Flashlight made entirely of wood

[will]

I haven't the foggiest notion what "steampunk" might mean, but a dark wood, like cocobolo, with a narrow brass head, side switch and tailcap would really be very pretty indeed. Say 3C in size.

Just my 2c.

I have made a number of wood covered bodies and heads over the last few years. Just a couple of gotcha's on wood lights and working with wood. Cocobolo is a really beautiful wood. easy to work with on a lathe and finishes up really nice. One comment about cocobolo ' You are either allergic to the dust, or you WILL be ' Do a google search on this wood and you can read all the precautions you should take working with this wood.

Any threading you do should be coarse by nature, fine threads don't really work well with wood. The wood pen kits you see are wood covered brass inserts, maybe other metals, but the wood is applied over a metal base.

You still will need some metal to carry carry the current from the batteries to the bulb (or LED )

My own preference as to size. I like the lights no bigger than a 6P or 9P size. bigger than that reminds me of a 2x4 , but , that is my personal taste.

I did a number or lights using Desert Ironwood. This wood tends to splinter, it is a brittle wood. If you turn it on a lathe, the last few cuts should be small. Then sand to the final size. Boring out the body to accept C or D batteries might be a challenge. This depends on the size of the lathe you have available. Also, consider the wall thickness of the finished body.

It should prove to be an interesting project. Please post pictures as you complete various steps.

will

 

[The Dane]

http://www.fitzsu.com/wood-flashlight-p-7064.html

That is as pretty as a toilet plunger :eeew:

 

[lctorana]

That is as pretty as a toilet plunger :eeew:

Glad you said it. I was a little afraid to offend.

I have made a number of wood covered bodies and heads over the last few years. Just a couple of gotcha's on wood lights and working with wood. Cocobolo is a really beautiful wood. easy to work with on a lathe and finishes up really nice. One comment about cocobolo ' You are either allergic to the dust, or you WILL be ' Do a google search on this wood and you can read all the precautions you should take working with this wood.

Any threading you do should be coarse by nature, fine threads don't really work well with wood.

But there are degrees of coarseness. Both Millers Falls and Goodell Pratt perfected hollow wooden handles for hand drills ove 100 years ago, and both found out that you can make a much finer thread with cocobolo than with ordinary hardwood (whatever that means in USA).

As an owner of several of these machines, I can tell yuou the difference is quite marked - less than 1/8" pitch with cocobolo versus nearly 1/4" pitch with the lesser species.

 

[alpg88]

lol, i guess i,m not the only one with this idea, i too want to make a wood light someday. but i'd like to use veneer, different kind\color sheets, thou i don't want simple round shape, i'm thinking lantern\searchlight shape.
veneer would be stronger than wood, wont crack along the grains, and wont warp from heat, moisture.
I'm thinking led, definitely p7 , Cree, and since i already making something unique might as well go creative,
few mounts ago i build a light for my g.f. one of a kind light, i used body from 6d searchlight from 60's, bought 2 3c mags, cut the heads off, and use tubes to hold batteries, cut off reflector and put in 1 Cree drop in 230lm, for a throw, 10 10mm .5w leds for flood, 9 red 5mm leds, and 8 385 nm UV leds, and 70 mw blue laser. the light still needs some minor works, like switch guard, have to attach handle, and install rings for shoulder strap.
now i want to do something even more crazier out of wood. but with limited time i have now, it will take a while.

 

[pc_light]

..wood, like cocobolo, with a narrow brass head, side switch and tailcap would really be very pretty indeed. Say 3C in size.

Not solid wood but something like this ... beauty created by CPFer PEU sounds a bit like what Ictorana indicates.

That's a picture of when it was new, the wood has aged and darkened since. It's too heavy (and too nice) to EDC because of the brass insert/body but the heft is nice and I keep mine on my office desk within easy reach.

 

[swtxtitan]

I made an all wood light once........Then i left it laying around and my dog pissed on it :huh: It was never the same after that.



PS J/k

 

[pc_light]

I made an all wood light once........Then i left it laying around and my dog pissed on it :huh: It was never the same after that.
PS J/k

...what happened, did the tint turn warm-white?!

 

[jinx626]

If the wood is light enough, then it will float on water if you accidentally drop it in the lake when you go fishing. That would be neat.

 

[lctorana]

True, but (perversely enough) the specific timbers we have discussed so far are all much heavier than water...

 

[TooManyGizmos]

Considering heat .... why not just make the battery tube from the wood - keep a metal head .
.

 

[The Dane]

Just messed with a sliver in the lathe.

The largest (most corase) threadding i has at hand is 1/4BSP(19), and i cut the threads as i would do POM or alu!

This cuts almost like POM but the swarf tends to clog due to high oil contents.

Unfortunatly the "Big Stick" i got was 34cm~13"long x 5,5cm~2"wide but only 2cm~3/4"thick :mecry:
So no light before i have scavenged a bigger stick.
Because of the woods high natural oil content it cant be glued:shrug:

Some trivia: In Danish it's called Pokkenholt derived from the old German Pockenholz. Pocken = Small pox and Holz = Wood, because "tea" cooked with slivers of the wood was "effective" for treating syphilis, small pox and boils.

 

[spencer]

Cool. Would those threads be tight enough to be waterproof or are they too sloppy?

 

[The Dane]

Way to sloppy, but then again titanium, steel and Alu all use O-rings so why should "The Stick" be without

 

[Magic Matt]

Unfortunatly the "Big Stick" i got was 34cm~13"long x 5,5cm~2"wide but only 2cm~3/4"thick :mecry:

Could you make a 2AA light then? Sounds like a lovely mini project in preparation for the big beasty.

 

[alpg88]

Cool. Would those threads be tight enough to be waterproof or are they too sloppy?

teflon tape

 

[The Dane]

Could you make a 2AA light then? Sounds like a lovely mini project in preparation for the big beasty.

What innards and formfactor?

 

[Magic Matt]

I don't know, you're the expert! LOL!

Something along the lines of 4Sevens Quark AA2 innerds, but shape wise more like the Preon. Give it a brass ring top and bottom to protect the ends, and a brass clip? I have no idea what's possible, I'm just giving you ideas. I'm in awe of anyone that can make stuff.

 

[The Dane]

Magic Matt, we'll take this "off line"

 

[nativecajun]

Try searching on 'Guaiacum officinale' as you wont find many listings under 'iron wood'. I think it's the heaviest and densest wood in the world.

Actually Lignum Vitae ? spelling It sinks when thrown in the water. This is the wood they used in making the sole of old hand planes and also they use this stuff as bearings. I was maintaince forman for a printing press and this stuff actually held up better than bronze. I had to change some out on some old machines and you could actually still buy the wooden bearings. This before 89 though so who knows.

I will have to do a search on the spelling and facts but yes Lignum Vitae ? (spelling) is the hardest and densist wood. Not much on spelling I am. Of course that does not mean that is the best for making stuff with. I think something with a very tight grain like cherry would do nice. Of course stability would be a large factor. You do not want a big crack in a year or so going down the body of the light. Maybe look in to some paka woood. Resin impregnated wood and very stable.

I was actually correct on the spelling. And here is an article about the wooden bearings still used and made this day. Made with Lignum Vitae

http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2005/469.html

Actually in reading the article I see that the person I quoted above was right. Evidently Lignum Vitae is a common name for (Guaiacum Officinale, Guaiacum Sanctum) And it has natural oils in it so this may not be the right choice for flashlight making.

 

[Magic Matt]

Does that mean I'd need to oil it now and then with Lem Oil or similar, like I do my guitar fretboard? Should it be polished with furnature polish? Spray it with a mist of water once a month?

It would be a showpiece light, certainly not an EDC.