I haven't gotten much time to play with this build, but I did do a little work on making the switch.
This switch is (I guess), sort of like a light switch in a household lamp. It twists on and off and there are low spots that let the contacts touch, as you turn the switch.
I'm working on what would be the bottom contact, which will be soldered to the inside of the copper end cap. What I need to do is fit this 1/2" copper coupling into this 1/2" PVC coupling, but it doesn't fit. So I need to modify the copper coupling, by making it smaller. I do that by splitting it and filing it down, so that when it is put back together, it fits snug in the PVC. A hacksaw makes the split and a file makes the split larger. Then I close it back up and solder it together.
The couplings
The Split
The Finished solder job. Can you see a solder ling running up and down the length? I can't either! I got to say, that's one of the best solder jobs I have ever done. Every once in a while things work out.
Now I have made the notches in the PVC where the upper contact will fall in. 2 notches for on and two for off. I notched the copper as well, so when the upper contact is in the off position, there's no way it can touch the lower contact.
Lots more to do, but I'm out of time for today!
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Christmas Day and I'm out here working on the light. What an exciting life I lead!
I have been working more with the switch. In the photo below, you can see that the center contact (1/2" copper coupling) is soldered into the end cap and the outer PVC sleeve has been press fit in place. The arrows point to the contacts, which are raised above the PVC grooves and the other PVC grooves are isolated, so there is an on and an off position.
In order to put the center in place, I had to install the brass pins which will lock into the body. Here's a couple shots of the pins.
The last shots are of the slots in the body and the end cap fit in place.
There is lots more to do and I haven't done any final sinishing or polishing. That will be one of the last steps. I'm moving forward slowly, but it's cold here (for Texans) and my unheated garage isn't as much fun to work in when it's cold. Brrrrrr.
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I had time to get the switch together, so you could see how it works. I still have a lot of fine tuning and cleaning up, but you can get the idea.
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While I am waiting for parts, I have been doing a little polishing and forming of the body. Here's a photo of the light as it is right now, with the Crenulated bezel, hood and tailcap in place.
Here's a closer shot of the front. The hood is just there right now. I will be positioning ti later, but it will be able to slide forward, to close down the beam pattern, for flood to spot.
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Parts are here from Chicago X. Here is the Heat Sink for the Copper Smoothie.
An aluminum Heat Sink with a recess for the Circuit Board. Looks like it will fit perfectly!
Thanks Chicago X, for making this custom Heat Sink!
P.S. - Chicago has a Lathe - Good work and reasonable prices!
I managed to get the Circuit board ready. It's a Shingbeam 1.4A 7135 board.
I threw one board out because I ruined it with soldering. I am not good at tiny boards like this. I just shake too much to solder on something like this.
I found that the body was about a 1/4" longer than I needed, so instead of messing it all up, I just made a 1/4" long copper comtact and soldered it to the board. It's a copper spring (homemade), and a piece of flat copper. This is the positive contact for the batteries.
I did not have a good day today. Woke up with back spasms and could not get out of bed for several hours. The day was bad from then on. Ruined one board and lost the XP-G emitter that was supposed to go in this light. It will now be next week, because I have to reorder from Mouser! Hell, by the time this light is finished I might as well give it away, it's going to be so costly that no one would ever buy it......
That's all for now...............
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Ok, I finally got the Emitter in and the light working. I had to redo the board so here's a couple photos and a video.
I put up a video here, to show the Copper Smoothie working:
I have a few minor things left, but essentially the light is working and working well. No POOF with this one, as it's regulated!
I will do a night shot video after I get home from work.
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2AM, very windy and cold. Poor video, but that's the best it gets.
This is strictly a flood light, no spot at all, just a large even flood of light.
Also a couple of pics of the lens and the stop for the sliding hood.
I'm done...
A couple of tiny things to do, but it's finished and I will post it for sale for a few days. I don't expect it will sell, as it is not a budget light, but I thought I should offer it here first before somewhere else.