1940's Ever Ready No.8 pocket torch 'bulls eye'

[Minimoog]

These little lights are quite common in the UK - they take the 3 Volt No.8 battery. Whilst you could get the battery up until about 1990, they are not at all easy to find now - and only zinc are available. Even with a new battery, the 2.5V, 0.3A bulb was not all that useful. I found out my old torch from the loft last weekend and fancied to see what I could do with it. Firstly I tried an LED screw in module but the LED die being fed through the lens gave a horrible pattern and the cold blue light was not good at all. So what could I do? Firstly I found the highest brightness MES lamp that will fit - that being 6V 0.5A. To drive this two Efast 18350's were used in series (amazingly the perfect length) with a band of thin adhesive foam around them to keep the centred. On powering up, the slight overdrive gave not only a white light - but a bright one too. The light even warms my hand a little - WAY brighter than stock, yet keeping the incan goodness.

Here it is closer up. A basic light, yet now very useful. It tail stands and lights a room well. I remember giving up on it years ago as being useless, now I will be using it as a genuine useful light - the beam is a perfect circle pool of light - no throw as such but great for 'doing things that need a light'.


Anyone else using their 'No.8' light still? How are you running it?

 

[Short_Circuit]

I've never seen one of those before. It certainly seems to be made to primarily function as an ambient light, candle type tail stand lamp. Definitely an interesting little light.

 

[Exeter354]

Don't have one of those, but I have these and still use them:

I will always love the old lights...guess I'm just a romantic at heart.

 

[Minimoog]

Thanks for the input. Since writing this I have found another example in a drawer - it looks just like the one I showed here but the glass lens is a bit thicker which means a slightly tighter beam profile. The Ever Ready ranges of lights were very different in the US and the UK I think - we had nothing like those shown above. One good thing though - there has never been a better time to get good batteries to power them.

 

[magellan]

Very cool. Have seen one of those in photos but never in person.

 

[Exeter354]

Thanks for the input. Since writing this I have found another example in a drawer - it looks just like the one I showed here but the glass lens is a bit thicker which means a slightly tighter beam profile. The Ever Ready ranges of lights were very different in the US and the UK I think - we had nothing like those shown above. One good thing though - there has never been a better time to get good batteries to power them.

Couple of nice old rare torches you have there. I think you're right about what was made available here and in the UK back then. I have often wondered how readily available even the ones I have were. I have spent many decades scouring swap meets and oddly enough I have never come across any exactly like these. I think many don't survive, not to mention the definition of mass produced was probably very different back then. And there is always the possibility that they survive in countless garages across the globe, sitting in old rusty tool boxes and on dusty shelves.

The smallest one in my photo (not the Haiku of course) has a battery compartment that is too small for a C and too big for a AA. Had me scratching my head for a while. Ended up retrofitting a 18350 and it works like a charm. The rest operate on standard batteries, but yes...you're right, never a better time to get a variety of good battery alternatives!

 

[Mark@LF]

Now that is a flashlight! Mirror finish head, all chromed body with a leather carrying strap.
That is really something, looks really classy too.
Mind telling us something about those lights, Exeter354?
I am especially interested in that light with the strap obviously.

 

[Exeter354]

Now that is a flashlight! Mirror finish head, all chromed body with a leather carrying strap.
That is really something, looks really classy too.
Mind telling us something about those lights, Exeter354?
I am especially interested in that light with the strap obviously.

The light with the strap is a whopping 7 D cell Ray-O-Vac Sportsman from the 60's...

The larger one below is a 5 D cell light, no identification. I'd guess 40's/50's, same with the next size down which is a 2 D cell light. That one has "Banner" on the tail. The smallest is probably 60's, "Empire Made" on the tail. Can't tell you what battery it took originally, but it takes a 18350 now...

 

[Minimoog]

The light with the strap is a whopping 7 D cell Ray-O-Vac Sportsman from the 60's...

The larger one below is a 5 D cell light, no identification. I'd guess 40's/50's, same with the next size down which is a 2 D cell light. That one has "Banner" on the tail. The smallest is probably 60's, "Empire Made" on the tail. Can't tell you what battery it took originally, but it takes a 18350 now...

Those short batteries like an 18350 were 1/2 No.8 cells - you split the full battery into two by taking off the card wrapper. It was quite common at the time.

 

[Minimoog]

I just put a 6v 1.7A halogen bulb in - over driven by about 1 Volt. Incredible brightness for such a little torch. Don't forget the oven gloves! Back to the normal bulb now.

 

[etc]

Cool. I wanted to say I enjoyed these pics.

 

[Minimoog]

As nobody else wanted it and no bidding I won eBay item 161916376333 which arrived yesterday. I love really old lights that have seen some action and are living history to use. When it arrived it looked like it had not been used for decades and it took effort to open it. Once open the reflector fell out - and I then saw the reason for it falling out of use - the reflector is supposed to be clamped in place and isolated. Using a gently sanded down fibre washer I was able to make a new isolator and clamp the reflector back where it should be. While it was apart I thoroughly cleaned inside and made sure the sliding switch was smooth. After this I cleaned the tailcap spring, the inside of the thick glass lens and wiped the body over. Everything given lashings of De-Oxit naturally. I put in two 18350's, a 6V 3W bulb (low filament type) and powered it up for the first time in YEARS. First try was perfect - no flicker or problems, smooth 'optics' type beam with pleasingly fuzzy central hotspot. I love these lights - they feel so nice. It used to be a red and black painted 'snakeskin' efect - and some remains. I do wonder what this torch lit up years ago. Dark streets, no lighting and outside toilets. I love such items and that they are just - if not more - usable today than in the 30's and 40's. I now have the reflector version with adjustable beam coming (eBay 252214077544 (again no bids)) which looks nice. That will get a 6V 1A Halogen lamp for old fashioned looks with a punchy output.

 

[Minimoog]

Just an update with beamshot of my latest old light. Here is the beamshot of this (very) old timer



And here it is with a modern Haiku.



Another old light saved, just another few thousand to go!