What is the approximate 'crush strength' of a 3D Mag?

Slightly ambiguous question, I know.

Put another way: if a hero was trying to prevent the blast doors of an underground bunker from closing until his bionic Dachushund could escape and they could get far away from the Evil Fortress before the Diabolical Device exploded, how many pounds of force could the thing be expected to take (end to end) before failing? In general. Not counting for the effects of cold rays, plasma beams, fire bolts, or x-ray lasers. Or x-ray vision for that matter. (a little more) Seriously, 400 pounds? 500 pounds? More? Maybe nothing out there, but maybe there actually is some info on this. Could I prop up the corner of a Chevy?

On a side note, given the recent advances in lighting technology, how long will it be before the Bat Signal changes over from incan to LED or HID or laser?

Probably. Accounts of Maglights and Streamlights being run over by vehicles of various sizes are pretty common place, and in almost all cases those lights are still working afterwards.

Sleestak said:

Could I prop up the corner of a Chevy?

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My experience is that with the batteries removed, the tube is a lot more prone to damage. Depends on if the batteries is installed or not, is what I think.

Sleestak said:

On a side note, given the recent advances in lighting technology, how long will it be before the Bat Signal changes over from incan to LED or HID or laser?

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correct me if i am wrong, but i always had the impression that the Batman character was set in the 1940s-1950s in which case led/HID wouldn't be a choice. maybe i got that impression from reading Captain America comics where his nemesis is Red Skull and the nazis

Guys, he said end-to-end, not sideways. I think we need to send LEDMuseum a sacrifical 3-D (He he he)

Regarding the X-ray lasers, the 3-D is aluminum. Aluminum will act as a lens for X-rays much as glass acts as a lens for visible light. This means it would redirect the beams in a dangerous manner.

Regarding the old batlight, I think one of the CPF regulars picked it up on eBay the other day, the case is still good, but the insides need a lot of work. The new one runs on 220 V, has some kind of weirdo high power color flicker feature or something, civilians can't buy them, you need an FAA permit to operate it and they're not going to give you one.

Regarding the Dachushund, what kind of hero depends on a Dachushund for anything more complicated than killing badgers???

Now That's an interesting question!

If you assume the tube is too short to buckle, then you can figure the crush strength of the column by figuring its area.

Take the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) to calculate the cross sectional area (A) of the tube:

(3.14159 x OD x OD / 4) - (3.14159 x ID x ID /4) = A

Crush strength is the yeild strength of the material times the area.

If it was mild steel (30,000 psi yield strength) then you have

30,000 x A = crush strength

(or close enough)

Keep in mind, that is the load to complete failure, as in smashed metal. Usually you only want to go to 1/2 of that and define "failure" as "severe deflection," etc.

For a real flashlight you would have connections that would be weaker though, like the threads where the head attaches, and probably the head itself. Ballpark, I would say 1/4 to 1/2 the crush strength of the tube (for the failure condition). I don't know what aluminum is for yeild strength. 16,000 psi rings a bell. You should be able to Google "yield strength aircraft aluminum" or similar. A lot depends upon the alloy and treatment. Common structural steels vary from 30,000 psi to 60,000 psi and higher.

Scott

Note: a tube is one of the most durable structures that engineers can produce.

In one of my torture test, my wife run it over with her 4,000 pounds car while I was taking the picture, just to demostrate those doubting Thomases the strengh of the Maglite modifications I do.




I even intented to drown one, with no results!!!



Juan C. :wave:

beezaur, and if it's not too short to fail in "buckle" things get a whole lot more complicated. (I took that class too many years ago.) I strongly suspect you could prop-up one corner of a chevy with one, but I'd set the parking brake, chock the wheels, and perform an invocation first!

Larry

Hello Sleestak,

If you really want to know the actual number, send me 5 lights and I will put them in my tensile machine and do a compression test on them... I can do it with one light, but usually several samples are required for statistical reasons.

Tom

SilverFox said:

Hello Sleestak,

If you really want to know the actual number, send me 5 lights and I will put them in my tensile machine and do a compression test on them... I can do it with one light, but usually several samples are required for statistical reasons.

Tom

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Pictures. Gotta have them pictures.

juancho said:

In one of my torture test, my wife run it over with her 4,000 pounds car...

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It's really not so extreme a test with something around 32psi in the tire. Have your wife step on the light with a spike heel.

HammerSandwich said:

It's really not so extreme a test with something around 32psi in the tire. Have your wife step on the light with a spike heel.

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Besides that, the 4000 pounds will be distributed over the four wheels of the vehicle. (I'm not saying that it's not a good test though.)

Silverfox,
I am game, I'll send you one of my flashlights to put in your tensile machine.
Incoming P. M.
regards
Juan C,