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Spiral Mokume Gane Light -- WIP

PhotonFanatic

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 17, 2003
Messages
2,337
Location
western Massachusetts
Well, I'll put the cart in front of the horse this time and post the nearly finished light first, and later I'll add the WIP photos, for those who like those kind of things.

JJsMG-WIP-13.jpg

JJsMG-WIP-14.jpg

JJsMG-WIP-15.jpg

JJsMG-WIP-16.jpg


One of those commissions that I like--the customer only had one requirement--that the light have a three-level output, so I'll be using the Mini FluPIC driver and an R4 XPG LED.

I decided that I really liked the large spiraled groove that I had used in another light and I thought it would be good with the tri-level Mokume Gane as well. I also felt that I couldn't use the same theme on the head of the light--it would be too boring, so I opted for some discs and thin grooves; to accentuate those, I decided to etch the light and then cut the discs and grooves. I think that worked fine.

For the battery tube, I also felt that making the flats, left from the spiral groove and the axial grooves, shiny would also be worth trying. Those look great, imo.

The entire light looks much better in your hand than in these photos--in your hand you can see the sparkle of the facets from the etching and the contrast between the etched body and the shiny accents is more pronounced, too.

Build pics in post #8.
 
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PhotonFanatic

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 17, 2003
Messages
2,337
Location
western Massachusetts
OK, better late than never. :devil:

First, I bored the battery tube for the battery and then I also did the threading, all before cutting the spiraled groove:

JJsMG-WIP-1.jpg


After the spiraled groove was cut, I then did the axial grooves:

JJsMG-WIP-4.jpg


The head was then made and test fit to the battery tube. Once the two pieces were done, then the entire light could be etched.

JJsMG-WIP-5.jpg


First, the light needed to be sanded and highly polished:

JJsMG-WIP-7.jpg


Then it was off to the etching bath:

JJsMG-WIP-8.jpg


You can see the relief being cut between the three different metals, with the brass and copper being eroded the most.

JJsMG-WIP-9.jpg


As you can see, the entire surface of the battery tube was etched, and then was sanded down and polished to develop the shiny flats:

JJsMG-WIP-12.jpg


The etched head also needed some shiny areas, so the discs and grooves were cut into the surface:

JJsMG-WIP-10.jpg


So, with the body fairly close to completion, the LE was made:

JJs-MG-WIP-17.jpg


The driver is a mini FluPIC, less than 11mm in diameter, so the bore for it left plenty of room to add some holes for tweezers, to tighten the LE. The screw is used to hold the ground wire. The FluPIC gets potted into the LE:

JJs-MG-WIP-18.jpg


That's some Arctic Alumina Thermal Adhesive in the bore. The FluPIC is then inserted, left to harden, then the lead wires are soldered to the driver and a solder blob added eventually.

JJs-MG-WIP-19.jpg


An aluminum XP-G reflector was turned down to fit the interior of the head and the light was then tweaked for fit and finally a silicone gasket, to stop battery rattle, and some O-rings were installed to complete the light.

JJsMG-Final-1.jpg

JJsMG-Final-2.jpg

JJsMG-Final-5.jpg


Tomorrow, it gets shipped to the new owner.
 
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cmacclel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
5,018
Location
Sweden
Great work as usuall but I do have one question....... :)

Why polish it before etching?

Mac
 
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