the thread thread

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Would like to devote this thread to specifically discussing THREADS on lights.
:slight_smile:

Have you ever actually worn down a flashlights threads?
If so, which one? How? Why? etc….

Do you own a light that gets tons of use [abuse?] yet still has great threads?
Which one? How long have you had it? How much use do the threads get?

How much do you care about quality of threads when buying lights?
Is it important criteria? Where would you rank it on your priorities?

How O.C.D. are you about taking care of your lights threads?
Are you an excessive luber? Do you lose sleep if you feel a little grind?

You get the idea…….

2

I haven’t owned any threaded lights long enough to notice (not including my old maglites).

3

I like anodized threads, as they tend to be smoother and don’t wear out visibly as aluminum powder.

I prefer square threads over trapezoidal ones, but that wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me.

For lubrication, I use super-lube:

Works fairly well and is much cheaper than the lubes discussed at CPF:

I’ve yet to try Nyogel 760G.

4

LOL WTF???

5

A thread on threads lol good idea

I like the square cut threads also known as acme threads, incredibly robust and consistent smooth operation. New HDS lights have these threads.

I don’t like how gritty titanium threads get like on my Preon1 ti

6

I don't particularly pay attention to thread when choosing a light.

smooth thread will be nice to have although the rough one is not a really down point either.

some budget light has rough thread, some is smooth enough. the same goes with famous brand light.

the smoothest one ever experience is Trustfire (either T1, 3T6, X9 or even smaller one R5-A3) for budget and Nitecore EA4 for famous brand.

while, the roughest one is Skyray SR5 for budget and Crelant V21A for famous brand.

some other are just in between..

at first I only lube the o-ring. but since I read lot of user saying that lubing thread will make it smoother than I start give it a try with silicone grease (Nextorch & Ultrafire one). However after sometimes usage, I might stop using grease on thread because they created filthy solution after a while. especially when assemble / disassemble frequently.

7

There are many types of threads, and many different "standards."

The majority of threads in the USA are of the American (National) screw thread form. There are 4 series of these, the National Coarse (NC), National Fine (NF), National Special (NS), and National Pipe threads (NPT).

These all use the 60-degree (included) angle, resulting in a triangular appearance.


ACME threads are trapezoidal, with both a flat crest and root areas; the included angle of these is 29 degrees.

Square threads are just that - square. While still conforming to the helix required of the pitch, the crest, root, and sides are all at 90-degree angles to each other.


Pics:



There are also multi-start threads, like are found on the top of the body tube of the Mini-Maglites. These allow for a lower pitch, helpful in focusing the head, while having more contact area - in this case, three separate threads wound inside each other.

There is more -MUCH more - but this covers most of the flashlight applications.

8

Thanks ChicagoX that’s pretty cool

9

Wow great explanation! Are you machinist ? Great breakdown

10

Amateur/beginner/self-taught machinist.

I own a lathe, and am good at making a mess - that's about it.

11

I only know like Army /Navy (AN) military standards (MS) National Aerospace Standards (NAS) codes but couldn’t break down the thread cuts like that most I had to know was either shear or tension and how many threads per inch but you broke it down so even a knuckle dragger like I could understand:-)

12

Thanks for the fine post with great explanations of thread types, ChiX! It's always been a pet peeve of mine when I see people referring to threads as being either standard, acme, or square when they aren't. Especially when they call acme threads square just because there is a flat face on them. ;)

13

Yes very good info. Diagrams help enormously. Thanks

14

15

I am guilty of calling anything not pointed on top "square" despite being corrected on at least one occasion.

Foy is also thread OCD, big time. The nicest light in the world can be all that but perceived quality goes down the drain for me if it feels wrong when I unscrew it. Count me in as well, liking anodized threads.

I try to keep the silicone lube I use on the O-ring, away from bare aluminum threads. That grease turns the threads immediately darker in color, which Foy suspects is increased metal wear.

threadsnobFoy

16

I have totally worn out the tail threading of my uniquefire s10, a otherwise great and robust light but the tail threading is crap: way too fine, way too short. At the moment I only have half a turn of grip leftover

17

I haven’t worn out a thread yet but I have hurt a couple by cross threading them. The best light with the worst threads is my Rook. I love the light but I have to be constantly worried about cross threading and because they are not anodized I have to worry about parasitic drain. So it’s an extra big pain in the caboose. On the one hand I need to unscrew it more often and on the other I have to worry each time I screw it back on. Too bad because other than that I find the light to be just about perfect.

18

I think threads are pretty important to me because early on I had a smallsun light that the threads were so poor you could physically just pull the tailcap straight off . tank 566 threads always impressed me as did the ultrafire mcu c-88 ...proved to me ultrafire could actually make a light if they wanted to .best thing anyone can do is use the right lube ..

No ox-id <--- illumination supply sells it .Best lube ever made ....hands down .

19

Ahh, really interesting. Thanks for posting this!

20

Hmmm first I have heard that theory… I wonder….

I know what you mean. I had a Rook. The threads are a major shortcoming in the [otherwise pretty sweet] design.