How do I make a miniminimag

[Blue72]

I know what length to cut, but what do you guys cut with?

Also when rethreading for the tailcap what other tips should I know, especially trying to keep the flashlight water proof.

My last question is what drop in led bulb should I use with the single AAA Battery that will give me a good balance of brightness and runtime?


Thanks in advance

 

[Blue72]

anybody?

 

[Mad1]

I'd also like to know this. dd61999 could you tell me the lenght needed to cut?

Cheers.

 

[Gunner12]

I think most people cut and thread with a lathe. The exact tool used, I don't know.

 

[localguy808]

i use a lathe to cut 50mm off. you can use a hacksaw and sand it straight too i assume. i use a tap to make the threads. hope this helps

 

[Bimmerboy]

localguy808 - The 808 looks familiar. Musician?

Sorry for the OT

 

[Blue72]

Sorry guys, I meant AA not AAA

I want to make these lights shorter for my kids, so its easier to handle

I was also thinking of going with a SMJLED, for the long run time, because you know kids with flashlights they = dead batteries:huh:.

I just hope the SMJLED will be bright enough with a single AA cell, any opinions out there?

Thanks for the tips

 

[will]

I have cut down a number of 2AA mini-mags to handle one AA battery, I use a lathe to cut the length down , then a single point threading tool on the lathe set for 28 thread per inch.

 

[Gunner12]

How are you planning to drive the SMJLED?
How bright do you need it to be?
And most importantly, how old are you kids?

There is a circuit called the Joule thief that is supposed to run a 5mm LED for days on a AA battery, but I have no idea how to make it fit in a Minimag and I'm not sure how bright it is.

Or use a Arcmania Maglite Solitaire drop-in. It should give a few hours runtime on a AA battery.

I'm still surprised at kid's ability to destroy/unassembled pretty much anything.

 

[Bimmerboy]

Hi dd,

The SMJLED won't light up on just one AA... unless it's a rechargeable Li-ion, in which case you'll need to do the resistored tailcap mod, but more importantly, I wouldn't recommend them at all for kid useage. The abuse to the battery from being left on and drained all the time, I would say is not safe enough in the long run. And, being kids, you never know when one might decide to smash it with a hammer or drive a nail through one. A Li-ion will react quite violently to such things.

Better to stick with 2 Alkalines. NiMH's could be an alternative with an SMJLED, but may be on the dim side because of the slightly lower voltage.

How old or young are the kids? If the possibility of choking on a small battery is a concern, I'd highly recommend the CPF logo'd Safelights being sold by Wit's End.

They use 9V batteries, have a tough, waterproof, rubberized covering, and have some neat features... like hi/lo, slow blink, and glow mode (which helps you find it in the dark). And the price on them are so low, I had to comment on it the other day. Check 'em out!

 

[sysadmn]

How are you planning to drive the SMJLED?
How bright do you need it to be?
And most importantly, how old are you kids?

There is a circuit called the Joule thief that is supposed to run a 5mm LED for days on a AA battery, but I have no idea how to make it fit in a Minimag and I'm not sure how bright it is.

Check the Flashlight Reviews mods pages - there is one that built a Joule thief in a solitaire. If you want to cheat, add a few mm to the body length and fit it there.