whiskypapa3
Enlightened
Walmart had some Garrity flashlights bundled with a fairly good looking Leatherman knock-off for $10 in a promotional display last week. I picked up three for the multi-tool (stocking stuffers) and was going to see what I could do to the flashlights. The tube looked just the right ID for a lithium 123 battery (the AAs went in a carrier to fill the tube). Hmmmm..
After a few minutes with a jeweler's Phillips driver I had the flashlight laying in front of me in pieces. The front just twists off and the lamp holder assembly was held with three small screws. The plastic barrel adapter was held on with two small brass rivets, a couple of seconds with my trusty Dermel tool and they were history. During manufacture the adapter was temporarily positioned with a small piece of double sided tape. A few drops of rubber solvent (Ronsonal, VM&P naphtha, rubber cement thinner,etc.) loosened it so it could by worked off.
The Li 123 slid right in, just a bit tight at the threads (a few light passes with the Dremel and a fine sanding drum saved the day).
Now for the hard part. Measuring two AAs and subtracting the length of the Li 123 gave me 2.62ins, the amount to saw off the barrel. Marked the barrel and sawed it off little short (ie; the part I wanted left long) and trimmed and deburred to my mark with a file. The part that was to go into the barrel adapter was sanded a bit so epoxy would have a good surface. I think the only reason they used rivets during manufacture was setting rivets took 1 second as the time for prepping, setting and cleaning adhesives. At my current hourly rate it wouldn't cost more if adhesives took a week to set..
Test assembly showed everything fit and the light turned on and off.
I sanded the inner surface of the barrel adapter to clean any mold release and break the glaze. Applied a thin coat of epoxy to both the barrel and the barrel adapter and slid both together. A little clean-up and let the epoxy harden over night.
Except for watching the epoxy harden the mod only took an hour..
Results;
The light fits very comfortably in the hand and can be focused by turning the front assembly and turned on and off by gently holding the switch between my pinky and heel of the palm and pulling the front back toward them.
All in all, a great mod and a perfect jacket pocket flashlight.
After a few minutes with a jeweler's Phillips driver I had the flashlight laying in front of me in pieces. The front just twists off and the lamp holder assembly was held with three small screws. The plastic barrel adapter was held on with two small brass rivets, a couple of seconds with my trusty Dermel tool and they were history. During manufacture the adapter was temporarily positioned with a small piece of double sided tape. A few drops of rubber solvent (Ronsonal, VM&P naphtha, rubber cement thinner,etc.) loosened it so it could by worked off.
The Li 123 slid right in, just a bit tight at the threads (a few light passes with the Dremel and a fine sanding drum saved the day).
Now for the hard part. Measuring two AAs and subtracting the length of the Li 123 gave me 2.62ins, the amount to saw off the barrel. Marked the barrel and sawed it off little short (ie; the part I wanted left long) and trimmed and deburred to my mark with a file. The part that was to go into the barrel adapter was sanded a bit so epoxy would have a good surface. I think the only reason they used rivets during manufacture was setting rivets took 1 second as the time for prepping, setting and cleaning adhesives. At my current hourly rate it wouldn't cost more if adhesives took a week to set..
Test assembly showed everything fit and the light turned on and off.
I sanded the inner surface of the barrel adapter to clean any mold release and break the glaze. Applied a thin coat of epoxy to both the barrel and the barrel adapter and slid both together. A little clean-up and let the epoxy harden over night.
Except for watching the epoxy harden the mod only took an hour..
Results;
The light fits very comfortably in the hand and can be focused by turning the front assembly and turned on and off by gently holding the switch between my pinky and heel of the palm and pulling the front back toward them.
All in all, a great mod and a perfect jacket pocket flashlight.
