Like many of us, I like small, handy lights. The 3P is, to me, the perfect personal light. I've always wanted one, and have managed to put one together out of my SF parts!
I had bought an L30 lamp assembly from forum member pdm. Wonderful transaction! Best of all, it was the original style with the ridges on the edge of the adaptor, not hex shaped. (The L30 consists of a Z32 SIB, R30 lamp, and an adaptor that joins the bezel and a weaponlight switch housing)
I replaced the Z32 with a spare standard size hex bezel with lexan lens. I also had an A19 sitting around. (I had planned to save the A19 should I want to add another battery to it and make it a 6P-size.)
So I had these parts together and I needed an A21 for the body. After finding out they were out of stock at LPS, I was disappointed after I called them today. I've played with the A19 and was well aware that an L30 lamp module's threads are too short too connect to the threads of the A19. I looked and looked. Some part of my brain reminded the rest of me that I owned a hacksaw. What? Chock a perfectly good shiny black Surefire Official A19 in the vise and TAKE A HACKSAW TO IT? ARE YOU MAD? I continued to look at the A19, calculating how much to cut off. NO! I'll find an A21. Hrm... A19 has knurling and A21 is smooth. Before I knew what I was doing, I had stuck the A19 I had onto a wooden dowel, electrical taped it into position, and picked up my hacksaw. I actually did a pretty good job. I had fears that in my haste, I'd damage the A19 beyond usage. Then I sort of lapped the cut edge on a piece of 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper over a honing stone to smooth it out and ensure a flat edge. Recalling a tidbit from Don McLeish's website, I hit the exposed edge with Sharpie marker just for the heck of it (Instant Anodize? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif). The now adjusted-in-size A19 was now deep enough to catch the lamp module's threads. I cleaned off the parts, and screwed them together.
I LOVE IT. It's perfectly sized for my hand. At the moment, it's sporting the LOTC from my Z3, but in the future, I'd like to put a Z49 clickie on it.
Anyway, I'm happy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It's a pretty darn cool light. Because it uses the lamp module from a weaponlight, it has a little shoulder to keep the battery from moving foward and squashing the lamp. I'm really surprised at how bright the R30 is too!
[Sometime next week, hopefully there will be pictures in this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif ]
Thanks to all, especially Paul (pdm) for the great price on a rare classic weaponlight part, and of course Al "Size15s" for his hints, tips and patience with all my questions. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I had bought an L30 lamp assembly from forum member pdm. Wonderful transaction! Best of all, it was the original style with the ridges on the edge of the adaptor, not hex shaped. (The L30 consists of a Z32 SIB, R30 lamp, and an adaptor that joins the bezel and a weaponlight switch housing)
I replaced the Z32 with a spare standard size hex bezel with lexan lens. I also had an A19 sitting around. (I had planned to save the A19 should I want to add another battery to it and make it a 6P-size.)
So I had these parts together and I needed an A21 for the body. After finding out they were out of stock at LPS, I was disappointed after I called them today. I've played with the A19 and was well aware that an L30 lamp module's threads are too short too connect to the threads of the A19. I looked and looked. Some part of my brain reminded the rest of me that I owned a hacksaw. What? Chock a perfectly good shiny black Surefire Official A19 in the vise and TAKE A HACKSAW TO IT? ARE YOU MAD? I continued to look at the A19, calculating how much to cut off. NO! I'll find an A21. Hrm... A19 has knurling and A21 is smooth. Before I knew what I was doing, I had stuck the A19 I had onto a wooden dowel, electrical taped it into position, and picked up my hacksaw. I actually did a pretty good job. I had fears that in my haste, I'd damage the A19 beyond usage. Then I sort of lapped the cut edge on a piece of 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper over a honing stone to smooth it out and ensure a flat edge. Recalling a tidbit from Don McLeish's website, I hit the exposed edge with Sharpie marker just for the heck of it (Instant Anodize? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif). The now adjusted-in-size A19 was now deep enough to catch the lamp module's threads. I cleaned off the parts, and screwed them together.
I LOVE IT. It's perfectly sized for my hand. At the moment, it's sporting the LOTC from my Z3, but in the future, I'd like to put a Z49 clickie on it.
Anyway, I'm happy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif It's a pretty darn cool light. Because it uses the lamp module from a weaponlight, it has a little shoulder to keep the battery from moving foward and squashing the lamp. I'm really surprised at how bright the R30 is too!
[Sometime next week, hopefully there will be pictures in this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif ]
Thanks to all, especially Paul (pdm) for the great price on a rare classic weaponlight part, and of course Al "Size15s" for his hints, tips and patience with all my questions. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
