Brass AAA Custom Keychain Torch (pic heavy)

Tofty's Brass AAA Custom Torches (pic heavy)

To complement my brass keychain i set about making a brass shell around the internals from a cheap chinese MXDL 3W AAA torch.
It turned out to be far too big, take far too long to make and believe it or not; far too heavy, it is however nice and shiny:

Toffey,
Thats awesome ! did you do the same thing with the peanut lighter as well ? I have been thinking about doing the same thing, i got a couple off DX and have cut the guts in half so i can make it a bit smaller, i just have to figure out how to hold the flint spring in. For a small light made of brass check out the one i just finished here, i also made one out of brass ill try and find some photos:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?329789-mini-pendant-light-V2-now-with-xml-tritium-aspheric-qtc-whohooo-!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?284446-BRASS&p=3765268&viewfull=1#post3765268

That's excellent tofty. Nice to see some more talent from the UK.
As a cackhanded accumulator of beautiful lights, I'm always on the lookout for skilled machinists and modders. (especially in the UK!)

Thanks guys,
Bribo it's not actually a peanut lighter, it's just a cash stash type thing, i did make it but the threads overlap the wrong way for it to work with a lighter insert.



County Comm sell a smaller lighter called the split pea which might have a more appropriate insert for your needs.
Love the little light, and it's not just a copy either, you've put real thought into improving the concept. I'd love to see it in more detail, i'll keep an eye on that thread.

I also ought to put a picture in the brass thread to maintain continuity.

EasilyLED i have come up with a personal rule; to make and not to mod. That way failure just means i've wasted some stock, rather then ruining someone else's property potentially worth a great deal. I do occasionally take small jobs on the proviso that it may come to nothing.

Tofty said:

EasilyLED i have come up with a personal rule; to make and not to mod. That way failure just means i've wasted some stock, rather then ruining someone else's property potentially worth a great deal. I do occasionally take small jobs on the proviso that it may come to nothing.

Click to expand...

Very wise and I fully understand. Your creation in the first post has certainly piqued my interest in that department.

Wow looks really very nice!

thank you for this Thread!


Greetings from Germany

Thanks, I looked at the peanut and tried to order it but they wont sell to Canadians....even though I have a US shipping address. I found some on DX that have the same insert but some crappy metal on the outside for $2.5 i got a few and am planning to make some nice containers out of brass or stainless.

What are you using for a lathe and milling machine ? it looks like you have way more experience than i have. Me i am using this, its not super accurate but its all i could fit in my small testosterone room, good for learning though:

Very nice Peter, how about some in titanium

Thanks everyone,
I've already got a titanium torch to finish (and start) so no more of these for awhile.

The lathe i use is a Myford long bed Super 7 with 3 phase motor, control unit and quick change tool post



Not exactling sure which mill this is but it's an Axminster




I really like that mini lathe/mill, i've never tried to turn anything thicker than 2" anyway and it looks like it can handle most tasks.

I said i wouldn't make any more but i started thinking about how i could simplify the design and came up with this:









By removing the knurling and the need for the tail to be a separate piece, i was able to make this one within an evening rather than over a week or two like the original one.

The tail design needs a bit of a rethink but overall i think it's quite cute.

Great work Peter, but as TX101 said, where's the Ti?

@Essexman: I'm not wasting any more titanium on torches until i'm fully happy with the design (i learned my lesson the hard and expensive way)

Mark III,
slightly different tail arrangement that allows an attached split ring to lie flat when tail standing.








Mark IV,
I added i little more detail to the Mark III but it's pretty much the same.












Mark V,
The body will be made up of a copper head, brass body and nickel-silver tail with stainless ends and body rings. The colours in the render should be taken with a pinch of salt as nickel silver should have a slightly yellowish silver hue rather than a deep gray.
It will have a clicky tail switch with metal button cover and an aspherical lens.
The driver will run at 500mA on a maximum of 1.5V so no rechargable lithiums.

Superb work, Tofty.

If there is any kind of reservation list for a Mark V, I'd like to be on it please.

I only have enough parts to make three Mark Vs so not alot of point making a list but consider yourself to have first dibs on one of the two that may become available.

Tofty said:

I only have enough parts to make three Mark Vs so not alot of point making a list but consider yourself to have first dibs on one of the two that may become available.

Click to expand...

That's great! Thanks. It looks fantastic from the rendering.