I'm the furthest person from a mechanic, but my flashaholism has reached such a staggering level of infatuation/intoxication that I must learn how to build mods of my own. I know it will be a learning process and will require time, but I am looking for a beginner's guide, a comprehensive breakdown of what all is needed with how it will be put together.
I had mentally pictured doing a 2D Mag mod with an SST-90, as well as some 2C XM-L mods. I had even planned to mod my 6V Wally World lantern. Perhaps then I can take on general light-building and such.
It's about time I get a solid (and profitable?) hobby. I plan to start with mag mods and move up. Please point me in the direction of how to proceed, bearing in mind I'm a chimp mechanically speaking whose mind is still in drop-in land. :p
You've probably already seen it, but since nobody more talented than I has answered yet: this thread inspired me to do my first Mag mod. Budget orientated as I am I used a MC-E and made the heatsink self out of leftover aluminium pieces from an old office chair. There is plenty of space beneath the heatsink for even larger drivers.
This german thread is very helpful if you don't have any experience with emitter/driver swaps which I would think is the natural thing to start with. Even if you don't understand german the step-by-step pictures are great and self-explaining.
Building a whole light from scratch is something I attempt to do in the future too (mainly in order to bring some of the leftover parts and pieces that I have collected over the time back to some use), but unfortunately nothing I can say anything use-/helpful about.
Good luck with your projects! But beware: Modding can be even more addictive than simply collecting flashlights.