Beam Shots and Glamour shots in POST #35
Once a year, I try to do a special build of a set of 3 lights. I have decided to start this one a little early, since I don't plan to be sitting out in the garage modding this winter, but first a litle music.
This year, I will be using three Red Maglites and here's a photo of the lights before modding, with most of the components along side.
Can you figure out all the components? It might be tough, since the photo has been sized down, but the photo here links to a larger one that might help. Edit: I have to correct an Oopsie, the AAA light will need one AAA NiMH, Alkaline or 1.5v Lithium primary, as the driver needs 1.5v input. Forgot about that...
This is just a teaser, but those who have seen other builds know I do this teaser stuff all the time. Just my way is all...
Well, I managed to get the cut down done on the 2D Mag. It's not a lot shorter. With the 16340s in a holder and keeping the stock switch, I didn't really get a lot out of it, but it's done and out of the way. Of course, it was done Gangnam human lathe style, with the Dremel and files and I will go back and make that seam into a polished ring around the body.
I got to work on the heat sink a little. It's all copper. No I don't have a reason for the different diameters of copper, it's just what I had on hand. Actually, I had to cut the larger ones down from a couple of 60mm copper discs.
It will fit into the head and rest on the step there.
Kind of like this... I will drill and tap 3 or 4 holes and screw the copper plate down to the head. It should offer a good path to transfer heat out to the head, which is very thick aluminum.
That's all I got done today. It took several hours making the cut down body and a couple more hours making the copper heat sink.
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I actually got a lot done tonight, but it just doesn't seem like it.
The pill for the 2AAA light. It's an XP-G2 on a 12mm star. The pill is copper. I used a piece of 3/8" copper pipe, which I had to split and remove a piece, to get the right OD. I cut it, removed a section, heated it to get it soft and worked it back into a smaller diameter by rolling it around a small socket, Then I soldered the seam together. Under the star is a copper disc.
I cut another small piece of copper pipe to go in the back end and used another copper disc with a hole dremeled out, to make the bottom plate, which will make or break contact with the body, to turn the light on or off.
I haven't put a spring on yet, till I figure out the depth it needs to be, to touch the battery, in the body tube. I forgot and tested this driver with 3xAA Eneloops. Man, it was bright as heck. It's supposed to run on one Alkaline or NiMH, but it worked so well, I might just set it up as a 10440 light after all.
The 2AA pill is also ready. It's a Nichia 219 on a 14mm star with copper for the pill. I used a piece of 1/2" copper pipe coupling with a copper disc behind the star and the driver is inside, with a bottom plate, much as the 2AAA was done.
I used a nickel silver disc here, just because that's what I had. The driver is a NANJG and I was supposed to take 4 chips off it, so it would be 1.4 amp. Well..... you know I forgot to take them off and I didn't notice till after the last solder joint, to close it all up. I tested it out with the same 3xAA Eneloops and it is also bright as hell. My concern is that the Nichia is going to fry at 3 amps, but it sure did not while I was testing it out. It wasn't even blue at all.... Time will tell. I am concerned that this one will fry, but if the new owner will just use one of the weaker 14500 batteries, like the *.*fire ones, then it will never see 3 amps and all will be well. Just don't use an Efest IMR with it.
I also tested the DrJones for clicky driver with the Mag switch and all is well there too.
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I haven't had a lot of time to do much these past couple of days, but here's what I have done...
The led and heat sink are mounted and screwed down.
The TIR optic will be located by using two of the stock plastic lenses, to keep it in place. I want to paint these black, but I can't till the rainy days are gone. The humidity is too high to paint right now. I'm hoping for the week end.
I've been working on the 2S/2P battery holder. I have the holder together and now I have to get the end terminals figured out and finished.
The ends are Radio Shack breadboard, cut to fit and the contacts are copper discs and gold plated springs. The uprights are 1/8" brass rod and they are held with pop rivets. There's more than one way to route 2S/2P and I could have done it differently, but it is what it is. It might have been better for all the batteries to face the same way and tie them together top and bottom, but this way works just as well.
That's about it for now..........................
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11-09-13 - Well, a lot has happened the past few days, but most of it has not been good. I don't have a lot of photos of the wrecks either. Better left forgotten, for me at least. I ruined the 2AAA head trying to put 10 pounds of ---- into a 5 pound head. Anyhow, I had to order a new light and the new pill will not have a driver. There's just not enough room to do it well. I also ruined the 2D head trying to work on making flutes. All it takes is one little slip with a file and it's toast. So... I had to buy another 2D light. This build is getting to be very expensive.
The 2AA pill worked fine and that's all done. The 2D driver and switch are ready to go, so there's cosmetics left. I have been working on some of the file work, since I don't have the 2AAA light till late next week.
That's about as far as it goes right now. The bezels and tail caps will be stripped and polished and final polishing needs to be done on all this too, but this is about it till late next week or next week-end. The wide band on the 2D is because of another fail, where I slipped with the file, but I managed to cover it up. I was not going to go cut down another body by hand again.
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I don't think I have shown the finished battery holder.
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I changed the holder, so that all the batteries faced the same way. It was the better way to do it. 2S/2P with 16340s.
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I finally got the AAA light done, but I didn't take any photos of the process. Too aggravated about the whole thing, so it's done and the build is done.
