DBCstm handmade build... Finished Light w/stand end of thread 6-21-13

Neat idea, was planning on gluing it in for the seal. To do the ring, I’d have to inset the TIR that much further, and THAT would not be easy! The deeper inside that taper cut goes, the more difficult it is to cut without getting into the top squared cut. I found a tool today that might work for that, would have to resize the tool’s diameter but I’ve been making tools along the way so what the heck! lol My metal cutting hole saw is missing it’s mount. So I had to find a fine thread bolt that would fit it, clean the threads on that with a NuTrix thread file, cut the hex head down to round to fit inside the 7/8” hole saw, then cut notches in the side of that now round head to enable me to get needle nosed pliers on it to tighten it inside the hole saw. This, so that I could mount it in my cordless drill. Did I mention it’s 105º? Might’ve lost a few pounds today, it’s 95 on the back porch where I’m working, doing all this on a patio table with a glass top. Uh, It’s, well, kind of a mess at the moment. :slight_smile:

We live in the country, it’s a solid 45 minute trip to town and back, if I can find the part I need in one stop. So I improvise. Hate buying a tool for a job that I’ll use once. Or may not use again for years, ya know?

My Dremel tool was bought in 1995, I have no idea what I’d do without it.

Pics added to post #2 of today’s work, y’all have a good evening/day/whatever (I’ll be toasting y’all with a drink this PM for sure!) :slight_smile:

Just talking to myself again and thought if the spring was to big in wire diameter a key ring of the right diameter cut would do the same thing with a tiny groove. Its lookin good. To pitch in for your effort l’ll help you out and have a few ales as well. :beer:

You’re all heart! Bottoms up!

I’ll bring the popcorn.

Wow! Great job and great progress. That is going to be a truly amazing mod

So I put the pill in the head and glued in the threads. Tested it with my DMM on an AW Protected 14500 and get .05A Low, .65A Med, and 2.16A on High. Reasonable numbers for that cell, and probably better for the emitter than 3A.

Edit: How about .05A Lo, .75A Med, and 2.51A on Hi with an Efest 10440 cell. :slight_smile:

Awesome, awesome, and awesome! I’m impressed by everything, but the threaded connection is particularly sweet. Keep at ’er!

Much appreciated.

Wow! Great job centering the parts. I feel your pain, many’s the hour I’ve spent sanding and filing but that’s what hand work is. :~ I see the finger saving drill powered sanding reamer there. A lifesaver if you ask me. :bigsmile:

I hope people dont get sick off me saying amazing. I love your way off thinking outside the square with your way off threading this light together. This is coming together very nicely for you Arn, sorry, DBCstm. Your right. It is drink oclock. Cheers again.

Bullseye! You’ve really nailed this.

Still have a few details to nail down, but I think I’m about there. Had to order some Efest IMR 14500’s to power it, as they’re 8A capable and should easily provide what the 3.04A driver is asking for. Found that an Intl-Outdoor 14500 Protected cell won’t even run it on high, it downshifts and blinks a few times then remains on Med. I hadn’t seen a Q-Lite blink like that before and it threw me, finally figured out what it’s trying to say….“Feed Me!” lol

That bullet is an awesome piece o work! I’ve always heard that the .50 BMG could easily shoot holes in a car engine. I now know why. The core is steel. A nice thick copper layer to protect the rifling in the barrel, with a steel core inside. Yeah, I bet it penetrates just about anything!

I needed to cut off the end in order to attach a copper plate to a) secure the bullet from coming out and b) to solder a spring to for the neg connection. Cutting into it sparks started flying and I knew immediately the core wasn’t lead but instead, steel. Gave me trouble yet one more time but it’s all done now. I decided to make it a twisty, so I had to remove some brass from inside the upper portion of the casing, and trim down the threaded insert so that there was no contact. I grooved the area that started out as compression fit in order to be able to glue it in with JB Weld. What I’m hoping is that I got it centered such that there’s no continuity between the threads. If I did, the shell casing itself will be the switch, a very slight turn to separate them and the light is off.

I guess I’ll know if I got it right in about 6 hours, when the epoxy sets up. This is the worst part, the waiting.

Some are tungsten… or depleted uranium…

Some are tungsten… or depleted uranium…

Just be glad it wasn't a tracer or incendiary round lol

It never occurred to me that it could be a tracer. That would not have been good. But the core was visible and as I recall it would have been obvious, not a smooth metal showing in the copper jacket.

At any rate, yes, I’m glad it wasn’t a tracer. The whole build turned out really well. I managed to isolate the male threads in the upper casing, such that connection is made and the light is on when the two pieces are screwed together. Didn’t manage to make the bullet a clicky, but there just wasn’t space as the battery came all the way to the taper. A shorter cell could be used, but a 14500 has minimum capacity as it is…perhaps 15 minutes if I’m able to pull close to 3A.

Just need to do some finish work to make the pieces mate better after the cut, polish it up and take some pics. This has been quite a challenge, but rewarding and fun at the same time.

Good job! A clever idea and you made it work. Just under a month left and I’ll need it all!

that finished light makes me horny!

I'm seriously impressed!

Keep up the god stuff!

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