FINISHED!! My Big Build of the season, The 3 Green Maglites "Listen while I play my Green Tambourine" FINISHED!!

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts Featured Mods
2

I haven't done much on these lights yet, but I did manage a couple of videos. One is on where to cut the body of a 2D, if you are doing the human lathe method, with a tail cap switch. The other has a little information about a "D" Maglite switch and modding it.

This is just one example and it has two seams. It can be done with one seam, by cutting at (from the top) 40mm and 110mm. Then you end up with the knurl closer to the head, but only one seam. Of course, for a shorty that uses the stock switch, the measurements will be different again.

This video is on the newer style tail cap switch I've been doing. It's different from the old one, so I thought I would show how it's done.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BEAM SHOTS

ISO 100, F:2.7, Daylight WB, Shutter 1 second.

2aaa

Here's the 2AAA light against the garage door. I don't know what degree the TIR optic is, but it's a total flooder.

2aa15

Here is the 2AA light and I have a MOUSE OVER for the two TIR optics. The first photo (mouse out), is the 15 degree optic. The second photo (mouse over), is the 45 degree optic.

I have done mouse overs on the 1D reflectors as well.

1ds1

Here, the first photo (mouse out) is the shorter of the two CNQG reflectors I use. The second photo (mouse over), is the deep reflector from CNQG that I use. The short reflector is 51.2mmX29.5mm and the deep reflector is 52mmX40mm. The next shots show you that the short reflector is a tighter thrower than the deep one? Maybe It's not the depth, it's the diameter and the actual reflector profile.

1ds2

I took the shutter speed to 1/15 second, to show a better shot of the actual hot spot on both the reflectors for the 1D. The first photo (mouse out), is the shallow reflector and the second photo (mouse over), is the deep reflector.

These next two shots are done with 2 seconds shutter speed. The images are not zoomed in, but merely cropped. The distance is around 80+ yards. This is with the Shallow reflector, which has a tighter hot spot than the deep reflector.

1ds3

1ds4

OH, here's a shot of the two TIR optics for the 2AA light

2t

That's it. The set of three will go up for sale soon.

3

Very cool indeed… the vid too :smiley:

I’ve got a general modding question if it’s ok to ask without taking your thread off topic. When you cut down a D MagLite to a 1D, how are you threading the barrel for the tail cap? I ask as I wouldn’t mind trying this, but I’m not sure how to do it or what tools I’d need to borrow/acquire.

Thanks.

4

Old-Lumens "OK, you now know for sure that I'm going over the edge, rather quickly, so I will get to the Modding."

If this is going over the edge I cant wait. I just got the best of Cream. My 19 year old son likes the plain button and when asked why he thought the colored one looked a bit girly. Maybe I'm girly but I like both. I'm looking forward to the comparison of the two different TIR optics.

5

I like the plain button more than the abalone shell.

I think for the 1D you should go for an xpg-2 in an aspheric! Or even in a reflector it would still have some sick throw to it.

6

[quote=MRsDNF]

Old-Lumens “OK, you now know for sure that I’m going over the edge, rather quickly, so I will get to the Modding.”

If this is going over the edge I cant wait. I just got the best of Cream. My 19 year old son likes the plain button and when asked why he thought the colored one looked a bit girly. Maybe I’m girly but I like both. I’m looking forward to the comparison of the two different TIR optics.

[/quote

Off topic but you have to get the Cream reunion from 2005, “Cream live at Royal Albert Hall”, Bluray or DVD. I am so glad they got back together for a few nights to do this.

7

Abalone

8

plain :slight_smile:

the abalone clashes with the green to me. Does remind me of some paua jewelry I made for my wife years and years ago though.

9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQKweeTHZu0&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_0WaW5YWFs&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/user/OldLumens/videos

A rotary tool is just about a necessity to do it the way that is shown above.

10

Ya, it does clash with the green. I like the plain too. The shell would be good on black.

11

Use a cabochon emerald for the button…

12

The 2AA will become a single 14500 light and the 2AAA will become a single 10440 light. EDIT: 10/19 I can see major issues with making the AA and AAA into single cell. The wall thickness is terriblely thin, so I am going to leave them 2AA ans 2AAA. If someone wants to use Li-ion, I can always make a dummy cell for them. Also, I imagine I will just use a TIR optic in the AAA instead of an aspheric. The problem is with using the tail cap as the on/off. The tail cap threads inside the body are not anodized well enough and just screwing the tail cap on, would make contact in the threads, so there would not be any off, till the tail cap was taken out. That's no good, so I will leave it as a TIR and use the head for on/off, like I always do.

New ideas are great, but they don't always work out...

13

The tailcap wouldn't work? It works fine on mine...

14

Nope, I tested it. I think the quality of the Maglites is slipping. I have noticed this in the newer lights I am getting. They have more minor defects in them. I see both visual and functional. I would bet it’s because of having to reduce the labor force there, which they have been doing. Threads are not as smooth, anodizing is more patchy, little marks that shouldn’t be there, due to improper cleaning before anodizing, etc. I have noticed lots of that kind of thing, but I inspect them harder than most probably do, so I see more. Their quality has slipped some and that’s expected and sad too.

15

Thank you, very interesting videos :slight_smile:

16

I’ve wanted a Green Mag since I was a little kid. Never have got one. You don’t see any of the cool colours in Canada on the shelves. Spoesin now I could just buy one online.

I like the Nickel button better as well.

17

Thanks for these threads they are very inspiring! Where did you get the reflector for the D mag?

18

Green is hard to find. Zbattery is where I found these three.

19

CNQualityGoods CNQG. They have two that can be used for maglites, but they both require “massaging”, to fit. Material has to be taken off the reflector OD or the head ID.

20

Really? Definitely troubling if your word is to be believed (it is). The hardware store that I buy hosts from has no stock newer than Jan. 2009. How recent is this phenomenon?

Loved that slick Blue Brothers build you did last (or earlier this?) year. You can make that 1AAA size direct drive Nichia aspheric with a green Solitaire—the 2AAA Minimag head screws on to a Solitaire without any fuss. Grinding off threads from the 2AAA body should allow the Soli head to screw far enough on the 2AAA to cover the o-ring. Voilà, instant (<— as if) 2AAA penlight and a tiny 1AAA Nichia aspheric for a green quartet

edit: make that another vote for the nickel button

21

Slim, I just tested a 2AAA head on a solitaire and it did not screw onto it.