Uh, I’ve spent 3 hours trying to make the printer start correctly. It worked perfect all last week. Now it prints 2mm up in the air, and won’t respond to manual adjustment. But otherwise works fine.
As I mentioned in the other thread, this is done, I’ll be posting everything tonight. My family life is very demanding tonight, the posts might come slow.
I did throw together a YouTube video, the link will be posted as soon as the upload is complete.
A quick application of solder paste using the tip of an exacto knife…
Held over a heat gun to reflow…
And bingo.
Then a few wires.
The metal was 4% too small, so I spent about an hour with a Dremel removing material from the inside.
(This is not a one-day build, I fell behind with BLF updates 
)
Upload complete! Check out the quick video to see what metal 3D prints are really like!
After Dremeling about 0.5mm off the diameter of the MCPCB it installed nice.
As you can see the negative wire is both designed to make contact with the metal 3D print for Ground, as well as make the press-fit easier and more secure.
Then I designed and printed a plastic isolator with a bump to press the positive wire against the battery.
Spoiler alert: It performs more reliably than the button on some Chinese flashlights. 
Testing 1-2-3…
Then I printed the rest in plastic just tonight, that was 4 hours of work to get the printer going for some reason.
Beamshots!
Neat and pretty! 
Very nice and special flashlight! 3D printing metals has so much potential for flashlights, it is great that you have that going
I agree entirely with you, I even argued for a 3d printed category last year and a no holds barred this year - but sadly it wasn’t included in this competition.
This was discussed beforehand, and the rules stayed the same afterwards. No outsourcing is allowed.
I was under the impression Josh was waiting for sheet to turn up, not a shapeways part (I thought that had been abandoned due to price).
Great that you managed to finish your build, Joshk.
This is a special format for a flashlight. It looks very nice. I like the 3D printed metal finish. 
The floody beam with a slight hotspot is nice, too.
That is clearly stated in the rules……
Thanks guys, I think it turned out cool too.
The rules were the inspiration. The main argument was that it had never been done before, and people were scared it would be impossible to judge if any work was really done. Well, now BLF has a build thread where they can test their fears. Is it really impossible to judge this? I think it’s clear what I did. Just as clear as any other OL build thread.
So cheers to overly conservative rules, this one is for you.
Cheated.
Disregarded a rule because you did not like a rule.
That is not how “the game” should be played.
There were others who faced a rule that they did not like, a rule that made them make adjustments to their project or forced them to change to a different class. To allow a project that involves a blatant violation of a rule to remain in the competition is a slap in the face to others and an invitation for others to exercise anarchy if there ever is another challenge.
The light that was completed is quite nice. No doubt about that. But that does not override the rule breaking.
As you see in the Coronavirus thread, I support rules like mask wearing because they are best for our society.
If the BLF community has a rule I think is detrimental to the group, I will peacefully protest it.
I think this is the most honorable way to participate in society/groups.
The only prize I need is my right to protest peacefully.
Edit: Shortly after this post was made the thread was locked. Later I saw the news about the riot at the capital. Perhaps others in the argument saw the news during the conversation, and misinterpreted my word choice as a nod to riot, and perhaps that aggravated the conversation. To be clear, I am totally against all events of that day. None of that was ok with me on any level.
That is about the top and bottom of it. I feel exactly the same as you MtnDon.
I appreciate what you wanted to do Josh, and appreciate your entry - I do not however agree with your ‘making up your own rules’ strategy.
For example - is it ok if mine goes in hand made, or modified even though I used a lathe for parts of it? Of course it wouldn’t and I wouldn’t expect anyone to swallow the use of a lathe in hand made, it would be grossly unfair.
I started off by hand after all, and a greater deal of it was by hand than on machine - those bits took next to no time compared to the hand making parts I made at first - I made the pill 3 times, once by hand entirely - the patina work took me 2 days solid, every hour or 2 cleaning everything, redoing it etc.
I don’t entirely see the need to cheat to make your ‘point’ after all it was only you who wanted to outsource anyway if memory serves me correct.
You could have made it alongside the compo, to show people what they are missing out on to push your case for a new ‘no holds barred’ category - you know I have argued your case more than once. Even last year when judging I argued for a separate category in vain and I stuck up for your 3d printing as a judge when other judges were dead set against 3d printing, and it’s dragging down of the OL ethos - that you don’t even know about. I have not mentioned it til now as it was private.
It is a new technology that does need embracing, but this isn’t the way to do it in my opinion.
I am sorry if this upsets you - but you have upset me without even thinking twice about how this might affect others and it is obvious I am not the only one.
You are seriously calling a $55 piece “all holds barred”? You just wish I had made it alongside the competition so it could be ignored. This way a judge is going to address it.