The BLF DIY Forum First Annual Scratch made light contest - CONTEST IS DONE - WINNERS are Announced! in the OP

If you want brazing or wire welding or even silver soldering done I’d be more than happy to offer. Just don’t get me to solder anything for you. :smiley:

The melt temp for brazing is much higher than for any solder by several hundred degrees though still not as high as welding. You can’t even braze with a normal propane torch so it allows you to build things without previous joints failing if you braze some and then solder others. It’s also stronger than a solder joint with a harder surface. Some high stress joints like the brass pin connections would be better done brazed. Like anything it takes practice which I’ve fallen out of. I was never good to begin with but now I have reason to improve.

The Contest is Done! I will have the winners results in a few days. Once the judges all contact me, I will tabulate the results and let you all know.

I sincerely want to thank the contestants for making their builds. I know sometimes it's hard to reach out and try something new and also it can be hard to be in the limelight sometimes, for risk of failure. None of you failed. You all exceeded any expectations with the fabulous builds and the great threads you made. I am deeply indebted to you all for making this such a great contest!

To the sponsors, (both BLF members and sellers), I thank you for giving me the ability to give prizes out to our contestants.

The the rest of the forum, I thank you for supporting our contestants during the competition.

YEEHAW!!!

I think that about sums up how I feel.Smile

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Hear Hear. Thanks to all for the enjoyment you have all given me in your builds. Without going on, all contestants have blown me away with there abilities, creativity and effort put in. Thanks also to the members for there support and comments. To the Sponsors thanks. To OL, YEEHAW!!!, its over. Cheers guys. :beer:

Well said MRsDNF, and well done! Thank you O-L for putting us up to this. Loved seeing the different approaches and techniques. I’ve already implemented a few of those, and stand in awe at others! :wink:

Thanks to all for your support in this Challenge, and the prizes…icing on the cake! I’m with Steve on this one, very glad I’m not a judge!

Because I wanted a way to see them all in one spot :smiley:
In order listed in O-L’s second post.
Hand Built
relic38:

Rufusbduck:

ruffles:

RaceR86

DBCstm:

FmC:

dave_:

nickelflipper:

texaspyro:

Hopback (concept shot):

JA7:

Pulsar (concept shot):

Machine Built

MRsDNF:

vestureofblood:

Great work everyone! :beer:

+1. My feelings exactly!

if my vote counts...

Hand built:

1st: DBCstm

2nd: Rufusbduck

3rd: relic38

Machine built:

1st: MRsDNF

2nd: vestureofblood

I wish there was more to pick from in the machined category... but say do i have in that, i also did not finish lol

Relic, posting all of the pictures in one place like that was a perfect idea. The size of the pictures is good too. The smaller size makes it far easier to compare them.

well done everyone, the bar has been set well and truly in the stratosphere! I’ve enjoyed reading about every single build and I’m only glad that I’m not the one that has to pick a winner as they’re all as good as each other, just in different ways. Great job on the sponsors too, that’s just the icing on the cake.

I’m sorry I couldn’t take part, work and travel (and family to some extent) ate up too much of my time and energy for the last 6 weeks. Still, at least I won’t be embarrassing anyone with my awesome 1in.sq. alu tube build :slight_smile:

mattthemuppet,

Built in anti roll feature :slight_smile: . “It’s hip to be square” Huey Lewis. I place as much value on what’s on the inside than the outward appearance. If you can find the time, follow up on the idea and share.

I just HAVE to know how to make a square reflector to match the de-domed emitter! :slight_smile:

Wow, some awesome builds here and some very very useable lights. Small to large, tight spot to mega flood, the only thing truly in common is we all are making the Li-ion battery suppliers very very happy! lol

he he he, yep, I’m so out of fashion I’m in fashion. By wearing the same type of clothes my whole life, I’m in fashion approximately every 10 years :slight_smile:

it’ll definitely get built, in fact it’s pretty much the next thing on the list now that I’ve built a lipo battery pack for my power tools (doing some trail clearance tonight and didn’t fancy carrying 4 18V NiCd batteries up a 4 mile climb!). I’ve given myself extra incentive by giving my old headlamp to a friend and having my old car have something else that needs fixing. I had about a week before the contest started when I had time to build it (built an LED work lamp instead), then it’s just been nuts. Things have calmed down a bit now though!

well, you may jest, but 1in.sq. alu tubing is just perfect for Ledil’s 20mm square optics :wink:

Not all of us… :wink:


6 AA Eneloops and 3 XM-Ls work quite nicely in terms of output! :wink:
It wont do 7+ for that many seconds but it will do 6A for a long time! J)

Awesome job putting together this contest Old Lumens.

It was really amazing seeing what everyone came up with. Amazing work all around. :party:

My favorite is Rufusbduck’s retro laser pistol light.

-I would say Rufusbduck have the best light in terms of originality. For that type of light, I would say execution is on a top level! Maybe Rufusbduck is an alien, most humans would not dare to even try to build such a light. And now he even have his own space-gun… Any similarities? Possible alien, space gun? He is obviously from another planet. Normal humans would never be able to pull of that build! :wink: I bow in the dust of all the hand made pieces…

-Relic38 seems to have a very well built constructed light. Not only a show-room light, but a light I would love to use. Its kinda like a SRK, only way more copper, and
even more compact. And who does not like that combination when its extremely bright,with nice tint, nice modes and good looking? It makes me drool a bit… :wink:
Its just a very nice light that has been nicely built! Highly desirable!

-Im a sucker for clean looking builds. DBCstm made one clean looking light and with great output too! Very original! Whats not to like??

Those are my top 3 favorites!
Lots of other great builds too! All are great, in their own way!

those are my top 3 also... been over it in my head over and over, and really my 1st, 2nd 3rd are hard to pick.

ja7 also needs a mention. his pill is a work of art

Ja7 has the most artistic build and I think Texaspyro did the most professional job on a light designed to attract alien attention. Buckminster Fuller would be proud of the coke light. I guess it depends on whether you like apples, oranges, peaches, nectarines… No two are alike so how do you decide?

a huge shiny .50 bmg (Big Motherfudgin Gun) round that puts out a decent amount of light... i really like all the builds, but i am partial to militaria

the machined class was most difficult. i like the bare look and contrast of the different metals of DNF, but i am a stickler for good knurling too

Yup, it fries them big eyed little gomers to a crisp… that’ll teach ’em to keep them probes to themselves…