1200 Lumen 2D Maglite Mod

[Codiak]

Ucl is 2.8
I tend to dive below 60 and max at 133

But I'm not doing mag mods lately, rather i've been playing with old ball configs with me new lathe
Anchor optics.com offers some cheap experimental lenses and optics which work well

Now if my ahorthon asperphics would arrive so I could design ny next head,

 

[beekeeper5]

Hi Uncle Klem,

You guys make DIY modlights so easy -- or maybe I don't know what I'm doing. I'm on day 2 of grinding my maglite. I'm so close but I think I should stop grinding outside. It's already midnight and I don't think my neighbours are going to be very happy if I continue grinding and making all that noise throughout the night. If I were going to do it over again, I would have tackled it a different way. My grinding stone is getting all clogged up with dust that it's taking a bit longer and not removing as much aluminum as before.

The head fits nicely and snug. But I need to grind a bit more so the dropin will fit nicely to the ledge of the head. There is about a 1mm gap and when I close the bezel, there is about a 2-3mm gap. I'll need to fix that tomorrow. So close yet so far.

Thanks again for all your help. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Klem]

Mate, keep going, sounds like you're nearly there.

It tell you what, access to a lathe makes this sort of thing much, much easier than working away with a manual grinder. Sounds like it will be a good fit...you need tight tolerences for good heat transfer and I would add a smear of heat-sink grease for good measure.

Let us know how you go.

All good!

 

[beekeeper5]

I was thinking of putting some tin foil or some tin tape (the ones you use for exhaust vents) around the LED dropin to provide an even more snug fit. What do you think?

There is just a bit less than 1mm gap on the bezel and the head. I think that should be fine since I'm planning to put a GITD o-ring or maybe GITD powder mixed with clear marine silicone. I'm also planning to put marine silicone in front of the lens instead of the o-ring. Will this provide a tight seal or should I put the o-ring in addition to the marine silicone?

As for my reed switch and relay, I'm drilling a hole in the maglite switch for the reed. And the relay in front and just behind the LED dropin of the maglite switch. That relay is huge! About .25" x .25" x .35". I think in my next mod, I will buy LED Task's Hall switch.

I'm not very good at soldering so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[beekeeper5]

I accidentally broke the glass reed switch last night as I was inserting it in the maglite switch -- very fragile! I was going to buy another one with molded plastic around it but instead, I'm going to give George's TaskLED hallsw a try. I'm hoping to get it by next week if everything goes well.

 

[Codiak]

The hallsw is far superior to reeds.

Enjoy

 

[Klem]

I accidentally broke the glass reed switch last night as I was inserting it in the maglite switch -- very fragile! I was going to buy another one with molded plastic around it but instead, I'm going to give George's TaskLED hallsw a try. I'm hoping to get it by next week if everything goes well.

If you go the Hall switch from TASKLED you won't need that bulky relay.

The Hall is connected to a FET which acts as a relay.

My advice is to go the 'HALLTG' (Hall toggle) which is a swipe-On, swipe-Off system. With a toggle system you don't have to figure out how to keep the magnet permanently engaged to the torch throughout the dive to keepn the light on. You can swipe the torch and it will stay on until you swipe again.

Codiak's point is also very important...Hall switches are much more robust with no chance of it breaking with the usual bangs and knocks a dive torch gets.

 

[beekeeper5]

That bulky relay was such a turnoff. I think if I knew how troublesome it was, I would have gone straight to George's HALLTG/HALLSW.

I read your post too late. My shipment has already been shipped. I guess I can add this to the "if I knew about this, I would have gone a different route" bucket. And trust me, that bucket is getting bigger by the minute.

I'm planning to put the magnet to my DIY goodman handle -- or at least that's the plan. I'll work on goodman handle after I get my light working.

 

[beekeeper5]

Hi. I buggered my Hallswitch so I'm waiting for another one. It was nice while it lasted. I'm also hoping to get the lens that I bought from 350xfire sometime this week. In the meanwhile, I'm thinking if I should put marine silicone or JB weld for where the original mag switch is located, followed by a tire tube. Any advice? I am leaning towards filling that hole including the magswitch with marine silicone so, if at a later time I decide to take it apart, it would be easier.

 

[Klem]

Silicone is less a glue and more a sealant so you need to ensure that piezo is nicely fixed in place. If you can get inside the handle and screw the piezo in place then all you need to then do is waterproof/seal it. That said, if you're pushing the piezo agaisnt a hard metal handle and there's nothing to catch it against to break it out or break the seal (because it is flush with the handle) then it could work.

Also, make sure the salt water is not going to affect the specidic glue and corrode the seal.

 

[Codiak]

Jb weld should do the trick to fill the hole. Remember to sand the anodizing off where jb will contact or it won't stick

A better option is to cut the shaft off just below the switch ... Pcmus has details

 

[Klem]

JB Weld will stick to anodized aluminium however sanding makes the bind stronger. Roughening the surface increases the surface area of the bind and helps with lateral shear strength.

In this thread the torch design is not a canister, and includes the piezo on the handle. My opinion is that a canister design is less efficient design so including the switch and power supply in the same housing as the light emitter is the 'better design'.

 

[beekeeper5]

I won't be using a piezo. I'll be using a hallswitch but the application of "sealing" the hole is the same. I guess it'll have to be JB Weld. Good news that my lens came in. Now, I just have to wait for the hallswitch.

I like Klem's idea of having the switch and power supply in the same housing (at least for my first DIY torch). I'm ok with a more bulky light body with a two hour burn time which I'm hoping two 32650 batteries will give me.

 

[Klem]

In that case if you are sticking with the internal circlip as a support for the black plastic barrel as in the photos at the start of the thread you cannot cut behind the switch and so need to seal it somehow.

An unsupported 16mm 'scab' of JB Weld over the now empty switch hole is a disaster waiting to happen. In your shoes I would machine a metal stepped disk. The wider part is a slightly larger diameter than the hole so the Mag handle supports the disk against the water pressure, and the glue holds it in place and seals.

 

[ANDREAS FERRARI]

I'm not a diver but I had to comment on what a terrific build this is!

One thing I might suggest is to replace the stock tail spring with a "Golden Shorty" spring from Kaidomain.com.These springs reduce tension on the batteries and also reduce electrical resistance which produces slightly more output.I just checked and Kaidomain is currently out of stock but may have some soon.

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1734

 

[Codiak]

Leave the I nternal parts of the switch in place and pack jb in.. It's supported enough

 

[Klem]

Yes, leaving the existing switch in could work, as the plastic parts form a scaffold near the hole against the pressure. JB Weld can be pretty liquidy however so it will seep into the switch under gravity before it fully cures. It could take a couple of applications this way. Or you could even fill some of the space with putty and then JB.

Don't forget the negative take-off if you do this at the opposite side as it's almost impossible to solder aluminium (as I found out in a prototype and had to drill through the handle...very untidy)

 

[beekeeper5]

I was planning to keep the entire switch in and use JB weld. However, if JB Weld is going to seep into the switch, then maybe I will cut some aluminum (ie - a Coke can) to use as a stepped disk. We'll see if that works.

 

[Klem]

In your shoes if I didn't have access to a lathe I would get a bolt roughly the same diameter as the hole with a circular head (preferably domed). Hacksaw the bolt off so the short stump sits in the hole and the wider head on the outside...glue that in place.

 

[beekeeper5]

That's a great idea. I'll go to Home Depot this weekend to see if they have any bolts that size. Do you recommend I JB Weld glue the outside diameter of the bolt head or the entire bolt head to the maglite?