Copper p60 pills and mag heatsinks-gauging interest.

Hey PCC, I’ve been thinking along the same lines. I only recently noticed the L2Ts have straight inner sidewalls unlike 6Ps which slope inward towards the battery tube. A drop-in like an Olight M20 module’s pill would provide way better thermal conductivity…hmm…

Tell us more :slight_smile:

I’ll have a post about it when it’s done.

Since I play with Maglites, I can see why people don’t bother to make heatsinks and sell them. Unfortunately, the tube ID is an odd size and it means having to machine the OD of the heat sink. That takes money, no matter what you do and to make them affordable, if you went to a shop, you would have to order hundreds, to get the price down a little. Even then, you would be “giving them away”. Truth is, it is expensive to mod Maglites (and do it correctly). With the onslaught of thousands of Chinese lights, the demand for Maglites has faded in the modding community, so making parts for them just isn’t economically feasible, like it used to be. If I had to have a run of 500 heatsinks made, to get a good price, I would have to sit on them till I died.

If you want a cheap (affordable, sorry), heat sink for a maglite, go to a local shop that sells aluminum round stock and have them cut a piece for you. Just choose the size that is a little smaller than the tube ID, like 1-1/4” for a “D” maglite and then wrap it with some copper sheet, till it fits. That is the cheapest way you are going to find.

The demand just isn’t there near as much as it used to be. With tons of 3 XM-L lights, for under $50 USD, there’s no reason, for most people, to even bother with Maglites any more. Truthfully, they are Dinosaurs, but since I am a Dinosaur, I still love them to death!

I’m done……

OL sums it up really well. I’m giving Mag heatsinks away at $25 each in aluminum. You’d think that it should take an hour to whip one up on my lathe, but, the simple fact is that it takes two or three hours to make a simple aluminum heatsink. Now multiply that by a factor of three or four and that’s how long it takes me to make a simple copper heatsink. Copper is difficult to machine. Precision Works on CPF summarized it as copper takes just as much effort to work as stainless steel or titanium and the cost should reflect it. Would you pay $100 for a simple copper heatsink for your Mag? Would you pay $35 for a copper P60 pill that will only provide a minimal of increase in performance over brass at more than 10 the cost? I’d say no to the copper P60 pill, but, the Mag heatsink would depend on how many Watts I plan on driving the emitter at. Even then, the heatsink alone would increase the money invested in your project to the point where it’s just not economically feasible.

+1 for a P60 heatsink at a decent price

Teaser shot of the aluminum trial fit piece to gauge depth. The copper version will be about 2.5mm shorter.

Second teaser shot of something very similar done for a Surefire.

U_235, I’m not trying to hijack your post, just throwing ideas out there.

First I want to say I am sorry to all who have been waiting on an update for these. I was counting on having a trades school near me run a batch of these for me as a school project. It is the only way to keep the cost low enough to make it worthwhile.

I went in for a routine knee surgery in May, and thought when I was off work I would have time to go there. Had a second surgery a week after my knee, to remove a growth from my lower back from an old injury I got years ago. There is where the problems start! Turns out it was grown into my spine and hip and was over 6 pounds. Had drains in for 8 weeks and could not sit or really move. Just basically had a fit of depression and totally forgot about the flashlight stuff. I have recently got back to work, but looks like there is problems with my back again and may have to go in for more surgery and be out of work again. With all of my doctor appointments and such I have had no time to see if I could get this done now that school is back in. Money is not the best now either.

Again I am very sorry for no updates but I truly forgot all about it. I am in better spirits as of late, but do not know what I can get done. With buying the material and throwing the students a pizza party and giving the school a donation I would have to make a bunch to keep the price as cheap as I would like.

Don’t be sorry, back problems are really a pain. I wish you good and fast health recovery.

Just curious, why aluminium? isn’t copper the better conductor

Yes, but aluminium is much cheaper and easier to machine.

Ouch! U_235.

I am sorry to hear that. I hope you will recover completely from your ailments. So that you have excess energy to do hobby stuff again. I completely understand how the depression thing you went through can suck all the energy out of you to the point where lots of stuff just is forgotten. It's good to hear that you are on the recovery though. I will keep my fingers crossed...

Please get well, U_235.

Thanks for the kind words! I have so much work at home backed up I do not know where to begin. I hope to be playing with flashlight stuff again soon, and have some xpg-2s on order. Still in a little bit of a blue funk, but Im feeling better.

On a lighter note. Do you have yellow cake for your birthday U-235?

/rimshot.

Good one.

:open_mouth:

Best of health to you!!!

Nah, I prefer marble. Plus to much of that yellow cake is not good for ya.

Keep smiling and visit the daily joke thread often. I hope you feel well enough to pursue your hobby again soon.

U_235, any updates? I hope youre feeling better these days.

Im still looking for copper rebel mag D heat sinks… as are many, many of us.