Since I'm constantly fiddling around with my Old-Lumens MiniMag battery configurations, I'm always needing an odd sized blank. An idea had been floating around in my head for an adjustable blank, but I couldn't find the part I needed because I didn't know what the darn thing was called.
Today I was at Home Depot, looked up, and there it was.
Its called a Chicago Screw!
They come in various sizes, with available extensions. The only other thing you need is some kind of plastic or rubber washer that fits onto the spindle, and is about the same diameter as your battery. I don't know what the hell the things I used are for, but they were close by, and they fit.
I wanted to get a little more runtime than a 14500, but I needed a special size blank to run this Sanyo 14650.
So there you have it, an easy to assemble adjustable blank. Now that I know it's called a Chicago Screw, it's easy to find. They're everywhere.
I have only used Chicago Screws for 40 years! BUT... it never struck me to do that! I don't like the head slot.... but I will certainly modify the long drawn out process that I use to make the spacers from now on!! . ... THANKS!
@Ouchyfoot Any idea on your plastic/rubber washers there? Like do they have a name or part # ? Cool, cool idea
Home Depot is really lacking on these, their longest was a 1”. I got mine @ Lowe’s. I tried doing a 2” spacer (for an aa battery) with regular nylon washers and hot glued them on each end. Didn’t work out too well and heat transferred from the light through the spacer to the battery.
I don’t know how you are getting heat transfer through your batteries. Sounds like something’s wrong. Put the spacer at the tail of the light, but then the heat will be transferring into the cell in the front. Shouldn’t be happening, are you using a Li-Ion? Maybe you have a bad cell. Be careful.
Just take your battery and screw into Home Depot. Your sure to find something made of nylon or fiber that fits perfectly.
Well, guess I’ll try HD again and see if I can find something for the washers on the ends. I just was in such a hurry after seeing your brilliant idea that I just put something together as a prototype. I’m doing this on one of the Defiant 2aa lights. The head starts getting warm after 5-10 min w/aa eneloops. Only way I could make this work atm was to place the spacer 1st as the 14500 batt is a flat top and can’t hit the pos terminal. So, after about 5-10 minutes, the head of the light was heating up but the aluminum spacer was even warmer and sending that heat through to the cell. Maybe I’ll try a small magnet on top of the flat top cell and then put the spacer at the end. None the less, this is a great idea for a spacer!
The heat will still transfer through the battery. Metal is metal, whether its a spacer or a battery. I think your bigger problem is heat management in the head. Heat shouldn’t be finding a thermal pathway down through your cells.
