Yes, I know that plastic reflectors usually come in in cheap lights unworthy of modding so if I get any responses, I’ll be lucky
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I recently got a Jacob A60 (third hand) and the extension tube for my old convoy C8 fits better on the Jacob than on the C8 so , I’m seriously considering modding the jacob with an xhp50 LED with at least 4A to the LED (mtn max driver) but don’t want to destroy the reflector since I can’t find any sort of replacement.
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Irregardless of my modding hopes, have you ever melted a reflector due to heat from the LED?
I badly deformed one in a flashlight that used pressure from the reflector to hold down the ledboard. Optically, plastic reflectors can be great, perhaps better than aluminium, but it must be mounted stress-free, and I guess in really high power mods they could melt.
I melted/smoked a lot of stuff, but ironically not the reflector.
I forget all the different mods that resulted in smoke/melting. But one of the first, I tried to copy OL on a Maglite and modded a cheap Fastech AA carrier and ended up melting the plastic battery carrier and tearing up a Eneloop.
It worked for short bursts.
I would not worry about that. You will put insulator in front of reflector anyway. But imho xhp50 can't give good throw neither it will give nice beam. But what a heck maybe I am wrong. looking forward to see this mod.
To improve the beam, but kill throw further, you can sand the dome of the XHP50/70, just tested that last week: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/35180#comment-806092
Haven't melted plastic reflector yet in usage. Have driven XM-L2 singles and XM-L2 triple at 7 amps and MT-G2 at 13 amps with plastic reflectors.
I did melt a reflector once when playing with focus. The back of the reflector touched the top of an MT-G2 running at 13 amps. Instant melt. The temp difference from the top of the die to the sides/corners of emitter is quite large if properly heat sinked.
The reflector in my twisty direct drive SS-5039 deformed so that the twist switch action didn’t work right, when I had it on for five or ten minutes. I am not sure of the current, maybe starting around two amps. That was one of my first pair of Efest 10440s that put out more current than the ones I bought later.
I canalized a Black Cat for an aluminum reflector for it.
djozz, yes, that’s exactly what i was going to do with the LED. The jacob came with a dedomed xpg and I totally disliked the beam. besides a pencil spot, the reflector is a little ringy so I figure a bigger LED with some scuffing would work better. I might be in a little trouble since I only have thermal paste and no epoxy so, the reflector was going to be used to press the star down to the HS. Maybe I’ll widen the opening a bit so the plastic is a good 2mm away from the LED. (or maybe I should just scrape up and buy some thermal epoxy. lol.
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David, do you remember the mods that melted reflectors?
Not with an led but my first dive light was a pelican King-D 8 cell with a twin filament bulb(separate circuits). Instructions said not to leave it on out of water. Oops. Replaced the reflector and later did one of my earliest mods. Triple/triple XRE, with three MCE’s on the second circuit, Hflex driver from 30 4/5 subc nimh’s. Took two years to get it right then cannibalized the cells for night riding.
At the moment I only have a de-domed (unintentionally) MTG2 so put that in the light with the zener moded Qlite. The beam is BEAUTIFUL however, zener moded qlites, don’t like floating so the light didn’t even get hot before the 7135s started shutting down. I sort of soldered in a 16gauge wire as interface between qlite and stock board and it works ok now. I’m a little hesitant to run it for long though because 1) I widened the surface where the star sits to accommodate a 20mm star and am not 100% confident that it was a good job since I use a chisel, knife and screwdriver to do it. hahahha. 2) The head and bezel screws in all the way so I’m not sure if the LED is being compressed by the reflector. Yes, I need thermal epoxy
I sort of soldered in a 16gauge wire as interface between qlite and stock board and it works ok now. I’m a little hesitant to run it for long though because 1) I widened the surface where the star sits to accommodate a 20mm star and am not 100% confident that it was a good job since I use a chisel, knife and screwdriver to do it. hahahha. 2) The head and bezel screws in all the way so I’m not sure if the LED is being compressed by the reflector. Yes, I need thermal epoxy 
Next plan is to use a 5A driver.