Q8 modding

[Erethryn]

@emarkd

Be careful with this. Lye is strong stuff. The reaction will release large amounts of hydrogen gas so you really want to do this outside or in a well ventilated area. And getting lye on your skin is a very very bad thing. It’ll dissolve you even quicker than it dissolves ano. Really, be careful.

+1.

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

[goshdogit]

@emarkd

…so a full strip was really my plan for salvaging the light. I actually accomplished that stripping using NaOH, sodium hydroxide.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you had developed a new method with potassium aluminum sulfate.

I’ve seen lots about using NaOH to strip anodizing but have never attempted it. I’m fully aware that it’s very caustic and dangerous.

@Erethryn

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

I appreciate your safety warning. I’m a big proponent of PPE. :partying_face:

[RotorHead64]

@Lazy-R-us

@Tom E

…I don’t know what a DMT lapping plate is, or what that filing mill bit is, but I do know I want them! …

DMT makes “diamond whetstones”:https://www.amazon.com/DMT-Diamond-Machining-Technology/b/ref=w_bl_hsx_s_hi_web_2590600011?ie=UTF8&node=2590600011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=DMT+(Diamond+Machining+Technology) for sharpening and lapping tools. The lapping plate is the FLATTEST and most expensive, and would only be necessary for the largest and most precision jobs. I have a couple of the smaller ones that would be quite sufficient for lapping flashlight parts and one that is big enough to lapp bench planes, which I think is a 10 inch. Look around in Woodworking stores and shops, they are often cheaper there.

Mine is the 8" coarse 600 grit bench stone. I've just always called it a lapping plate. I bought mine used on fleabay. The 6" by 2" is probably the best deal for new ones.

[JorisFRST]

ah, bollox, screwed up the switch board

tried to solder in other color leds, couldn’t find desoldering braid, couldn’t find magnifying glass.

Hell, let’s try it anyway… Ripped both positive pads from the leds out of the board.

Let’s wait for oshpark and the 4 led board now

[Jtm94]

My Q8 measured 6800 in my approximation box after mods on full batteries. Using blobbed VTC6s and the peak steadily goes down, assuming it’s just from the batteries draining. Settles a little over 6000. My battery tube still isn’t making square contact with the driver so hoping my screws come in eventually and help remedy that.

Also that stripped Q8 looks really cool. I can’t say I’m not fond of it… giving me ideas.

[djozz]

I did some work on my lantern-conversion of proto3 of the Q8 (the lantern conversion itself I posted in the WDYMT thread).

-swapped leds to 219C sm273 R9050 (cosy!).
-swapped the original proto-driver back in. (it had temporarily a Lexel-driver for testing)
-swapped in a tailboard from a production Q8, because the low-resistance phosfor-bronze springs that I modded the proto-board with were undesirable for the low-voltage 219C’s.
-used 8cm long 20AWG ledwires to create even more resistance.

Now the current is down to 17A on 30Q’s, that is 4.25A per led which is perfect for a 219C. The output has suffered tremendously from this mod of course, without the lantern-attachment I measured 2800 lumen at 30 seconds. But those lumens are in perfect lantern tint&CRI

[emarkd]

@goshdogit

@emarkd

…so a full strip was really my plan for salvaging the light. I actually accomplished that stripping using NaOH, sodium hydroxide.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you had developed a new method with potassium aluminum sulfate.

I’ve seen lots about using NaOH to strip anodizing but have never attempted it. I’m fully aware that it’s very caustic and dangerous.

@Erethryn

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

I appreciate your safety warning. I’m a big proponent of PPE. :partying_face:

I believe the alum would probably eventually remove all the ano but it would take many many days, and probably do other damage in the meantime. By the time I could remove the screw from mine it had basically removed the thinnest ano’ed bits, the high points of the knurling and right on the sharp edges.

[zeroflow]

I went the other way for a lantern and printed a fitting diffusor. Maybe I’ll modify it to be a little longer.

For the moment it illuminates a room pretty evenly without getting too hot or melting.

For someone with a printer and transparent filament, the stl is here: BLF Q8 Diffusor by Zeroflow - Thingiverse

[Tom_Tom]

@emarkd

@goshdogit

@emarkd

…so a full strip was really my plan for salvaging the light. I actually accomplished that stripping using NaOH, sodium hydroxide.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you had developed a new method with potassium aluminum sulfate.

I’ve seen lots about using NaOH to strip anodizing but have never attempted it. I’m fully aware that it’s very caustic and dangerous.

@Erethryn

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

I appreciate your safety warning. I’m a big proponent of PPE. :partying_face:

I believe the alum would probably eventually remove all the ano but it would take many many days, and probably do other damage in the meantime. By the time I could remove the screw from mine it had basically removed the thinnest ano’ed bits, the high points of the knurling and right on the sharp edges.

If considering completely stripping the anodising, be aware that removing it from the threads will remove lockout capability and the wear benefits of the hard finish, so be sure to lube them thoroughly, if you do strip it from them. If stripping intentionally, maybe consider masking them off first. Even just one side still anodised will be much better than neither.

Also maybe an idea to first try diluting the NaOH solution to try to slow the process, rather than start with a concentrated solution. It will carry on eating into the Ally, once it has got through the anodising. Even neat drain cleaner (check ingredients, some is H2SO4 based) is very strong stuff.

The stripped result does look nice, may be in the future of one of mine …

[Flintrock]

@zeroflow

I went the other way for a lantern and printed a fitting diffusor. Maybe I’ll modify it to be a little longer. For the moment it illuminates a room pretty evenly without getting too hot or melting. !{width:75%}https://i.imgur.com/yqjHQNW.jpg! !{width:75%}https://i.imgur.com/07ZuY7n.jpg! For someone with a printer and transparent filament, the stl is here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2565296

[/quote]
[/bloomin d*&%n quote] [/why the %*^(% won’t this quote die?]

This is cool, does it attach securely?

[joechina]

@zeroflow

I went the other way for a lantern and printed a fitting diffusor. Maybe I’ll modify it to be a little longer.

For the moment it illuminates a room pretty evenly without getting too hot or melting.

For someone with a printer and transparent filament, the stl is here: BLF Q8 Diffusor by Zeroflow - Thingiverse

I use the front half sphere from a LED light for mains, on of the replacements for normal light bulbs. I had a defective one here (was 11W, 800lm, E27).
That doesn’t get hot at all.

[joechina]

Hello, how does the switch blink when the batteries run low at 3V?

What I’ve written down:
Low Voltage Protection (LVP)
@3V
Main LED: 3x blinks as indication
Indicator LED: blinks every 8 sec

What my Q8 does:
Main LED blinks three times.
The indicator LED goes on, than off and stays on.
And it goes off with the next brightness change: 3x blinks of the main LED, switch LED off.

Edit:

Weird next try:
1th stepdown
Main: 3x blinks
Switch: 1x blink, ON

immediately after this comes the

2th stepdown
Main: 3x blinks
Switch: 1x blink, ON

Manual off and ramp to max

1th stepdown
Main: 3x blinks
Switch: 1x blink, OFF

immediately after this comes the

2th stepdown
Main: 3x blinks
Switch: 1x blink, ON

[Wieselflinkpro]

@djozz

-swapped leds to 219C sm273 R9080 (cosy!).

Where did you get them? I never heared from this LEDs. I only know 219B-V1 R9080.

[TheOnlyDocc]

@Wieselflinkpro
I am not 100% sure but i think he got the leds from Clemens. He sold here on BLF many Nichia leds. Some that you will rarely find in most of the shops. I ordered some leds from him too. He also is selling leds at his shop (https://www.virence.com/shop).

[Tom_E]

joechina - having a very hard time following you - I can't understand it.

[joechina]

When the LVP kicks in at 3V, how does the switch LED blink?

[Lexel]

@Tom Tom

@emarkd

@goshdogit

@emarkd

…so a full strip was really my plan for salvaging the light. I actually accomplished that stripping using NaOH, sodium hydroxide.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you had developed a new method with potassium aluminum sulfate.

I’ve seen lots about using NaOH to strip anodizing but have never attempted it. I’m fully aware that it’s very caustic and dangerous.

@Erethryn

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

I appreciate your safety warning. I’m a big proponent of PPE. :partying_face:

I believe the alum would probably eventually remove all the ano but it would take many many days, and probably do other damage in the meantime. By the time I could remove the screw from mine it had basically removed the thinnest ano’ed bits, the high points of the knurling and right on the sharp edges.

If considering completely stripping the anodising, be aware that removing it from the threads will remove lockout capability and the wear benefits of the hard finish, so be sure to lube them thoroughly, if you do strip it from them. If stripping intentionally, maybe consider masking them off first. Even just one side still anodised will be much better than neither.

Also maybe an idea to first try diluting the NaOH solution to try to slow the process, rather than start with a concentrated solution. It will carry on eating into the Ally, once it has got through the anodising. Even neat drain cleaner (check ingredients, some is H2SO4 based) is very strong stuff.

The stripped result does look nice, may be in the future of one of mine …

lubricant is not the best to protect the threads when Stripping the anodisation, the NaOH can crawl under it and the bubbles remove it

you can always use hot wax to seal the parts you dont want to strip from anodisation,
after you removed anodisation just heat the tube and wax melts
bee wax is also good instead of normal lubricant

[Tom_Tom]

@Lexel

@Tom Tom

@emarkd

@goshdogit

@emarkd

…so a full strip was really my plan for salvaging the light. I actually accomplished that stripping using NaOH, sodium hydroxide.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought you had developed a new method with potassium aluminum sulfate.

I’ve seen lots about using NaOH to strip anodizing but have never attempted it. I’m fully aware that it’s very caustic and dangerous.

@Erethryn

Also, I’d strongly recommend safety glasses when working this stuff, a splash from a dropped part and you could be in real trouble.

I appreciate your safety warning. I’m a big proponent of PPE. :partying_face:

I believe the alum would probably eventually remove all the ano but it would take many many days, and probably do other damage in the meantime. By the time I could remove the screw from mine it had basically removed the thinnest ano’ed bits, the high points of the knurling and right on the sharp edges.

If considering completely stripping the anodising, be aware that removing it from the threads will remove lockout capability and the wear benefits of the hard finish, so be sure to lube them thoroughly, if you do strip it from them. If stripping intentionally, maybe consider masking them off first. Even just one side still anodised will be much better than neither.

Also maybe an idea to first try diluting the NaOH solution to try to slow the process, rather than start with a concentrated solution. It will carry on eating into the Ally, once it has got through the anodising. Even neat drain cleaner (check ingredients, some is H2SO4 based) is very strong stuff.

The stripped result does look nice, may be in the future of one of mine …

lubricant is not the best to protect the threads when Stripping the anodisation, the NaOH can crawl under it and the bubbles remove it

you can always use hot wax to seal the parts you dont want to strip from anodisation,
after you removed anodisation just heat the tube and wax melts
bee wax is also good instead of normal lubricant

Not suggesting lube as mask. Lube as lube. On bare ally threads.

For mask, I use “copydex” latex rubber emulsion. Identical to expensive stuff specifically designed for similar jobs. Peels off easily. Other things, almost anything, will work. Nail varnish for example (remove with nail varnish remover or acetone)

[zeroflow]

@Flintrock

This is cool, does it attach securely?

It attaches firmly via friction. If pressed on tight it is very hard to get off again.
But for normal use it is secure enough.

[djozz]

@Wieselflinkpro

@djozz

-swapped leds to 219C sm273 R9080 (cosy!).

Where did you get them? I never heared from this LEDs. I only know 219B-V1 R9080.

You’re right, it is a typo, it is R9050 (from Clemence). (corrected the post)