How to re-assemble pre-2001 C Maglite switch

[Justin Case]

I have one that separated its two halves under spring pressure when it slid out the top of the CMag tube. I think I found all of the parts, but can't be sure. But I'm having trouble determining correct reassembly of the jigsaw pieces.

Anyone have a recipe or exploded parts diagram showing how the pieces go together in a pre-2001 C Mag switch (the Mags without the letter "C" in the serial number)?

Does the switch open and close a contact for the battery + or for ground?

Thanks.

 

[DonShock]

 

[Justin Case]

Thanks a lot.

Interesting variations. Those "clips" which are the positive contacts for the battery and then lamp are different in my switch. Instead of clipping onto the barrel housing (which is nice and secure), my contacts are plain "L" shaped pieces of sheet metal. The horizontal leg for each "L" has a small hole in it and the hole fits over a plastic post in the lower barrel housing half to hold the contact in place.

I was close. I put that small brass "top hat" on the other end of the skinny spring, thinking it was like a plug for the spring to bear against instead of pushing directly into the plastic barrel housing.

Wrt to the very small brass rings/washers, are there two of them? I had two of them and I stacked them together.

Is there anything that holds the two halves together? In mine, nothing seems to hold them together and they will fly apart if you don't hold onto the two halves and slide them into the Mag body.

I may just leave well enough alone. The switch seems to work. Click on, click off -- the battery positive gets switched on then off.

 

[DonShock]

Yep, the halves are just press fit together. I don't have any of the old C switches, but the old D switches have the same "L on post" contact you describe.

 

[Russel]

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

[edit] I think this flashlight is about 20 years old [end edit]

 

[Justin Case]

Thank you. CPF comes through!

 

[greenLED]

...and since we're posting old C Mags, here're shots of my switch disassembly.

 

[Justin Case]

Nice photos.

This is how I re-assembled my switch (note, the instructions here do not treat the incandescent bulb parts, since I am mod'ing the switch for LED operation):

The parts. Note that the third part from the right is the metal "top hat" and I already dropped the top hat into its associated large spring (which you can't see from the angle of the photo; you can see the spring in step 3 below).

Step 1, drop the shorter, fatter white plastic piece into the appropriate half of the switch housing.

Step 2, put in the large spring and the metal "top hat" piece.

Step 3, drop in the longer, skinnier white plastic piece. Put the brass washers inside. Then put in the brass "top hat", brim end down.

Step 4, add the skinny spring.

Step 5, carefully mate the two halves of the switch together. This time, I added some clear tape to secure the two halves.

Step 6, add the ground strip, the square nut, and the "grub" set screw. I snipped the ground strip short in this photo. Normally, the strip is much longer -- perhaps 3 inches or so.

Step 7, drop the switch back into the top of the Mag body. The switch will drop down to the "ledge" or stop inside of the body.

Step 8, secure the switch with the retaining ring.

Step 8, tighten the set screw and then re-install the rubber button cover. The set screw bears against the indent on the opposite side of the switch button opening in the Mag body.

The incandescent bulb parts that I've ignored.

I'll probably connect the Mag switch leads seen in step 8 above to this driver, an SOB1000. Switch + goes to the center anode and switch - goes to the ground trace ring.

 

[Russel]

Huh, my switch doesn't have the little brass part at the end of the small spring in the center of the assembly. Notice it isn't in my photos.

As for the heat sink, I had to make my own:

and this will be the electronics:

 

[Justin Case]

Pretty clearly Mag has made several in-line changes over the years to their flashlights.

The heatsink I'm using technically fits the "C" serial numbered Mags (the post-2001 models), which have a narrower ID of about 26.2mm vs 28.0mm for the pre-2001 CMags. I'm using an expedient of wrapping layers of aluminum foil to fill the ~2mm gap until I can get a sleeve made (a glorified tube with ID~26.2mm and OD ~28.0mm).

For my application, heat generation should not be an issue. So the use of a sleeve or aluminum foil is mainly for mechanical reasons -- keeping the heatsink centered in the Mag tube, making sure the heatsink doesn't fall out of the tube, etc.

I plan to heavily underdrive a DxxxI-bin P7 with the SOB1000. But even with 250ma drive current per core, I believe I'm still looking at about 300 lumens out the front. The nice thing is that at such a low drive current, Vf is going to be very low, and the amount of heat generated by the LED and the driver should also be very low -- probably lower than running a single die LED like the SSC P4 at 1000ma. I should also be able to use 4 x C alkalines in full regulation, as I anticipate that the tailcap current draw to be around 0.7A.

 

[Justin Case]

Which switch assembly procedure is correct -- Post #2 above (also see step 3 in Post #8 above) or the fifth photo from the top in this post (also see step 4 in Post #8 above)?

Basically, does the little brass top hat go on the rubber button end of the long, skinny spring, or on the set screw end?

 

[lctorana]

The incandescent bulb parts that I've ignored.

Does the bulb contact the small spring-end directly, or should there be some sort of cup like later models?

PS thanks for the superb tutorial - thanks to you I was able to put my old 2c back together!

 

[Justin Case]

Your welcome. I can't remember what the spring contacts. I'll have to find the parts and look again.

 

[^Gurthang]

Russel,

Nice machine work on your heatsink. I'm modding an old 2D M@G and just finished my heatsink. Time to order a driver and an emitter. I was leaning towards a Cree R2 but I'd love to try an underdrive P7. Good luck on your build, keep us updated.

^G

 

[Justin Case]

Does the bulb contact the small spring-end directly, or should there be some sort of cup like later models?

PS thanks for the superb tutorial - thanks to you I was able to put my old 2c back together!

Assuming that I know which parts go to which Mag, I believe that the DMag uses a shiny metal cup that captures the top of the spring. The spring then pushes the top face of the cup into the bottom contact of the incandescent lamp. The spring has a uniform diameter for its entire length.

For the CMag, the spring ends in a small conical tip. Instead of the DMag's shiny metal cup, the CMag spring is captured by a larger, black plastic cup. This cup has a small hole in the top of the cup. The spring's conical tip sticks through this hole and contacts the incandescent lamp.

 

[lctorana]

For the CMag, the spring ends in a small conical tip. Instead of the DMag's shiny metal cup, the CMag spring is captured by a larger, black plastic cup. This cup has a small hole in the top of the cup. The spring's conical tip sticks through this hole and contacts the incandescent lamp.

Thanks, that confirms what I thought.

 

[griff]

Can anyone guide me to info on an newer " 2C mag switch Mod " Im looking to build a Mag 2C P7 and wondering if there is a DIY thread???
I can't find anything