model airplane cylinder as heatsink?

[etard]

I am trying to come up with a DIY light from other sources and didn't know if anybody had posted this but what do you guys think?

You could use it as a heatsink around the emitter.


http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=al...ontrol_Vehicles&_odkw=rc+car+engine&_osacat=0

 

[1 what]

Thanks etard (I think). I just purchased 1 and I'll let you know.
It's an expensive heatsink but might be worth it for the wow value.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

Those DO look cool!

 

[tx101]

Those DO look cool!

+1

I wonder if they have ones that are solid in the middle ?

 

[LukeA]

+1

I wonder if they have ones that are solid in the middle ?

Probably not, as that's where the piston goes. But you could press or thread in an appropriately sized core.

 

[Illum]

I wonder if they have ones that are solid in the middle ?

dunno how good of a airplane heatsink is if its solid in the middle:candle:

 

[manoloco]

Etard

It looks really nice, however the fins are only useful if they have contact with air outside the host, maybe if this would be the head itself but you would have to connect it to the rest of the body, whats on the bottom of the cylinders?, are they threaded?

also, for the front: very hard to put anything inside if it would be the whole head, but i think potting the led with norland 61 would be nice (hard to upgrade/mod though, you could even surround a high output led with 5/3mm ones due to the shape of the hole.

 

[John_Galt]

Might be good in a stand alone operation. Meaning outside of any container, as down lighting, or something.

 

[AlexGT]

I have one of those cooling heads, what do you want to know?, the bottom plate is a little thin and there is a hole in the center where you connect the glow plug.

AlexGT

 

[kramer5150]

I used to race RC cars when I was younger. (RC racing is a GREAT hobby to btw). I dont race anymore but I still have several RC models. The heatsink heads you are looking at are basically hollow (mill/lathe) T6 bar stock... a hole is bored straight through the middle. With a smaller thread tapped hole through the base to seat the glow plug.

RC engines are designed to operate in the 220-245F range. So I the cylinder heads you're looking at are not really designed for optimized cooling near LED operating temperatures. So unless you are running your LEDs hot enough to boil water (LOL... I think some of you actually are) I don't think these would be adequate. Furthermore RC heatsink heads are not designed to completely drop temperatures, they are designed to maintain temps around ~230F in the chamber to maintain combustion and glow plug ignition.

Anyhow... FWIW here are some pics to get you started...

.12 sized
This was my race-day engine so its pretty beat up. I'm sure yours will look much nicer than this.

A view looking down into the cylinder and glow plug.

Some .21 engines. These are cheaper cast heads.

A view down the cylinder with glow plug removed.

 

[etard]

Well,
I guess I wasn't too far off in right field.

Anyway, I think some of you guys are missing the point here. This will be the head of the light, the body, no battery, just the driver. with two wires going to a switch and auxiliary power source.

I am new here so forgive me, what I am trying to achieve is a decent aftermarket headlight for wrecked motorcycles, and bicycles. So YES, there will be air, lots of air flowing over the fins. But even if you used it for something uber trick, like a headlamp, it seems like the cooling would be more than just the head on a flashlight. Even though the material is rated for higher temps doesnt mean it will not be effective at lower temps.

What LED would you suggest placing in here? Can more than one fit? How about lenses? Do they work? It would be cool to screw something on the top for protection, any suggestions?

I have to be honest, I am a little disapointed with the lack of made from scratch, or cobbled together lights here. Is there a place where the best lights are photographed, like show n tell or something?

 

[kramer5150]

Well,
I guess I wasn't too far off in right field.

Anyway, I think some of you guys are missing the point here. This will be the head of the light, the body, no battery, just the driver. with two wires going to a switch and auxiliary power source.

I am new here so forgive me, what I am trying to achieve is a decent aftermarket headlight for wrecked motorcycles, and bicycles. So YES, there will be air, lots of air flowing over the fins. But even if you used it for something uber trick, like a headlamp, it seems like the cooling would be more than just the head on a flashlight. Even though the material is rated for higher temps doesnt mean it will not be effective at lower temps.

What LED would you suggest placing in here? Can more than one fit? How about lenses? Do they work? It would be cool to screw something on the top for protection, any suggestions?

I have to be honest, I am a little disapointed with the lack of made from scratch, or cobbled together lights here. Is there a place where the best lights are photographed, like show n tell or something?

The MMM and transportation lighting sub fora are better for that kind of stuff.

 

[1 what]

As promised...I purchased one of the basic heatsinks and fitted it with an old red luxeon led from my "parts" box. I was thinking of a futuristic bicycle taillight. I had to make an "adaptor" heatsink to screw the led onto the larger heatsink. It took 5 mins and 3cm of Al strip.

It worked better than I expected.

As you can see there is plenty of light from the holes in the sides so lateral visibility would not be a problem. Also..since the body is silver there are reflections from all angles. The light out the back with 600ma drive is intense to say the least and the view from the rear is improved with the insertion of a short length of acrylic pipe that gives a ring of light effect that you can see in this photo.
There are certainly no problems with overheating.
If I was going to use this on my bike I'd cut the pipe to size and fit an endplate (lens). The pipe also protects the led from dirt and water.

Having got this far I'm going to scrap the taillight and rebuild it with a P7 as a desklamp. The big round hole in the bottom of the heatsink will fit a P7 perfectly and it can mount on a circular piece of Al that goes directly onto the bottom. It's too good to waste on the bike!
Thanks Etard. I think it's a good idea.:thumbsup:

 

[Illum]

It worked better than I expected.

heck yes! :twothumbs:twothumbs:twothumbs
you can finally brag to your fart-cannon coffee-can equipped friends in their rice burners that you have a red tailpipe on your bike