Just off the CNC - Update: It's Alve!

oh yeah way too much lol..the 11 amps would probably be possible, but would be quite taxing..it runs 2 35-watts and is able to do 55's..there are even some guys with hid setups and they work quite well..10 000 lumens would be amazing..let me know what you're charging for this setup ;)

Enclosure and other miscellaneous metal bits will be back in my hands after anodizing tomorrow. This is the color scheme I decided on for the first light. I have a second one that will be a little less obnoxious - but I wanted something stand-out-ish for the first show piece :)

PPtk

I kinda figured the optic couldn't touch the emitter. Obviously, I'm forgetting we're not talking about reflected light but rather, focused light? I'm still having a hard time understanding how it projects so far.

And . . . didn't know there were two being built.

Foy

Well, it is still reflected light for all intents and purposes.. It's just that it's reflected inside the optic rather than off the edges of a reflector. Both types of optic have their merit. Light inside a TIR optic is reflected not necessarily just once - think of it like a diamond. It's shaped so that light continually bounces around until it comes straight out the front. The multiple reflections is what allows the optic to be smaller.

As for the two being built - I always build at least two of everything I do. This way, I have one to put in my collection of 'cool stuff I've made' and another to actually use. It's also a bit safer since if I happen to blow one up, the whole project doesn't die. (not that I've ever blown something up [Big Smirk])

PPtk

Well, there's always risk when pushing the envelope and the diamond analogy helps because I do understand that. A TIR specifically magnifies the light.

coolFoy

Hello everyone,

Enclosures and metal bits are back from the Anodizer. They did a great job, as usual.

Pics of the enclosure:

The double layer acrylic protection lens is also done:

As are the mounting brackets, cable grip and bezel surround

Back-Side shot:

Since this is going to be used on a vehicle, I designed the enclosure to IP67 Standards (impervious to dust, safe to submerge up to 1M). This is the custom 100% silicone (good to over 500 degrees F) seal for the front bezel.

One last shot.. The markings on top are just dust - the anodizing is quite flawless..

PPtk

So . . . . what color is your Grand Cherokee? Or, this is the show piece and Mr. Silver goes on the Jeep. Man, that is some fine looking ano.

Foy

Dark Blue (Royal Blue)

This is the show piece for my collection - The second one will be the one that goes on the Jeep. I haven't decided on a color for that one yet - It probably won't be silver because I want it anodized for corrosion protection. I suppose I could do clear anodize, but that seems so boring :) I'm kicking around the idea of having it done in a dark blue to match the jeep with the accents (bezel, brackets) in chrome or silver (just like the accents on the Jeep). Undecided though..

The shop I use for anodizing does an incredible job. They're certified to do MIL-Spec Anodizing and Chemical Conversion Coatings (MIL-A-8625 Type I, II, IIB and III and MIL-DTL-5541 Class 1A and 3) so they're work is pretty top notch. Amazingly, they're really quite reasonable if I'm willing to wait for the next batch they do of the type I need. They did my enclosure for 40.00 USD and the accessories in black for an extra 10.00 USD. It would have been even less expensive if I would have chosen a more common color like Red, Blue or Black. The enclosure is type II, Class 2 and the accessories are Type III, Class 2. Type III doesn't dye well with bright/light colors, which is why I went with the lower type on the main enclosure.

PPtk

For the user, you may want to consider road rash and go for the thickest coating available.

I might be weird but that is beautiful!

Wow . . . I though ano that nice was a lot more expensive, especially something that size.

Foy

First of all.... Kudos for an excellent showcase of your design skills here! Thanks for threading it here on these forums, for all of us to view.

I see that some of the individual optics sit in a black outer housing (like the 38mm ledil you show in a previous photo), but these 3-up optics don’t have a housing around them? I understand that optics are different from reflectors, but some of the light has escape out of the optics just because they are clear plastic, does it not? I wonder what would happen if the backside of these optics were coated with a silver coating (even if it was only something like chrome paint), so that no light could escape through the sides of the optic? Any idea on that?

I believe the optics work on the same principle as fiber optics. As long as the angle of incidence occurs within a certain range, then ALL of the light is reflected. Of course, nothing can be manufactured perfectly and I'm sure there are other variables that cause small losses. So then painting the exterior of the optics probably wouldn't do much for it. Seems kind of counter-intuitive though, huh?

I have to admit, I am just airing my thoughts and I could be completely wrong. But while I'm at it, I must express my appreciation of PilotPTK's awesome design. I wish I had the skills and knowledge to pull off something like this.

PilotPTK, let me get this straight: you've designed the heatsink enclosure, drew it all out on CAD 3d, probably programmed the CNC machine, completed some kind of CAD heat analysis, designed the specialty PCB, did all the layout, probably did some electrical simulations, etc... That's a LOT of skills. Anything I missed?

For people who just do a piece here and there, it probably is a bit more costly.. I'm lucky that through work, I do a LOT of business with this shop, so I get their 'large volume customer' pricing. It's not at all unusual for us to send 10 or 20 thousand dollars of work to them in a month.

PPtk

TIR Optics (Total Internal Reflection) don't need a housing, and wouldn't benefit from one. As Electroman187 said, if they were manufactured with 0% error, then absolutely NO light would come out the sides - it would all reflect out the front. Anything made by man isn't perfect though, which means that some light does leak out of places it's not supposed to - but it's quite a small amount. With the CUTE-3 optic I'm using, I can run the emitters up to 3A (3000 Lumens into the optic) and the circuit board just barely gets lit-up. Very little light leaks back out of these optics - that is why I'm so impressed with them. They're vey well made.

PPtk

Thanks so much for the comment. I love when others enjoy following what I'm doing. So many of the things I do at work are secretive and protected and I get very little feed-back on them. It's fun to design things that people can actually look at :)

Yeah, you got it pretty close... I'm a multiple-hat-wearing kind of guy :) The only thing I can't take 100% credit for is the actual machining of the enclosure. I designed it and programmed the CAM for it, but during the actual cut, I was lucky enough to have a 30yr master machinist standing over my shoulder. He saved me multiple times from destroying the piece. He wasn't even supposed to be there, and kept telling me "Good Luck - See you tomorrow", but he just kept sticking around :) I still need to buy him a drink for that..

I'm also really lucky to have some really cool tools at my disposal at work. I love working for a company that lets me take advantage of what they have for my own hobbies. I get stressed out with work sometimes - it's a high stress type of job I do - but the company I work for is a good one. As long as I provide any supplies and wear-items (cutters for the CNC, for instance), I can use the equipment all I want.

PPtk

Foy,

I just saw the news about your wife in the CPF thread. So sorry to hear. I remember the pain of a burst appendix like it was this morning - and it was 12 years ago. I'm a pretty tough guy - not the type to complain about a headache or a sore muscle, and I can stand some pretty crazy pain when necessary.. But a burst appendix brought me to the fetal position and literally made me cry. I would wish that on no-one.

Best wishes to you and her for a speedy recovery. Keep a close eye on her temperature - if she spikes at all, get her back to the hospital - means the ruptured appendix caused an infection.

BestWishesToFoyPilot

In my practical use, these optics only 'leak' light near the mounting posts.

Very much appreciated, thank you.

I was hesitant to talk about it because something like this tends to hijack the conversation but yeah; to say she was doubled over in pain is an understatement.

She is doing well and expresses much gratitude for my empathy and help . . . something I hope to parlay into a sanctioned flashlight purchase. I mean, of course I was going to be nice anyway but why can't we both gain some happiness from this tragedy?

It feels good to be able to joke about it now but last Monday, I was feeling little humor.

thankyouagainFoy

When I took this picture, the ONLY light in the room was coming from the three emitters under the optic. It was pitch-black, otherwise.

You can see that these CUTE-3 optics do leak a bit - as proven by the light hitting the desk under the circuit board - but it's minimal. Completely insignificant compared to the light that comes out the front.

PPtk