Learning flashlight maintenence...the hard way

[tomab]

Hello All,
Yes another newbie here. I've been reading posts and trying to absorb all the info the best that I can for a good while now. There is so much info and not enough time! Terrific site and good people willing to share so much info! Thanks

To the point now. I bought my first "real" flashlight a few months ago, a Fenix P1D CE Q5. I was using the light in cold weather, about 10 degrees F. When I decided to turn it off, I realized the light wasn't going off, then I realized that the threads were seized up and I was actually unscrewing the head of the light exposing the unprotected LED! And I had no way of turning off the light! In order to prevent from getting totally embarassed and abused from my equipment malfunction I discretely hid the light in my coat pocket until the battery ran out(it was on medium and towards the end of the battery life). I then got a pair of pliers and loosened the threads so I could now "turn it off".

I'm thinking the threads seized up on me from a combination of not properly lubing the threads and the expansion of the mail threads on the head of the light from the heat of the LED and the shrinkage of the aluminum on the female threads from the cold making for a very tight fit...right?.. .wrong?...Yeah, I know none of this would of happened if properly maintained.....

I now realize the importance of properly lubing the threads.

Without bashing me to bad the thing I need advice on is should I use locktite or something else to lock up the threads between the lense and led or just tighten it up and do a proper lube? Sorry but I forget some of the proper terminology ...hopefully you will know what I mean.

Thanks in advance,

Tomab (Tom)

PS. Just ordered a Dereelight CL1H 3 3SD, and Zebralight H30. It'll be like Christmas in April!

 

[Crenshaw]

oh SNAP, you have experienced galling my friend...your light is toast, and a good light it is too...i am sad for you!

it happened to me...yes its very important to lube properly...

Crenshaw

 

[tomab]

Thanks for the response Crenshaw.

I failed to mentions that I managed to get all the threads apart and the light works fine now. I'm just wondering if I need to put something on the threads that are not supposed to be easily removed stay that way and decrease the chance of that happening again.

Tomab

 

[Icebreak]

I wouldn't. I'd lube it and tighten it and be done with it. If you ever want to modify/repair the torch it will be much easier to do without lock-tite etc. on it. I don't have a Fenix P1D CE Q5 but some guys use a wrap or two of plumber's Teflon tape around the threads of a part they don't want to come loose.

For lubing, I've moved away from Nyogel and now use gun grease or gun oil. Lots of reasonably priced products out on the net. I use Mil-Comm TW25B.

 

[tomab]

Thanks Icebreak.

Just curious, why are you moving away from Nyogel? I was going to place an order for the 760G.

Is Mil-Com TW25B safe for o-rings?

Tomab

 

[Icebreak]

Nyogel is a fine product, IMHO. For my use it is not optimal. This is because many of my lights are rechargeable. Some are custom and most are modified. I'm constantly loading and unloading batteries often fiddling about with the heads. Nyogel seems to produce a lot of Aluminum oxide and suspending it. I grew tired of cleaning and re-lubing the threads. When I got an exotic Draco I wanted something better. My Sig came with TW25B so I used it and it works great. The O ring on the Draco is delicate. It has not corroded or been compromised. My SureFires and Mags show no ill effects either. The TW25B still suspends aluminum oxide, but not as much. My main reason for trying it was for that little titanium Draco. The gun grease doesn't travel much but I still have to clean the threads just not nearly as much. My ARC AAA is still nice and clean looking even after many, many uses and it's a twisty.

I did a Google search before I replied using "TW25B rubber plastic" and got a bunch of hits that said, "Harmless to rubber, plastic, wood and composites". The MSDS shows phosphoric acid but I suspect it's just a tiny amount listed only because it's a human safety issue. TW25B is a synthetic lubricant.

There are members much more knowledgeable than I when it comes to lubricants. Maybe some of them will chime in with more answers.

 

[tomab]

Thanks for the input Icebreak. Some usefull information. Greatly appreciated.

Tomab

 

[Crenshaw]

good to know that your P1D is fine now..

Crenshaw

 

[Icebreak]

snap?

 

[Crenshaw]

snap?

i actually never use that, but i read it in urban dictionary the other day, and it was the first thing that popped into my mind at 2am my time yesterday..

Crenshaw

 

[tomab]

That would have been a bummer if I totally ruined my P1D.

I would have had a tough time explaining to my wife that my expensive flashlight somehow just stopped working........I could hear it now, "Why did you have to buy a light that costs so much? You could have bought a dozen regular flashlights at the store"($5 cheapies). Some people will never understand....I'll admit, I'm just getting into the flashaholic thing.

Thanks Guys...or Girls?.....just being PC.

Tomab

.

 

[Icebreak]

i actually never use that...snip

It didn't sound like you at all that's what made it so funny.

[/OT]