I can see how that might work and spent the last few hours with this stuck in my head. Your mods to this to me all the time, making me think sideways and inside out. The Master of Miniscule has consulted the oracle of lost sleep and was blessed with AN ANSWER. Your tools, your idea, no plastic.
Not sure what the problem is. Grind the threads off the screw where the contact is made at the joint, makes it just like a rivet. Use a brass screw, solder the nut on. Just like a rivet. Problem? Desolder the plates from the tubes, put them together where you can work on them, then put the tubes back together. Small get’s big get’s small.
Beats me, just ideas.
Go for it.
Sorry the mod ended before I even got to the thread. How about a pop rivet for the pivot? They're hollow if you use a pin punch or small nail to push out the little expander that breaks off inside. You'd need to rivet the flat plates before soldering to the tubes.
a precision-machined groove the shape of a half circle with prominently funneled indentations on each end; and a spring-loaded steel ball would be called for. You know, like the spring-loaded steel balls you’d find in ratches with rotation selectors, micrometer gauges, and some firearm safety switches.
As far as any rivet or tiny bolt is being concerned; either would become rather loose and sloppy over time when substituting a pivot; unless a spring washer would be used. You know, just like one most breaker-point distributors with vacuum advance would have.
The problem is trying to solder the flat plates if they are riveted already. Try aligning and holding the two ends of the light, with the copper liners in, to the copper plates. It will never be perfectly aligned. That's why they have to be riveted together after they are soldered to the copper inserts for the light, (much easier to align then). I tried it the other way and it's about as F----- up as it comes.
There is not a good way by hand. By machine it could be done for mass production easily, but by hand it's just very difficult and once it reaches the point where it's irritating, then I stop. If it isn't fun to do, it isn't for me and this one got to where it was just a big pain in the arse.
I am sure one of the others here will get it done. I just do not want to screw with it any more.
Buy the ebay light, keep just the pivot and build a light around it? 
No bailing wire and no duct tape…
Ha, but I know how to tar and feather…
Tarred the host and feathered the hot rodded engines into em? 
I went back and did it all over again. I just hate being defeated, especially when it's a one of a kind thing.
Photos in the OP and beam shots tonight.
Not real happy he says. Sure.
Wow. Just read this thread. Incredible mod.
Beam shots are up in the OP
Nice finish OL. Glad to see the trash can take a beating.
“FAILURE” is not in his vocabulary!
I know it’s up for auction now…but would a 90 degree moon cutout on one bevel, and a pin on the other stuck into the cutout moon keep the head from rotating freely? (or does the head rotate a full 180 to give it a 90 turn
Just a thought
Picture not related…but though you might be interested, and it might be relevant
Your skills are now complete. Indeed you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen!
Sorry for the nerd quote - I was just really impressed.
But that picture where all the parts are laid out on the table and you can see that sweet copper assembly of the swivel piece in the top.. Its sexy!
I dont really get why you are not happy with it though? No one ever made anything like it before. You were in unccharted territory here. I mean completely. I think I'd be thrilled if it were me who'd done it.
Any how. Great to see you finish it.
Great job! How did you solve the riveting before soldering problem?
Can you get a drilled bolt, hollow up the middle, washer inside bottom plate, washer inside top plate, nut (loctite’d down) with the above 1/2 moon groove/pin cut
Still the copper accent at an angle on the light itself is absolutely STUNNING…even if it didn’t work as you planned…NO FLASHLIGHT has ever had such beauty to it!
Heck…a straight thru flashlight with that flashing/copper accent would be incredible!