Drill and tap to add pocket clip

[Leathermanwave]

I have been toying with the idea of drilling and taping my fenix L2D-ce in order to add a pocket clip. Since I do not have a drill and tap set I would probably bring it to a gunsmith, and I would get the pocket clip off of a cheap knife. Has anyone ever done something like this? Is it a good idea?

 

[65535]

IMO most flashlight are far too thin to properly tap for a pocket clip. It would likely rip out, and there is no way it would stay waterproof. Seems like a bad idea to me. You could however use a slide on clip, I think 4sevens.com even stocks them.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

For a more permanent slide on clip, perhaps some epoxy would help?

 

[VidPro]

IMO most flashlight are far too thin to properly tap for a pocket clip. .

that is what i thought too, Fenix has a nice thin lightweight case, its not like some of the thick heavy things out there that you could drill half way through and still get a hold .

better go with the Hoseclamp 😀 , sorry inside joke.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

You could try a steel ruler and some duct tape 😀

In seriousness, you might be able to slip a backplate into the tailcap, with some creative engineering, then seal it with some permatex or epoxy.

 

[nein166]

I drilled and tapped a surefire z61 tailcap and attached a vitalgear clip.
Over time it stripped out and I just used bigger screws. Lost the nice look though the nekomane tailgaurd helps hold it in to this day.
Problem is the wall is too thin to get a real thread and the tension of this clip stripped the screws out.
If your clip conforms to the body it may hold on better.
I should have drilled and tapped the SS body.

This is an old pic of how it looked.

 

[Leathermanwave]

The only slide on clip I can find is for the lod-ce.

In seriousness, you might be able to slip a backplate into the tailcap, with some creative engineering, then seal it with some permatex or epoxy.

Please explain in layman terms.

 

[Tekno_Cowboy]

Take a look at how the Nitecore PD clips attach. They use a steel piece to hold the clip on. The Nitecores already have holes for this, but you might be able to do something similar by putting a tapped steel piece inside the tailcap, and drilling a couple holes.

 

[LLCoolBeans]

Wavy,

I've just ordered the proper tooling for my mill and am planning to offer a pocket clip drill & tap service.

This may or may not be possible with the light in question. I don't know as I have never owned a Fenix.

PM me, if you are interested. You can send me the light at your expense, if I can figure a way to do it properly, you would be looking at about a $25 job, assuming you supply the clip and screws. If it cannot be done, there is no charge.

 

[Pontiaker]

yeah it can be done no problem, I have done several. It will also be completely watertight with a little thread sealer. Clip screws tend to come loose with use so I always use the perm red locktite. Yes its harder to remove but all you have to do is heat it to remove it. Been doing this for 10 years.... Blah blah blah...:~)

The biggest problem you will have is clip placement, you might not get it where you want it because of having to find an area that is thick enough for a few threads for the screws.

I do alot with 2/56 and 1/72, I would pratice on some other material before you try you first one on a light you care about. Tapping is tricky depending on your skill level. On aluminum you can use just about any tap on Ti its better to use a tinc coated tap, the gunblue color coatings not the gold coating. If you need even more detailed instructions let me know. I might be able to do it for you if you decinde you dont want to try it yourself. I actualy make all my own clips for my knives, its not that hard either. You can find alot of premade clips on the knife parts websites like www.knifekits.com You can then mod these clips like grind off one of the three screw holes, etc to fit you app. You can bend the top portion of the clip to fit your round light body, etc...
Good luck!
Matt

 

[Pontiaker]

Wavy,

I've just ordered the proper tooling for my mill and am planning to offer a pocket clip drill & tap service.

This may or may not be possible with the light in question. I don't know as I have never owned a Fenix.

PM me, if you are interested. You can send me the light at your expense, if I can figure a way to do it properly, you would be looking at about a $25 job, assuming you supply the clip and screws. If it cannot be done, there is no charge.

Did you get a Tapmatic? If your thinking of it they work awesome.I would recomend to get the name brand, the half price off brands are not very adjustable at the lighter pressure levels on small projects. I have tried them both and you get alot of broken taps on the off brands, just doesnt happen nearly as much with the Tapmatic brand.

 

[LLCoolBeans]

Did you get a Tapmatic? If your thinking of it they work awesome.I would recomend to get the name brand, the half price off brands are not very adjustable at the lighter pressure levels on small projects. I have tried them both and you get alot of broken taps on the off brands, just doesnt happen nearly as much with the Tapmatic brand.

No, nothing that fancy. The Tapmatic looks like a high volume production tapping attachment for a CNC machine. I do not have a CNC mill. It also looks pretty expensive, I can't imagine how many flashlights I'd have to drill and tap to pay for one of those monsters.

I ordered a precision rotary table and accessories, which is more than adequate for these sorts of jobs.

 

[Myself]

better go with the Hoseclamp 😀 , sorry inside joke.

Actually I like the idea, not a screw-type clamp but the seamless pinch type used on CV boots and stuff. The protruding bit is pretty small and could be filed to eliminate sharp edges. You'd have no damage to the light body, so it'd be completely reversible. Check these little suckers out:

http://www.murraycorp.com/index.pl/keystone_main.htm

 

[Buck91]

Check out the CMG and Gerber clips for the Infinity Ultra... The CMG is much beefier, but if you apply a little social engineering Gerber may send you one for free 😉

 

[Pontiaker]

No, nothing that fancy. The Tapmatic looks like a high volume production tapping attachment for a CNC machine. I do not have a CNC mill. It also looks pretty expensive, I can't imagine how many flashlights I'd have to drill and tap to pay for one of those monsters.

I ordered a precision rotary table and accessories, which is more than adequate for these sorts of jobs.

Knifemakers run them on cheap Harbor Freight drill presses and we do enough tapping in Ti to make it worth while. For you doing it for clips on a few lights probably not😀 I actually still like tapping by hand with a simple tapping fixture.
Matt

 

[Armed_Forces]

I have been toying with the idea of drilling and taping my fenix L2D-ce in order to add a pocket clip. Since I do not have a drill and tap set I would probably bring it to a gunsmith, and I would get the pocket clip off of a cheap knife. Has anyone ever done something like this? Is it a good idea?

I haven't put one on a Fenix, but I did put one on my Ti Olight Infinitum.

I used the clip off of my Nitecore EX10 because it matched up perfectly. Very simple job.

The trick you are going to need to pull off is finding or fabricating a suitably sized clip for your L2D and determining if you have enough material thickness to adequately tap.
As previously mentioned, Nitecore solved the dilemma with a backing plate made of SS. Works beautifully. Titanium is much stronger than Aluminum so I didn't need to bother going that route.

You can check it out HERE.


Gratuitous pic for inspiration...

Good luck.

 

[Leathermanwave]

This is what i ended up doing.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=225137