Custom Brass light, Almost Done, then OOPS

[Morelite]

I was making my own light, Had it all made and working, Then I decided to add some detailing to the finished pieces and screwed it all up. It came loose in the chuck and marked-up the bezel ((plus deformed it a few thousandths), stripped the threads one the inside of the bezel and left a few marks on the tailcap. I guess I can make a new bezel and I think I can clean-up the tailcap, so not all is lost.
BTW it was a TWOJ 3watt Luxeon Led emitter on a custom e-can with a BB750, 20mm IMS reflector, and 22.6 UCL lens, Kroll tailcap clickie, ran off a single 123 cell.

Live and learn I guess.

 

[jdriller]

Nice light.

 

[colubrid]

Ya, that's a beuatiful light! That would bumm me out quite a bit. Guess I am not the only one having bad days.:ironic:

 

[scott.cr]

I know that feeling well! Ouch!!

The only time I've flung hardened steel across my garage in anger is when I buggered it after five hours of makin' chips on it and then screeee!

 

[andrewwynn]

do you have enough thickness to make a flat spot, just like surefire does on many of their lights (like where they put the logo?). maybe just one or maybe 3 or 4 flats around? Otherwise, what we did with my bro's lioncub that got munched by a pliers.. (ugly cross-threading incident).. we took a dremel and made a neat hatching patter on the control module to disguise the mess and it came out pretty nice.

-awr

 

[OddBall]

"Dodgey Brothers Inc."

 

[bfg9000]

A beautiful light. Just me, but I'd be concerned about having to wash the lead off my hands each time I handled it, not to mention the copper smell. That's what I disliked most about the old brass garden nozzles.

There have been cases of lead poisoning from brass keys even. Hope you are taking precautions during the machining!

 

[russtang]

I was making my own light, Had it all made and working, Then I decided to add some detailing to the finished pieces and screwed it all up. It came loose in the chuck and marked-up the bezel ((plus deformed it a few thousandths), stripped the threads one the inside of the bezel and left a few marks on the tailcap. I guess I can make a new bezel and I think I can clean-up the tailcap, so not all is lost.
BTW it was a TWOH 1watt Luxeon Led emitter on a custom e-can with a BB750, 20mm IMS reflector, and 22.6 UCL lens, Kroll tailcap clickie, ran off a single 123 cell.

Live and learn I guess.

It just has more character now

Nice light.

 

[PEU]

I totally feel for you, having a perfectly good piece finished triggers some inner brain switch to add a little more customization and then... sh**t hits the fan

look at this picture, it will probably make you feel better, you're not alone

In this case, I decided some knurling was needed, just after I finished threading on the inside... Thin walls+knurling=NO NO


Pablo

 

[Chop]

Don't feel bad, it could happen to anyone. I've had that happen to me. That's one of the reasons why I use collets whenever I can.

Peu, I've done that once myself. Knurling after boring doesn't work with 6061, although I haven't had any problems doing it with aluminum bronze.

 

[carrot]

Looks like someone bit it.

 

[Morelite]

Looks like someone bit it.

Yeah, my lathe bit it, then I was about to throw it, but I got it under control and walked away.

 

[watt4]

make the light useable, and sell it

a little dent like that won't matter for a working light

 

[TranquillityBase]

Don't sell that one! The mistake will spur many new ideas, and some day in the future you will appreciate all the good stuff that grew from that particular project. Your light looks awesome.

 

[Dr_Joe]

OUCH !!
Don't feel bad, we've all done something similar or worse



I like Andrew's idea about the flat spot ! (then you can engrave it !)

 

[Morelite]

Well I made a new bezel and cleaned-up the marks on the tailcap. I still want to put some flutes with a ball mill on the tailcap and also add a few slots for tritium vials.

 

[Morelite]

The idea of flat milled areas to remove the damage was a good idea but I didn't have enough thickness for that, plus the bezel was distorted out of round and the internal threads got stripped.

 

[andrewwynn]

looks like 'problem solved'.. beautiful light btw.. want 3-level output? :-D

-awr

 

[Morelite]

looks like 'problem solved'.. beautiful light btw.. want 3-level output? :-D

-awr

I like the idea of a 3 level, I just didn't know of a way yet.
I was looking at the new Nite Ize IQ switch and may give that a try (if possible) when they come out.
A 3 level would be nice if I there is a way to do a low around 50ma, medium around 300-350ma and high as it is now (750ma)
what I don't like about that IQ switch is the strobe functions or the flashing led in the switch.

 

[andrewwynn]

if you use a kroll i presume constant pressure.. ala groovy.. i developed a 3-level driver for groovy that is actuated by twisting the head.. it's a very clever mechanical arrangement.. tailcap switch is on/off and twist the head for low-med-high.

Once i'm done fulfilling the commitment on the groovies i'll probably open up the option to others..

if you had a 'twistie' solution it's easier to impliment.. almost a no-brainer and i designed the driver to work with twisties or clickies.. it's definitely a one of a kind solution. If you made a similar light but as a 'twistie' it would be shorter and easier to impliment the 3-level output (ala Nano).

-awr