EMPOWERTORCH
Enlightened
On one of the topics previously posted, Saaby and I discussed the merits of car boot sales.
To those of you on the other side of the pond, a car boot sale is a sale which takes place in a field usually out of the boot (or trunk) of a car. It is a good way for people to make some money out of the junk they have stored in their attics and garages and basements.
Often among all the goodies on sale, you will come across an old torch or two. Quite often, the uninitiated non-torchaholic will buy a torch, use it till the bulb blows and then store it away and forget about it, rather than investigating buying and fitting a bulb they will go out and buy themselves a new torch instead. So there is a mountain of torches out there somewhere, ripe for modding for very small amounts of money.
I will list each item in turn...
Exhibit No 1: Ray-O-Vac Swivel-Lite
Description: 2D torch with Swivel Head
Price £1.50
Smart looking torch, I shall test it with a drop-in LED bulb. Hopefully it won't be reverse wired...
I shall modify the torch with either a 4LED bulb or convert using 4 LED's soldered in bulb holder. (Toshiba 8000mcd yellows or oranges)
Exhibit No 2: Aluminium 3D torch.
Price: £1.50.
Similar to a 3D maglite, but fitted with knurled plastic bezel. The torch is focussable, and the bulb fits in like a maglite. This is a quality torch, worth a lot more than the £1.50 I paid for it.
The threads are beautifully machined. I shall probably keep this torch... it is a proper torchaholic's tool.
Modification: This would be the perfect torch for Luxeonising! The outer shell of the bulb holder is connected to the torch body, so it should offer good thermal heatsinking. For now, I'm going to make a drop in 3 or 4 Nichia cyan PR bulb conversion so as to keep the torch as original as possible.
If anyone knows the make or model of this torch please reply to this topic... there are no brand names stamped or embossed anywhere on the torch, or even a "country of manufacture" The tailcap= of this torch is black and has a rubber o-ring seal on it, again similar to a maglite.
Exhibit No 3 can be found on the torch collector's forum...of you go there you will find that it isn't a torch in the truest sense of the word, and I will not be modifying this item...
Price was 50p!
Along with a £3 tape deck and a whole host of Cd's and tapes, that cocludes my haul.
There's lots of fun to be had at these places.
Let me hear of your "car boot classics"! May be you have a few torches in your collection that you discovered in a garage sale, rummage sale or flea market which has become a powerful solid-state nightbuster... If you have any of these, reply to this post...
Matt
EMPOWERTORCH
To those of you on the other side of the pond, a car boot sale is a sale which takes place in a field usually out of the boot (or trunk) of a car. It is a good way for people to make some money out of the junk they have stored in their attics and garages and basements.
Often among all the goodies on sale, you will come across an old torch or two. Quite often, the uninitiated non-torchaholic will buy a torch, use it till the bulb blows and then store it away and forget about it, rather than investigating buying and fitting a bulb they will go out and buy themselves a new torch instead. So there is a mountain of torches out there somewhere, ripe for modding for very small amounts of money.
I will list each item in turn...
Exhibit No 1: Ray-O-Vac Swivel-Lite
Description: 2D torch with Swivel Head
Price £1.50
Smart looking torch, I shall test it with a drop-in LED bulb. Hopefully it won't be reverse wired...
I shall modify the torch with either a 4LED bulb or convert using 4 LED's soldered in bulb holder. (Toshiba 8000mcd yellows or oranges)
Exhibit No 2: Aluminium 3D torch.
Price: £1.50.
Similar to a 3D maglite, but fitted with knurled plastic bezel. The torch is focussable, and the bulb fits in like a maglite. This is a quality torch, worth a lot more than the £1.50 I paid for it.
The threads are beautifully machined. I shall probably keep this torch... it is a proper torchaholic's tool.
Modification: This would be the perfect torch for Luxeonising! The outer shell of the bulb holder is connected to the torch body, so it should offer good thermal heatsinking. For now, I'm going to make a drop in 3 or 4 Nichia cyan PR bulb conversion so as to keep the torch as original as possible.
If anyone knows the make or model of this torch please reply to this topic... there are no brand names stamped or embossed anywhere on the torch, or even a "country of manufacture" The tailcap= of this torch is black and has a rubber o-ring seal on it, again similar to a maglite.
Exhibit No 3 can be found on the torch collector's forum...of you go there you will find that it isn't a torch in the truest sense of the word, and I will not be modifying this item...
Price was 50p!
Along with a £3 tape deck and a whole host of Cd's and tapes, that cocludes my haul.
There's lots of fun to be had at these places.
Let me hear of your "car boot classics"! May be you have a few torches in your collection that you discovered in a garage sale, rummage sale or flea market which has become a powerful solid-state nightbuster... If you have any of these, reply to this post...
Matt
EMPOWERTORCH
