Success! Dedoming with gasoline.

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Here is a pic of the first try dedoming a XML-2 with standard 95 unleaded.
Things went better than expected, I read in one thread that it helps to slice the top off the dome to speed things up, while the razor blade was handy I went around the base to help the dome come off but i don’t think that’s necessary.
After 3 hours the dome was loose but still attached to the bond wires, after ~5 hours the dome floated off when I picked the jar up. I used a sliver of thin paper to pick away little bits left around the bond wires, then blew them away with some air duster, finally a wash with petroleum naphtha (brake cleaner) left it looking mint with no damage and all three wires intact.
Brake cleaner was tried first instead of unleaded but nothing happened.

The pic is the best I could do it was taken with my phone after being assembled in the TIR, it looks kinda dull because the camera is so close and has lost the TIR focal point it actually works really well with a much nicer beam than small reflector, and throws pretty good too.
Recommended :slight_smile:

2

Congrats! Gasoline dedome is probably the most altering mod that can be done for mere pennies and a little time.

3

Looks very clean, how much did the tint change?

4

Great job on getting rid of all the little bits of dome left by the gasoline, I always have a lot of trouble with that. It looks awesome!

5

Yeah, that looks really nice. Nothing left of the silicone. :slight_smile:

Personally I’d keep the little blob on the wires (if you had any remaining), LED a bit more resistant that way.

6

I agree with you.

7

Thanks, it’s much cleaner than I expected, beginners luck maybe ha. Main concern was if the unleaded fuel this side of the pond would attack and damage the phosphor (?) but it didn’t touch it.
Tint went from a 4D to a estimated 6C very similar to the 3500 floro tubes in my kitchen. Easy on the eyes as well as much brighter hot spot, win win situation.

Thanks I’m very pleased with the result. More protection for the bond wires? there was mostly just crumbly bits left that blew away with the air duster, if there was any big bits left I’d have let them be not worth risking wrecking the led trying to scrape it off.

8

I have heard dedoming makes the tint cooler, what would be a good tint to start with to get down to a 4C tint?

Maybe a 1B or something?

9

The general consensus seems to be the the pinkish A and D tints are best, dedoming shifts towards green. And C B and S tint are already a bit green and after dedoming they just get worse. Pink tints help offset the shift.
Edit: so a 1B might end up around 1000K warmer and a bit greener, around 2S or 2T perhaps?
I’m a bit of a tint snob but other people might not be so bothered about tint especially if in a high current thrower.

10

That makes sense to me. I haven’t had much luck with de-doming, i either destroy the bond wires, damage the phosphor layer or when i have done it successfully and put everything back together i’ve really disliked the green tint even though the throw was impressive.
I might give it another couple of tries with the suggested starting tints.

11

I wonder do we need LED seal or something to protect the phosphor ? Afraid someday it might just fall off

I wonder 1A/1C tint dedome will turn into what… 3A/4C ?

12

SMA posted a Good visual representation of tint shift here

Nah, as long as the LEDs kept clean and dry it’ll be ok. My edc has the same led as above which I butchered the dome off with tweezers and a blow torch over six months ago and that’s still fine after serious use and abuse, dropped onto concrete dozens of times and gets through a battery nearly everyday, the silver base has gone dull but the phosphors fine.