FINISHED pinkpanda's entry for 7th Annual BLF Old-Lumens Scratch-build contest!

Has any of the regulars spoken to or heard from _ the _ organiser about the usual competition?
Or any other indications?
Previous judges, sponsors, people usually involved feel free to say something here or in PM please.

Happy trails. :slight_smile: Dont want you coming back wearing plaster.

no

My guess is it’s been put in the too hard basket. Last year’s organisation/organisers seemed to waiver. Sponsors nearly outnumbered contestants and probably didn’t have the best feeling about it, some prize winners reported not receiving prizes, I think there was a small feeling of discontent from all parties.

Hence I made suggestions after the last contest to have a review of the contest rules.

Even if there’s no official contest I still love the idea of people creating stuff from scratch. To me it’s more interesting than reading umpteen threads about led swaps and tints etc…

If an official contest starts and I’m disqualified or unable to join, it will not deter me. I like making lights on my lathe :innocent: but for the sake of encouraging others to have a go I hope an official contest starts. I just don’t hold much hope.

A week!!!

I’m starting to think maybe I should actually go ahead and build mine too. I really wanted the official contest to go on, but maybe it’s a bust now. Oh well, nothing is forever, and we must move on. Anyone who wants to build a light can still do it, without a contest, as you’ve shown. :wink:

I’d like to say just wait a bit to see what happens but it looks like a few people are milling around waiting for it to happen , meanwhile Xmas is on its way. Unless someone steps up and takes control I don’t think there will be another comp.

The event only goes for 4 days but I’m allowing for travel at each end, plus I’ll be busy at work when I get back. Today was the first day of the event, didn’t go as well as I hoped but I’m not wrapped in plaster so that’s something :laughing:

Touch wood. :sunglasses:

I have asked the question directly.

Well I’m back to work now. When I do get time to get back in the garage the first thing i need to do is clean it up :weary: Will be a few more days before anymore happens to this build.

If you’re interested in seeing the other pics - https://photos.app.goo.gl/yrHrFjygkNWUrA5d9

Looks like you have a dirty mind. :slight_smile:
Did it all go well and the only sore part your backside?

Is it written all over my face… :smiley:

Had a great time. Reckon I got held up 10min or so with mechanical issues on day 1 but otherwise was 4 days of riding bliss. Leg muscles are tender but not aching. And the best part, no plaster wraps :innocent:

Okay back from hiatus , the comp can continue…

I pressed the ti sleeve into the body with a little locktite wiped on. My vice isn’t big enough for this purpose so I used the lathe to press it together. I had a major screw up, or minor really… I tried to line up the body and tail sections so once it was screwed together the ti alloy rods lined up perfectly. However I was out… a long way out. Still scratching my head as to why I was so far out :person_facepalming: :question:

The battery was a snug fit before. After pressing the sleeve in it’s reduced the diameter even more and the battery no longer fits. Previously I was thinking I might skim the inside after it was pressed in but now I’d rather not as that very thin wall is holding the tail section. So I’ve changed tack and will be using an unprotected efest 18350 cell. Aside from being that little bit narrower it is also several millimetres shorter.

I did some more head scratching to work out how to hold it for final external shaping. Initially I thought I would have to mount it twice (forwards then backwards) but instead I made a mandrel so I can do the complete host. Note the gap in the host when mounted is due to a washer/spacer I made to fill the space where the pocket clip sits.

All mounted and ready to go but before I do I need to remind myself of the internal dimensions so I don’t have a disaster.

:slight_smile: :+1:

Progress on the aesthetics is slow. Mainly because I am not making time to work on this project. When I do work on it I need to go slow, double check everything and make light cuts (read many cuts/passes). My last build, the mokume one, it turned out quite heavy because 1. it’s made of copper and nickel (both as heavy as each other) and 2. I kept a decent amount of wall thickness in the body so it didn’t split like the bezel did. This build I’m hoping it won’t turn out as heavy. At the same time i’m trying to make the most of the superconductor pattern. Still lots to go…

I noticed when turning it down that the copper cut smooth and shiny but as soon as the niobium titanium appeared the cut seemed rougher all over.

I realize the cone shaped tail won’t be the most comfortable shape to hold when screwing/unscrewing but this light is less about the feel and more about the looks :sunglasses:

One of these days you guys are going to make me buy a lathe because of your awesome work… and my wife will put me outside for good.

This project has been very interesting from start to finish. Great work pinkpanda3310!

Thanks f0xx. If you ever do end up in the dog house I’m okay with that. Just make sure to show us pics of your new lathe :smiley: :wink:

A little more shaping today. I put ripples in the body mostly because I’m not a big fan of smoothy bodies. I don’t know if that was such a good idea. It kinda detracts from the patterned metal. I was previously thinking of turning the tail down narrower than the head to try and balance out the look of short stubby head. I had a change of heart when I saw the pattern on the fat tail and kept it. So now it all looks a bit weird. I did some test fitting to see how it looks…

It is different, looks good

I wasn’t happy with the shape / balance so I decided to remake the bezel. I actually tried to make it on sunday but my head was a bit fuzzy from having a cold and not long into making the part I screwed it up by turning it down too far :person_facepalming: I was feeling better and had some time this afternoon so gave it another shot.

Doh! I just realized I haven’t shown the internal organs in place either. I had lots to talk about my thought process on some parts but I don’t really want to spend too long on the pc right now so the pics will have to suffice.


I still need to do some stuff to the new bezel. I don’t like the beam but i’m too lazy to change it. Will get a shot of that later.

Will be away over the weekend for another bicycle race (this one’s on road) so will be another break before next update.