Room for trits please!

[Burntrice]

Just a general request to all manufacturers, please leave little groves or slots in your lights for trits.
Thanks!

I wish i had the skill and tools to mod and install my own trits and to be honest I'm amazed more companies don't make room for some of the common sizes.

 

[shane45_1911]

Just a general request to all manufacturers, please DO NOT leave little groves or slots in your lights for trits.
Thanks!

I don't need or want to pay for extra and unnecessary tooling steps adding cost to my flashlights.

 

[Burntrice]

Well maybe extra tooling steps is the reason they don't do this but you only have to look at the number of trit lovers on these forums to see their missing a trick. If you don't like something or its out of your price range, just forget about it. To campain against choice is a bit silly.

 

[shane45_1911]

To campain against choice is a bit silly.

Ah, you never said anything about "choice". If slots are offered as a choice, that is one thing. To request they are added to all lights is completely different.

 

[Dillo0]

Don't we have capable people who can cut us slots for those tritium vials? I'd go that route if I wanted tritium vials. I like the smooth slot less designs. It's one less thing to collect dirt. When I do want the tritiums, I can choose places for the vials and have someone machine me a few slots and get my tritiums exactly where I want them, not where someone else thought they would look good.

 

[d.weglarz13]

Hey.. Im a newb, so anybody mind letting us know a site or link where we can see different styles of tritium vials? Im guessing they are glow in the dark strips or a chemical of some kind, but haven't really seen any yet, and Ive been on here a lot lately, but again, Im still only a few weeks in.....thanks
dave

 

[Dillo0]

If you look at the cpfmarketplace, there are lots of stuff there to be found. That's where someone directed me. The vials are tritium gas in a glass vial with an inside coated in phosphor. This is different from Luminova and such which needs light exposure to glow. They are neat and there are lots of colors. Also, even if they are radioactive, very little and very weak radiation comes from them. They are also usually encased in epoxy, so one does not need to fear breakage so much.

 

[ffemt6263]

If you want to see different trit setups there is a certain thread here to look at. Its called "show your lights with trits!" Use the search and you should be able to find it. Theres some amazing and very cool and creative setups in there. Having your own tritium slots milled is one of the cool things about trits. You can have a one of a kind personalized light!

 

[jcalvert]

Hey.. Im a newb, so anybody mind letting us know a site or link where we can see different styles of tritium vials? Im guessing they are glow in the dark strips or a chemical of some kind, but haven't really seen any yet, and Ive been on here a lot lately, but again, Im still only a few weeks in.....thanks
dave

Dave, check these two threads. 1) Here, 2) Here

p.s. I'll try to call tomorrow

 

[AlphaZen]

I love the trits and agree that it should be more of a consideration from manufacturers, especially the ones catering to the flashaholic community. It certainly adds to the appeal for me.

 

[d.weglarz13]

Wow. Thanks guys! Those things are really cool! Now, something all new entirely for me to search for!!!
They definitely give the lights a cool look. I wonder what else has trits on them? Maybe I can put some on an array of different things.....like maybe my knives too......:devil:
Thanks for the links!
dave

 

[Burntrice]

Check out fishing shops for tritium vials, look (or ask) for isotopes.

 

[precisionworks]

Machining trit slots is a no win choice for any manufacturer, large or small. It seems that half the flashlight buyers want slots & the rest want no slots. Any maker is hesitant to include a feature that will cost sales & they are also reluctant to stock or make excess inventory so that the necessary light is always in stock.

The most economical time for slot milling is when the light is fixtured in the machining center. Adding one tool change (to an end mill) and including a few additional lines of program code are not costly. The major cost is in the extra time needed to machine each slot. Even the smallest 1.5x5mm vial requires at least seven back & forth machining passes in aluminum to reach full depth. Titanium 6-4 is even more time consuming as it takes fourteen passes & each pass takes twice as long. Multiply the extra time per slot by (for instance) half a dozen slots in the rear & half a dozen slots in the front & the cost of that light just went up, reducing overall sales.

Having slots custom milled gives the owner choice of total number, location, pattern, size, color, etc. It allows your light to be totally different than the identical model owned by a friend. Slotting isn't inexpensive because of the large investment in specialized tooling & because of the time required but it gives the owner exactly what they want. As long as there's enough thickness to work with the slots can go in some interesting places. The photos below are my C2 that stays in the nightstand drawer & it is certainly easy to find :)