New C-flex bodies

[skalomax]

Hey Eric,
Just wondering when these beautiful bodies will be available?
It's a great concept with the availability of Power, Runtime, or a little bit of both.

Don't mean to rush anything.


thanks

 

[Bogus1]

Hi Skalomax,

Thanks for the question and sorry for the delayed response. For some reason this thread didn't show up for me before

I think I'll be sending out the first C-Flex to a customer Monday and he might evaluate it. I might send a few more out next week as well. The parts for the first run have been machined and include adaptors for E Series (using E series electronics), C Series, TnC SF-Series, VIP, and MR Bulk lights using both our electronics and an adaptor to use the module as well for LH/LC/Cham/and Dragon lights with more adaptors in the pipeline. These parts are on the way to the platers and we held a few back to sell as bare parts for those who don't want to wait, prefer bare, or who may wish to have their own finishes.

I don't want to go into too much detail since I'll be starting a thread on this some time, but I will post a few pics of some of the choices that will exist. Yes, we will try to give buyers a wide choice in available designs to match the unmatched versatility of these parts, and thus the C-Flex moniker for C-Flexible. Following will be about half the options. Missing is a tube with Surefire style knurling and some other custom features I'll discuss later. Our first focus has been on LED lights (and E and C Series incan) however we have some new and unique features in the works to create low wattage and high wattage Incan setups.









We have found these TnC C-Flex tubes make a nice palette and we plan some more interesting designs. Chris is really going to town with what I consider to be some really incredible patterns! I'm usually very judicious in posting pics, but Chris's artistry merits the display IMO.

Normally it's good to avoid machining through anodizing, but patterns such as the one below look really great when you have the contrast between the milled bare aluminum and the anodizing surround. Actually I am very fond of brushed aluminum as well. It's easier to keep up than polished or bead blasted and it has a nice feel in the hand. We have some other custom services we plan to offer even in addition to all the choices I've listed. Hopefully we will be able to stay on top of all this :shrug:

 

[kenster]

Eric, :wow: and and :rock: and very I haven`t been keeping up with TNC flashlights lately and I see that I need fix that. Thanks for the update and cool pictures! :thumbsup:

Ken

 

[Nebula]

Eric and Chris - Beautiful and very distinctive body work! :twothumbs Kirk

 

[skalomax]

Gorgeous, Can't wait to order these puppies.

What Is that beautiful turbohead in the 2nd to last Picture?

 

[tdurand]

Very cool designs. I'm looking forward to playing with some.
T

 

[Bogus1]

Thanks, guys. I like Chris's designs so much I'd have them just as objects regardless of function

Skalo, that is the Lionhead for MR Bulk lights (that's the short answer).

I've read some criticism that TnC SF-Series lights are not straight ahead E Series compatible and I understand the thinking that goes behind standardization and agree 100% with this thinking. At the same time it's much more of a challenge to design a new 'standard' than to copy an existing one. We felt we were incorporating improvements and additional options over existing designs and weren't just trying to do things our own way, or trying to restrict buyers to only buying parts that fit our lights. At what point does it make sense to create a new 'standard' is one question?

We felt we were addressing both camps with our modular designs. I have read other platforms are the most versatile, however I don't see that is the case as our TnC SF-Series and our new C-Flex line of products work with these other platforms (such as E Series, C Series, and MR Bulk lights, as well as others). Doesn't that mean TnC lights also incorporate the versatility these other platforms offer (as well as our own) and vice versa? This is what we hoped to achieve, to expand not only the options available to buyers of our own offerings but to perhaps create additional options for those who already are invested or prefer certain parts from other platforms. So yes, that is one of the turbo heads that will work on the C-Flex in the picture. New TnC heads are in the works including large heads, but why not have options? We build the lights we want to use. The lack of compatibility between custom lights and platforms is something that in part drove us towards this approach. We're not faulting any of the great custom flashlight builders; we are just trying a different approach. I promise this is not the easy approach with the many unique parts in our systems, however incorporating the best of what's already been built through compatibility also frees us up to pursue unique offering rather than just reinventing the wheel IMO. Well, that's the thinking behind it anyhow :tinfoil:

 

[Gizzy]

The new bodies look absolutely STUNNING! Whos the lucky jackal who got to test out the first Cflex Count me in for a few of em:naughty:
Gonna need a flowchart soon in terms of where and what things can connect/attach to:twothumbs

 

[LED Zeppelin]

Some of those knurling patterns are artwork.

The TnC line is akin to an interpreter, a means of translating and connecting previously foreign and incompatible parts. Very cool!

 

[Bogus1]

The new bodies look absolutely STUNNING! Whos the lucky jackal who got to test out the first Cflex Count me in for a few of em:naughty:
Gonna need a flowchart soon in terms of where and what things can connect/attach to:twothumbs

Well I guess that's the thing. We've sent off the regular bodies with the TnC trademark knurling for plating, but we kept five bare aluminum sets so I could sell those without the wait for plating.

What I'm scratching my head over is the custom milled tubes. Some of these look so nice I think I'll sell them bare or plate them by order. If we are giving so many choices it makes it even more important there be demand for what we make. To sum up we have 5 standard sets and about 10 custom milled tubes/sets in bare aluminum I could deliver soon.

 

[Gizzy]

Which are the standard and which are the custom versions? Bare AL is definitely the way to go they just look sooo damn sexy and plating by order would definitely be the way to go for those that want to go that way:thumbsup:
I'm definitely in:naughty:

 

[Bogus1]

In the set of five in the top photo in post#2 the one on the right is the standard version with the TnC knurling. This knurling is on our lights from the N cell to the C cell.

The others are custom milled. I imagine some of these would look pretty wild in chrome or some other coating. With anodizing they should be nice as well.

Something I haven't posted on is we might give a trial run to mill initials or similar markings into the tubes. We have seen custom engraved lights for buyers, but not custom milled I don't think. If there is interest we will probably try this. It might be kind of fun as long as we can keep up with it

 

[skalomax]

Me and Milky are itching to get something built with these!

Let me know when the bodies are ready please.

 

[Nebula]

Me and Milky are itching to get something built with these!

Let me know when the bodies are ready please.

Skalo - I like your idea:twothumbs. Scott builds it, you keep it for your customary 10-15 minutes and then you sell it to ME :naughty:.

Seriously, I look forward to seeing what you guys do with these hosts. Whatever it is, it is bound to be bright and good looking. Keep us updated please.

 

[jeffb]

"Teaser" picture of TnC C Li-on here
in 2nd post picture.........hopw to post a review with pictures, sometime "soon"! (ALeph 3 head and LE)

jeffb

 

[jeffb]

TnC "C" flex review here

jeffb

 

[Bogus1]

Hi Skalo,

I have some bare bodies I will sell shortly once I get a chance to start a thread. I have a real crunch coming up in my personal life until Wednesday so perhaps on Thursday? The anodized bodies should be back shortly. We are only anodizing the standard bodies and the custom milled will be anodized or bare by request. We are making too many options to stock our shelves full of various parts without knowing demand.

Thanks Jeff! I'll post a few pictures here of C-Flex dressed up a bit and in your review thread as well.

Below is a pic of the 'lobed' C-Flex body with a Bulk Lioncub adaptor and a Lionhead sporting an aspheric lens and reflector. This is a nice setup IMO. This is the same lens being used in Mag heads. Take out the lens or remove the head and you have a flood light, or a lantern head with the TnC MR Bulk compatible latern heads.

Another pic of the aspheric C-Flex Bubble 3D milled tube. If there is demand we could make a bezel to work better with the aspheric to hide the lens from the user and screw down without a gap.



A little family shot of the C-Flex in various configurations with various tube designs:

 

[skalomax]

Thanks Bogus1, I hope everything gets resolved quickly for you own sake.
Happens to all the nice people I see.

On the other hand, Let me know when you can accept CC and I'll place my order immediately for: C-flex body, 1 C extender, E series adapter, and canister adapter. If a tailcap is needed, I guess I'll get one too.

All these combinations look superb, Never had a Mr.Bulk light. Maybe that's next as well.



Thanks again, your hard work Is not going unnoticed.

 

[Bogus1]

The click switch is integrated in the tube. We also have a twisty tail that is either a solid piece for perhaps very high draw applications including big hot wires with very little resistance, and we will have the Mc2Es two stage twist switch for those prefering this application. You can unscrew the McClicky to change out to a twist tail as pictured with the Groovy tube and the 3" turbo head in my previous post. The twist tail will include a recessed threaded lanyard attachment that can be removed for further weight reduction if it's not needed. We might make this threaded hole for the lanyard attachment tripod compatible threading if there seems to be interest in this. Otherwise it's just an extra machine step that adds cost.

 

[Gizzy]

me too me too I'm in for some C-flex luv:twothumbs