The wall thickness of the Mini-Mag is .060 inch. I turn that down leaving the wall thickness on the body at .030 inch. The wood covering is then turned down leaving it .030 inch. The two halves have to fit together perfectly, with this fit, the glue line is invisible. Darker woods are a little more forgiving. The picture gives a good idea of the process.
The two body halves are clamped together at the same time as the two head halves. All the lights are made from one solid piece of wood, When I assemble these, the wood grain pattern lines up when the light is turned off.
I want to add a little about these lights.
I had to repair my dishwasher the other day. One of the tools I used was the first wood mini I made. It fell a few times on the floor, it got wet, (not submerged in water) I dried it off and all is well.
The wood on these lights had been treated with wood sealer, and then lacquered, they are not waterproof. Like any finished wood product, if they are left wet, the wood will discolor and get a haze to it. Once the wood dries it is usually fine.
The wood is softer than the anodized aluminum that the Maglites are made of. If the wood is hit with a sharp object, or the corner of something it will most likely dent. The wood has been epoxied to the aluminum and should be pretty stable.
Wood and Heat is not a good combination. Heat can cause the remaining moisture in the wood to evaporate. This can cause the wood to crack. All the wood I used has been dried and under normal circumstances there should be no problems. I would not leave one of these in the glove box in a car.
These all work and require a little extra care, but not too much, just be careful with them...
The two body halves are clamped together at the same time as the two head halves. All the lights are made from one solid piece of wood, When I assemble these, the wood grain pattern lines up when the light is turned off.
I want to add a little about these lights.
I had to repair my dishwasher the other day. One of the tools I used was the first wood mini I made. It fell a few times on the floor, it got wet, (not submerged in water) I dried it off and all is well.
The wood on these lights had been treated with wood sealer, and then lacquered, they are not waterproof. Like any finished wood product, if they are left wet, the wood will discolor and get a haze to it. Once the wood dries it is usually fine.
The wood is softer than the anodized aluminum that the Maglites are made of. If the wood is hit with a sharp object, or the corner of something it will most likely dent. The wood has been epoxied to the aluminum and should be pretty stable.
Wood and Heat is not a good combination. Heat can cause the remaining moisture in the wood to evaporate. This can cause the wood to crack. All the wood I used has been dried and under normal circumstances there should be no problems. I would not leave one of these in the glove box in a car.
These all work and require a little extra care, but not too much, just be careful with them...
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