Who has ever lost a tailcap?

Lee1959

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In another thread the concern of losing a flashlights tailcap was brought up. Personally this rather surprised me as I have never heard of it or had it happen to me. I have carried flashlights of one type or another for 40 years or more and this is one that I have never come across. I suppose it cold happen if one was tearing the light apart and modifying it but simply during the course of normal use I find it hard to imagine.

So how many here have actually lost a tail cap when in the process of changing batteries, or a bulb, or personally known of someone who has? Just curious how prevalent this possible issue is.
 

fyrstormer

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If I can expand the original question a bit: who has ever lost or broken any important functional component of a light while changing the batteries? It could be the tailcap, a contact spring, the bulb, part of the switch, etc. Something that rendered the light unusable. It might've happened while camping in the woods, while changing a tire by the side of the road, while checking a strange sound outside at 3am, or just getting distracted by something more important and leaving the light laying in pieces on the workbench for a couple days.
 

bshanahan14rulz

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My beloved 6P that was gifted to me a while ago kind of lost its tailcap. I had sent it to a friend of a friend's microscope repair shop, they make custom handles and knobs, figured it would be an easy job to bore it out for 18mm cells. I found a measurement, I think it was 18.65mm, and sent it off to be bored. body came back with a very rough, ragged, 20+mm bore that looks like it was done with a hand-drill. The threads for the tailcap were also cleanly chopped off, for some reason. Still have the body, probably gonna make it into a custom light fixture someday.
 

Evltcat

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My beloved 6P that was gifted to me a while ago kind of lost its tailcap. I had sent it to a friend of a friend's microscope repair shop, they make custom handles and knobs, figured it would be an easy job to bore it out for 18mm cells. I found a measurement, I think it was 18.65mm, and sent it off to be bored. body came back with a very rough, ragged, 20+mm bore that looks like it was done with a hand-drill. The threads for the tailcap were also cleanly chopped off, for some reason. Still have the body, probably gonna make it into a custom light fixture someday.

Dear God Man!!! The people that did this to your light to work on Microscopes?!??! If they did that to your light, what do they do to the Microscopes?!???! Fix them with a sledge hammer and a MIG welder?!??

My condolences on the loss of your 6P! :mecry:
 

ChrisGarrett

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Actually, I lost the light, but kept the tailcap!

Cheap 4x357 button cell, 3 led Chang special. I lost the entire body/head, but the tailcap was still attached to my keychain. The GF sells them in her store, so she gave me another one, whch has stayed put for a while.

Chris
 

Illum

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Never lost a tailcap replacing batteries, even in the dark. Did lose half of the Z57 while sanding the inside of a E2e body to fit 17670s. In my defense the Z57 part I lost was quite chewy, it tore before I realized what I had done:ohgeez:
 

Th232

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Dear God Man!!! The people that did this to your light to work on Microscopes?!??! If they did that to your light, what do they do to the Microscopes?!???! Fix them with a sledge hammer and a MIG welder?!??

My condolences on the loss of your 6P! :mecry:

Seconded, what the heck happened there! I can guess that the tailcap threads came off because there just wasn't enough material left after boring it out to 20 mm or so.

Personally, I've never lost a part. The head of the Arc AAA on my keychain has never come loose, never lost any tailcaps, heads, bodies or anything.
 

^Gurthang

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I'm shocked that an outfit that claims to work on microscopes would butcher a simple bore job. I'm guessing that someone attempted to use a drill rather than a boring bar. Tool "chatter" will screw work every time..... sorry about the loss.

As far as losing a tailcap, when I've had to change cells outdoors it's; tailcap off and into pocket, then old cell out and into different pocket, then fresh cell [held in mouth] into body, then tailcap from pocket back to body.
 

HotWire

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I once had car trouble at night and my Liteflux 2LFXT quite. I was dumb enough to take it apart and *lost* the spring. I looked everywhere with another flashlight. I was heartbroken. The good people at eLite send me a new spring! Thank you!
 

fyrstormer

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Well, there's one person who had the experience I predicted.

I don't think CPF is a good place to ask about losing flashlight parts while changing batteries, because flashaholics are going to naturally be more careful than most people when changing flashlight batteries.

Personally I'm careful about everything I own; I even disassemble my keyboard once a year to wash it. But I've been to lots of people's houses and seen things they own obviously missing parts, taped or glued back together to keep it working, and it made me think: you can't do that with a flashlight. If you lose pretty much anything except the clip, the light is unusable, and you have to take it apart just to change the batteries. It's like flashlights are designed to help people lose important parts so they have to buy new flashlights.

Hence my original question in the other thread that spawned this one.
 

Lee1959

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I think it is possible, and perhaps an interesting solution to that possiblity in a new light design, but overall not a huge issue for the flashlight companies because it is a rather rare occurance. The lights sell very well as they are, there is not a huge outcry for something different, if there was, at least one of the companies would opt to tap into a niche market. Especially one of the newer small companies which is trying to make a name and market share for themselves. Then if the new design was popular one of the larger manufacturers would buy it out and make their own. to add to their market share. The very fact that no company has done so probably answers both of our questions better than anyone elses answer.
 
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