Online Metals sells by the inch. You order what you need. The list starts with pieces a foot long, but under that is the option to order the size you need. They’re not perfectly cut, but pretty decent.
And this talk of copper being so difficult to machine, from an observers standpoint it’s the exact same process whether it’s SS, Ti, copper or Al. You chuck it up, you lubricate it, you cut it. I haven’t seen anyone do anything different or take any extra time with copper vs. aluminum. And I’ve seen quite a lot of manual lathe work. Again though, merely observation.
I have ordered pieces of copper bar stock from Online Metals and created my own pills. I’ve done this by attaching a mount point to the copper enabling it to be spun by my cordless drill, then cut it with a rotary tool while turning it slowly with the drill. I’ve done the same thing with 6061 Aluminum and frankly, they’re the same as far as I’m concerned. In the parts I’ve made, the recessed driver compartments with a shelf for the driver to sit on, the process and the time it took was virtually the same. I’ve drilled wire holes through 1” of copper. And the same through an inch of 6061. Either or both would grab a small bit and break it if allowed to get too hot. So even without a lathe, using basic simple hand tools, either way it’s doable if it’s what you want to do.
Literally JB Welded a .45 Long Colt cartridge to the base of the copper, stuck the extra JB Weld into the case for stiffness. Worked like a charm. I won’t say it was quick, but relatively easy nonetheless and the cost was minimal.
O-L said it, if you want something bad enough, you can do it yourself. People were doing things long before the lathe or mill was invented.
Originally posted in the M6 thread but no answers received!
Has any one done a lumens reading and current draws for all seven modes of a fully modified RMM M6 with cool LEDs? As I recall I saw one post listing the minimum mode as about 1/6 Lumen and max as 4500+ Lumens but I am curious about the intermediate levels.
I realize that. I was thinking of output with the LG ICR 3000mAh or 3200 mAh batteries which are what I am using in mine at the moment. Originally chose those due to capacity and apparent minimal voltage droop compared to most other chemistry cells at substantial current draws per HKJ’s graphs you have posted on the 3000 mAh LG page. Brighter for longer hopefully.
Any other batteries with better overall performance in the M6 that you sell? I did PM you about the LGs prior to buying them. I also have the new Panasonic 3200 mAh 10 amp discharge protected cells and may order some of the unprotected ones too.
Be interesting too to see maximum output with several battery choices as that would give an indication of variations customers are likely to see. Just list conditions for testing of course.
I wonder if copper would really do that much better in that situation? You probably have a huge thermal hurdle to get over using the Oshpark PCB in the first place. Maybe directly soldering to copper would give you a better thermal interface, but lapping and polishing should get you really close there as well. I know that good copper is about twice as thermally conductive as aluminum, but I can't imagine the aluminum spacer itself being the major bottleneck if all other factors were equal.
I gotta agree about the FR4 PCB being the bottleneck. I don’t see how replacing the aluminum spacer with copper will fix the problem scottyhazzard described. Having tons of thermal interfaces is also a bad thing… led~~pcb>spacercopper sleeve~~>flashlight (and if it’s a normal P60 host there are probably a set of threads between where the pill sits and the outside air…). The looser any of those are, the worse it gets…
On the other hand… what exactly are you talking about lapping RMM? Lapping the Oshpark PCB against the aluminum spacer??
Hey guys, just got in a few of the XinTDs with XP-G2 S2 2B emitters. The bezel is glued in place (I'm guessing that focus was a bear!) but the beam is very well focused. I need to measure it vs. a U2 1A with the same cell at the same distance, but it sure looks like it is more intense. The reflector is different on the XP-G2.
I threw 3, AMC7135-350mA on driver to bump to 4k mA. I then took first look at star, uh-oh. This looks like black aluminum star, I thought I read theses were copper. Should I pull the 7135 back off or just save to upgrade? This appears to be glued on pill.
Any further information updates on the TR-J20 and your experiments with it? Have you made a decision on whether or not to offer a modified version of it?
The V4 was the aluminum star from the factory. You can add two for a total of around 3.8A with no issues, but it will be less efficient than with the copper star. My original V4 from last August was running at 3.8A with the aluminum star with no issues.
I am going to offer one, but I'm not done with the e-switch mod yet. I was going to do it myself on my small drill press then reconsidered, so I am waiting for my friend to get back in town to help me (he has better tools.)
I have purchased the M6 mod 2 kit, but I can’t make it work. I have unsoldered the mcu and the electronic switch cables from m6 and I have attached them to the atiny board. Also, I have soldered the pwm cable from atiny to pwm spot, near mcu. Any ideas what have gone wrong here?
Illuminaria, go with the MTG2-it’s a much easier thermal beast to tame and the XinTD is a much, much better host. You are going to love it! I love it in my little S3! Used it camping this weekend. I had it on the 4th level and heard a camper say, “That’s the $&@#’ing brightest light I’ve ever seen”! Then I put on turbo and the ensuing ooh’s and ah’s helped me to endure the searing heat a little longer. I still haven’t made it to 60 seconds. That XinTD x3 will rock with the MTG2 and take the heat a whole lot better.
