FW3A, a TLF/BLF EDC flashlight - SST-20 available, coupon codes public

You can change the colour of Ti with voltage.
Some of the Rey pattern look like if they used a flexible PCB with a pattern, wraped it arround the tube and then applyed different voltages for different colors.
Or you have resistors on the flex PCB to get automatically the different voltages.
Maybe they work with one voltage for the body color and than they do the pattern.

Heat works also
Other Ti parts I see look if someone wraped a heated wire around it.

But this are only guesses.

Yeah, hereā€™s a rough colour guide to voltage effect: (Borrowing TKs picture)
Thereā€™s instruction videos on how to do it.


Looks like the Dawn sections were submerged separately for a base colour then ā€œpaintedā€.
You can submerge the Ti or apply the electrodes to a painting implement and kinda paint different colours on, cool.

I did this light with heat:

But, we would need a titanium version for this of course :innocent:

ā€œTitanium anodize is an electrochemical process that varies the mass of the oxide layer that naturally occurs on the titanium base metal. By varying this mass using different voltages, a wide range of unique colors can be produced without the use of dyes or harsh brighteners, leaving the chemistry and structure of the substrate unchanged.ā€

Your probably right joechina about using a pattern. One way to get the same effect is to use a small sponge soaked in electrolyte on your negative lead after first doing a base colorā€¦ but this method would be much to labor intensive & slow for mass production.

As CRX said, Titanium can also be heat coloredā€¦ but that is not as durable as anodizing. And I donā€™t think the splash effect could be achieved with heat.


.

You can stack colors. The Rey lamp has blue, brown, purple as base = low voltage.
Ontop you can apply yellow and red with higher voltage.

/\ Exactlyā€¦ :+1:
You can achieve various base colors by varying immersion times and/or voltage.
And then come back with higher voltages in the ā€˜splash stageā€™ā€¦ as you said.

And 6 months later you can do it all over again as it will gradually turn back to the natural Ti color with even the slightest wear and tear. :wink:

So a different design every so oftenā€¦
This just gets better & better :smiley:

Itā€™ll be like Christmas twice a year with a new design ā€œevery 6 monthsā€. :smiley:

I see no downsideā€¦ā€¦

Thatā€™s why I donā€™t think I should actually use it. Itā€™s pretty, but I donā€™t trust it to stay that way if it gets used. If itā€™s anodized like I think it is, the finish wonā€™t be very durable.

The FW3A gets used a lot though ā€” more than any other light I have.

I really fell in love with this:

Itā€™s really not my kind of light. And itā€™s expensive for me, very. But the looks made it really hard to resist.
I would get one if not for durability worries. Now it seems this was a right choiceā€¦.

Soā€¦is there any way to get such effect and have it seriously durable?

[quote=FW3A Team]

Interest List

Valera Iā€™m interested 1pc (darker)

Please donā€™t qoute giant lists. Just say you want one and that is all.

Wow that is one long quote!

I am sorry, but I could not insert my message

Can you please edit your previous post? :wink:
You can click on ā€œeditā€ and then eraseā€ all the information about the list; just leave your phrase there saying that you want one :wink:

What cells are yā€™all gonna use?

I mainly use Samsung INR18650-30Q but donā€™t have any spare. For slightly longer runtimes, Iā€™m thinking of getting either Samsung INR18650-35E or Sanyo NCR18650GA. Is there much, if any, real world difference between the 35E and the GA?

Here are my findings so far:

  • 35E has very slightly more capacity.
  • GA performs slightly better at high currents.
  • GA performs slightly better in extreme cold conditions - this doesnā€™t really matter to me.
  • Cycle life is pretty much identical; 60% capacity after 500 cycles.
  • 35E is 10% cheaper than GA.
  • 35E is pink, GA is red :laughing:

Iā€™m a big fan of 35E, superb cell and relatively cheap.
But for hot rods like FW3A I would recommend GA. I think it would be healthier for the cell (youā€™re going to exceed the rated current anyway) and also youā€™ll get a bit higher output.
Neither difference is big really. But I feel a bit more powerful cell is just the right choice.

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

GA is 10A rated.
And the draw will be high only for short periods before the light steps down.

For constant power draw the GA is rated with 2,5C or 8A and for max current for short period its rated with 3C or 10A.
But 10A is not enough for this flashlight.
I would not use this batteries for this flashlight and I would not recommend to use it.