I recently purchased a DRY which I love except for one thing: it's inability to accept cr123a batteries. So I decided to do something about that, and than this project was born. :)
Start with some 3/8 inch aluminum rod purchased at the hardware store. I got 8 feet for 10 dollars so one piece will make many.
Cut it to length. 67 mm is the length of a protected 18650 and 34 mm is the length of a cr123a so 67-34=33. So the spacer must be 33 millimeters long.
Take some 3/4 inch heatshrink tubing and slide it over the aluminum rod.
Use a blow dryer to heat it up so it tightens down over the rod.
Then take some electrical tape and wrap it until it is about 17 mm thick. Then take the 3/4 inch heat shrink and slide it over that. Again use a hair dryer to shrink it.
Then put it in with a cr123 and your done. :) All in all this mod took 30 minutes including some experimentation to figure out how to to do it.
i love this site. at least once week I see a picture that reminds me of how I over complicate everything.
I'd been thinking of some similar ways to do this (though I don't use cr123), but I think you hit the easiest I've seen. I even have a large plano sort box of brass wood screws....
on second though, maybe I'll just use steel instead of wasting the long ones on spacers...
Yes I am aware of the risks of mixing cr123s and 18650s. I just took that picture then since I had not yet finished the rest of them. I am currently planning on using surefire brand cr123a batteries.
