. any sharp areas would have to be machined smooth prior to coating. 

The color is not consistant, if you want a shelf queen, this is not the one. This kind of coating is good if you only have one item that is coated, not 4 pieces like the maglite.

Will


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 25, 2006)

dang, it damaged a file?!? surefire should get one of these done, they use 7050 alloy, so it should appear black, the finish is matte, so it'll have a more "tactical" look to it.


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## will (May 25, 2006)

trust me - the stuff is really hard. I did clean some of it off, I didn't think I would be able to and I sent a note to Whyco. The coating will not adhere to an anodized finish, I thought they removed all the anodize, they didn't. The areas I taped off were left alone, the anodize is still there. I haven't tried to drop one or misuse it to see if it chips.


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## karlthev (May 25, 2006)

I'm still interested. I am getting a few Al tubes and may try to see for myself. In the meantime, keep the comments coming! Thanks Will!


Karl


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## Roboholic (May 26, 2006)

This is a great Idea. 
I am trying to see the pictures. And the y are not showing on my thread. 
I was wanting to try this with an ORB Raw. Something for the pocket that would never get scratched by anything in the pocket. Could you repost the pictures or email them to me.
Thanks Roboholic


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 27, 2006)

don't forget to give updates on the durability of this stuff (light number 2 is gonna have a rough time, maybe)


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## will (May 27, 2006)

I had a piece of a maglite around - this is what happens when the ceramic rubs against the anodize finish. I also sharpened and knife with it, not a real good knife, but a stainless knife. I have to get some cleanser to see if I can clean up the ceramic, tried just wiping it off - no good


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## [email protected] Messenger (May 27, 2006)

wow...so it really does hold up, it's a shame that it gets so dirty so easily. We've all at one point heard of the surefire sawing through a maglite, time to turn the tables:devil:


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## Mini-Moder (May 27, 2006)

Well it most definitely gets dirty easily. I need to run out and get some sort of cleaner for it. Well the first thing I did when I got this baby was take my folder to it, I first did it lightly and a only a little bit. The marks just rubbed out without any real effort. I then really put some pressure behind the knife. Most of the marks rubbed off with some water, but I think I will need some cleaner to get it all the way clean. But it sure destroyed my knife, that’s for sure, the knife now has several scratch marks on it, and it is much duller. 

Overall I like the finish, it’s a little un even, but you can get that with HAIII as well. If you want a matte white finish this is definitely the way to go. I think it would look way cooler in black though.



I am planning on doing a few more tests including the key test, and the pavement test. I will let you guys know how they turn out.


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## will (May 27, 2006)

OK - now i have to much time on my hands 

I put the head in my lathe, the small end out, spun it up a bit and used the edge to start a cut through the red anodize, I then 'sanded' the anodize with the ceramic. 

I did clean up the head using soap and water, then some gojo hand cleaner - the stuff with pumice in it. 

this is the result..









Bought some ajax cleanser with bleach - that cleaned it up back to the original finish, It did smooth it out some, more like 600 wet or dry, instead of the 320 grit. The battery tube is still about 4 shades whiter that the other 3 pieces. It just looks 'grungy' 

I think that the cerafuse coating is good for knife sharpeners, but is not really good as a flashlight coating.. 


( thanks mini - I think a second opinion is very worth while )


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## will (May 31, 2006)

I thought I would put one final picture out there. this is the ceramic coating after a serious cleaning with AJAX ( with bleach ) I could almost live with this if all the parts were the same color, but, they are not. I will say though, this finish is extremely hard..


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