5th Annual BLF OL Comp Build. Can A Flashlight Flash? The Naked Truth. Update post 151. Night shots added. 16.12.171

For this comp to work we need an organiser, judges, sponsors, a forum, competitors and interested onlookers to make this succeed in memory of Old-Lumens (Justin).
Indeed thanks to everyone out there we have all the above.

I have pondered this years build for along time now and have a picture in my head but no real idea how to enact it so as usual some bluff on my behalf and no doubt some failures will ensure in this build.
I am carrying on from last years light build with the naked reflector and hopefully showing more of whats underneath in this build.
Also in the OL tradition I’ll try and stay away from threads where possible, as in the OL tribute build, on assembling major components.
So I guess it will be a combination of design features from lights I’ve built previously. Well thats the idea. :slight_smile:

I purchased some 55mm reflectors awhile ago with this build in mind hoping to use XHP35HI leds. On testing this yesterday using the BLF GT, the reflector did not do these leds justice so that idea is out the window.
I have some SST40 leds here so will more than likely use these if they work with the reflector.

The pictures below are what I’ve been working on to start this build.

I’ve started with two 150mm square plates 10mm thick to locate the lenses for the reflectors.

These were bolted together and placed in a four jaw chuck on the rotary table. The bottom plate is only there so I dont machine into the chuck. It will also stop the top plate from distorting when I cut its final shape out.

The digital readout was used to set the PCD of the reflector holes and a hole saw used to rough out the holes.

With a boring bar set up in the spindle the holes were bored through to the second plate to a diameter of 52mm.

The three holes were then opened up to 55mm in diameter, 7mm deep for the oring’s. lenses and reflectors to sit in without falling through.

And a final picture with a reflector in its home.

Updated post 12.

Updated post 22.

Update post 32

Update post 39.

Update post 42.

Update post 48.

Update post 77.

Update post 92.

Update post 106.

Update post 116.

Update post 122.

Update post 125.

Update post 151.

Glad to see you joining in the madness, Steve :slight_smile: Looking forward to your build.

You mentioned the failures that can arise……& that is all part of the fun, to try & overcome them, & move on with the build.

I should know - I’ve just spent the last two days failing right at the start of my build…. :person_facepalming:

Good luck mate!

Best to fail at the start than the finish. :stuck_out_tongue:

How much light could a flashlight flash if a flashlight could flash light?

A square body ?
Now that’s innovative !

:disappointed:

I don't think it's going to be square.

Looks like a rounded triangle:

Yes it will end up being some sort of triangular shape. The material is square as a factory I visit guillotined them for me from scrap.

Nice start. 10mm aluminium, a plan with bolts all over, you have my approval! :slight_smile:

Looking good already! I’m glad you joined. Your builds are always amazing!

This will be cool :+1:

Starting off pretty well MRsDNF! I hope to return in a few months to see the outcome ;)

Six 2.5mm holes were drilled through the bezel. This will allow cap screws to pass through this piece and thread into the base to hold the lenses and o’rings captive.

The outside shape of the bezel was then roughed out with a 1/4’’ end mill.

And then the corners were started.

Pretty much everything machined on the bezel is worked out on a pitch circle diameter. The PCD is inputted into the digital readout along with how many holes you need on the PCD and a start and finish angle. The digital readout then tells you where to wind the X and Y axises to for your holes.
For example the corner in the above picture had a PCD of 72mm with a starting angle of 300 degrees and finishing angle of 60 degrees with a total amount of 30 holes for each corner.
This picture shows the position where hole 17 is, X and Y reading zero.

This picture is showing in mm where the X and Y is for hole 18.
X, 2.04mm is the table moving length wise and Y, 1.61mm is the table moving in and out.

This is with 17 holes machined. The corner is taking shape here.

And the finished bezel. The corners will be cleaned up with a file later on.

The bezel removed from the mill shows the corners where I have milled through and the straight edges have .5mm left holding it together.

And then we start again to machine the base of the bezel. This will be threaded m2.5 in the six holes.

Having just seen the artistry and skill level (very high) of two of your masterpieces, this one is bending my mind with anticipation,
or constipation not sure which

Cheers David

Thanks pommie. It was a pleasure meeting your good self and daughter yesterday. Its always interesting checking what another flashaholic keeps in his pantry. :slight_smile:

Just got around to viewing the update on the PC screen. Bezel is taking shape nicely.

That’s just way too much work man… For those that might not know just to do one of those corners Mr. Steve has to move his x and y axis on his milling machine and make a cut ~ 35 times for each corner. What make and model is that DRO you’re using? Our old Mitutoyo XY at the shop just died recently.

Thanks FMC. The retainer will be a lot more work when I get to it.
Yes, lots of cuts Turningbluechips. The DRO is an Easson ES-8A. I doubt it would be the quality of the Mitutoyo as its what came with my Chinese Mill.
lostheplot just bought a cheap DRO on Ebay and put it on his mill. Haven’t heard any reports on it yet.

excellent Steve

btw its hip to be square

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hip+to+be+square+youtube&qpvt=hip+to+be+square+youtube&view=detail&mid=DC559DE7DA411415CBE6DC559DE7DA411415CBE6&FORM=VRDGAR

Being away last weekend nothing got touched on this build. I did receive some 2.5mm and 3mm button head cap screws and a fan which hopefully will somehow work its way into the torch for cooling.

Active cooling, eh? Is that for the torch, or is it getting hot down there already?? :sunglasses: