Making use of the cheap Harbor Freight lights

[Jack Crow]

Hi all,
This has been a successful project. Made and given away many over the last couple of years.

The big problem with the stock lights is they eat batteries. Usually about 30 min and it's useless.
Made a battery adapter that allows the light to use a lithium123A cell (one time use). Had one run for over ten hours w/o diming out.
Let's see if the system will let me post some photos.

Not sure what happened, looks like the sequence of photos got reversed.

Anyhow the first photo is now the adapter in the light. Not tight nor snug. It will tip out if opened and turned.
Same for the battery in the adapter. Just a little bit of rattle.

The second photo is the light, a battery in the adapter, and the tail cap.
Left some rough holes for polarity indicators.
The center conductor is a 4-40 stainless screw with hex nut.

If there is interest, I can post the .stl (the file 3D printers use) so you can make up some of your own. I usually make them ten at a time.

This is not going to solve this lights other problems. The constant sketchiness of the internal contacts. Been thinking on that as well. Playing with the idea of electro plating a connection between the circuit board and the aluminum housing. Then doing it again on the tail cap's internal connections.
Clearly not worth the effort but deeply satisfying to make it all work as it should and defeat the plans of obsolesce.

Share a thought.
Jack Crow aka Radio Mike

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Thanks for showing us this project!

 

[Jack Crow]

K
Thanks for the kind words. Must have made about 100 of these over the last few years. Works with most any 3xAAA cell type light. Fits in the ones sold by Northern Tool and many of the 'clones' of the HF light.

Printed up two other accessories. If you pull off the lanyard it fits in a little desk stand. So if you press on the top, a small platform in the bottom of the stand, presses the switch in the butt cap turning on the light. It's a cool thing.

Have a variant in what I call a bed 'caddy'. A little tool holder where I sleep.
I keep a back scratcher, and a modified light in it.
The overall project mounts to the bed frame with screws.

Same idea to turn on and off the light. Push on/ push off. It gets about 20min of use mornings and evenings.
Remember the old kids toy with the dice shaker called a 'pop-o-matic', my inspiration.

Keep it safe
Jack Crow

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Maybe you can post some images of these functional ideas?

I used an old glass cylindrical vase (I guess) to place a Surefire shining on the ceiling. I used glow in the dark dog balls to fill in gaps in the vase.

 

[Jack Crow]

K
As you wish.
This is the stand. Loose the strap and it's split ring then the light drops straight in.
In the base of the stand is a raised platform that can press the button if the front of the light is pressed.

I also made one in a semi transparent but since given it away.

Jack Crwo