D36 glass replacement...

LEDBE
Robocop

Robocop

Mammoth Killer
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
2,662
Location
Birmingham Al.
I am not sure as to if this should go here or maybe in the modders section however I will try here first.....

After recently breaking my last spare bezel for my D36 Raider I am beginning to search for a way to either pay someone to replace the lens or find a different bezel that will fit if possible. The problem is that after searching locally I can not find any glass company to do such a mod. I have also tried to find a way to remove the glass lens and it seems impossible to remove much less replace without buying an entire new bezel.

Has anyone found a solution for their D36 bezel or had similiar problems? I very much wish to keep this light as the output and various higher power lamps are plenty. I searched for hours on here and have not found many who seem to have any concerns or need to find a different type of glass for their D36....can it be done at all ....any idea of any of our members who may attempt this if I were to pay them to do so?

In no way at all is this a complaint on my light as I have had great results with Wolf-Eyes. If I have to do so I will simply buy more D36 bezels however I believe I would come out cheaper if I could simply keep the ones I have from breaking. I do believe I read somewhere that the D36 bezel is designed to be a sealed one piece unit for a reason however I can not find that thread. I believe it said it had something to do with better moisture protection however again I am not sure as to that.

I tried to send PacificTactical an e-mail requesting a few custom bezels made of different glass material and would gladly pay a little more for the trouble. I did not receive any reply thus I believe this is not an option.....any ideas will be appreciated.
 
i've had the same thing happen to me once too and ended up having to replace the whole bezel... the light was dropped about waist high onto carpeted floor too... i still have the bezel as i hope too that someone can make a lens as good as fenix coated lamps for it. i did contact pts and was told the only option was and still is to buy a new bezel... if it can't be dissambled, then we'd be outa luck anyway... unless someone is willing to do a purely custom ring and seal for the special lens...
 
I have a Raider 9DX with a D36 bezel and the lens holder just unscrews then you can push the lens out. Yours might be different.
I would also send a PM to Mike@PTS.
Sometimes he gets spammed and does not get the emails.
Mike@PTS probably can order spare lenses from Wolf Eyes and sell them separately.
 
Well you made me take mine apart and look at it. The lens is approximately
37.63mm and mine appears to be glued in. A little gentle heat may let you get the lens out for a better measurement. ( Gentle heat = placing bezel ring on top of a 100 watt light bulb for a couple of minutes :caution: Caution can get very hot- need gloves) The watch crystal folks jump over this size and flashlight lens skips it too. I can see a small gap in one place between the out side of the lens and the bezel on mine enough to start a tiny screwdriver in. If you can get it out to get a good measurement, I`d shoot Flashlight lens a E-Mail and see if they could help you. Reinstall with clear silicone squeezed out and trimmed after it dries. The tough part of this is finding the right size replacement glass. Best O` luck with this project.
 
Ok I heated the bezel only until it was way too hot to hold and lightly tapped the glass from the top. It was cracked badly anyway so I figured I had nothing to lose. I was able to break the glue and the lens popped right out except for the areas that were cracked already. With a screwdriver tip and some curse words I finally got all the lens pieces out.

There is a small ridge that the lens sat on and I have no way to measure the true diameter of the glass lens. I did however find a temporary solution that in my opinion is even better than what it was when new.

I had only one light with a bezel diameter that would fit and it is the beta test light from peak http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=166500

I placed an o-ring from the Peak bezel down on the ridge then placed the unbreakable lens also from the Peak down on the o-ring and it fit perfectly. When I screw the lamp assembly together the lip of the reflector presses tightly on the lens and it all fits perfect while remaining water tight.....it is really very much nicer now and I have the confidence of knowing another drop will not break the lens.

I have carried the Peak for a few months now and really do like it so I do not wish to use this lens for very long as it needs to go back into the Peak light. At least I know now that if I can find a lens somewhere and an o-ring that I can salvage this bezel. What I really would like to find is a lens made from the same material as the spare Peak lens however just a little thicker.

Getting the bezel very hot was the trick and seemed to work very well. I am sending a message to Robyn now in hopes of getting the measurements or maybe purchasing a few spare lenses and O-Rings.
 
I have never worked with poly carbonate lenses before however if they can be shaped the cost would make it worth the effort to me.

I was very pleased to find that Peak does offer the lenses and o-rings seperate and I have a few coming to me as I type this. The only problem I see thus far is the factory glass lens was twice as thick as the Peak. It is not really a problem as it all fits nicely however I would like to have a thicker lens made of the unbreakable material.

So the poly carbonate lenses.....are they easily shaped and clear as can be expected?
 
Will polycarbonate lenses hold up to the high temperature output?
I am trying figure out if 3mm thick lenses is too thick to use.
Robocop said:
I have never worked with poly carbonate lenses before however if they can be shaped the cost would make it worth the effort to me.

I was very pleased to find that Peak does offer the lenses and o-rings seperate and I have a few coming to me as I type this. The only problem I see thus far is the factory glass lens was twice as thick as the Peak. It is not really a problem as it all fits nicely however I would like to have a thicker lens made of the unbreakable material.

So the poly carbonate lenses.....are they easily shaped and clear as can be expected?
Click to expand...
 
I may have found a replacement lens that is 37.5mm diameter X 3mm thick, since my lens just cracked on me.
I found out that Mike@PTS only sells the bezel, and Wolf Eyes says it will cost too much for them to ship.
I find it ironic that Wolf Eyes just couldn't ship extra lenses on the next shipment to PTS and have Mike sell them separately.

P.S. Mike did mention that the lens is not removable, and we have to buy the bezel even though we removed our lens.
 
Flashkat if the lens you found does indeed work let me know as to where you located it so I may try to grab a few for myself.

I do believe that Wolf-Eyes has a good reason for making the D36 bezel sealed however for some reason the cracked lenses seem to be a common problem for me. I am not sure if it is the type glass used or maybe the actual bezel design but for some reason breaking lenses has been very easy to do for me on patrol.

I carried a Sure-Fire Commander for years and I loved it however I do still believe the Raider is just as nice of a light with even better output. I am not at all saying I do not like the Raider however I am saying the lens is not as good as my old Commander 8AX. Even with the breaking lens problem I will still carry and recommend the Raider to any who need a good duty light however I would suggest several spare bezels or better yet modding the lens as I have done with mine.

I am not sure as of yet what the long term result will be with this very thin replacement lens. I use my duty light often however thus far have not ran it for very long periods with the modded lens. I am curious if heat may have an effect since it is not glass. Seems like Wolf-Eyes uses the glass sealed lens on the Raider for better moisture protection however it may also be for heat issues. I have ran the light for over 15 minutes with the old glass lens and I remember it did get pretty hot so time will tell.

If anyone knows anything about shock isolation on bezels can you say if most shock resistant bezels use a sealed lens? I am curious if maybe the actual sealing of the standard D36 bezel may even be a factor with the breaking. It seems to me that if the lens was not sealed and had an o-ring between the lens and bezel (on top) as well as between the lens and reflector(on bottom of lens) it may help with shock isolation.....any truth to that guess?
 
Well now I am curious as to how the other lights using glass lenses have their bezels made. In the higher price SureFire lights are their bezels sealed also? I am wondering if simply changing the D36 bezel to an un-sealed design would help with better shock resistance.......so what do the other lights that are made to be shock resistant do that helps?...is it better glass or multiple cushioning from o-ring design or even maybe both?
 
I may not be explaining this correct so I will try to make it a little more clear as to my thinking.....

If a glass lens is sealed it allows zero movement when dropped and in my thinking may allow it to break easier. If it is not sealed seems like even a simple double o-ring set up would allow for a little flex when dropped. If I can find a glass lens that will fit I will try to carry it and see how well it does with simply adding a top and bottom o-ring and screwing down the bezel ring for pressure.
 
I think it is both. The type of glass will be important since a cheaper glass will crack easily versus a mneral glass or pyrex glass will hold up better. An O-ring will help cushion the impact, but is there enough thread to compensate for the thickness of 2 O-rings.
Robocop said:
I may not be explaining this correct so I will try to make it a little more clear as to my thinking.....

If a glass lens is sealed it allows zero movement when dropped and in my thinking may allow it to break easier. If it is not sealed seems like even a simple double o-ring set up would allow for a little flex when dropped. If I can find a glass lens that will fit I will try to carry it and see how well it does with simply adding a top and bottom o-ring and screwing down the bezel ring for pressure.
Click to expand...
 
There is plenty of room as the replacement lens is not as thick as the original glass one. When I first tried the new lens it worked well with one 0-ring between the top of the lens and bezel. There was actually a small amount of play however when I added a second o-ring to the bottom of the lens between the top of the reflector and lens it worked even better.....Kind of like making a sandwich using top and bottom o-rings and the lens.

I am searching now to find out why some lights using glass lenses have no problems with breakage however am not having much luck finding any information. Most makers simply claim an anti shock bezel and do not explain how it is done.
 
How thick is the lens from the Peak flashlight?
Robocop said:
There is plenty of room as the replacement lens is not as thick as the original glass one. When I first tried the new lens it worked well with one 0-ring between the top of the lens and bezel. There was actually a small amount of play however when I added a second o-ring to the bottom of the lens between the top of the reflector and lens it worked even better.....Kind of like making a sandwich using top and bottom o-rings and the lens.

I am searching now to find out why some lights using glass lenses have no problems with breakage however am not having much luck finding any information. Most makers simply claim an anti shock bezel and do not explain how it is done.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry but I have no way of knowing how thick the original glass lens was. I threw it away after I removed it as it was badly cracked anyway. I will say it was thicker than I expected for it to have broken so easily. The spare lens I am using is very thin and appears to be simply a clear plastic material. After several days of usage however it is holding up just fine and should now be easy to replace if it becomes damaged.
 
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