In fact I respect that. I don’t hate you man. I think you are like myself in plenty of stuff 
Well that makes it two - KKK and MEM, but maybe it’s just the one and same method. It’s a shame though - there’s not too many secrets around here. Some hide driver designs, code or otherwise.
Tom, dedoming XML is the easiest thing in the world- especialy those u3 and u4 bins, i try gas dedoming from time to time, just watch for 2 things:
- the gas must be fresh
- the temp should be above 20 deg C, if its 70-80 , the better
I have a very hard time dedoming XPL v6 bins atm, all of them, the sillicone fells off pretty easy from everything but the core 
Cree changed it somehow i am pretty sure-v5s and v4s are way too easy to clean dedome though
Hust bought nice 3m welding glasses, i will master the hot dedome while emitter is running now:)
From my own experiences the jury is still bout gas vs. hot method. I see tint shifts with both, and can’t notice any difference. The other issue is do we see droppage of high amps, or not. Again, from my own experiences hard to say.
Gas is good but there are possible other methods than can be better and easier. MEM showed what can be done with right fluid experiment… So we could say that MEM has perfect de dome method.
Good idea… But this hot dedoming is also pain a but… We can do it after emitter reflow or with direct drive to 18650 battery but then we need to solder wires, and then unsolder them again. Heat + knife or scalpel is a lot of stress for emitter and even then some junk can stay on emitter… A lot of practice needs to be taken for this method + to have good young eyes and firm hand.
A big hello to fellow flashalolics!
I’ve had my first go at dedoming an XM-L today, wasn’t as smooth as anticipated.
Washing gasoline/benzine (is it the correct term? Hydrocarbon mixture, C5-C10 / special gasoline 80/110 100%, as seen on label) was used for a bath of 12+3 hours.
After the initial 12 hours, the dome didn’t release entirely, one corner still clinged on. After removing it, and further 3 hours in the fluid, some pieces of the dome were still on the phosphor.
Upon trying to carefully removing first via gentle IPA stream, followed by careful mechanical tinkering, a bit of phosphor fell off. 
Note: the silicone was not nearly as dry/brittle and easy to remove as some of you have experienced. I guess this liquid isn’t the perfect choice whatsoever. Maybe if it was somewhat warmer? (was room temp, about 22 °C)
The end result isn’t quite tidy and neat, but it’s working; some blue/UV tint is noticeable, just as the yield in beam width and intensity, which was my main goal anyway. Tint change is not noticeable at this range. 
The light is an STL-V6, some further testing is still to be done, but now it definitely is a real thrower!
Relative beam width was measured at about 320 cm, ISO 100, 1/400 s, F8. The label is in hungarian, maybe it helps something.
- Whoops, link was bad, fixed.
Try with fresh eurosuper 95 or 98 , warm environment(25+ C), It should fell off in about 1-2 hour.
I wonder if he minds having the W switched with a K…
There’s secrets everywhere, the harder you look. I feel a method is a method, no matter what method, someone has their work behind it.
OLight uses gas. Trust me; they don’t all look great. I just pulled 10 XPLs from OLight M3XS Javelots last night. Not because they were that bad, but because the LEDs were simply coming out.
I think I give a fair share of info out around here. I think, based on some of the books I write. :–5
I do build custom light models for customers, and I’ve put a lot of money into stocking everything from the hosts, optics and LEDs, out to the machinery and 3D printer. Especially recently. Naturally there’s some things I do that I like to feel are my developed methods. So, I try to help with what I can, but it’s just the name of the game that sometimes I can’t give all my hard work away for free. That and a bad experience I actually had with sharing a method once, that ended up selling a lot of flashlights, and making a name for someone else. Left a bad taste in my mouth. But, it was my fault. I hope you guys will understand.
Same happens with gas if done properly.
Maybe there is some gel that could work? Like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/UniBond-1584200-Silicone-Sealant-Remover/dp/B006FTEU10
MEM - I'm just a little frustrated because I feel like there's a carrot dangling in front of my face, but I understand from an IP perspective you don't want a manufacturer stealing the idea from a public posting on this forum.
I am clueless where to draw the line, but for me it's only a hobby. There's been lots of suggestions of different chemicals, but the lack of test results (over time, output, tint effect, etc.) kind of scares me off to go and try them, since gas is pretty well proven, but has all these reported negatives for output and tint which I can't, beyond a reasonable doubt, prove myself. I think/believe though what you stated previously on gas is correct - done the right away eliminates those negatives. Also with the addition of heat, seems like it should help because it reduces the time in the gas, from what's reported. I'll definitely be trying added heat next time, just how, not sure yet, but probably the warm water method, replenishing a couple of times.
I have been using Goof Off also. Great results. Guessing an hour or less with a few cuts.
I am getting ready to attempt a 219C
EDiT— 45 minutes later dome is off the 219C.
Soaked 10 minutes made 3 cuts. Soaked and cut again.
EDiT 2— In C8 with 3.04 Q-lite. I am getting less lemons and less lux vrs XML2 dome on.
Here, a today dedomed U3 0D : the hot gas method( made it especialy for that topic), usualy i hot dedome, its a good thing to have some residue especialy on the bond wires
And they always came like that, all U3-U4 bins: ALWAYS with a hot gas method: 3 hours tops in a fresh gas, then some clean alchohol clean up and voila
No milicandelas loss too: if they overstay in the gas there is a lumen loss ofc
Yet, XPL V6 bins are either hard to dedome electricaly or with gas- only V6 bins, V5 1A isnt like that, also V4 3D or V5 2A, there is always some residue atached to the core
How do you keep gasoline hot/warm mitko?
Just put the jar with the emitters in a 50-60 heaten water( i dedome 5-6 pcs at once usualy)
XML2s are easy, i wanna see how one is perfectly deoming XPL V6s .
That is called “banjamaria” in my hometown . It is used to slowly warm up food without risk of burning it. Nice idea Mitko, thanks.
So the 219C dedomes!! That is really good news.
Dedoming 219c? Why? it would never reach the XPG2 output, it would lost its gorgeous CRI great time too, whats the point in it?
It warmed it up a touch, but I don’t think its worth the loss in lumens. 160@ 3amps.
I just had to try
Tom E,
Today I tried thinner,
It is very good, faster than gas(about 30 minutes on room temperature). Also I noticed it evaporates faster than gas(but who cares?).
It eats the bottom harder flat layer of dome much better than gas.
Please try it asap and report.
I did it like this: little cut around dome with scalpel, 30 minutes in thinner than isopropyl alcohol bath and after that compressor air cleaned it (don’t worry compressed air can’t destroy it).
I agree with you on this one. It is good to have residue on wires. You can leave them with gas method but you must be fast (under 1 hour).