SL-1 KnifeLight...AAA LED Does Fit (Pictures)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

After looking at the ToolLogic SL-1 KnifeLight (uses 4 button cells) and fiddling with it now that I have an AAA LED light to try in there, it appears there is plenty of room. For reference here's the original setup:

Then with another LED in its place:

You can see that the top of the knife's handle is perfectly grooved to match the shape of the second LED's body:

(seems my site is having trouble with this particular picture -- you can see it directly at http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0MwB0cF4RubbJL2CSvWzYky5cLqvAEWMqHkdW6qZ3Zhf6kDxtHmUivb8bWv!A9wNI6aBQSK6J5zY*fm3zztsZiw/Replace-Close.jpg )


Now all I need to know is -- what's a good permanent HA-to-Zytel adhesive?

Anybody?

 

[McGizmo]

Aloha Mr. Bulk.

I don't know what adhesives work with the zytel and if you can't find one you're comfortable with, I have another suggestion. Consider putting some notches in the slabs of the knive where the light body comse close to contact. If you use a good thick epoxy adhesive or mix up your own with chosen fillers, you can put a nice fillet bead along each side between where the flashlight body turns under and the slabs come up.If you do your notches correctly, the epoxy or the zytel would have to break and shear for the light to come off. The epoxy will stick to the knurled HA Al with little problem.

If zytel is like polypropylene, hitting it with a propane torch will oxidize the surface and allow for adhesion which isn't possible without the torch treatment.

Good Luck and let us know how it works out.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Don,

Thanks for the info, as far as I know Zytel is "glass-filled nylon", whatever that means. Actually I might try and form some Kydex sheeting around the light and leave the two ends together and down to form a sort of long flange, matching that of the original light holder (shoulda took a pic of that too) that would click right back in like the original -- yeah, that's the ticket. Will do a search on Kydex now...

 

[Darell]

Hey Charlie -

Just the mod I was thinking of. And Don - I'm glad you're here. You might just be seeing this knife up-close and personal one day soon.

The light that comes with this unit is NOT up to the standards of the rest of the knife. In short, the quality of the light sucks. I plan on using this knife in rough water, and I don't expect that light to hold up to the punishment I'll be giving it. Arc AAA is the best choice in my book. My first thought was to turn down the diameter of the Arc just a bit, and install it semi-permanently in the stock hole (sacrificing the waterproof container in the back - but maybe that'll keep it afloat?). The light will still come off with the entire light tube, but the light won't come off by itself. I wouldn't trust it to stay in any other way, really. Just gluing the raw light on by its lonesome isn't as attractive to me, since it would then be more likely to snag on a pocket during extraction.

I'll be thinking on this one...

 

[McGizmo]

Darell,
Send the knife to me and I'd like to see what options are available. Since we're talking plastic here, it shouldn't be too tough to fabricate a new housing for the Arc w/o modifing the Arc itself. Floatation is another issue. I have my doubts that the knife/light, as is will float and certainly with the added weight of the AAA battery and loss of the H20 proof chamber, nahhhhh.

So what if it floats. You drop it in the rapids and it ain't tethered, it be gone. Did you read "The Shipping News"? An incident in the book pointed out the need for tethered knives while in a boat.

BTW, Mr. Bulk, one of your images or probably the last link to an image causes my netscape browser to go to major wide format on this thread. Too confusing for the likes of me.

 

[mikep]

Mr Bulk, FYI I got kydex sheets from www.texasknife.com I was happy with their prices and service.

 

[Harrkev]

Any thought of adding a laser pointer? Then, you would have the only knive with a laser sight. You can tell accurately from a distance exactly where you will cut!

 

[mikep]

I think "Fat Tony"- the gangster on the Simpsons had an icepick with a laser-aiming device:

"I don't get mad- I get stabby"

 

[McGizmo]

Maybe the laser should point in the other direction.......

I know a paranoid guy who sports a red SMD LED on his forhead? Thinking is that any sniper will think this guy has already been acquired and get off one warning shot

Maybe I made that up

 

[Darell]

Oh man. I almost never say "Laughing Out Loud" but I can't help myself on this one.

LMAO.

Well, I'm playing with the knive again here. I now I *really* don't think there is a way to bore the stock light holder for the Arc. The Arc is too long (the arc would have to fit more than 1.5" deeper to work), and where the top of the holder slopes, the bore would poke right through the exterior skin, I'm afraid. So now we're back to the idea of simply glueing the arc right into that curved depression. Fits far better than I thought it would, actually. And it doesn't look like the end of the Arc would snag nearly as bad as I thought it would. BUT, I'd still like to have it covered with plastic, and removeable if at all possible.

Back to scratching my head for a bit.

I do like that laser cutting-guide idea though!

And no, Don. I've never read The Shipping News. Should I? You're right, no way in Heck this think will float. Tether you say? Wonder where I could get a nice tether...

 

[Darell]

Yup, they do have laser-sited miter saws. Very sexy indeed.

 

[Saaby]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Harrkev:
Any thought of adding a laser pointer? Then, you would have the only knive with a laser sight. You can tell accurately from a distance exactly where you will cut!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmmm...Don't they already do this with some power saws?? Seems to work for them! Maybe a green lazer...