Some more updates from the last days!
Last Friday I received the copper pill + brass ring + optics (+ noctigon quad MCPCB) from kiriba-ru!
So, I gave it a try to mount everything in the flashlight’s head, in a provisory way, specially to check dimensions and fiting.
Please note that the Noctigon MCPCB will most probably NOT be used in the build, as I am waiting for a led4power MCPCB with 4 Luxeon V Leds installed.
It will only be used (with 4 Samsung LH351D 5000K 90CRI leds) in case the order from led4power doesn’t arrive in time.
Still, given this possibility, I have “soldered” 4 leds onto it in aloing process.
Below I will show the pill’s and ring’s dimensions and the “experimental” mounting of these elements.
Mounting it up and…. :zipper_mouth_face:
As the Noctigon MCPCB is tall, there is a gap when everything is mounted. I believe this gap will be reduced or even extinguished when the led4power is put onto the pill, still, I had to file the bottom of the pill a little bit reding in about 1mm. Later i will see if it works properly
I also had to modify the head, creating a hole in the center of the shelf to allow the driver’s wires to pass. I used my Parkside drill and some bits to help me on that! That shelf is thick
As mentioned on the top, I also solderd the 4 leds onto the MCPCB, in case the led4power Luxeon Vs don’t arrive in time!
I used my solderding iron and my electric stove. This took a long time, because I don’t have solder paste, so I had to use solder wire and the clean/add/clean…. in order to fill the spaces for the leds to reflow correctly. Not the best or the prettiest, but they work
That’s my reaction too
Nop, no beamshots yet as I will wait for the Luxeon Vs to arrive! Just noticed they arrived to Portugal today! So maybe I receive them next week
I am anxious to receive them
Yup, this light is quite heavy with the pill inside (+ ring and the rest…), so it will probably handle heat very well, transfering it onto the self and even the head’s walls.
I am very curious to weight it in the final to see how much it has increased
I am also thinking about any way to make it more balanced, i.e. making the tail “heavier” Maybe I will make some hand made copper beads meanwhile :smiling_imp:
Well, yesterday another thing arrived: the Luxeon V 4000K 70CRI on a quad mosX from led4power!!
And I put my hands at work
I mounted soldered the driver wires to MCPCB.
Here’s how it looks before soldering. Please note that with everything on the right place in with the mosX MCPCB, the gap when the bezel is screwed is smaller, although it still exists. However, I will not file the pill more than I already did.
The soldering process was a bit hard, I guess I need a new soldering iron tip :zipper_mouth_face: Or maybe it was due to my lack of technique to solder them perfectly
I used 3 pieces of cork to lift the MCPCB a little bit to make ir easier to solder the wires! This can be my registered technique from now on
Below the MCPCB I applicate thermal paste.
When mounted…it worked
After soldering everything I also drilled 2 “holes” in the pill through the back, using the shelf’s holes, in order to fix the pill with the 2 original screws that were holding the original Led MCPCB. This made it easier to fix the driver with UV glue (thanks for the tip Skylight!)
Last photo before assembling Only glowing gasket, the pocket clip and the screws for it are missing!
Then I will also make the leather “wrap”, but this is the core of the flashlight if nothing else is possible
I may do some extras (beads) if I have the tools and time
It surely is
I was first trying it with a protected Odepro 3000mAh (that is not that bad), and on Turbo….it simply shut off :o
Then I used a Sony VTC6, not even fully charged and….booomm, blast of light :smiling_imp:
About gluing the driver, that was an easy thing, just dropping some UV glue drops between the driver’s edges and the head wall and cured a bit with UV light! Simple and effective. Lets see how it will work when It use the light at full power
1) made a bead for the lanyard (and started to make the lanyard)
2) made a leather cover for the tube and part of the head
3) put some varnish on the wood support
_
1) After a post last week, I remembered I had a copper rod and decided to do a small bead for the lanyard I will use in this flashlight.
I was going to use my small battery powered drill but I realized it would take forever, so I asked my father some help with his Black&Decker and the metal bits! Took only some seconds to drill a hole :o I would take a week with mine and my files
I used the files you see in the image to “carve” those 4 grooves along the bead! It took a while but looked nice, IMO!
Here’s the result!
I also started to make a lanyard that will only be completed after putting the pocket clip on it
The lanyard uses black 7 inner string paracord, and has a diamond knot in the end and snake knots along lanyard.
_
2) I also used some time to make the handle/cover for the battery tube and the head. I used some leather and waxed thread I bought in a cobbler nearby.
Used a kitchen fork to make the spaced marks and used some regular needles to stitch it.
It is not the best stitching ever, but it will survive! It is hard to use this material without experience
_
3) Last but not least, I applicated some spray varnish on the wood support! It looks shiny now
I have not done much stitching/sewing in decades, other than a shirt button or two. I did stitch up a canvas folding cot like affair years and years ago in my old Bedford Dormobile. (Who’s ever had one of those?)
Ahah, stitchery it is
I guess I never did something like this, but I do wanna try more things in this leather or in a thicker one!
Other than this, I’m like you, just some buttons now and then and that’s all
Well, If I have the time…I may still make a holster for this light Then I would have the full package
This week arrived another piece for this flashlight!
The clip
Things are coming together and the mod is almost done!
The thing that needs to arrive to “close” it is the GITD gasket that I want to put in place before putting the optic on this light!