Pliers and Tweezers

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Needed to buy some tool to work on flashlights, wondering if one of these would work:

Or does this one looks like the tip is small enough?

2

Not sure, but I got a kick out of the "USA Style" on those pliers.

I use https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10009342/1827801-wlxy-wl-esd-durable-steel-tweezers-set-6-pcs

They're cheap, but they work well for tiny wires/drivers/etc.

I use different tweezers to loosen retaining rings/pills/etc though. Not really sure where they came from. Very thick metal with a thick, slightly sharpened point. I've had to use pliers to exert enough force to loosen pills, and they survived without a scratch.

3

Just a set of mini pliers.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Mini+pliers

And some circlip pliers for removing the retaining rings.

http://www.amazon.com/Silverline-799406-6-Inch-Circlip-5-Piece/dp/B00PQ8I9VI/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1450174137&sr=8-24&keywords=circlip+pliers

4

if you can find one of this circlip pliers then it should be the only tool needed for flashlight disassembly.
just find the straight one with the tip meeting each others. some had odd shapes but just find one that looks like tweezers

5

I don’t know about other people but spring loaded pliers annoy me. I’d remove the spring, as long as the pliers are decent and open smoothly .

6

I would say it depends how you are going to use them, if you are going to be doing SMD work good precision tweezers are great but I wouldn’t get the ones you linked, I bought some like that awhile ago to sacrifice for a project and they are pretty junky. I actually just received some of these (they were on sale for $3.99 when I got them) the tips are very precise and sharp which is nice for picking up tiny SMD parts.

Not sure if those pliers are small enough to unscrew things but I would go with one of those plier sets that have a small pair of nippers, needle nose, flat (toothless and wide, these are great for bending little things), and such. Also I find the longer noise needle nose pliers are nicer for flashlights as some circlip plies and shorter needle nose pliers are hard to use with really big pills or in deep heads. And don’t buy one of those circlip pliers with interchangeable heads, they are terrible.

7

Needle nose for retaining rings, precision tweezers for LEDs, SMD’s etc, diagonal cutters or exacto for wire.

8

I only buy Klein pliers new now- all the rest I’ve gotten used from yard sales and flea markets where you can see what you’re getting. Every one (other than Klein) I’ve bought new were essentially soft junk that either broke or bent PDQ. Some I have altered to the shapes I needed on a grinder or have bent with heat. I keep a stash of extra pliers and screwdrivers around just for that purpose. If you ain’t got it, you make it!

Phil

9

Thanks everybody. I know what to get now. But just one more quick question because I can’t find a definitive answer on the forum. So my plan was to swap out the S2+ stock emitter to a a Nichia 219 on Noctigon. I know I need to apply thermal compound in between the star and the pill, should I use a grease-type compound such as the following, or do I need thermal glue?

http://www.dx.com/p/heatsink-thermal-compound-grease-like-4593

Thanks.

10

Those both look good.

11

If you plan on modding it again use the grease.