For some flashlights, the stock spring on a Nanjg 105c driver is a little too short. BLF has several fixes for this. Here’s one more using spent/fired large pistol or large rifle Boxer primer cups.
Do NOT play with live/unfired primers.
I remove the anvil with small pliers and clean the primer cup with fine steel wool. Notch the primer lip for level fit on spring, then pre-tin the primer and spring. I whittled a custom clamp from a wood clothespin for holding the primer in position, and a dab of Elmer’s glue helps keep the primer stuck to the clothespin. This jig allows easy soldering all around for a solid joint. I trim away excess solder and smooth the joint with steel wool.
Filed or sanded to your favorite height, these primers can even make flat top cells into button tops.
Two whittled clothespins are handy for spot-soldering the driver to the pill. The soft wood is gentle on components and won’t scratch through traces.
FastTech always tells me their 5mm diameter brass doodads are “sold out”.
Fired, large primers tend to swell a bit to almost 5.5mm, which is even better. I pick through to avoid the nickel-plated ones – not sure why.
Another benefit is having a piece of firearm in my flashlight.
Word has a drawing toolbar, fairly simple and handy for vector drawings, kept in the document as .wmf.
Copied to the clipboard, some graphic apps allow to import / paste these drawings. Here, I used Paint.net to convert / save as .gif for posting.
Converting to .jpg makes even worse pixilation.
Inkscape is another free, powerful vector drawing app. Similar to the expensive Adobe Illustrator, you have to be smarter than me to use it properly. A lot smarter. Might get a 12-year-old to show you.
Maybe this makes sense. If not, I’m happy to explain further whatever I know.
I used to post pictures, but the firmware dog-farts at Olympus disabled my camera. My only SmartMedia card will no longer format. If anyone has a couple of working 3.3V SmartMedia cards, I’m ready to trade.
I have an old digital camera in a box that I would send you for the cost of shipping. It is at least 10 megapixel, takes an SD/SDHC card, and runs off of AA batteries. I think I can fit it in a 000 bubble mailer, so shipping would be under $5. Also, thanks for the tip! My dad reloads so I should have a great supply of spent primers.
