Hi, I own a ultrafire Z5, I was using satisfactorily at work until one day I notice the lens missing (where does it goes ?)
This whole part is missing, including the screw portion:
So it is not easy(nor cheap) to get a replacement of z5 lens shipped from oversea, so I idea is to custom-make a lens for it.
Any idea how to do so ? (I’m totally clueless where to start)
I don’t think you can custom make a lens as cheaply as you can replace the flashlight. A lens from another brand of light might fit, but that is rather unpredictable. The led, the driver and the lens of a budget flashlight can be replaced, but that is usually done to improve performance rather than to save the cost of a new item. Otherwise the only cheap source of replacement parts is usually another light of the same type.
It is possible that you can find a new lens that fits cheaply, maybe here http://www.dx.com/p/38mm-diameter-glass-lens-for-flashlight-19-5mm-high-279837#.U1vsP1fzt-A, but you would have to hold it in in some other way. There is not likely to be a cheap way to replace the bezel ring. The dimensions on budget parts are not so well described that you can predict whether something will fit or not, even if you have accurate measuring tools yourself. I recently upgraded the lens on a Yezl T9, but it took four tries to get a lens that fit.
So by your opinion, I should just left it like that, use another torch or buy another unit ?
unfortunate the heatsink is good, I like the flood, so I plan to just fit a plain glass piece (no refraction or what so) for protection against foreign object.
A piece of round glass/clear plastic would be easy to obtain, but any idea about the bezel ring ? (or anything could DIY fit the thread)
What about using wood ring for the thread area ? Wood easily get carved by the thread, but the down side would also be easy to come out (not secure)
you could use some heat shrink to replace the bezel, and secure the lens with some o-rings or cut-off pipe
don’t quite get the picture how is it done. Threading remain hardest challenge for me to secure it.
I think islisis is probably on the right track here. Some combination of plastic pipe and other stuff will probably be your best bet. You could shave down the pipe until you could “shove” it onto the threads that are inside the head. You could spend a fortune guessing lenses on Fasttech, Kaidomain, Dealextreme, etc and still not find the right one. Using a plain glass window to turn your light into a mule is probably the only reasonable way to salvage what you have now.
haha, I have some lens in my house from salvage, but it is undersize for Z5. I guess plastic COULD be the best bet here and now.
But why would plan glass window will make it worst ?
I did not mean that a glass window would make it worse. “Mule” is a term we use for a flashlight with no reflector and no optic. For example, here and here.
I think that installing a glass window to protect the LED is a good idea.
If you tell us what tools you have then people will be able to give you better suggestions.
thanks for the point out. The torch now without the lens still quite good (in flood mode) but got worst at throw mode (light are weak instead of focused).
Well, I have normal drills, basic workshop tools. Don’t have any dremel, tap, lathe, etc.
i meant to make some sort of spacer on top of the lens, then hold it in with some heat shrink around the end of the torch
I had this flashlight once, never again…
I’m curious about that expression, and what made it like that
Unfortunately I would think so. This is because even if you manage to find an aspherical lens with the same diameter, it does not necessarily has the same focal length as the stock one, not to mention it’s near impossible to find the missing bezel of your light as a replacement part! Unless you try to glue the lens in front of it, using some PVC pipe as suggested above, accessing lathe machine to customize one… etc, but I still don’t think it worth all the mess.
Or you may just use it as it is. The LED is some pretty tough stuff and wouldn’t be damaged by finger touching or dust, unless you purposely destroy it or some big impact hit on it.
By the way how much did you buy this Ultrafire Z5? For the same money I believe you can definitely get yourself something much better. 
I brought for less than USD$19 for stock clearance from seller (slight exterior damage, nick and dent not very obvious) But I don’t really care because I’m using for maintenance purpose, will get dent easily.
It could withstand small damage, but I’m more worry about water or some fluid enter it, could be nasty (again, maintenance usage) Also with the bezel missing, there is big chances of the telescopic portion to go missing.
Well, in most actually all cases people here are happy if their flashlight has good heatsinking “out of the box”.
My version was a horror light, some cheap next mode driver, no “meat” under the emitter, would zoom in-out
by itself, it had bad switch that would click but not turn off the fl…
I don’t see how the telescopic portion is useful without a lens on the front. I’m looking at the “Review: TrustFire Z1 XML-T6 ”1600 Lumen” Zoomable (a.k.a. Z5)“:Review: TrustFire Z1 XML-T6 "1600 Lumen" Zoomable (a.k.a. Z5) thread for reference here. If I was going to make the flashlight into a mule, I would remove the telescopic portion and create a new cap. It looks to me that the inner portion of the head is about 30mm, so I would try to find a bottlecap or copper pipe cap or other type of cap with about the right size, then cut a hole for my window to fit into. I would silicone the window in place to seal it, then force another piece of pipe behind it, then slip that onto the flashlight and silicone that in place.
Something like this:
Remove the telescopic portion is a good idea, but using the bottlecap kinda of limiting the heat transfer (most direct to air distance)
If I make the cap depth too shallow, then it would not be secure.
But I will try anyway, thanks for the idea, will let you know the result. (my torch is not black colour, but bronze colour…so hard to find nice colour to pair it
There are 3+ variations of this light . Go to Fasttech + Buy a 30 x 11mm Lens. SKU 1404702 $1.53 .Find a Plastic Bottle Cap to hold the Lens in place.
_the_ mentioned in his review thread that the lens dimensions were "~26mm dia, ~8.6mm thick". Will the lens you mentioned fit?
@guitar89 - If the heatsinking is good then covering the end of the light with a plastic cap shouldn't be that bad.
OK I CK that review . It looks like 26mm is the Eff Di, about 28mm OD. I CK one of My Z5 that I modded with a 30mm x 10mm,EFF DI ABOUT 28MM… The ID of the Bezel is 34.7mm. I enlarged the hole to about 28mm.