What a work of art. Truly impressive. You've inspired me to redo the 3xAA battery holder on my Cyclone C88. May I ask what thickness copper plating you used?
Regarding your Brinyte, could someone use 3 18650s or would that more properly be used with another meaning of the word "torch"?
Best Wishes, Daniel
The battery holder originally used three 18650 batteries in parallel. 4/3AF is the NiMH equivalent of 18650. The holder is now in series. I changed it from parallel to series.
As far as the copper plate, I believe it was 0.008" or what, about 32 gauge copper. 0.008" or 0.010" is fine. (30 gauge).
EDIT:
Here's what I can tell you about making your own. Remove the original plates from the holder, flaten them down and use them as templates. Just be sure to mark them somehow, before you take them out, so you know which one is which.
I just use a pencil to mark the outline on the copper. I cut the copper with a good pair of scissors. It's much easier to rough cut the piece out, leaving about 1/4" all the way round, then do the final cutting after. It keeps from having the copper get deformed so much. Once you cut them out, flatten them by putting them on a flat surface, cover them with a board or other flat object and hit the board with a rubber mallet. It will flatten the copper right out.
If you want to make the cups for the positive terminals, heat the copper till it turns color and let it cool back down. (heat treating softens the copper). Then use a small socket (the diameter of the cup you want, turn the piece upside down on a piece of soft wood, place the socket on the piece and hit with a hammer (tap it), till you get a cup. You can then turn it back over and use the next size socket, to work the cup into shape, lightly tapping or pushing. Just remember the copper is very soft after it's been heated, so it doesn't take much to shape it.
For soldering the springs on, pre solder a spot on the copper first, then pre solder the end of the spring, place it on the copper and just heat it. It should all go together much easier that way.
I ended up going back and flattening the cups out and just using solder on the positive posts, because of these flat top batteries. It worked better for the flat top.
—
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
What a work of art. Truly impressive. You've inspired me to redo the 3xAA battery holder on my Cyclone C88. May I ask what thickness copper plating you used?
Regarding your Brinyte, could someone use 3 18650s or would that more properly be used with another meaning of the word "torch"?
Best Wishes, Daniel
Correct me if I'm wrong but you could run it off of 1 18650 in that holder, or if you get a parallel battery holder than you can run 3 of them.
Correct
—
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
Thanks for all the comments. They are much appreciated. I'm glad y'all like it. I'm glad it raises questions and makes people think of trying it themselves.
Wow! Thanks so much for your detailed comments Old-Lumens. Now you've got me motivated. Give me a week or two to order the parts, mangle the first one & try again. Then I'll show you what I've got.
Wow! Thanks so much for your detailed comments Old-Lumens. Now you've got me motivated. Give me a week or two to order the parts, mangle the first one & try again. Then I'll show you what I've got.
Daniel
P.S. Had a great day geocaching with "Mom."
Yes, exactly, always buy two... or three... Looking forward to it.
—
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
That's awesome. I know that in the future I will also support the modifyers or local sellers instead of buying a foreign light.
I would love to learn how to do this. Is there a learning resource on the site that teaches about drivers, wiring, etc? I saw some threads that detailed mods, but didn't see a general learning thread.
If that is considered a hijack, please just ignore me.
That's awesome. I know that in the future I will also support the modifyers or local sellers instead of buying a foreign light.
I would love to learn how to do this. Is there a learning resource on the site that teaches about drivers, wiring, etc? I saw some threads that detailed mods, but didn't see a general learning thread.
If that is considered a hijack, please just ignore me.
It's ok.
No there isn't a general learning thread. All I know to tell you is to start reading all of the threads in the Modding Forum. Then ask specific questions of people. Usually you will get an answer that way. Look at people's sigs on the bottom of their posts too. Sometimes they link to more information.
—
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
"Modding" the internals actually isnt the hardest part. Those drivers are really simple. Anyone with some soldering skills can do that. Building your own dropins is a good way to start (at least thats what I was told several times, but I soon found that rather boring). You can get into driver programming (or pay people that actually know what they are doing). I started with ripping apart a 7$ light from ebay. Took a look at the driver, tried to understand it, fried the driver, replaced it. Improved the heatsinking, swapped the emitter.. stuff like that. Cheap lights are great for such!
What makes OL so special are his ideas.. well, also that he does it all by hand.. but imo he couldnt be much better with a lathe or mill. Faster maybe.. but you still gotta have it in you. I mean, srsly, look at that battery holder. Tho OL always refers to himself as a "hacker" (in sense of hack job) that thing looks better than most all the chinese retail battery carriers!
not to my eyes. that holder looks sweet!
Looks alot better than my attempt. Not going to post it, you would be blinded by the horror.
My LED comparison thread with links.
Tint, Binning, and CRI Explanation (For the XM-L)
http://budgetlightforum.com/node
As far as the copper plate, I believe it was 0.008" or what, about 32 gauge copper. 0.008" or 0.010" is fine. (30 gauge).
EDIT:
Here's what I can tell you about making your own. Remove the original plates from the holder, flaten them down and use them as templates. Just be sure to mark them somehow, before you take them out, so you know which one is which.
I just use a pencil to mark the outline on the copper. I cut the copper with a good pair of scissors. It's much easier to rough cut the piece out, leaving about 1/4" all the way round, then do the final cutting after. It keeps from having the copper get deformed so much. Once you cut them out, flatten them by putting them on a flat surface, cover them with a board or other flat object and hit the board with a rubber mallet. It will flatten the copper right out.
If you want to make the cups for the positive terminals, heat the copper till it turns color and let it cool back down. (heat treating softens the copper). Then use a small socket (the diameter of the cup you want, turn the piece upside down on a piece of soft wood, place the socket on the piece and hit with a hammer (tap it), till you get a cup. You can then turn it back over and use the next size socket, to work the cup into shape, lightly tapping or pushing. Just remember the copper is very soft after it's been heated, so it doesn't take much to shape it.
For soldering the springs on, pre solder a spot on the copper first, then pre solder the end of the spring, place it on the copper and just heat it. It should all go together much easier that way.
I ended up going back and flattening the cups out and just using solder on the positive posts, because of these flat top batteries. It worked better for the flat top.
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
My YouTube Flashlight Video Channel
The BLF Modding Links Thread
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
My YouTube Flashlight Video Channel
The BLF Modding Links Thread
Thanks for all the comments. They are much appreciated. I'm glad y'all like it. I'm glad it raises questions and makes people think of trying it themselves.
Now somebody go buy it.
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
My YouTube Flashlight Video Channel
The BLF Modding Links Thread
When someone buys this light, I'll send them a free stock battery holder to use/mod as they wish.
http://wardogsmakingithome.org/index.html
War Dogs, Making it Home - Rescue Dogs for Returning Vets
Wow! Thanks so much for your detailed comments Old-Lumens. Now you've got me motivated. Give me a week or two to order the parts, mangle the first one & try again. Then I'll show you what I've got.
Daniel
P.S. Had a great day geocaching with "Mom."
Blinded? BUY the light!
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
My YouTube Flashlight Video Channel
The BLF Modding Links Thread
That is astonishing. I wish that people would support you instead of the China sellers.
I did... just bought it!
Rich
"I am the flashlight king! I can light anything!"
That's awesome. I know that in the future I will also support the modifyers or local sellers instead of buying a foreign light.
I would love to learn how to do this. Is there a learning resource on the site that teaches about drivers, wiring, etc? I saw some threads that detailed mods, but didn't see a general learning thread.
If that is considered a hijack, please just ignore me.
No there isn't a general learning thread. All I know to tell you is to start reading all of the threads in the Modding Forum. Then ask specific questions of people. Usually you will get an answer that way. Look at people's sigs on the bottom of their posts too. Sometimes they link to more information.
My PayPal address: oldlumens (insert the @ sign here) gmail.com
My YouTube Flashlight Video Channel
The BLF Modding Links Thread
Sounds good. Thanks a lot.
"Modding" the internals actually isnt the hardest part. Those drivers are really simple. Anyone with some soldering skills can do that. Building your own dropins is a good way to start (at least thats what I was told several times, but I soon found that rather boring). You can get into driver programming (or pay people that actually know what they are doing). I started with ripping apart a 7$ light from ebay. Took a look at the driver, tried to understand it, fried the driver, replaced it. Improved the heatsinking, swapped the emitter.. stuff like that. Cheap lights are great for such!
What makes OL so special are his ideas.. well, also that he does it all by hand.. but imo he couldnt be much better with a lathe or mill. Faster maybe.. but you still gotta have it in you. I mean, srsly, look at that battery holder. Tho OL always refers to himself as a "hacker" (in sense of hack job) that thing looks better than most all the chinese retail battery carriers!
Pages