A couple mini-mods with AA lights. I really like the new Convoy T2 but thought it would be nice to have a tail magnet on it. Searched high and low on aliexpress but couldn't find any ring magnets that small, so I finally sent messages to several magnet stores. On the T2 it can take something like 16.5mm x 12mm x 3.5mm (ideally). One supplier first said no and then messaged back that they did have a 16 x 12 x 2. That store seems to have premium prices all around but I went ahead and ordered a 10pc at $11 plus $3 shipping and hoped for the best. Allmagnets Store: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002910977987.html(link is external)
Well they fit great! Other than being so thin. With one magnet the button still protrudes but there's not quite enough grab with these lower end N35 magnets to be fully functional and trustworthy. Stacking two magnets recesses the button slightly (1mm or less) and after gluing brings it just ever so slightly higher than the ears on the tailcap - but it still tailstands reliably with no wobble and really grabs to metal surfaces nicely. The magnets will tell you this as you work with them, but it's important to align their poles and do a test to see which side grabs a little better than the other. I scuff sanded both sides of the bottom magnet and just the underside of the top magnet. Used a gel superglue and a bit too much, which required some tedious cleaning with acetone afterwards. I think it's easiest to glue the two magnets together at first since they will pull into perfect alignment and their own attractive force is plenty of clamping pressure. Then with the switch/button removed from the cap, sparsely apply glue to the tailcap before placing the magnets and quickly pushing up the rubber button for centering purposes. Alternatively you can try to push the magnets over the rubber button and then pop the button out - either way works but I found the former to create less mess and if done quickly there is still enough time to position before the superglue grabs tightly. Excess superglue will stick to the rubber and can either be flaked off or soaked in acetone for a couple minutes if you want it pristine (handy if you get any on the top checkered surface).
I exchanged messages with Simon and I believe he's going to try to source a 4mm thickness to stock in his store.
I took a look at a buddy's Tool AA and decided to give it a try as well. The tailcap on both new (lighted) and old is the same, with about a 15.4mm inside diameter near the top, but closer to 15mm at the bottom of the recess (slightly tapered), plus there is a very thin raised ring right around the button hole. Used a 5mm carbide end cutting mill in the drill press and carefully worked by hand to mill away small amounts (cap centered and squared in soft vise jaws, moved the vise around the bit for a little more stability and control). Worked out great! The switch on the Tool seems to need a little more travel than the Convoy and it's a little recessed in the same way after adding the magnet stack, but it works great - best of both worlds with a tail clicky, fancy lights, and a magnet. For those who want a magnet but don't want to lose the tail switch, it's a fun option.
You can buy individual cheap carbide end mills for just a few bucks and even the cruddy low end HSS ones would work ok for this, although try to get a true end cutter that will plunge (many are not ground correctly for this and while they would work in this case they are not as versatile). The aluminum in lights is pretty soft and we're only removing minute amounts, so specialized aluminum mills aren't necessary, and carbide is at no disadvantage compared to hss in this case. Setup always takes longer than the actual work but I think I spent maybe a half hour total, plus assembly time. You'll need a drill press with a hold/stop for the quill travel...sometimes you can modify a cheap press that only has a threaded rod for depth with nuts on the top by disassembling and adding a thin jam nut beneath the casting which you can then adjust and lock in place using the top side nuts. I first tried to use a 1/2" sanding drum in the press but that mostly just made a mess and the bottom edge of the band wore away quickly, unable to square up the taper or deal with the raised ring. Many words to describe all of this but it's really very simple and doesn't require any special tooling or experience other than a small end mill and secure workholding (and the press table should be decently square to the quill, also). Also be very careful with clamping pressure so you don't ovalize the tailcap - correcting that is very difficult to do.
Couple of really old school 1XAA lights got some love this weekend.
First off the Balder BD1p got a shinny new 219b sw-45k, little less output but ohhh that tint. I is running a 3x7135 ak-47 driver and works fine with a 14500 and 1xAA. I am not sure how it works at that low voltage, but the CPU is booted and modes work. I really would like to find the extension tube for this little guy.
Then a Deerelight EDC C2H got a pretty nice 219b sw-40 on a noctigon to correct the headspace that was off a tiny bit and required a solder wire shim to always make contact, now she is really reliable.
I also got in the Convoy T2, second version with the LH351D at 4000k. Along with it was a stash of it’s drivers I ordered. I think one of the drivers may end up in the Balder soon. One of the others will end up in a lego 1xAA/14500 P60 dropin or in my Javelin.
Looks awesome. What are your thoughts on the S16 as a host compared to the M21B? I’m thinking S16 will be my next Convoy purchase, but as I’m not in the modding phase of this hobby yet I’d need to go stock. I did confirm with Simon they are not the same size reflector.
S16 is more compact and feels more refined. M21B is little rough. I have M21B also and I was surprised how much this host feels better in your hand. It also looks better in my opinion.
M21B has a slighty bigger reflector. At least its outer dimensions are bigger, and it is available in orange peel. This could also be a nice light with XHP50.2 with a 5A driver. Then you don’t need to modify the reflector. It would have more throw and at least 3000 lumens.
I was handling my fwaa the other day and i thought “Gee it really is a light weight isn’t it” So i added some extra useless weight to it so it won’t get blown away in the wind.
EDIT: the missus reckons it’ll look better if I de-anodize the body
This an OLD mod. DRY 3xXml. I used a metal checkering file on the body (which could use a little finishing/polishing) and relieved the tailcap for easier access.
Time to upgrade. LED suggestions? I want ~5000k. I’m not up on what would be best, XPL or SST-40? Maybe efficiency would be better than raw output for this host.
Also, the battery carrier is too short for many 18650s. At one point I bought a bunch of small brass spacers that could go in between the rods and plates, but apparently I didn’t do it and they’re long gone. Anyone have a suggestion for making it a couple mm longer?
They are brass, and not sure they are the right size, right #'s, but cheap enough. I bought them more for making battery pads or using in wood or plastic for battery fillers, etc. Forgot who posted here, might be a little eralier in this thread or the Amazon deals thread.
I’ve been reading through a few pages of this thread and seen so much talk of MEK. Man, I hated that solvent. I used to work at a Lufthansa MRO as a structural technician (the sheetmetal guys or riveters as some called us). MEK was AMAZING at removing paint and ACT, as well as softening up uncured 2 part polysulfide sealant to remove the excess mess you made when installing fasteners such as hi-loks or rivets. We used that sealant on friggin’ everything to seal stuff from the elements as well as to keep repairs such as doublers airtight. Also used for corrosion prevention, of course. Anyway, the point is, MEK is a NASTY solvent. I remember I’d double and sometimes triple up on gloves when using the solvent, and even then when I took them off, I could smell it on my skin, so MEK can make its way through nitrile gloves and many other gloves, and also pretty quickly eat them up in the process. The smell is also very strong and you needed the VERY fine cartridges for your facemasks if you wanted it to actually filter out the smell. Just by smelling it, you can tell that that substance is the kind that can cause permanent damage in your brain and CNS. Some people handled that stuff inside the cabin with nothing on, and sometimes with just a paper mask on. We’d get it in 5 gal jugs and go through tons of it pretty regularly. I’d recommend to anyone in here handling that stuff to do it in a WELL ventilated area and use adequate PPE. This is not IPA we’re talking about. It IS exremely strong and effective though, I’ve read several posts in this forum where users fully de-dome emitters just by letting it soak in MEK and then just blowing out the emitter when removed from the solution. Where do you guys even get this stuff? They don’t sell it in any hardware store here, except as a component in a mix of compounds such as paint removers and lacquer thinners. Certainly not the 100% pure MEK I got at the material store counter at the MRO. That’s the only part I miss about working in aviation, having access to so many amazing chemicals, materials and tools all day. Plus the massive discount on FedEx and and air-travel lol.
You can get 100% mek at hardware stores, even Lowes, etc. Not to be confused with mek peroxide.
Very nasty.
To me, xylene might be worse. Got that on my hands once and my entire arms started to tingle like they were asleep, but painfully, and I nearly passed out.
Jeez, that sounds horrible. We don’t have any Lowes here in Puerto Rico, or Harbor Freight. I really wish we did. You guys get so many affordable tools, power generators, etc. That Predator 9500 inverter generator that replaces the Honda model (it’s like a Honda EU7000iS but even more powerful, even if it’s not as quiet) is 2 grand at harbor freight. That same unit is being sold here for 4-5 grand.
