The ole busted scout light works now trick

Now I am completly at ease saying "it's all your fault Scout".

Ok that is out of the way.
I can see how this whole ebay thing can get addictive. After purchasing some Ever Ready lights from my youth I was inspired to purchase a vintage right angle Boy Scout light. This particular one, although not real old seems to be about my age or older. Yet it was in great shape overall.

It was clean and it was cheap.
Today it arrived. The seller said it was bulbless. Eh, no biggy. I've got Mag stars running out of my ears.

Install bulb, click, nothing....hmmm.
After comparing it to a minty Fulton Nam light I set about solving the problems. Bulb keeper and ground rod.

Ground rod first.

It was corrected with needle nose pliers to what you see. But...is the lens making contact?

Enter Mag Solitaire with microstream clip.



Fasten to body for hands free use.


We have contact.

Next phase is deep bulb keeper does not allow bulb to protrude onto the hot.


Left is BSA light. Right is the Fulton.
Buy parts or use Dremel? Hmph. Any excuse to use the Dremel....


Cutting disk and rotary sander.


Careful removage of plastic later, test fit time.
Yup that'll do.
Got ground? Check. Got hot? Check. Got batteries? Check.


All reassembled...


Houston: We have light!!

But hows the beam you ask? Uh, don't. Just kidding, but it aint pretty.


But.. neither is the Fulton.



But you know what? These dudes might have saved lives. Seriously. These and another little jewel that showed up (to me) are just as cool as all my other flashlights.








The other jewel. A Cub Scout light. Gotta start 'em young.





The Cub Scout light tail.

Thanks for looking.

Awesome stuff. :thumbsup: Those old angleheads can tell some stories for sure.

Today being Morse Code today I enjoyed using the momentary feature on each one.

Hopefully flashlight museum can give clues to its age. It was apparently at the bottom of a trunk from an estate sale so the seller did not know the history.

I love reading about all the fun you have with these vintage lights. Your enjoyment is contagious.

Thanks for the entertainment.

The Cub Scout light is very cool. Speaking of Morse code; as an underachieving Boy Scout, I didn't get that many merit badges, but the Morse code badge was one of them. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for being willing to have an awkward, introverted kid come over every Thursday evening after dinner for awhile, and interrupt your ability to enjoy the tv show, "Daniel Boone". God bless teachers of all types.

KeepingItLight said:

I love reading about all the fun you have with these vintage lights. Your enjoyment is contagious.

Thanks for the entertainment.

Click to expand...

Tell ya the truth there's just something fun about discovering just how far advanced lights were back then.
When I saw this one had a plastic lens I figured late 50's/early 60's...


Flashlight museuem says circa 1945.
Now my mind is racing about some kid at 10:00 pm, stuck indoors because of lights out requirement who is morse coding his ceiling pretending to be the reason allied bombers knew where the targeted German ball bearing factory is or stuff kids were day dreaming of back then...

novice said:

The Cub Scout light is very cool. Speaking of Morse code; as an underachieving Boy Scout, I didn't get that many merit badges, but the Morse code badge was one of them. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for being willing to have an awkward, introverted kid come over every Thursday evening after dinner for awhile, and interrupt your ability to enjoy the tv show, "Daniel Boone". God bless teachers of all types.

Click to expand...

Yep. Teachers are cool. Sounds like you had a special one in Mr. Johnson. Giving up the Daniel Boone show was probably quite the sacrifice being as syndicated tv hadn't been invented yet.
Very cool story.

Turns out according again to flashlight museum the cub scout light is circa 1960.
I'll do write ups on that one and another one enroute comparing the two.


Sellers photo of the other one.

KeepingItLight said:

I love reading about all the fun you have with these vintage lights. Your enjoyment is contagious.

Thanks for the entertainment.

Click to expand...

KIL: True+1

bykfixer - a prince of the NOS !!

lightlover said:

KIL: True+1

bykfixer - a prince of the NOS !!

Click to expand...

Prince? Nah, just lucky.
Now had I went on and bought that nip gun metal 6P my buddy showed me ($225) or that nip 3P ($185) he showed me maybe...

That guy is the king of NOS stuff.
I had just Malkoff'd his 6PL and joked about never ever buying either one unless they were nip. (Thinking I'd never find that)
He buys rare car parts from all the planet so he gets around ebay pretty well.