The 6th Annual BLF / Old Lumens Scratch Made Light Contest

Giveaways and Contests
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The 6th Annual BLF / Old Lumens Scratch Made Light Contest

is Now CLOSED - Judges are working hard - Results will be published in ~2 weeks!

http://free.timeanddate.com/countdown/i47vbc67/cf12/cm0/cu4/ct0/cs0/ca0/cr0/ss0/cac000/cpc000/pcfff/tcfff/fs100/szw320/szh135/tatTime%20left%20to%20build/tac000/tptTime%20since%20Event%20finished/tpc000/mac000/mpc000/iso2018-12-01T00:00:00

Hello everyone,

The contest officially starts as of this posting and it runs until November 30th at Midnight (UTC).

Common Rules for All Contestants:

  • Build time is 2018/9/1 - 2018/11/30 (older builds can't be included)
  • You must make a build thread and you must be able to show clearly legible photos of the progress of the build
  • The better your thread, the better your chances, since we can only judge on what you show us in your thread
  • No outside services allowed => You cannot send your parts or light out for someone else to work on it, or to Anodize it or plate it (read: All work must be done by you!)
  • Must be made from scratch = Cannot use a pre-existing light
  • Must be a hand held and battery operated light (Read: Loosely classed as a flashlight. Lanterns and similar are ok. Loosely classified as battery: Also other portable energy sources are allowed)
  • Single or multiple emitter, driver and battery configurations are allowed
  • You may use some manufactured components such as; reflectors, P60 drop-ins, drivers, LEDs, “O”-Rings, switches or lenses
  • You may not use manufactured flashlight parts such as: a bezel, body, tail cap or head
  • You may enter with only one build, in only One Category: Machine Made OR Hand Made
  • If something is not mentioned in these rules, feel free to use your common sense, or think "What would Old-Lumens do?"

Hand Made Category:

  • All hand tools are acceptable, as well as these power tools:
    • Soldering gun/station
    • Electric Drill / Drill Press
    • Dremel style Rotary tool
    • Cutoff Saw including Band Saw and Table Saw
    • Disc or Belt sander
  • No other power tools, for example:
    • Lathes
    • End Mills
    • or automated machines

Machine Made Category:

  • Can be made using machines such as a Lathe or End Mill, or what I would consider machines found in a machine shop, or any other tools listed in the hand made category

A panel of judges composed of current members of BLF, from all walks of life and from different countries, will judge the winners of the competition. I will be one of the judges as well.

What do we judge the contestants on?

  • Uniqueness/Innovativeness of the build: Is it a one of a kind? Different? Using New methods?
  • Skill level of the finished build: Does it look like a hack job? Or were the finished parts/assemblies done with skill and care?
  • Thoroughness of the build thread: Did the builder do a good job of showing and explaining to the forum, how he did the steps in the build?
  • Documenting also the failures & obstacles: How did the builder solve the inevitable problems? Documenting the obstacles and using the power of the BLF community to solve them is seen as a big plus!
  • Possible new driver design or custom firmware is seen as a plus (especially when shared and open source in a true BLF spirit)
  • Following the guidelines: Did the builder follow the rules and guidelines written in the contest thread?

Contestants: Please remember to PM me with a link to your Build Thread.

POST your Build Threads HERE in the "Giveaways and Contests" category PLEASE

I will keep all of the links in Post #2, so people can easily find all the builds.

Thank you.

PRIZES:

+ bragging rights for at least a year!

I'd like to thank the sponsors for their generosity, and would like to see all BLFers supporting their business: Please look to them when purchasing quality lights and accessories:

Still seeking for more good sponsors - PM me if you are a store owner wanting to donate something or have good relations to any good store that would like to sponsor this great contest, thanks! Good publicity guaranteed!

Prizes will be distributed by the same method than last year: Winner of the Hand Made category will select the one he wants, winner of the Machine made category will pick next, followed by the 2nd place in Hand Made, etc. (continued as long as there are any prizes left)

Let the modding begin and remember to have fun! :)

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Links to build threads

Hand Made Category:

Machine Made Category:

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Subscribed :partying_face:
Let the fun begin and thanks for putting this together again =the= :wink:

4

Alright! I’m looking forward to seeing what people come up with this year! I may or may not enter. I haven’t been able to finish my builds in the past. We’ll see!

5

As far as i know i am in but i only have ideas thus far.

Whats going on with the mentors? Can we help people if we are also enteted into the comp? It would be awesome to see new people join in. Maybe offering assistants will encourage entries?

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Unfortunately it pains me to say that dnf is not entering this year. Unfortunately I have made personal plans for most of this period.
I thanks the sponsors for their continued support and we should all be supporting them when we can.
the has again gone out of his way to make this happen on behalf of Old Lumens, thanks also.
And to the entrants, all the best. I’m looking forward to what you bring to the table. Its the most excited this old Moose gets these days watching the creations evolve you all build. :slight_smile: :beer:

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I know how you feel. I’m gonna try pick something a little easier to reach the finish line with.

Thanks for doing this again the :beer:

Edit: what! No dnf build this year :cry:

8

I’m in! Just got my first parts order this week, all the remaining body parts will be cut out of Cu sheet.

9

Yeah, if I can think of something that would be somewhat unique and special, and be possible for me to finish on time, I might still enter. I love these contests and I feel bad that fewer members are entering each year. I don’t really want to be one of the drop-outs. But, if I can’t make a finished light anyway, then I don’t want to kid myself. :weary:

I too am sorry we won’t see a dnf creation in the contest this year. :cry:

10

Hmm. I’m not a great fabricator, but I might try my luck in Hand Made. If I can come up with something, this will be my first time entering.

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I have been lurking every so often for the past half year or so. Too many things on my plate, but I need a fun break every so often. Sadly, I have not even modded a light this year so far, though the ones I have do get used, including last years contest entry. :slight_smile: I have an idea for a hand build but it may be too grandioise a dream for available time… It doesn’t even have any wood dreamed into it yet. :open_mouth: We’ll have to brainstorm harder and then get a start. So I am a likely to enter guy at this point. Heaven knows there are probably enough odds ‘n’ ends around here to do something.

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Subscribed (for following this thread currently).
Great success to every participant!

I have an idea by myself but don’t know currently if it’s really feasible and if I find the time for realisation.

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Yeah. I feel pretty bad about this but I’m heading OS on LSL with my 81 year old father, wife and daughter. When we get back I’m heading to Alice Springs for a week.

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Family first!

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I Thank “The” in advance and I think he really captures the Ol Curmudgeons Spirit.

With that said I assumed (yes I know that does not mean “true”) that one of the underlying assumptions/goals is to have the greatest number of persons/lights entered completed efforts. My specific point is that contest entries should only be allowed once (but when an entry is not completed on time) it seems to me that with the exception of “time range” upon adhering to the balance of rules that person should have the option to enter once officially.

To put it differently I find it unfair to (via the rules) negate all the hard work that was done for a prior contest entry (when that Light was not completed i.e. “not officially evaluated as part of the contest”) to be eliminated as an option for the next (or other proceeding years).

Bottom line it is a lot of time and expense and upon complying with the rules of the contest (as noted except the time frame) it should be fair for each light and “entrant” to have its/their day.

Discuss…

16

If I understand what you mean, you believe or propose that any previous years project that was not completed by that contest years deadline should be allowed to be entered in this years contest. Sort of like dropping out of the Boston Marathon in 2017 and then being allowed to enter the 2018 marathon at the position you stopped in 2017?

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Yeah, I’m not a fan of that proposal for several reasons. Most obvious is that part of the contest is to get it done during the time frame.

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The people have spoken

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Bump to keep this on the front page.

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:beer: BUMP