Hard coating for aluminum

[dj moonbat]

I have a DIY project that I'm working on that maybe y'all can help me with. It's not even a knife project, but you can just pretend that the aluminum parts I'm talking about are knife scales if it makes things seem more appropriate to the venue.

I have a set of headphones that I am going to rebuild. The sliders that connect the earcups to the headband are anodized aluminum in a golden color. I'm not crrrazy about the color, but I would use it, except that the first build, I got sloppy and some black spray paint got on the sliders.

So I want to recoat the parts. I looked into anodization, powder coating, and cerakote, and all of those look like a significant hassle. I could just paint the parts, but they will presumably slide back and forth many times through a snug plastic connector as the user adjusts the size, and I worry that paint won't last.

In shopping for cerakote, I've come across several different surface treatments that are targeted toward gunsmiths and DIY gun owners. They don't seem *easy*, but easier than cerakote. And they got me thinking that the good folks at the Spyderco forums probably have quite a bit of knowledge about stuff like this.

So, to coat aluminum for a moderate amount of anticipated wear, what's the closest thing to foolproof that doesn't require me to invest in an airbrush rig?

[Michael Janich]

One possible solution might be appliance spray paint. It's available at home improvement stores, is relatively inexpensive, and doesn't require any special equipment. Because it's epoxy based, it dries to a hard finish that replicates the finish of washers, dryers, and other appliances. Color choices are limited (not much demand for bright yellow dryers), but it might meet your needs...

Stay safe,

Mike