Have a good laugh at my expense. I destroyed a prefectly good KL3.

LEDBE
ConfederateScott

ConfederateScott

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
Messages
249
Location
Magnolia, Mississippi
This is my SECOND modding disaster in a week. I broke the emitter in a KL3 last week trying to mod it by installing a reflector in it. I got a green LED KL3 recently and wasn't happy with the ringed TIR optic. Thought I'd be cool and change it with the smooth TIR optic from a pre-owned white LED KL3 I just got in the mail today. Was gonna swap optics from the new white LED one into my green LED one and vise versa. I took the TIR optic from the first one and it was not difficult because the bezel ring was barely snug. I thought, "this is gonna be easy". Then I started taking the bezel ring off the other KL3. It was really tight. I got me a handtowel and a pair of vice grips. (you see where this is going?) Very carefully snapped them onto the body of the head. Then I got another towel and a pair of channel locks. (yeah you see it coming) Very gently I started trying to turn the bezel. Then............scrattccchhhhhhhh. The channel lock teeth bit through the towel and dug into the aluminum bezel ring with a sickening sound. Uhhhh, I was sick. Then I gritted my teeth and got another bite with the channel locks. I turned on it again. This time the vice grips slipped and I felt another sccrriittchhhh......the vice grip teeth cut into the body leaving an ugly silver scratch, I mean gash, in the pretty HAIII.. By then I was nauseated. I wanted to throw it into the pond off the deck but I just more determined so I turned it harder. Finally it came loose and I got the TIR optic I wanted and swapped it into the green head. I carefully put the green head back together and at least I had the one finished that I really wanted in the first place (the green one). I started putting the scratched one back together.......thinking at least it would make a good tackle box light, and as I tightened the bezel ring.........something sounded like a .22 rifle shot in my hand. The glass lens inside the bezel ring popped so loud my son came into the room to see what happened. All I was doing was snugging it up and it just shattered. My purpose for even starting this project was because I wanted a smooth TIR in my Green LED head. Well, I got it. But the white LED KL3 head looks like H-E double L in the process. From now on my limit on flashlight maintenance or modding will be changing batteries. If it takes a wrench or a tool...it's beyond my capabilities. This project was a disaster.
 
I found a good rubber strap wrench at a local hardware store. It grips like nothing I've ever had before. Too bad I've got weak hands....but the wrench is great!
 
Well, you can always send it to a modder to do it for you.

At least you are safe. Lesson learned.
 
My first KL-1 head, I left it in the hot water too long and the heat killed something on the board. The emitter still works though. After that, it's become relatively easy. Live-learn. The strap wrenches a must have.
 
Yeah it's comforting knowing you're gonna have something made from it. But the one I worked on today. Man, I don't think I could give this one away for any kind of project. Wait....while we've been talking I've got ther head stuck real far down in an orange traffic directing plastic wand. The set-up screwed on a 6P and makes a nice tool.The orange plastic cone hides the defects of the scratched KL3 head. It's plenty bright for the orange cone too. I think it's found a home.
 
Welcome to the world of modding. Let me just say that what you have experienced, every modder on the board have experienced countless number of times. Its our mistakes that allows us to learn.
My first mod experience was building a McLux light, needless to say, i fried the first converter board and had to wait 2 weeks to get another. For those 2 weeks, those unassebled pieces just stared back at me challenging me.
You learn a few things along the way, the biggest one is if u feel rushed, go take a 20 min break and a breather. Never mod when excited or in a rush.
 
you mean you all aren't private messaging each other rolling out of your chairs laughing and talking about what a complete and total idiot I am? You aren't discussing whether or not I actually fit in here? Gee, that makes me feel somewhat better. Now, if I could just get this box of orphaned baby kittens sitting beside me to drink out of this dropper at 3:30am. Man, what you do for your kids.
 
Vise-grips/channel-locks + flashlights = DEATH. Once it went through my mind, using a channel-lock to open up a KL1, I still slap myself once in a while to remind me not to even think about it. Surefire uses an evil locking compound from hell, that puts a smile on PK face every time we mention the pain it is to remove... I use controlled heat now.
 
ConfederateScott said:
you mean you all aren't private messaging each other rolling out of your chairs laughing and talking about what a complete and total idiot I am? You aren't discussing whether or not I actually fit in here? Gee, that makes me feel somewhat better. Now, if I could just get this box of orphaned baby kittens sitting beside me to drink out of this dropper at 3:30am. Man, what you do for your kids.
Click to expand...

Well, I am... nah, not really.
wait, I don't mod lights. My biggest mod so far has been swapping heads on my Surefire E1l.

No, I don't think anyone is laughing at you. I may not mod lights, but I've done enough home projects that look like an unholy union between between metal and wood that I have a bit of empathy.
 
Don't feel bad.....
Things happen, hell look what I did while trying to mod my KL3!!!
I had succesfully modded my KL1 and decided the KL3 was next in line. It was basically NEW until I destoyed it.

It started out with a few scratches until it started looking so ugly and got me so pissed that I just used a large set of channel-locks and REALLY made it ugly. I still have yet to open the bottom part, even after using a TON of heat from my torch. Every now and then I will try to open it.....STILL with no success.

These things happen, but don't let it discourage you. I've had great success ever since with other heads.

KL3005.jpg
 
Man I haven't grinned like that in weeks.

Thanks for that picture. After seeing that I know, for sure, that you understand. Thats what my KL3 looked like.

I can just tell by looking that you experienced the same feeling that I did.

Like,

"Dangit, your GOING TO OPEN and if I have to TEAR YOU UP then TOUGH....'CAUSE YOUR GONNA.........OPEN....DANGIT."

Great picture.

A picture on this subject really speaks a thousand words.
 
That is seriously burly DaFAB! You are definitely not scared!

I wonder how guys like Milky do it over and over without issue?
 
That is BY FAR the worst that I have done to a light.

I have a proven way that has worked amazing. I use a piece of 2X4 with a hole drilled in it (same size or smaller than the diameter of the head), next I split the 2X4 down the middle of the hole(go with the grain). I put some rubber bike tire tube around the bezel and clamp it in a vise with the 2 halves of 2X4. I use a small torch the heat the bezel where the threadlock is. I wrap the top part of the bezel with more tire tube and use a "Vise-Grips" chain-wrench. The screw adjustment on the vise grip makes for excellent adjustablity and the tire tube protects the anodizing. I'll try to get a picture up if you can't follow what I'm descibing.

As for opening M3/KL2 bezels....a small pair of needle-nose pliers opened into the grooves of the bezel ring allong with more heat seems to work great so far.

The KT4/KT1/KT2 bezels require heat and the use of an aluminum tool that I made or a socket head that 1WRX7 made at work.

Heat is almost always the factor in disassembling SF bezels. Just remember to take it slow and more heat can always be added.....so start with a little at first, sometimes thats all it takes.
 
I hope it's not too far off topic. Mods - Delete and PM me if it doesn't belong.

I have a dysfunctional tailcap for the U2. Surefire sent a replacement, so I will not completely freak out if I brake it. How do I dismantle it? :thanks:
 
I thought Dafabricata was exagerating about how messed up his KL3 head was until he handed it to me. I could feel the aluminum biting my hand before I even saw the damage:oops: Paitience is the key.... and a lot of heat.... and sometimes some special tools:tinfoil: The ones that mess with me are the ones that come apart with no problem. One KL1 came apart with nothing more than a grip and twist. Same with the bezel on my KL6.

I can see PK at his desk reading this thread tapping his fingers together and doing the Muh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha laugh rolling his head back:devil:
 
Even Milky has told me those KL3's are very difficult to open, the bottom part mainly. The one I bought from CS it unscrewed with my hands and little effort. I've had a couple L1's open with hand effort too. Some KL1's that wouldn't open with dynamite. Go figure???
 
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