thank you 
I assume the o-ring goes inside the base of the button?
The oring mod is quite simple:
- Disassemble the tailcap
- Remove the plastic nubbin from its socket on the inside of the rubber button boot.
- Place the endcap on a table with the inside facing the ceiling.
- Insert the metal button
- Insert the rubber button boot
- Insert the o-ring into the rubber button boot
- Insert the switch PCB.
- Insert and screw on the switch retaining ring.
Note that the FWAA has a small wide spring that sits around the outer edge of the button boot. It provides electrical contact even if the switch pcb is not snug. Make sure this is in position when reassembling. The FW3A does not have this spring.
the detailed steps is much appreciated
Im unable to turn the switch retaining ring in my FWAA, using a small flathead screwdriver
what do you use?
Im considering buying this snap ring tool, good idea or suggest other options?
I’ve always used the silver part of a binder clip.
thanks, got the ring loose with the tips of some needlenose pliers… need O ring next…
Yeah, that makes sense to me, given how the switch cover diameter is nearly the same (the FWAA is like 1~2mm shorter) . I’ve not yet bothered to take apart my switch. It works so well, I don’t mind doing a quad click for electronic lockout.
The MacGuyver in me just got a stiffy. Thanks! :laughing:
Btw, speaking of enlarged…
I put a fat o-ring at the base of the body tube on my FW3A, just under the clip ring. Wow, does this extend the easy handling of this tube light. So easy to hold & manipulate. That… didn’t come out right. :laughing:
aka Tactical Ring
also available for $16 from HDS…
Flipping the body, gives a similar grip advantage.
I think the idea of the tactical ring is that it makes it even easier to get a cigar grip, because the ring makes the ledge that stops your ring and middle finger even bigger.
Flipping the body tube would make the light harder to use with cigar grip I think. Doing so eliminates the ledge your fingers are supposed to grip.
flipping the body eliminates a need for a tactical ring
the flare on the flipped body serves to stop the light from sliding forward, plus it balances the grip towards the middle of the light.
the stock body position makes the grip area too far back towards the tail, it is not balanced, and the unflared body tube has a sudden ridge, that is not as comfortable, and not as secure as the flared end.
When using cigar grip without a tactical ring with the stock body position, I feel concern about dropping the light.
With the flipped body, the feel in hand is Much more secure.
try it 
Yeah, you could call it tactical, although I’m using a fully rounded o-ring, not flattened off. I like using this rather than flipping the tube. It’s a definite “ledge” for easy grab & hold.
whatever makes you happy is good
fwiw, here is the center line for the two body positions
when I use cigar grip with the body flipped so the flare is towards the tail, the light does not slide forward.
With the stock body position, I can understand needing a tactical ring to prevent the light from slipping forward.
The body flare towards the tail, makes for a much more balanced feel, for me. I also like that I have no need to add any bulky, ugly, rubber parts to the body of the light. But thats just me 
[quote=jon_slider]
whatever makes you happy is good fwiw, here is the center line for the two body positions !
! when I use cigar grip with the body flipped so the flare is towards the tail, the light does not slide forward. With the stock body position, I can understand needing a tactical ring to prevent the light from slipping forward. The body flare towards the tail, makes for a much more balanced feel, for me. I also like that I have no need to add any bulky, ugly, rubber parts to the body of the light. But thats just me
[/quote]
That just looks odd
I can understand your reaction.
otoh, it reminds me of a Hanko head (thats a good thing):
(pic is a link to Hanko image source)
and the hand feel with the flipped body is sooo much more balanced, for me.
Thanks for the detailed photos, Jonathan.
I don’t have any problem with grip slipping, as I have a bicycle inner tube on part of the body. The o-ring is more for easy pick up from the back end and finger manipulation:
So far I like it. I’ll see how it goes… if the o-ring turns out to be more obtrusive then I’ll ditch it for the body switch. Aesthetically, I like the current tube orientation.
Btw, I picked up some more of that Cape Cod cleaning cloth. It really does a great job on copper without being abrasive. It’s just a tad cheaper than the Sunshine cloth. FWIW, I have a 2-piece bag of the stuff that I bought about 20 years ago. One cloth was done. The other was still somewhat serviceable. I was able to use it on my FWAA with success (just did the tube, left the other parts alone, for contrast).
great photo! 
like the multi glow gasket too
glad to hear the cod cloth works well for you
does it smell like turpentine, does it leave an oily residue?
fwiw, I was able to “revive” an old sunshine cloth that was blackened with a lot of metal residue, by rinsing it under running water…
suprisingly, the rinsed Sunshine cloth works very well still… whatever adhesive is holding the grit to the cloth, did not rinse out… I did not use soap.
Yeah, the multi-glow looks nice, but it sure doesn’t have the brightness of the green one! When I get my LM10, I’m going to install the RBG in it and put the green one back in my FW3A.
Here’s the gasket in my 18350 outfitted FW3A. The tint should be bright green, not aqua. Funny how camera CCD distorts colors.
Cool. Sounds like Sunshine is a good equivalent option to Cape Cod. Regarding smell, Cod comes in a vanilla like aroma. It’s not overpowering. Definitely doesn’t smell toxic. It is a “wet” cloth. It does leave behind some kind of substance that you do wipe off, but it didn’t strike me as oily. The package has a ziplock seal on it, so you do want to protect the cloth from drying out. But it can probably be revived with some moisture, as you’d done.
Hello guys! Are there any verified people on this forum who take orders on custom fw3 flashlights?
To be more precise - I want to put lume1 driver + warm xpl-hi U4 8A (2700k, 80CRI) in a 18350 tube. Instead of osram rgb in the centre - one SST-20 high powered led 660nm (deep red on aux port).
It’s a pity that fw3X has no any warm light options.
Or maybe this is not very difficult to made by myself? Is there any basic instructions on web how to attach leds to the driver and do everything proper/where to buy components and so on?
I’m completely new in this party, but I know exactly what I want. 