PXR heatsink & Kensters Dremel? Hehe!

Just having some Dremel fun until I have a Lathe set up and can really have some flashlight modding fun! This started out to be a Modamag PXR heatsink mod for a TriCree SF III mod but......... I am waiting on Mcr17XR & Mcr16XR reflectors from the Shoppe to show up for customizing to fit this mod and SSC P4 emitters will show up at the same time so........ I could still change my mind at this point which LED`s and reflectors to use!?!

Just thought I would share one of the crazy flashlight modding things I have been playing around with when I am bored. If you don`t like it?

Yes, I am a nutcase!














It is far from perfect but I had a lot of fun working on it. It fits in my SF III head perfect and will be a Tri something light soon!

Thanks for the PXR heatsink to play with Modamag and thanks for looking everyone!

Ken


Here is my only unmodified Mcr17XR reflector I have left at the moment and not already in another flashlight in the SF III head. The reflector is well beaten up from handling it so much while measuring for this and other mods. The 3 reflectors will be cut down to a height that closely matches them to the top of the head.


After they are cut shorter, then the diameter can be made smaller so all 3 reflectors will fit and not be blocked at the edge by the bezel. This is still a stock untrimmed Mcr17XR in the pic but I thought it would help to see a visual of it with the bezel on anyway.


***ON WITH THE MOD!***

In getting the emitters to sit flat on the heatsink I first tried this where an emitter was not going to end up in case what I had planned didn`t work well. If it didn`t the heatsink wouldn`t be ruined and make me have to start over from the begining. Some material was removed with a dremel and then filed the the rest of the way flat. Just deepening the notches to fit the Cree will make it a lot easier positioning the emitters when it is time to AA Epoxy them to the heatsink.


Not perfect but I can live with the results.


The Mcr16XR reflector was slightly shortened at the large opening or lens end. They are too large in diameter to fit 3 in the head so some Dremel work is needed. It is going to be nice whaen I have a Lathe and Milling Machine to work with for mods like this!:rock:




You can see my Dremel Tool got away from me a few times. I also started grinding on one of the wrong emitter notches. They fit nicely but I will have to clean up the heatsink a little. I plan on Black Duracoat for the top of the heatsink which should hide my goof ups somewhat. Maybe Cmacllel will take care of that for me after he bores out the battery tube for an 18650 cell? He is a "Da Man" when it comes to Duracoat! Hi Mac!

I've got a SF III that I'd like to have modded Ken....sure am interested in where you may be going here....



Karl

karlthev said:

I've got a SF III that I'd like to have modded Ken....sure am interested in where you may be going here....



Karl

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Karl, I figured you would be. I`m on dialup but I added a couple more pics. This should be a really neat mod! Think Goldserve and 3x FluPic for it!

Ken

How do you dremel so perfectly??

So you internet is lost at the cost of a lathe eh?

65535 said:

So you internet is lost at the cost of a lathe eh?

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:rock:

Kryosphinx said:

How do you dremel so perfectly??

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For this heatsink I used a bolt, nuts and rubber washers from a toilet tank kit that fit the threaded center hole perfect. Yes, I did a a toilet job on this one! :laughing: The rubber washers helped protect the heatsink when the nuts were tightened dowm to hold it. I stuck the bolt in a hand drill and while running it on slow speed I carved away with my Dremel. Slow going and eats up some cutters and bits but gets the job done if you are pathetic enough to spend the time to do it. Well, I guess I am! I used files and sandpaper to clean it up a little nicer for the final fit. I have other gadgets I hae made like a router table for my Dremel that comes in handy for modding flashlights. I used it on my Peak LED Rainier mod recently to fit a FluPic in the head. I just like working on things with whatever is at hand that isn`t right for the job. More fun to me that way.:rock:

Ken

Great idea! I think I could sacrifice the innerds of one of my SFIII's for this mod, ben thinking of a way to bring these up to date. Speaking of innerds, how did you remove them from yours? Aren't they pressed in? Keep us posted on this one Ken!

What "bits" or chisels or whatever did you use? I have a PES that I want to mod in a similar fashion, but not sure what to use...

you trimmed all that off with a dremel? yea, what bits?

nemul said:

you trimmed all that off with a dremel? yea, what bits?

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Nemul, you sound like someone that has used a Dremel before saying "all of that material" instead of "that little bit of material".:huh: :laughing: It took a while but I mostly used 1.5" fiberglass reinforced cutoff disks. Actually, several were worn right down to nothing. I have a diamond dremel bit kit with a selection of small bits that were used as well as some small diamond files and MicroMesh MX grade sandpapers I have in all available grits. A PITA for sure and a long messy way of doing it but it worked. I would suggest using the Dremel in your left hand on the left side of the heatsink so the shaving go down to the ground instead of up in your face. The kind of float in the air like snow. If you turn the Dremel around with the disk facing towards you then use your right hand and cut on the right side of the heatsink. IMPORTANT!DEFFINATELY WEAR FULL GOGGLES EITHER WAY NO MATTER WHAT NO EXCUSES OF NOT HAVING THEM OR LAZINESS!!!!! BUY SOME!!!! THE TYPE THAT SEAL AGAINST YOUR FACE!!!! I had some chips float around regular safety glasses and into my eyes cutting on the wrong side. I like to have fun and joke around a lot in my posts but I am very serious about the goggles. Please guys, it was not fun getting the pieces out of my eyes! I got lucky and didn`t do any real damage I believe because I didn`t panic trying to get it all out in a hurry. Be safe PLEASE!

Luxlunatic, yes the heatsink was press fit. It didn`t want to budge so I applied some heat to the head with a heatgun and it tapped right out. I destroyed the convertor but the heatsink itself is fine. You can see it in the background on several of my pictures.

Sorry about the nagging on safety but.............:nana: Now that feels more like me.:rock: Hehe!

Ken

Ken, try this Tungsten Carbide Cutter next time. It was my favorite dremel tool b4 I got my larger dremel

modamag said:

Ken, try this Tungsten Carbide Cutter next time. It was my favorite dremel tool b4 I got my larger dremel

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I have 3 different sizes of those that just arrived in the mail. Haven`t tried them yet but I will tonight and it`s good to know I didn`t waste my money on them.:thumbsup: I`ll have a larger Dremel up and running soon.:naughty: Yup, to make even bigger messes of things like your nice PXR heatsink.:green: Sorry, but I only hacked up the one! Well, so far anyway!:duck:


Ken

Top job Ken - i thought you were having us on when i looked at your last Dremel mod!
You must have the patience of a saint!

Have you though of using your drill holding method with a bench grinder/belt sander combo? They can be had for pretty cheap and would do the roughing pretty quick!

Cheers

Now I have a question if someone could help me out please? Pics in the first post should be good enough for this.

The Cree`s have to be placed closer to the center of the heatsink. Going for a TriCree set up. This makes most of the LED hanging up in the air over the center of the heatsink which is lower. I thought I would lower the three notches to the centers level to sit flat and the notches would still help me to position the LED`s rather than sand the whole top of the heatsink flat. Problem is one of the LED`s ends up on a small hole. Since it`s threaded I figured I could use an Aluminum screw Arctic Alumina Epoxied in this hole and sand it flush. Will this cause a heat issue with that LED since it will be partially under the die itself? Well, I mean enough of one that it would become noticebly dimmer than the other two in a short time period of use. The 3X FluPic on burst drives the 3 LED`s at 2.8amps but I figure that would not be used much and only for short runs. I don`t see to much of a problem but what do I know?.... Any help, suggestions or advice appreciated! Hmmm..... I wonder if anybody at CPF still reads my crazy posts?


Thank you,
Ken

BTW, Mcr16XR reflectors showed up so it`s time to power up my Dremel and mess them up too!

I don't think that it would make too much of a difference if part of the LED is over one of the small holes, provided that the rest of the LED is adequately heatsinked. The aluminum screw + Arctic Alumina should do the ticket, IMO.

Of course, if you're worried about the other two looking brighter after a while, you could always drill holes under them too! :lolsign:

Kryosphinx said:

Of course, if you're worried about the other two looking brighter after a while, you could always drill holes under them too! :lolsign:

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:huh2: I hadn`t thought of that!:rock:

Seriously, thanks for the help!:thumbsup:


Ken

Okay Ken, come clean with us.

You didn't do all that with a Dremel now did you. You already have a lathe that's set up and running . . . right?

LED Zepplin, if I would quite spending so much time goofing around with my Dremel I would have a Lathe up and running. I would do things different with a Lathe I think. Probably thread the inside of the head where the heatsink was press fit and thread the new heatsink. The press fit between the two pieces was Bare Aluminum and used as the ground path to the LE. My heatsink slips in and out and it is a snug fit but not pressed tight enough for a ground path. In several of the first post pictures you can see the original heatsink in the background. The evenly spaced indentations around it were pressed in with some kind of tool which squeezed some metal out for it`s press fit. You can see the lines it left in the head from it as well. I`ll have to do something similiar to mine. Maybe I can use a chisel?:shrug: I`ll figure something out!


Ken

I have always thought of the SFIII design as being a real winner. The light is built as a tank and the work that Chris Ogaz put into these was first rate. With this mod, updated electronics and....and...a custom finish by
Modamag (??)....I'm in for one of these---bringing me back to LED technology and size (least on a temporary basis!) from my Hotwire fasination!!!



Karl