Winchester old flashlight modification

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Hello all, greetings from Spain.

I am new to this forum, and I am sure many people will be able to help me with my new “weekend project”

I have been given an old Winchester large flashligh. I don’t have photos now, so I put a google image photo:
http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Winchester-Flashlight-5-Cell-Chrome-Plated-Miners-Light-with-Push-and-Slide-Button-Switch-5D-1941

My idea is making the modification to LED or several LEDs, and using 18650 batteries, as I have plenty of them from broken HP laptop batteries.

I have a model lathe and a milling machine at home so I can make easily any ring or similar part I may need.

Has anyone attempted such modification??

I have to possible ideas:
1-buying a led lamp, the one used for simple modification of the maglites. The lamp should physically fit on the old Winchester light.
http://www.amazon.es/dp/B00A37QOI2/ref=asc_df_B00A37QOI231979810/?tag=googshopes-21&creative=24538&creativeASIN=B00A37QOI2&linkCode=df0&hvdev=c&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=
Also, I would fit inside the flashligh as many 18650 cells as I can fit, using 2 parallel system to get 7,2 volts, and 3 series, to get maybe 6000mA

2-buying a new led head, that contains 5 or 6 Cree Leds. This head is supposed to retrofit bug maglites.
http://www.dx.com/es/p/5-cree-q5-5-mode-1000-lumen-white-light-drop-in-led-module-52-7mm-42mm-8-4v-max-35244#.VsGncPnNwdU
Diameter is around 52mm, and as the winchester flashlight head diameter is about 74mm, I would make an Al ring to hold it in place. Again, I would fit as many 18650 cells as possible.

Connections would be something I will need to solve at the moment.

I was also thinking if it could be possible to fit inside the electronics of a small Li-on charger, so I dont have to remove the battery pack and charge it anyway, but these is a second idea. Maybe for safety issues, it is better to remove the battery pack and charge it out side of the flashlight
http://www.hobbysportz.com/e-sky-newest-balancer-charger-2s3s-74v-111v-lipo-balance-ek2-0851

I am interested in your experience and/or comments

Regards
Paco

2

Welome to BLF and that flashlight looks very nice.
I will follow your project!

3

First let me ask that you do not permanently alter the light and that you keep all the original parts with it. It has historical and collector value. It is your light so you can do what you wish to anyway.

Next I’d suggest that a 2S2P cell layout might be easier to manage, and that would leave space inside to hide a balanced integral charger. A pair of inline 2 cell holders inside a spacer tube should be easy enough to make. You might be able to configure a single emitter pill with a reflector closer to 74mm making for a nicer appearance. You might even be able to run an electronic switch operated by the original switch without altering anything as the original switch probably won’t carry the amperage for this mod.

IMHO that would make for a very interesting light, and history would not be forever lost through permanent alterations.

Good luck with the project and welcome to BLF :slight_smile:
Phil

4

That is a good looking light.

5

The only mod I would do to that classic is to clean the contacts/switch, install a working bulb and polishing it a bit, because there are plenty of lights for high powered mods, but old flashlights like this are not easy to find.

6

Modding such a beautiful oldtimer is profanation IMO.

7

That is a pretty cool light! My opinion is you should go ahead and mod this thing to your liking. I would say leave the outside original, gut the inside, add heatsinking, and then install an MT-G2 LED. The MTG2 will have a nice tint closer to the color of the original light. I think that oldtime lights modded with 0A 1A tints don’t quite go together. Of course this is just a bunch of rambling:) I hope you stick around and let us follow your project!

8

Hello all:

looks like I have opened the box of Pandora! jajaja

Let me firts say that I work with classic cars as a hobby and restore my cars personally, so I have a slight sense on not touching original things. I want the lamp for my vintage 1965 land rover, to put it on the bulkhead. Of course I could buy a modern flashligh, but it would not look correct on the car.

Therefore I will convert the light, without touching any original part. And if I dont need a part, I will store it safely. So dont worry, no profanation on my mind! jajaja

Come on, I am sure there must be people on this forum having made similar mods, if not in a winchester light, in a similar one.

Any web page where I can get reflectors?? what is the “single emitter pill” SawMaster is talking about??

I have been also given a small 2D winchester flashlight which I converted last week. I ordered from banggood a 18650 flashligh, removed the led, and silicon it to the Winchester one. The led get very hot and I dont think the silicon is the answer, so have to think in an other method of holding it.

Also, yesterday an other person gave me a very nice and interesting winchester model, that is a box that can be hold on the belt, and a cable with a chrome lamp for the head. This one, I dont think I will modify it, as I really dont need it.

9

My suggestion would be to use one of the retro-fit oem-style LED “bulbs” like you linked, then to use a combination of AA/NiMH cells in AA-to-D sized adapters and empty spacer to get the correct number of cells you need for the operating voltage of the drop-in. The aftermarket LED will draw minimal power compared to the original incan bulb, I would anticipate you have a HUGE amount of runtime compared to the original.

This would keep the light 100 stock and provide the enhanced efficiency of the LED lighting.

AA>D-cell adapters are inexpensive, and available in a variety of styles, including ones that can fit 2x AAs in parallel, in a housing the size of a D-cell for enhanced runtime:

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10004225/1321003-soshine-aa-to-d-size-battery-convertor-case
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10002008/1143900-2-aa-to-d-size-battery-converters-2-pack
https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10002009/1159400-btone-1-aa-to-d-size-battery-converter

I’m digging the simplicity of that Btone adapter, looks promising!

10

Slippy-slippy… Grippy-grippy:

Ooooo! Nice catch!

That looks sweet, but if your hands get wet, that slick tube might be hard to hold.

In addition to kinky lanyards, I decorate most of my lights with cordage (“Marlinspike Seamanship”) which makes them grippy and makes it easy to identify.

This Moku Coxcomb hitchery (either version or a combination of the two) is easy to put on and makes a really nice surface.

Use “’brickmason cord” (i.e. #18 Nylon cord) for a fine finish (braided is better but twisted works fine if you’re careful not to un-twist it) with minimal bulk, but anything smaller than “rope” should do.

For really clean ends, start it by tying it over the ends, then hauling away to pull the ends under the hitchery; then at the finish, leave the last 5 - 10 hitches loose & tuck the ends under, tighten, & haul away to bury the ends. Trim as needed.

Here are two other alternatives. The bottom one is “Served” by simply wrapping it with brickmason cord (tucking the ends as described):

If you really get into it, the top flashlight is covered with what’s called a Turk’s Head Knot.

Per one of the greatest Riggers ever to pick up a Marlinspike, Brion Toss, if anyone asks “’Where are the ends”, you can say “I cut them off and threw them away!” :slight_smile:

If you use any rounded or oval tools (e.g. Bic Butane Lighters), this will make it impossible for anyone else to claim them:

Likewise any slick railing, wheel, handle or whatever that needs to be more grippy.

HTH…

11

Easy Upgrade Works Well

I used one of those bulb-replacement LEDs with all the rest of the Maglight unmodified. It’s the top one in the picture in my previous post. It uses 3xCR123 batteries, so the 6-cell LED works great.

It’s old, and ooky blue-white, but it burns an awesome hole in the night, and I have a 7.2v Radio Shack incan in the spare-bulb pocket just in case. The incan gives ~the same lumens at a much better (100CRI) color and about 1/10th the runtime.

12

Kudos on keeping it restorable- that gives you the best of both the modern and the old. And it will look great with the Land Rover. What I was referring to is using a single LED which would appear almost like the original on inspection where a 3 emitter set-up would be obvious. It would also have the advantage of longer runtime and be easier to achieve focus with. But it’s your light so do it your way.

And BIG THANKS for helping save history with both lights and cars. You are indeed a fine gentleman!

Phil

13

I’d mod something else …NOT because this old light is so valuable but because it would be easier and the light is already way too large for no good reason . i’d buy a 2C rayovac or 2c eveready light that looks like the winchester … i like the C models as the fit better in your hand and will even take a 26650 if you want to use one instead of an 18650.
i personally don’t think you can make a real quality MOD without changing the light . i don;t think going back to stock is a real option …and the truth is …Who would ever really want to ?
I see the heatsink , the switch and the reflector as the main issues you may have to work out …the switch primarily why i say keeping it stock really just isn’t a viable option at all

14

Hello all:

As I am new, what are all those electronics for, that I see in many images behind the leds??

Is it only for those 5 modes I often read about? Because just to make a led to work it is not necessary, no???

The led bulb upgrade for the maglites dont have any electronics, do they??

What is the problem of using the original mechanical switch? If I just use one led, the amperage use travelling through the switch is very low.

I think I will finally opt for a single led rated for 4-6D cells, and use a configuration of 2S3P pack. I have plenty of 18650 cells I recovered from HP laptops, so I can give them some use. But if 7.4v and arround 6000mAh is too much, I can always buy the lower led bulb for 3.7 v

Can you give me a good source for those upgrade led bulbs I could use?? I have read that the led can get hot, will the original plastic cap that holds the bulb in the reflector, withstand the heat??

As I said, I dont want it to be a quality mod for heavy use. i just want it to decoration porpoise and having the ability to use it, and of course for the fun and experience of making the mod and certainly at a low cost. That is why I want to reuse laptop 18650 cells, and not spending money on AA rechargeable batteries.

15

A five D cell flashlight seems unlikely for a car light, I agree with the idea of seeking an old 2 cell light.

16

PR-base LED Replacement Bulbs

Here is one and here is another. Mine came from Sears years ago, and I found a couple in KMart when Sears closed them out. I can’t find it anymore on their WWWeb page, but this one should be close. If you upgrade the battery, this one should be good for at least not blowing up.

I would try to get one that matches your max voltage at the top of its scale, rather than the bottom. Since your Winchester is 6v, I’d look for “up to 6 volts” rather than “6 volts and higher” to get the best light (color and volume). The light quality on the ones I’ve tried is proportional to the voltage I fed them.

They’re all just too dang spendy if you just want Light, but for that vintage classic, one of those would be my choice. I don’t know if you already know this or not, but the correct incandescent bulb for your 6v Winchester is (K)PR112… The KPR112 would probably please you if you used rechargeable batteries. Not so bright, but high CRI (where have I heard that before, Nichia?) and recharging batteries will keep the cost of ownership more tolerable.