Looking for someone to make a custom spring clip for ballcap brim.

Hi CPF,

I'm looking for someone who could machine custom spring clips, to fulfill a design idea I have in mind for a dual pocket and ball cap clip. The design could work for multiple EDC lights, but I'm specifically wanting for the EagleTac D25C clicky.

( http://www.eagletac.com/html/d25crc/specs.html )

The design I'm looking for is simple, and can be explained in words. Basically like the existing spring clip (no actual spring--that's just what I call them), but it curves back around and forks forks out slightly to each side to provide two points of contact where the clip terminates. The extra bend allows it to both clip onto a hat brim, or onto pocket like normal. The extra width at the end where it terminates gives it stability from wabble left or right while attached to your ballcap -- pointing straight forward. It might even have stamped dimples to bite into the hat brim.

I could draw some pictures if everyone doesn't already have a few ideas in mind.

Thanks!

Why this light? Because it's like the only High CRI option out there worth looking at for the money!

Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Raccoon,

I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I am currently looking for a suitable LED flashlight to clip to a brim of a baseball cap and I still have not decided what I will go with yet. I have been considering an Olight S10R Baton III, but I am still looking. Would the EagleTac D25C clicky be better than the Olight S10R Baton III as a cap light? If so, why? My typical usage would be horseback riding at night, hiking on trails at night, or snowblowing.

Jim


https://olightworld.com/store/flashlight/s10r-baton-iii.html

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

For most of the headlights its quite easy to replace the LED with one that fits your temperature and CRI

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

JAS said:

Would the EagleTac D25C clicky be better than the Olight S10R Baton III as a cap light? If so, why?

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Hi Jim, as it is the D25C would not make a good cap light because it does not have a correct facing clip. Your Olight already does. I am trying to find somebody who would machine a clip that can face the other way around. Right now, you can't clip it to a hat without making something yourself.

The D25C mainly excites me because you can get it with a High CRI Nichia emitter. Everything bursts with color.

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Lexel said:

For most of the headlights its quite easy to replace the LED with one that fits your temperature and CRI

Click to expand...

I'm not finding that to be the case. Just exactly which models let you swap out a Cree for a Nichia?

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Is there any reason you guys just don't go with a headlamp? It would be much more secure and offer easy angle adjustment vs no angle adjustment. They are purpose built for this task.

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Tachead: Less flashlights to carry around with you 24/7. An EDC is always ready. My D25C is always ready. His S10R Baton is always at hand. Just put on a ballcap, remove from pocket, put onto cap.

I find that purpose built headlamps, generally, suck. 99% of them use AAA batteries, if they don't use button cell batteries, both of which make them immediately dismissible without a second of consideration.

Nobody will tell me which headlamps have a High CRI emitter, and I've never discovered one myself.

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Raccoon said:

Tachead: Less flashlights to carry around with you 24/7. An EDC is always ready. My D25C is always ready. His S10R Baton is always at hand. Just put on a ballcap, remove from pocket, put onto cap.

I find that purpose built headlamps, generally, suck. 99% of them use AAA batteries, if they don't use button cell batteries, both of which make them immediately dismissible without a second of consideration.

Nobody will tell me which headlamps have a High CRI emitter, and I've never discovered one myself.

Click to expand...

Zebralight H600Fd MKIII(5000K) or H600Fc MKIII(4000K). They are 83-85 CRI with 2-step MacAdam Ellipse Cree XM-L2 Easywhite emitters for a nice clean tint. They run on any 18650's including protected, unprotected, flat top, button top, etc. Industry leading driver efficiency and runtimes. User programmable UI with many modes including moonlight(870-0.01 lumens). Real time thermal regulation on higher modes. Headband with the ability to use with or without top strap. And, can be used with a deep carry clip just like a flashlight in bezel down or up carry.







Here it is with a clip...





I couldnt find a picture but, the Nitecore MH20 clip fits even better then the one pictured(like it was made for it) and is available here for less then $6(Version B)...

http://www.nitecorestore.com/Pocket-Clip-for-Nitecore-P12-Flashlight-p/acc-clip-nitecore.htm

It can be mounted in the other channel the opposite way as well for bezel down deep pocket carry.

I have tried many different headlamps over the years and this one is definitely the best one I have used or tried. It has a nice even floody beam but, still has a decent amount of midrange throw on the higher output levels. It has a nice clean tint too and great colour rendering(not quite Nichia 219B rendering but, damn close). It is light and tiny for an 18650 powered light as well and gets long runtimes even at the higher levels.

Re: Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Tachead said:

Zebralight H600Fd MKIII(5000K) or H600Fc MKIII(4000K).

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Neat, thanks I'd like to see more of this emitter in perhaps an RCR123 / 16340 style EDC light. My main apprehension, though, is the L shaped form. And this would never work off the brim of a ball cap (unless you're inspecting your own cleavage :lol: )

Why an EDC side-of-pocket at-the-ready flashlight instead of a purpose built headlamp? Because the best light is the one you already have with you -- same axiom as cameras and firearms.

A cheaper and perhaps easier alternative is to modify the hat, rather than trying get someone to machine a custom clip. Adding a loop onto the hat brim for the existing clip to affix is a relatively simple DIY project, and if you don't like the result or want to try several iterations, you're only out the cost of an old hat or two.

Having said that, I haven't found a traditional flashlight that makes an effective headlamp when affixed to a hat brim. It's difficult to make the light point down to your hands, which is IMHO where it's needed most of the time. Also, even relatively small flashlights such as the EagleTac D25C or Olight S10 have significant leverage when perched at the end of a hat brim... My experience with the latter was that the hat kept dipping down over my eyes while walking. Not trying to dissuade you from your project, but personally I'd consider those potential requirements and limitations before investing in a prototype/custom solution.

There was a cool-looking DIY hat brim clip that someone made with a coat hanger and some rubber tubing that might interest you... Try searching for "bubba clip".

Edit: it's an old thread, and the relevant pictures appear to be dead links, but here's what I was referring to...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...6-Cap-Lights&p=4112969&viewfull=1#post4112969

Looking For Someone To Make A Custom Spring Clip For Ballcap Brim.

Tachead said:

Is there any reason you guys just don't go with a headlamp? It would be much more secure and offer easy angle adjustment vs no angle adjustment. They are purpose built for this task.

Click to expand...

I use a headlamp, but I mount it on the back of a ballcap. It works great during warmer temperatures. However, because it is getting colder, I want to get a warmer cap, with a brim, and use a light clipped onto it. I don't think that a headlamp would work very well with a cap like this.

http://www.carhartt.com/products/carhartt-clearance-men/Quick-Duck-Anmoore-Cap-OUT-100762