MtnDon's Hand Made Class, 8th Annual BLF/OL contest entry

The lighting is mostly the LED workshop ceiling lighting. They are 5000K strips (50 cm long, 12 VDC run off of a few 12 VDC power supplies fed by the 120 VAC house power.) I bought from some seller on Aliexpress a few year ago. Some of the pictures were done with illumination from a cheap zoomie. That has a 5000 K LH351D I swapped in. The photos have all been taken the lazy way; using the camera in my Galaxy 9+. I’ve been using it for most photography for the past 2 years, except for landscape photos when the camera is simply not at its best. Then I use my venerable Nikon D200 or my Panasonic ZS100.

This project will end up looking more like a standard flashlight than any other contest entry I have done, but with some different touches. :wink:

Looking great, Don!

I have made some progress.

First though, I noticed a couple of problems. The optic legs stick through the mcpcb, so the optic did not seat fully. I thought this was a problem so I sanded the legs shorter so nothing protruded. I am currently not sure if I did the right thing. I has not used a KD triple mcpcb with one of their optics before.

The next issue was that the optic would still not seat fully. Close inspection revealed the portion of the optic that fits over the emmitter did not go as low as it would if the optic was used over a Cree XP-E triple. This project is using the LH351D Samsung. I pondered wheyher or not to slice the domes or to modify the optic, reaming out the “socket” a little. I elected to mod the optic. I used two different sizes of number bits and carefully turned them just using my fingers. I removed just enough material to allow the optic to seat fwith the three legs down against the mcpcb. I also considered drilling clearance holes in the copper disc.

I have not yet wired up the led to check the beam. Hopefully I did not ruin it.

So that was one issue. The other thing I oticed was that I had a slight concentricity problem between the mcpcb and the heat sink as well as with the copper disc that is mounted between the mcpcb and heatsink. The runout was not great but was enough to create possible problems with the next step.

I has a spare copper disc and a spare heatsink though. So I decided to redo this portion of the head assembly.

This time I used a different approach. I first found the center of the copper disc. Then drilled a center hole that matched the diamter of the center hole that the factory made in the mcpcb. I used that drilled disc to determine the point to drill through the heatsink center. The result was just about as perfect as could be when using the tools at hand.

The next issue to correct ws my chosen method of fastening the mcpcb to the copper disc. The previous method relied on using a pait of factory holes in the extrusion that were close to, but not perfectly matched to the notches in the mxpcb. Instead of doing that all over I decided to use the two smaller holes in the mcpcb. The pencil point in the next image indicates the hole pair I mean.

I used a machine screw to secure the mcpcb to the copper disc and heatsink.

I then drilled a clearance hole in the support wood block and proceeded to drill a dimple in the copper plate, using the holes in the mcpcb as a template.

I just barely marked the copper using the drill press. Then disassembled the three pieces and drilled a #50 hole through the copper for the 2 mounting screws.

The holes were hand tapped with a 2-56 thread.

The mcpcb is secured with two 2-56 pan head machine screws.

The heat sink does not have sufficient solid metal in the central area to tap into the aluminum body of the heat sink. The two screws penetrate the copper disc and protrude into a pair of the extruded voids.

Now I am happier with the mcpcb, copper disc and heatsink assembly and am ready for the next section. That’s coming up in the next post.

This next section is a test. It indicates the dirrection this part of the light project is taking, or at least what I am thinking.

I cut a small piece of padauk of a scrap and drilled a 20mm hole in it using a metric forstner bit that arrived from an aliexpress seller yesterday. I bought a small set of the metric bits and they shipped from a US warehouse; only took a few days instead of many weeks, maybe 2 months. The 20mm hole is to fit over the optic and the mcpcb on the front end of the light.

I then used the table saw to trim it down close to the outline of the copper disc making a square shape.

So there is a square. I want an octogon. I elected to sand the corners down to make an octogon, using the disc sander and miter gauge.

There. Looks like a big wood nut.’

Here is the “nut” fitted over the mcpcb and optic. The optic is a snug fit which is great.

So far, so good. It appears to be feasible.

That is about it for now. Thanks for looking in.

Looking good Don!

Ooops. I almost forgot I had another short set of images for another test piece.

All flashlights need a body. I am wanting to make the body from some bloodwood I have on hand. Bloodwood is very dense; a sp. gr. of 0.95 with average moisture content. It almost won’t float. It can be difficult to work. I’ll see how it goes. I have only 3/4” thick stock so will glue up two small pieces.

While that glue dries up I thought I’d use a piece of walnut to make a body test. It is 1.5” thick. I marked the centerline with the marking gauge; onec from each side and use the spot in the middle of the two lines as center.

That is a 25mm forstner bit. The shank is just long enough to drill the length I want.

Okay, remember the second rendition of the driver holder/pill that I made, and the slip over sleeve? The O.D. of the sleeve is 24.3mm, a nice slip fit into the 25mm hole that was just bored.

The walnut block is still in the rough state. It will be cut down, but that is all for tonight. Toorrow the bloodwood block will be ready to try drilling. If that goes well the walnut will remain as the test piece and I’ll see how the bloodwood works.

Nice work Don. I see your nearly finished. :beer:

I’m very curious to see how does the optic work. You took the riskier path.

Very nice work and photography too, I really like your hand made tools. :+1:

I don’t have a room without a window, even the shop has windows, so a good test will have to wait until night. However, I was curious about the potic myself so did the best I could. I made a temporary hookup between mcpcb with optic on the heatsink—- wires to the driver —- wires to a cell holder and some alligator clips. Most of the closets are too full of whatever to allow a person inside but one small coat closet had just enough space. Not enough space for a beamshot. The near white wall was only 30 inches from the mcpcb/optic. But there are no strange artifacts showing, no strange colors or unusual shadows or hotspots, so I think the optic still works satisfactorily.

I made some more progress on some parts today. I took pictures. I’ll post an update later this evening most likely.
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I downsized the earlier photos of the parts I re-did if anyone looks back.

What I did today on this project.

I soldered a spring to the driver board. There used to be one on there at one time but I removed it for some reason

I needed to make a bayonet mount “thingy”. I found a brass tube with a closed end in the junk box and cut off a short piece. Cleaned the side of the copper tube-pill I made earlier, applied flux. some heat and silver solder. I forgot to take a picture until I had begun cleaning up the flux and excess solder.

It cleaned up pretty good…

The copper coupler needs a slot cut to clear the brass bump.

I used one of my wood tube clamps to hold the piece wirhout crushing the shape. I used a hacksaw blade to make the first cuts, then files…

Small file…

Then when the slot was larger I switched to a bigger file

It works…

The hard to see pencil mark indicates where the slot needs to go next. The slot will be cut “down” not up where the more visible pencil marks are. Those are depth guide marks, niot for the slot. …

Rough, but getting there…

The completed bayonet locking mount…

As I filed off the protruding portion of the brass the solid part was removed and the hollow revealed. It does not look as nice but the solder puddled in the hollow indicates I did make a good silver solder joint as the solder was drawn in.

That is all for now. The washer end of this piece with be mounted to the rear end of the finned heatsink. The mcpcb with its washer is to be mounted on the front end of the heatsink.

More coming later, maybe tomorrow.

Glad to hear your optic mod worked out. Looking forward to how it all turns out!

Way back when I was a greenhorn machinist one of the old timers teaching me said ” you can always tell who is a good machinist on how good he can file a part “. You have mastered that MtnDon ! Great Job !

Thanks. Aw shucks… :blush:

I’m surprised but very glad to read that it seems to work fine. I’ll wait patiently for the beamshots. :slight_smile:

Nice work Don. Justin did the same retaining method on a light he built way back. As far as master filer not so sure there. My daughter thinks your nails need a lot better file work done on them. Maybe a rasp. :stuck_out_tongue:

Maybe a power sander. The belt sander takes the ridges and whorls off finger tips very well. :person_facepalming:

CRX has used these too. Someone thought of using the idea for automobile taillight bulgs many decades ago as well.

So, this afternoon saw more progress as well as a setback.

I need to finish off the head assembly. The components are mostly completed or very close, but there needs to be some fasteners installed and places for the fasteners made.

Using the heat sink once again as a pattern, bolted to the front (mcpcb) copper disc I drilled two holes through the copper disc. First I drilled dimples using the heatsink as a guide. Then removed disc and drilled a larger hole through the copper disc. Those extruded mount positions in the heatsink are meant to be used with metric M3 screws. A US 4-40 machine screw will also fit though a bit tight. Therefore when I plan on using a 4-40 machine screw in any of these holes I run a 4-40 hand tap through it. The tap caus easily and the open side to the extruded hole is perfect for the debris to exit this is one place tapping can be done without lubricant.

So, drill / mark the hole position…

The support block with recess to clear the test mcpcb…

Drilling holes through the copper with small vice grips clamp…

Running the hand tap…

With the front disc drilled I use that as a pattern to drill holes in the rear disc.

The front disc looks kind of busy, but there is a purpose for each pair of machine screws…

More drillling parts. Again using one part set as a pattern to locate holes in another part. CNC machining would eliminate much of this work…

One hole drilled all the way through the padauk wood…

This is not the final screw, just a test. The screw fits through the wood and copper disc and threads into one of the 4-40 tapped holes previously shown.

I have to pause to go make dinner. This is also one of those dramatic pauses before we return and reveal the setback. Two actually; varying degrees of “setbackedness”. (probably not a real word :person_facepalming: )

Dinner: crab cakes (Thailand crab meat) and I made apple crisp for dessert because I was slightly miffed at the setback. Well, I just needed an excuse to oberindulge in (brown) sugar.

So what happened? Two things.

One, I neglected to think far enough ahead when I drilled the mount holes through the rear copper disc with pill assembly. The holes are too close to the 3/4” pill tube. The plan was to use flat head machine screws with the holes countersunk. Those heads are even a little larger in diameter and drilling the countersink would be an issue. There are some other hole positions in the heatsink that will likely have been a better choice. :person_facepalming: If I drill new holes to mate with a different pair of heatsink holes then these two holes become ventilation holes.

Nothing insurmountable.

The second, bigger setback came as I drilled the second hole through the wood piece. I don’t know if the bit was a little too dull or if I used a little too much pressure or speed, or if I somehow got he wood God, Wooden, angry, but the wood piece split with a sharp cracking sound just as the bit penetrated the bottom side.

Not good news. However, we do have some excellent glues available in our modern world. By first attempt at a repair/fix is to use a high quality PVA glue. I liberally applied glue, slipped the pieces together and clamped with a pair of medium spring clamps. The glue strength is best after a 24 hour cure. These glues can make joints where the actual glue line is stronger than the wood. We’ll see how this works out tomorrow sometime.

Drilling into end grain like that for fasteners does come with some risk. I guess I did prove that. Appearance is better with the grain running axially, but as you can see there are downsides.

I’ll be back tomorrow most likely. :slight_smile: