O-L Challenge, Another bullet :P Update in post 1 5.6.14

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
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Figured I’d better get this ball rolling by starting this thread. So, here’s the official yakkety yak part. I will be making another bullet light. 1st time around was a .50 BMG. That was ok, but kinda small. So this time around will be a 25mm cartridge.

Some big differences, other than the simple fact that the empty shell of this one can swallow the entire .50 BMG. I will have to make the “bullet” for this one. I will also be attempting to make the switch from scratch, or as much as possible. The plan here is to use a 26500 IMR cell and if at all possible, a reflector instead of an TIR optic.

Overall length will be about the same as a Crelant 7G5 at around 8.25” long, the “bullet” has a 1” diameter or 25mm. This bullet will be made from 32mm (1 1/4”) Nylatron GS. I plan to have it capable of rotating, and be the actuator for the switch. Not a twisty, but a twist to click the switch mechanism. Spring loaded if I’m successful, such that the bullet will be in a fixed position at rest, and a twist will give half press and full click to the switch then return to it’s resting position. Haven’t exactly committed to an emitter yet, but probably a de-domed XM-L2 U2 1A or higher, run through the new FET driver which I will also build from scratch. (well, starting with a bare board and all the components then assembling it and flashing the UI). So I’m hoping to have some 1500-1700 lumens with as much throw as I can squeeze.

More, soon.

Edit: 3-30-14 Some pics showing scale.

A general idea as to the size of this round. The bullet will be about 3” longer from the top of the case, with a 1” diameter….

Swallowing up the .50BMG, itself a rather large round…

Showing the primer end of the cartridge, should be room enough there for at least a nice TIR, if I can’t find a reflector that suits it…

The 25mm (1”) bore of the cartridge. It’s a big steel cartridge case, definitely gonna have to squeeze some copper into this one…

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5-6-14
I got my first real start on the big 25mm round today. As it turned out, I couldn’t mount it on the drill press so one of the toughest portions was still a matter of the Makita cordless drill. I had to remove the primer with the Proxxon, then I drilled out the primer pocket with repeated steps in drill bits, ending with the 3/4” bit you see me using here…

With the crazy brute strength that this round simply must have, there’s a LOT of steel in this cartridge!

The plunge gauge on my old German Steelcraft caliper says that the base inside the cartridge is 1/2” thick. The primer charge hole was about an 1/8” in diameter that I had to enlarge to this 3/4” bore you see. I will still have to open it up with my rotary tool to accept the 28.8mm TIR optic, but not much choice there. I’ll taper it to semi-match the optic and hopefully won’t have to cut so much steel away.

I’ll get a pic a bit later today of the components, I have most everything in hand and will be having to make more than I’d like, but you know how that goes…

The pieces, with the bullet to be made from the black Nylatron GS and the switch incorporated into that (or that’s the plan)

As laid out beside a Convoy C8

5-18-14
Made a little more progress on the bullet today, got pretty close to fitting the TIR optic but not quite. I’m not really having fun cutting the steel case as compared to brass or aluminum. The rotary tool carves tiny splinters off the steel, making a mess that get’s into your skin. But, if I can get this optic in, then cut the cartridge, the worst will be over.

Unable to mount this large cartridge case so I can spin it, this is all freehand. I held the case with left hand, the rotary tool with the right hand. Guesstimating true round and having to correct for the original drilled hole being off center. Once I got the drilled hole bored out close to true, I then proceeded to cut the step for a lens to sit in and hold the TIR in place. It is my hope to keep the holder for the optic, but that will create a lot more work… I guess I’ll wing it and see how the mood strikes me.

As a plus side, the steel seems to be magnetized and the shavings want to stick together. I’m trying to take as much advantage of this as possible. :slight_smile: The carbide bit is in my old Sears rotary tool, 1/8” in diameter for reference.

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Sounds cool. Subscribed.

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Wow. That must be one big cartridge or is it called a shell? No pictures yet dale?

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Ill be watching this thread...

Ill get some popcorn ready for a future update. :)

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Gonna have to run to costco to get enough popcorn for this show.

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I have a friend in Japan that likes this idea so much that he is willing to share a couple of projects he is currently working on to facilitate the success of my build. He is designing a new style of battery that delivers almost 30% more power with none of the danger of Li-ion. He is willing to share a prototype with me for testing purposes to power this build! :slight_smile: AND, he’s also working on a driver to be able to handle the new power levels, he will also have one of these made to my specifications so I’m planning on using a Quad MT-G2 and shooting for a previously unheard of 12,000 OTF lumens! The bullet won’t handle this of course, so my design has changed to use a square of copper about 2 1/4” across the face and 2” thick to house the required optics and emitters, the bullet will fit into or be attached to this massive copper “head” in such a way that it appears to be a trophy or display. Pick it up and twist the bullet and BLAM! Mega Output! :slight_smile:

This is gonna be so much fun!!! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

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interesting! new technology applied to the contest!

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If I plan to engrave the base is that something that I can have done or do I have to figure out how to free-hand it with my rotary?

Also figuring out how to use 4 small electric fans mounted in the top of the “pedestal” to blow air through cooling holes, drilled around the TIR to conduct heat out and away from the driver. This just keeps getting more and more difficult…

My 2.25” block of copper has now grown to 3.5”, necessary to fit the plans and the “pedestal” look of the build. :frowning: It’s only money, right?

Ooooooo! I already have a 3x3x3 in T6061!!! :slight_smile:

So, the 25mm cartridge case will be bored out through the primer end to allow a 26500 to fit through it. 2 of these 26500’s will be the approximate size of the prototype according to my friend. I can mock that up and have it ready to go when my package arrives from Japan. :slight_smile: This means I’ll have to do some serious boring on that big block of 6061 to inset the power supply in order for everything to fit above it in the cartridge case. This is gonna work!!!

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Looking forward to this one.

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Sick change of plans Dale! Do not blow a hole in the roof with all those fancy batteries and stuff...

In case you go back to bullet lights again, maybe in a distant future year, and if you keep up with the bigger than last year philosophy. There are always these:

Sorry about the horrible cell phone picture, it was all I had.. HD2010 for size reference.

I was actually approached earlier this year and asked if I could rebuild one into a flashlight. "But bullets are a guy named Dale`s niche. :p" I also think that its just too much room inside those.. Too large for me. Although, could be interesting with an aspheric build. Could be a nice "batman" light for the yard.. :D

I though it was kinda funny when you originally had planned another bullet build and posted about it this year too.. Maybe if you continue with bullets in future years. One day you might end up with something like those in the picture.. J)

When that is said, seems like your current plans are already above that stage.. :)

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I’m having some second thoughts about this one, the crazy quad on a pedestal things was intended to be an April fools joke. I then forgot about it and didn’t follow through and it started seeming somehow plausible. :stuck_out_tongue:
Then I started thinking about all the cutting on metals, the shavings that I get, seems like aluminum, copper, and brass don’t really get under your skin. A steel case is a completely different story! The shavings are splinters that love finding a way into feet and fingers and such. Get a relatively soft piece of aluminum in the eye and sure, it hurts. Get a steel shaving in the eye and you’ve got problems!
Gotta figure this one out through and through.

At any rate, it won’t have a pedestal under it with 4 MT-G2’s. Space issues, power issues, cost issues, and on and on lol (not to mention lack of alien technology)

Oh, by the way, send me one of those and I’ll see what I can do! :slight_smile:

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Oh, I was thinking the plans were real since no updates/announcements were made. Those plans sounded pretty sick! I applaud you for thinking big. :) I have been day dreaming a bit about something like that.

Those "bullets" are not mine to send, and with the price of shipping stuff like that from here.. nah, not gonna happen... Always fun thinking about the stuff that can be done though.. :)

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and I might yet do the quad pedestal, but not in the power hungry MT-G2. :wink:

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where do you guys find these empty bullet casings haah

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In my case, my neighbor is a cop and into WWII equipment and paraphenalia. He’s got MP Willys jeeps, Duece and a halfs, all manner of stuff. And yes, he fires the old ammo.

My favorite is his modified Duece and a half…he took the bed off, cut the frame and removed the rear axle so that it’s not a dual axle anymore. Then he put the bed from a 105A trailer on it. Still 4 wheel drive, still a monster, but it looks like a pick-up gone steroidal. Pretty cool. He’s got it authentic military colors, I told him he should pimp the inside with tan leather and carpet, a nice stereo and paint the outside candy apple red. :slight_smile:

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Dale, I've been thinking that maybe it's time to do this. 2S2P on the input, 2S2P wired MT-G2s with a pair of zener modded FET drivers controlling the hole thing. Of course it's completely irrational, and it's likely to get you hurt or killed, but it would certainly make for some cool pictures and good storytelling!

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Would the pics and storytelling be about me getting hurt or killed or about the light? Just wondering…

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Its a no brainer…

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Wow, looking forward to the build and the new high tech battery!