wquiles
Flashaholic
I received the parts for this light a couple of months ago, but now that I am unemployed, I have been able to make enough progress to finish the light.
This is the first of two custom lights for this forum member. This one with a P7, the next one with an MC-E. Goal was to use the AW "C" LiIon cells the owner has, and to make these lights regulated. I am not calling this thread a DIY, but folks with a lathe should be able to duplicate any/all of what I have done here fairly easily - nothing was difficult, just time consuming. Here are some of the parts:
For reference, these are the prior custom lights that I have built around this outstanding host from Barbolight:
- 3x MC-E:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/232273
- single P7
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222258
- single MC-E:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/226575
As before, after separating the head from the body, I start by modifying the reflector to fit the head:
The inside of the head must be enlarged in order to fit the backside of the reflector:
Now the reflector fits:
Next I worked on the custom Al heatsink:
Here is the "platform" for the P7 do aid in soldering the terminals:
The new Do-Grip parting bar makes cutting this 1" of Al a very easy job:
Here I am making the hollow side that will house the hipCC LED driver:
Almost done:
The driver fits:
Heatsink is finished:
Press-fit test:
Mark holes for the LED wires:
Makes the holes on the milling machine and RT - although holes don't have to be "super" aligned":
Since I plan to make a few more of these regulated versions, I made extra heatsinks at the same time:
To mount the LED, I used 3m 5mm thin thermal tape (thanks to forum member QtrHorse):
and then (although somewhat overkill since the reflector keeps the LED in place) I used 2-part epoxy to permanently set it in place:
I bent the LED wires slightly:
and tested the hipCC and LED/heatsink combo along with the thermal tape - the thermal tape did superb!:
I marked the heatsink, and then determine how deep in the body it needs to be:
Then drill:
tap:
and test the set screw that will keep the heatsink in place:
file clean the threads:
For the heatsink, George required heatsinking to the actual hipCC driver, so I used the thicker, 10mil thermal tape (thanks to forum member QtrHorse):
Solder the LED wires and test again:
For the negative battery contact, I am using Silver two-part epoxy ($$$) along a long surface on the inside of the heatsink:
Here I am testing the newly epoxied negative ground connection:
Here I am cutting the delrin piece which is fitted to the heatsink, which will hold the positive battery contact:
Drill hole for positive battery wire:
Create and epoxy positive battery contact:
file the contact flat:
epoxy the delrin piece to the heatsink "pill" - the ring on the left protects the P7 LED:
Aply thin coat of thermal compound:
Set the "pill" in place, install set screw - use threadlocker (overkill since the head will cover the hole):
Set the reflector in place against the lens (the RTV gives unlike epoxy, so if/while diving, there would be a small movement possible):
Assemble for another test fit:
Create battery sleeve from Delrin:
Add internal lip for negative contact Al "cup":
Remove anodizing from the very edge of the body to allow for good electrical contact:
Here I am fabricating the Al plug for the battery sleeve:
almost done:
This is how it looks like once in place:
This is how little room I have left for a spring:
This is how it looks like with a temporary spring:
and the whole thing works in the end:
It gets fairly hot after a short while - which it should since it is running the P7 at about 2.8A or so (regulated from 2x LiIon cells).
OK, last photos of this build. To install the spring for the negative contact, I am making a small, shallow cut on the Al plug which will serve to help center the spring. However, since the plug's size makes it hard to grab with the chuck (I should have done this earlier!), I machined a small Delrin ring to grab the Al plug safely:
Here I am done cutting the Al plug:
Here is how the spring seats in the shallow cut:
and setting it in place with Silver conductive two-part epoxy.
This finishes this build. I will post night beamshots tomorrow night.
Will
This is the first of two custom lights for this forum member. This one with a P7, the next one with an MC-E. Goal was to use the AW "C" LiIon cells the owner has, and to make these lights regulated. I am not calling this thread a DIY, but folks with a lathe should be able to duplicate any/all of what I have done here fairly easily - nothing was difficult, just time consuming. Here are some of the parts:
For reference, these are the prior custom lights that I have built around this outstanding host from Barbolight:
- 3x MC-E:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/232273
- single P7
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/222258
- single MC-E:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/226575
As before, after separating the head from the body, I start by modifying the reflector to fit the head:
The inside of the head must be enlarged in order to fit the backside of the reflector:
Now the reflector fits:
Next I worked on the custom Al heatsink:
Here is the "platform" for the P7 do aid in soldering the terminals:
The new Do-Grip parting bar makes cutting this 1" of Al a very easy job:
Here I am making the hollow side that will house the hipCC LED driver:
Almost done:
The driver fits:
Heatsink is finished:
Press-fit test:
Mark holes for the LED wires:
Makes the holes on the milling machine and RT - although holes don't have to be "super" aligned":
Since I plan to make a few more of these regulated versions, I made extra heatsinks at the same time:
To mount the LED, I used 3m 5mm thin thermal tape (thanks to forum member QtrHorse):
and then (although somewhat overkill since the reflector keeps the LED in place) I used 2-part epoxy to permanently set it in place:
I bent the LED wires slightly:
and tested the hipCC and LED/heatsink combo along with the thermal tape - the thermal tape did superb!:
I marked the heatsink, and then determine how deep in the body it needs to be:
Then drill:
tap:
and test the set screw that will keep the heatsink in place:
file clean the threads:
For the heatsink, George required heatsinking to the actual hipCC driver, so I used the thicker, 10mil thermal tape (thanks to forum member QtrHorse):
Solder the LED wires and test again:
For the negative battery contact, I am using Silver two-part epoxy ($$$) along a long surface on the inside of the heatsink:
Here I am testing the newly epoxied negative ground connection:
Here I am cutting the delrin piece which is fitted to the heatsink, which will hold the positive battery contact:
Drill hole for positive battery wire:
Create and epoxy positive battery contact:
file the contact flat:
epoxy the delrin piece to the heatsink "pill" - the ring on the left protects the P7 LED:
Aply thin coat of thermal compound:
Set the "pill" in place, install set screw - use threadlocker (overkill since the head will cover the hole):
Set the reflector in place against the lens (the RTV gives unlike epoxy, so if/while diving, there would be a small movement possible):
Assemble for another test fit:
Create battery sleeve from Delrin:
Add internal lip for negative contact Al "cup":
Remove anodizing from the very edge of the body to allow for good electrical contact:
Here I am fabricating the Al plug for the battery sleeve:
almost done:
This is how it looks like once in place:
This is how little room I have left for a spring:
This is how it looks like with a temporary spring:
and the whole thing works in the end:
It gets fairly hot after a short while - which it should since it is running the P7 at about 2.8A or so (regulated from 2x LiIon cells).
OK, last photos of this build. To install the spring for the negative contact, I am making a small, shallow cut on the Al plug which will serve to help center the spring. However, since the plug's size makes it hard to grab with the chuck (I should have done this earlier!), I machined a small Delrin ring to grab the Al plug safely:
Here I am done cutting the Al plug:
Here is how the spring seats in the shallow cut:
and setting it in place with Silver conductive two-part epoxy.
This finishes this build. I will post night beamshots tomorrow night.
Will
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