It looks great, i like the contrast of the wood colors.
Is the wood very dense yet dry? Makes me think about trying to use a dull drill bit that won’t dig out a big ole chip (such as drilling into plexi plastic), but even little chips might not clear with dense wood.
Amazing that it takes to a tap and leaves a nice strong thread.
Before I get to the now commonplace, nearly expected, change of plans, here is a small piece that I needed to make for the tailcap switch unit. The switch will be recessed a little and needs an actuator rod. I made this from a piece of 3/8” dowel and a scrap of 1mm FRP. I made the FRP round using my sander jig apparatus. Then I glued the dowel into a 3/8” hole I drilled in the FRP and cemented the joint with some Kafuter UV activated adhesive.
I decided to give the body a coat of clear lacquer. My reason for doing it now was to keep the wood clean as it is being handled a lot at this stage.
I used spray lacquer and a wood dowel to hold the body piece.
Now for another change. I forgot to take a photograph of what caused this change. Way back, when I made the head of this light I used two machine screws through the head to secure the head to the heat sink and front copper disc. I planned on using a similar system to secure the tailcap to the tail end of the wood body. I had a memory lapse. I didn’t double check 
, but I thought I had used 4-40 socket head machine screws for the front. The socket heads were fitted into two drilled recesses to alllow the machine screw heads to be flush with the surrounding wood surface. Alas, I has used smaller 2-56 machine screws. The 4-40 machine screws have a larger diameter head. That head OD is large enough that the desired recess holes would cut into the perimeter, would break out of the octagon side of the tailcap.
An aside thought… this light should be thought of as a prototype I suppose. (A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process.)
I gave some thought to not recessing the heads, or to using flatheads instead. However the flathead countersink would run into the same problem of “not enough meat in the edge to allow it to work”. With only two screw heads protruding it would not be possible to tail stand the light. I thought of adding two more machine screws, but gave that up as protruding screws at the tailcap would conflict visually with the recessed heads of the front end.
The solution I came up with was to use 2-56 screws on the tailend. To achieve this I cut a new cap piece to glue over the 4-40 holes in the tailcap. I would drill new holes in the octagon face edge one section over.
So, here’s a new piece of bocote being glued and clamped…
The finished cap with the bocote was sanded down to an octagon shape. I also cut down the bloodwood length before gluing the bocote cap on; no need to have such a long tailcap.
I used the two 4-40 pins to hold the tailcap in position while I drilled the first 2-56 sized hole through the tailcap and into the bloodwood body tube. I did get close enough to the epoxied in place copper tube insert that the threads actual are cut into the side of the copper as well as the bloodwood. And I had to cut a recess in the inside of the cap as the position of the hole was such that the hole wanted to drift when being drilled. Anyhow that is hidden, right! And it is a prototype.
With the first 2-56 machine screw hole completed I trial fitted the tailcap. The 4-40 locator pins are visible. I did not have a long enough 2-56 machine screw on hand but I did find an old length of 2-56 threaded rod.
Here’s a short 2-56 socket head screw trial fitted.
After drilling and tapping the second 2-56 hole I recess drilled and test fitted the cap to the body. The screws I had are not long enough for final use, but I have some longer ones coming. The screws pictured are only about 1/8” into the tapped holes. That is insufficient grab to last I figure.
I clear coated the tailcap after removing it. Prior to clear coating I drilled the center external recess for the switch actuator rod assembly. I’m using the same diameter dowel rod to hold the tailcap for spraying as I used to make the actuator which is also displayed.
When the switch does arrive I will fit it and then trim the actuator rod and make whatever adjustments may be required.
Till later, that is all for now.
The switch is still someplace between China and here, heading in this direction, I hope.
Yes. Thanks you, I like using different contrasting woods.
It is dry; the moisture meter reads 6%. But at the same time it seems somewhat oily or something as it does not come out as powder. More like compacted powder with some sort of a binding agent. The little curls don’t turn to dust readily when squeezed. It is odd wood. Nice color though.
While you’re waiting on the switch let me throw in a piece of wood and a nutty story with you.
For several years i have been drying out some pieces of pecan and black walnut that i quarter sawed on the hillbilly sawmill (chain saw). i was interested in finding a piece that might show up with some tiger stripes in the grain so i kept this section of black walnut with dark and light colored bands and the bulging knot. i have no idea what i’m doing, it’s just about having fun.
So this past weekend i pulled it out of the shed and set about to cut some blocks and pieces with another precision hillbilly tool, the electric skil saw. Well that’s when i discovered what caused the bulge in the tree, what a surprise:
That’s nuts, for you. 
It is nice to be able to use some locally sourced wood. Unfortunately to do that to any degree one really needs lots of machinery so large logs can be moved, sawn, dried and ultimately used to build something. A friend has a small saw mill based on a large circular saw turned by an old Massey Ferguson tractor; the blade is something like 45 inches I think. We have predominantly pines and firs, no hardwoods other than Aspen.
I’ve given this light a name; MD4W
MD = MtnDon
4 = 4 emitters
W = wood
Just like the FW3A, which was the inspiration for the name, the tailcap is not really meant to be removed, but can be.
Very nice MD. what do you do with your creations?
I have used last years as a walking light, as it was intended. It will see more use as the daytime hours shorten through fall and winter.
The Shoji lantern from the 6th annual contest was gifted to my son. It fits right into hos decor as he has a set of bookshelving with sliding Shoji style panels for doors.
The entry for the 5th annual contest was gifted to a sister.
The 4th annual contest entry has a place on my “special things” shelf.
All very nice.
I am not a wood expert but i think that if you plan to open these screws often, threaded insertions will be more robust than tapping the wood.
I agree. However the problem is two-fold in this application. The outer diameter of the insert is too large for the thickness of the wood and that type of insert cuts its own threads as it is screwed into the wood. The force would almost certainly cause this wood to split. I have used those inserts before. They can be a real problem to install in wood other than the softer varieties like pine and spruce.
I never intended the tailcap to be removable in ordinary everyday use. The bayonet copper coupling at the head allows for cell change, so very much like an FW3A there will be no reason to remove the tailcap assembly for daily use. I could have made a second bayonet system at the tail, but it did not seem to be necessary.
I appreciate the thought, comment and link. I hope that it works out okay. If there was to be a second one made I would use a different wood species or come up with some other solution…. maybe a little thicker body wall and use the epoxied into place aluminum inserts. Those are a smaller diameter than the threaded inserts.
I have used some other woods that are about as hard and dense but do not split as easily as this bloodwood. I would be better off with it. It’s a nice enough brown with darker streaks in the grain. However, I do like the color of the bloodwood a lot. I never used bloodwood before this.
Looking good Don. 
I am by no means adept at making things from wood but did find these when I made a wood, aluminium and brass torch.
I like the looks of these from that search link , but need a smaller size package. The point with the notch cuts the wood fibers as the screw is turned.
They are used when installing cabinets (as in kitchen…) and I never thought of them at all. I do have some here someplace.
I should try one in a scrap of the bloodwood and see what happens. Thanks.
I hope they are not attaching kitchen cabinets with finish head screws. 
They’re used to secure the face frames to the adjacent cabinet. The screws pull the cabibet face frames tightly together and bury the head in the wood. Tighten just enough to make the head flush with the side surface of the face frame. The face frames are clamped together tightly first, then the screws installed. The doors hide the edges of the face frames too.
I think even though they are self drilling I will still pre drill hard woods. They make good sense for attaching things to the wall though with a washer head into 2x. I’m old school when it comes to things like that.
A little longer than those. 2, 2 1/2 inch
Woo-Hoo!!! The switches and a few other things arrived today!!
Here are three of them along with the frp mounting blocks I previously made.
What sets these switches apart is that the tabs are not meant to be soldered like other switches. One tab is bent up and over the top of the switch with a hole that fits around the button. The other tab bends under the switch bottom. In my design the upper contact fits against the inside of the copper sleeve/pill. The frp blocks provide insulation. The bottom contact touches the brass center screw which will contact the negative end of the 18650 cell.
The rear switch pill is a press fit into the main copper body tube. The two small screws through the copper pill end squeeze the bottom frp block to the center block which holds the switch.
I tested the switch operation with the actuator rod. It needed a little sanding to provide a small amount of clearance between the plunger and the switch button. Then I shortened the actuator rod so it does not protrude past the end of the rear cap. The light can tailstand. And the light works when tested with a cell. Woo-Hoo!!!
I applied a dab of paint to the actuator rod end. (Using touchup paint for my Toyota Tacoma). When dry I’ll reassemble the light and post some more images; a short video too showing the light on and how the ramping works.
Thanks for looking.
Nice finish of the button
I remember that switch, has been around for ages, i.e. it is in the Xeno E03 as well and in a few other lights.
I like the way it’s looking, nice work 
Very clever MD.