Sanding

The sanding was to roughen the surface of the sides to help the primer adhere. I used 100 grit sandpaper, after trying different grits on a scrap. The primer covers the scratches well.

Painting

I chose to paint the parts for one reason - the only anodizing finisher that would take the small order had a $90 minimum. Paint was about $30. I chose colors that sort of match the camera, which has a black front and rear, and a red body.

The sides needed primer inside and out, which was harder than expected. I used Rustoleum Professional Aluminum Primer.

The sides are painted two colors. I painted the outside red, waited two days for the paint to dry well, then masked off the red and painted the inside flat black.

I didn't paint the front and rear panels until after I used them to mark the holes in the sides.

The front panel gets a plug for the focuser mounting hole, to keep the primer and paint off of the area just around the hole. This is to help the epoxy stick to the panel when the adapter is glued into the hole.