Tritium slot machining

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

How do you take the photos with the trits so well lit?

Thanks Matt

Upper image is ambient room light. Spot metered the wooden background & exposed at f/16 for 1 second at ISO-200. Lower image is in the same location but totally in the dark. Again f/16 & ISO-200 but the shutter was open for 90 seconds which over exposed the trits. A McG SunDrop (set to medium) was blinked on for 2 seconds to pick up background details.

Upper image took one attempt, lower image is the last of six attempts. All the others were catch & release :nana:

The 60 second exposure shown below is technically correct for the trits but the background is less than exciting:

 

[Mattaus]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Thanks for the explanation Barry. Now I know what to do with my own GITD stuff. I was mucking around with long exposures but didn't think to quickly shine a light to bring up other detail. Would be easier with my DSLR but seen as I sold that a while back I will have to make do with the old point and shoot on 'bulb' mode.

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

A Mac's Custom being machined for 2x6mm trits:

Close view of slots:

This image makes the slots look pretty big but they're about the size of a grain of rice.

Nine trits in total & five are visible most of the time:

 

[Henk_Lu]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

So many countries have blue, red and white (only?) in their flags? Wow...

Those two lights look great, whoever gets them is a very lucky man. Yes, for sure it's a man, no woman would be mad enough to have 9 trits in a Mac's body and 16 in a Haiku! :devil:

Thanks, Barry! :thumbsup:

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Those two lights look great, whoever gets them is a very lucky man. Yes, for sure it's a man, no woman would be mad enough to have 9 trits in a Mac's body and 16 in a Haiku! :devil:

Thanks, Barry! :thumbsup:

I'm glad that you like them

Each slot required 20 milling passes (500 in total). The small end mill is lowered only 0.1mm per pass which keeps the chip load on the tool at a moderate level.

I'll be eager to see images after Step 2 & Step 3 are completed.

... no woman would be mad enough ...

Please don't tell that to SMarkum. She likes the glow tubes as much as you do :devil:

 

[benthiccracker]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Could you do a tritium slot in a Zero res shorty switch on the bottom where it is exposed?

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

A 1.5mm vial needs at least 1.7mm slot depth so the trit can rest slightly below the surrounding surface - this allows a tiny amount of Norland to cover the trit & cure out perfectly. If you have a micrometer (or have a friend with one) measure the thickness of the brass "button". If it measures out at 1.7mm (.067") or greater it can be slotted. Impossible to tell from the photos I've seen but it looks like it may not be thick enough.

ZeroRes Shorty info.

 

[Henk_Lu]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

My Haiku and Tri-EDC just returned to me and I installed the trits.

Thanks Barry for the perfect work, all slots are where they should be and they are all exactly the same, in one word : perfect!

More pictures in the trits-thread in the collection section...

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

...all slots are where they should be and they are all exactly the same, in one word : perfect!

Thank you

UKMidnight did an awesome job on the ano. The colors are stunning.

 

[H-nu]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Wow Henk, those are gorgeous. Glad I stumbled into this subforum.

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

This C2 received 2x12mm on each side of the clip, 2.5x25mm on the opposite "narrow" edges & 2x8mm on the tail collar.

 

[Mattaus]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

I didn't realise that the C2's had a narrower edge on them....my brother has his C3 now so maybe I should go have a look for myself lol.

Nice job as usual Barry. Really adds to these lights!

- Matt

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

I didn't realise that the C2's had a narrower edge on them....

The "wide" corners are those on either side of the clip & the narrow edges are the other two. Width of the edge is right at 2.5mm so a 2.5mm trit will just fit and barely cut the corners back. To place the groove dead center on the edge means dialing in to +/- 0.5°. If the slot is off center any more than that it would badly.

 

[Lolaralph]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

I hope this is the proper spot for these questions, I have an aluminum V10r, I would like to have three trits installed in the cooling fins, what is the cost of the drilling and installation, what size trits do I need to get, and is Norland used, or do they float in the holes,thanks

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

I hope this is the proper spot for these questions ...

This is a perfect place to ask.

The trit size is 1.5x6mm and those are available (AFAIK) only from Steve Ku for $8.50 each. More info in Post #1 in his thread in The Marketplace: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-V-series-titanium-mods&p=4609924#post4609924 Norland is not used as the trits are held captive when the head is put back together.

Cost to disassemble the head, drill three holes, install your trits & reassemble is $35 + $6 return shipping. NOTE: this pricing is for the V10R Aluminum model.

 

[SPNKr]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Just a quick question, do tiny tritium beads about 2mm or less in diameter exist? I'd like to install a glowing thing on a AAA light but it doesn't have much space for a vial.

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

I haven't seen anyone offer dots or beads lately. You may want to contact both B@rt & Merkava:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...m-thread-part-deux-bis&highlight=bart+tritium

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?170374-For-Sale-Tritium-Vials

 

[JMP]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

Or ask Steve, I noticed a post awhile back where he interesting sizes.

(Edit by PW - the quickest way to contact Steve is [email protected] )

 

[Lolaralph]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

This is a perfect place to ask.

The trit size is 1.5x6mm and those are available (AFAIK) only from Steve Ku for $8.50 each. More info in Post #1 in his thread in The Marketplace: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-V-series-titanium-mods&p=4609924#post4609924 Norland is not used as the trits are held captive when the head is put back together.

Cost to disassemble the head, drill three holes, install your trits & reassemble is $35 + $6 return shipping.

Precisionworks,
thanks for the info, in your opinion, are the 6mm trits a necessity, or is it possible to use 5mm ones, and if so what would be the difference on the finished product. I'm trying to determine which trits to order so I can proceed with this project, thanks again
thanks

 

[precisionworks]

Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

There are two really good reasons not to use the 1.5x5mm vials. First is that the space between the upper & lower fins is 5mm so the 5mm vial does not extend into the head fin. Since the trits are no longer captured they will need to be set in place with Norland. I've done this on a titanium head fin & the Norland is almost invisible ... but it will probably show against the matte black finish of the aluminum light.

The second reason is that it doubles the amount of time needed & that would make the cost $70 + $6 return shipping. Unless Steve has no available 1.5x6mm trits they are the best ones to use. Also, since no Norland is used for the 6mm vial you can change colors at any time you want.