Just a MS paint rendering of a possible future light, tell me your thoughts

[2sparky]

Just curious but dont most lights use the body to conduct the electricity between the switch and the LE ? Isnt that why your light gets dimmer if the metal threads get oxidized....Last I heard Delrin doesnt conduct electricity if so then you would have to run wires or some other alternative....I maybe wrong but thats why I thought most lights were aluminum and the cheapies were plastic or "delrin" or "zytel" or "nitrolon"

[Ilikeshinythings]

I'll just wait for somebody who knows to reply.

[depusm12]

Just curious but dont most lights use the body to conduct the electricity between the switch and the LE ? Isnt that why your light gets dimmer if the metal threads get oxidized....Last I heard Delrin doesnt conduct electricity if so then you would have to run wires or some other alternative....I maybe wrong but thats why I thought most lights were aluminum and the cheapies were plastic or "delrin" or "zytel" or "nitrolon"

The Pelican 7060 led the body is Zytel or some other polymer it has a metal heat sink for the led and it was designed and manufactured for a major police department (LAPD).

[Ilikeshinythings]

Some lights do use the body to conduct electricity but it's not a necessesity.

On another note, after discussing some things with a fellow CPFer, I've considered putting all the circuitry in the tailcap, thus, if you want different modes down the road all you need to do is order a new tailcap.

Also, I'm going to experiment with making a metal "slug" that will screw into the heatsink. For removal all it would require is that the head of the light be unscrewed and a pair of tweezers. This slug will be made of copper and should provide enough heat dissipation to the aluminum heatsink.

I will have some CAD drawings as well as some 3D video animations of the light functioning and being put together piece by piece in the next month or so.

Thanks for taking interest folks.

[Ilikeshinythings]

D4 photos moved to first post.

[depusm12]

Nice job man. Were you planing on putting some type of texture/ or something on the body to make it less slippery ?

[Sgt. LED]

Rubberized.

[Ilikeshinythings]

Thanks Depusm. I know it's amateur but I have close to no skill and Microsoft paint is a pretty limited program so It took me my whole MIS class session to finish.

I'm still considering what kind of texture, if any, I should use. There are materials that are naturally rubbery feeling in texture that are actually hard plastic. I'm not sure exactly what "Delrin" looks like, but there are many different kinds of polymers out there, so i'm totally open to suggestions for other materials. Carbon fiber would look cool but machining it would not be easy and I don't think carbon fiber works well with threading. I'm also open to suggestions on texturing.

Thanks for contributing to my thread. I've learned alot so far.

[depusm12]

Rubberized.

I like that idea. Cause metal flashlights are cold and harder to hold without gloves or something wrapped arround them.

[Ilikeshinythings]

As I mentioned before, I'm gaining cues from a lot of other lights, and one of my favorite lights out there is the Streamlight Scorpion. I really like its rubberized body, though the tailcap clickie design could be a little better. I like how I can take it out of my pockets when its freezing outside and not play "hot potato" with it til it warms up. I definitely wouldn't be against rubberized.

[RyanMPLS]

If you're serious about this then you can create CAD drawings and even order parts/prototypes from http://www.emachineshop.com/

It's not cheap but at least you can play with the software free and even get quotes from it without a long quote process.

I have contacts at a custom mold and design company so maybe if working with a rosin I could offer some pointers.

RLC

[Ilikeshinythings]

Excellent, thanks Ryan! I'll PM you if I have any questions.

[2sparky]

Just curious how do the lights that have plastic bodies conduct electricity to both sides of the battery? I mean you need a positive and a negative to the emitter right? I dont know how surefire or any other company does it but I hope you dont have to run wires through the body or something.

[Marduke]

Just curious how do the lights that have plastic bodies conduct electricity to both sides of the battery? I mean you need a positive and a negative to the emitter right? I dont know how surefire or any other company does it but I hope you dont have to run wires through the body or something.

Look at a 50 cent grocery store flashlight sometime. A brass strip is often used. Some lights use a metal sleeve or liner also.\

[Ilikeshinythings]

I would probably just use a removeable metal sleeve on the interior of the light. I had planned on doing that anyways to accompany different sized batteries.

[Jarl]

I hope you dont have to run wires through the body or something.

that's pretty much exactly what happens. It's not so scary when you think about it...


The problem with a removable metal sleeve, doubling as a spacer, is what would happen when you remove that sleeve to fit a 18650 in?

[Marduke]

We are also designing an EDC companion light to the above duty light in a format which few lights exist. 2xAA side by side!! (also possibility of 2xAAA model). All the power of a 2xAA light in a compact package which is more comfortable to hold, but not so bulky in a pocket. Multi-mode (with aspirations of infinitely variable brightness), with up to around 180 lumens. The body is one solid piece of milled aluminum (possibility of stainless steel model). Oh, one other thing, this light is PURE FLOOD. The emitter (R2 Cree or better) is sitting directly behind a piece of AR coated glass, no reflector.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the "EDC V2b"



Red is the 1-piece body, blue is a top plate. Generally, the top plate, once installed, will never have to be removed again (although it can be easily via several screws). Yellow is the switch, green is the head with a bare emitter just inside. Batteries are removed through the holes below the switch and head, so no putting batteries in one hole and smacking the light on it's side to get them to seat properly like several other "double barrel" lights.

Also, it is not shown, but there will be a clip which screws into pre-tapped holes on the side. The clip can be reposition in any of the 4 primary directions, or removed entirely.

I open the floor for thoughts and opinions.

[depusm12]

What about using a optic for the EDC V2b?

[Marduke]

What about using a optic for the EDC V2b?

As described, nothing. Bare emitter behind AR lens. Pure flood with no beam artifacts.

[Jarl]

How low can you go? (serious question!!)

Where will you fit the regulator?

Looks good- IMO 2xAA side by side should be looked at more.

[Ilikeshinythings]

Photos of EDC V3b & DL-D4 consolidated into first post.

[Burgess]

I really like your 2-AA side-by-side model.


Very interested. Count me in.





Kinda' reminds me of the old "vest-pocket" flashlights from the early 1900's.

A touch of Nostalgia, and with Modern Engineering & Electronics.


_

[Ilikeshinythings]

Cheers. Thanks for taking interest Burgess! I will keep you updated.

In case any of you were wondering what the label signifies: Dansite

This light will be called "Dansite EDC V2b" and will be made in the USA.

[mossyoak]

thats a 2xAA flood spy. i dont suppose that knob next to the emitter would turn would it?

[Ilikeshinythings]

Negative, good sir. And the Spy didn't come in a 2 x AA form. To change modes with this light, twist the head upon which the emitter sits. The button next to it is a push button--forward click. They do not hold a patent on side-by-side battery configurations, nor does this light resemble the spy in any way beyond having such a configuration as well as a button and emitter next to one-another.

Besides, the spy is infinitely more sexy

[js]

Ilikeshinythings,

All of your picture files in these posts are TOO LARGE. Please read the rules. Check out what I did in post #35, and please do that to ALL of the rest of your over-large pics. Or, if you wish, downsize them to no larger than 800 x 800 pixels.

If you'd like to turn them into links with clickable thumbnail images, do the following:

right now you have this:

(image tag)...url.../filename.extension (end image tag)

The thumbnail file will be (for imageshack): filename.th.extension.

So, the thumbnail image would be:

(image tag)...url.../filename.th.extension (end image tag)

Now, just add the url tags around this so that the thumbnail image is embedded, exactly replacing the space where a word tag would have gone, and then the url points to the larger file, and the image is the clickable entity.

In your case, I think your extension is/are .png, but I didn't want to restrict the example in case you have .jpg or .tif files. If you have any questions, send me a PM, but please either link or downsize all of your oversized images.

[Ilikeshinythings]

Hopefully that is fixed enough, JS. I moved all my pictures to the first post.

In regards to the comment on the Spy light, that light costs ~$1000. I plan on trying to keep this light between $150-$250, to make it a possibility for the average CPF Joe. I'm not saying the Spy light isn't worth it's weight in gold..er..titanium, I'm just it's completely out of mine and most people's reach. Keepin mind that all these flashlights we use are pretty much the same thing with slightly altered shapes. If one light shares similarities with another, is it really that much of a shock? I don't think so.

Back on track! The obvious next step is some professional CAD, so stay posted while this thing comes to life.

[js]

Thanks! Much appreciated.

[78CJ5]

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you the "EDC V2b""

+1

Can you curve the body like a flask?

[Marduke]

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you the "EDC V2b""

+1

Can you curve the body like a flask?

The milled one is curved, but deep draw forming like a flask is an option for a V3 SS economy model which has been discussed.