El trío terrible

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

The terrible Twos. 2D LED, 2C LED, 2AA LED Maglite mods.

I haven't done a threesome in a while. Figured it was time again. This is, believe it or not, a short post about what I did.

A little file work always helps.

The 2C (ML25) light uses a new style mounting for the led and the stock light is a twisty design. I drove out the stock pill and I had Dale make a new one, that would fit back in place and also fill the space a dummy cell would be, to get some more mass for heat transfer. I fitted a momentary switch into the side of it and made a switch hole in the body. The LED is an XP-G2 on a 10mm mcpcb and the driver is one of RMM's FET drivers.

The tail cap spring was shortened and put down into the tail cap. I used a cheapy Chinese 26650/18650 sleeve, so I can use an 18650 cell.

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For the 2AA, I wanted to keep it working just like the stock light, where you twist down the head to turn it off and twist up the head to turn it on. I had Dale make a pill for this, with the taper of the stock pill and the length to fill where the dummy cell would be. The led is an XP-E2 and the driver is RMM's 12mm FET driver.

This fits and works, but the whole thing will still fall out the bottom, as the stock pill uses a plastic ring to hold it in, so I came up with a copper ring that is glued to the top and the pill will not fall out now.

It also works for a base that the reflector can turn against without hurting the reflector bottom end. The spring did not have to be modified.

The 2D has an MT-G2 led in it, with one of RMM's FET drivers in it. It uses 2x26650 cells and has a sleeve for using 2x18650 cells if desired. I did not do photos, as it is the same method I have used for quite some time. I just gut the stock switch and use the housing for the momentary switch, with a flat round Aluminum heat sink and the driver. I think the video below explains some of it, if necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54JzMlZuur4

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I was at work, so the beam shots are not the usual, nor are they very impressive, but all three lights are much brighter than stock. I ended up stippling both the 2D and 2C stock reflectors and sanded the dome of the MT-G2 as well. The 2AA still uses the stock SMO reflector and it is the only "thrower" of the bunch, but it will flat out throw 300 meters+, so that's not too bad for a 2AA Maglight. Not super bright, but a tight beam.

2D MT-G2

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2C XP-G2

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2AA XP-E2

Unfortunately, none of these pictures do the lights justice, as they are all much brighter than they came out with this crappy camera, or maybe the crappy camera user.

Glam shots

That's all folks.

2

awesome light especially the MT-G2,too bad i’ve never seen any maglite sold at my place

3

You sneaky dog posting so late. Even Scaru would have had a hard time staying up to nab this set. Always something different too. I’d like to get my mitts on one of the new Mags but they don’t sell them around here. I like the way you matched the switch hole on the one added to the 2C. On the AA, contact is made when the tail spring pushes the aluminum pill into the under side of the lip, yes? Clever how you duplicated that detail.

4

Very nice. Its always interesting to read about someone else’s threesome. Personally I dont reckon I’d have the energy. :stuck_out_tongue:
You certainly haven’t lost your touch on the hand file grooves. They look as sweet as ever. The little XPE2 must be screaming with that Fet driver pushing it along. I love the little buggers myself in small lights.
Its also good to see you have got Dale to do some productive work for yourself. Thanks for sharing. :slight_smile:

5

Those mirror finishing tailcaps are sick! :smiley:

6

I might be wrong but I’ve seen Old Lumens making a video using his lathe, the grooves are a nice touch along with the end cap. :wink:

It would be nice to have your motivation, I have a 3D Maglite and it almost went in the bin last week but I decided to keep it incase I needed an aluminium tube for something.

7

Wow. That file work and polishing right up against the anodize like that… Godly. I like the real long heatsinks too, that’s smart.

Bout time to fix the deck eh? heheh

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Yes, just like the stock pill. Clever how Dale made that detail. I sent him a stock pill and told him the OAl and he did the rest.

I got the 2C (ML25LT) from Amazon. The 2AA and 2D came out of Home Depot or Wal-Mart. I should have used the new 2D (ML300L), because it has the same tapered head as the ML25LT, but they are a little expensive. It would have looked better though, for all 3 lights to have heads that matched as far as profile goes.

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Can’t tell you how many lights I have ruined with just one slip of the file, LOL. More than a few for sure. I ruined the first head on the 2C and had to do another one.

I would love to make something as a simple replacement for the 2AA just like this. Not with the copper piece on top, but using the stock plastic ring that holds the pill in, but those things always seem to break when removing the stock pill and Maglite doesn't offer replacements. It would be easy to just cut the groove where that plastic ring locks in, but without replacements, most people would not be able to make the change easily. It would be great though, to offer something like that. I wanted to do it with the newer 2D too, but those new "in the switch body" drivers are hard to get around. RMM and others worked on all that with me, but it never went anywhere.

10

O-L, el grande Lord del Elbow Grease. :wink:

11

Beautiful lights! And using the cell space for heat sinking is ingenious, solving 2 issues at once.

Phil

12

Me gusta.

13

When you are modding Maglite’s again , I say to myself “all is well with the world!”

14

Old-lumens do you know if the ML25LT head will fit on the ML50L body?

15

Threads like this one and the many others like it are a resource to be cherished. The answer to the previous question if found should be added to the “what lego’s with what” thread.

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Sub

17

Are these going to be sold? I’ll take the D cell. :heart_eyes:

18

It’s not a new thread, the lights were sold earlier this year.

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Oh yeah, I probly should have checked that!! Duh!! :person_facepalming: