Black 2D, Ano removed, now it IS a Polished 1D - Polishing Video included!

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Greased Lightning did a good job removing the Ano off this black 2D. Took about 2 hours and it's pretty good. It didn't hardly touch the inside though, Hmmm...

Now it will become a polished 1D Maglite.

So I had this in the works and I stripped it and I am going to finish it into a 1D host.

Here's some photos:

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The photos above and below are the two ends after using the Human Lathe method, as shown on a video on my youtube channel.

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The photo above is showing the alignment. As I test fit, I just rotate the pieces till they fit the best and tightest, then I mark them.

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JB Weld is used to help keep the parts together, although I have learned to make a tight fit, so the JB Weld isn't the real thing holding it together.

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I only use JB Weld in the bottom half of the inside cut. The rest is metal to metal press fit, to help keep continuity through the barrel.

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The other half does not get any JB Weld.

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My hand press.

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The finished barrel seam. There will be a trim ring cut where the seam is, so it won't look like a seam. Hide what you can and keep 'em guessing.

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I don't like waiting 24 hours to work with JB Weld, so I speed it up a little. Two 100 watt incandescent bulbs keep this light hot enough that I can't touch it without a rag around it. Hot enough to quick set the JB Weld and I've never seen that it degrades it. About 30 minutes to an hour in this oven is sufficient.

All that's left is cleaning up the inside bore and polishing the light.

Finished!

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The polishing is done and it's ready to go to a new owner. I will list it in the morning.

i kind of like satin! but i'm sure i'll like polished more lol

Well the knurling will remain satin, but the rest will blind someone. Won’t even have to turn the light on. Maybe I won’t even bother putting guts in it, just polish it.Tongue Out

you might be surprised what a dab of this on a cloth, then mother's aluminum polish would do to the knurling (w/o deforming it at all) the stuff is almost like > 2000 grit lapping compound....

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=4124/pid=1161/Product/J-B-reg-BORE-BRIGHT?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&mc_id=10000&gdftrk=gdfV21820_a_7c187_a_7c3466_a_7c083065100_d_083065100_d_10167

although.... I think a contrast (satin knurling/gloss body) would look (and maintain) better anyway....

Updated with some photos of the cut down and barrel assembly.

I don't think that amount of heat degrades it at ALL.

Here's a video on Polishing by hand.

I just love your vids!! very helpful!

That is one fine looking flashlight right there!

Your work continues to inspire me O-L. Keep it up!

Very nice, both the flashlight and the video. Thanks!

damn, I think David Attenborough has a competitor. I could happily fall asleep to that video playing on a loop (very instructive though it was) :)

Beautiful torch too. I keep getting inspired to cut down an old 4D I have too although the lack of round pill material is somewhat holding me back.

Thanks for those instructional photos on the cut-down! I've gotta try this on my own sometime! Beautiful work!

-Garry

OL,

You make it look so EASY! Your video's are making my want to try a human lathe cutdown and polished Mag.

Jamie

It’s not easy the first time, or the second time, it’s easier after you do a few. If you have a rotary tool, you stand a much better chance of sucess. If you can find a used, abused old maglite cheap, use it as a test bed. Make several cuts and try to level them down and then try the lathe thing on all of them. Practice will ensure that either it’s not for you, or that you have a sucessful light when you do one for real.

Anything like this just needs patience and practice. Being good with your hands helps a lot too..

I already have an old beat up 2D in my drawer that I tried using appliance paint on, it's now stripped down bare and ready to sand and smooth it out. Looks like a great candidate to try your cutdown method.

Go for it and then make a new thread showing your process and what you had to go through. That way others can learn too.

Justin, I just got this, and I'm absolutely floored. I thought it looked really good in the pictures, but in real life, it looks totally amazing. Better than that, though, is how good this thing feels in the hand. It's perfect. So thanks for everything -- your craftsmanship, fast shipping, ... everything.

Now I've just gotta get something in there making bright.

Glad you like it.Smile

Well, I gave it a try and I must say that you have amazing talent Old Lumens! So far mine looks okay at best, it's stripped down, cut and epoxied back together now. I didn't get the seam as dead flat as you do when you cut them down but mine's not terrible either. I don't have the patience for all the polishing just yet so this one's going to get a textured coat of paint.

Jamie

The first one is the hardest one. Glad to see you trying it out. I think hand work is just about a lost art and I wish it would stay alive. Some of the best stuff is done by hand.

Light coat(s). Spray it light, wait a couple minutes, spray it again, repeat. Keeps from having runs.