Tutorial: this is how you build Aspherical Mag! w/pics

Nereus

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Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
509
Location
Espoo, Finland, Northern Europe
I built Aspherical Mag with the following specs:

- Bored out 2D Mag
- Flashlight head and tailcap painted with transaparent metal flake paint
- Aspherical lense, 52 mm diameter, 37 mm focal length (from Surplus Shed)
- 2D-to-8AA battery adapter
- Downboy 1500 converter
- Anodised Hotlips D heatsink
- Cree XR-E led, bin Q5
- Runtime is some 4 hours

The modding starts in a very conventional way: first, buy a 2D Maglite and disassembly and bore it out following the guidance in this tutorial.

Next, shorten the flashlight head by some 3 mm (intact flashlight head on the right for comparison):

P7220487.jpg


This is how the lense sits on the flashlight head:

P8010501.jpg


Here is the bezel installed. You can also see the metal flakes: :D

P8010506.jpg


Remove the "lip" of the heatsink (intact heatsink on the right for comparison):

P7220488.jpg


Use Arctic Silver epoxy to glue the emitter:

P7230490.jpg


Mix clear epoxy with glow powder and apply around the emitter:

P7230491.jpg


I used a hex screw to prevent the heatsink from moving:

P7230492.jpg


Install the converter to the back side of the heatsink and connect it to the emitter and the Maglite switch. I left also some extra length to the wires in case I want to upgrade the emitter:

P8010500.jpg


This is what the finished mod looks like:

P8010505.jpg


Nice signature, isn't it? :D

P8010502.jpg


The beam can be fully adjusted from a very tight hotspot to a wide, even flood. Here is the beam at its widest. At the distance of 1 m the flood area has some 50 cm diameter:

P8010499.jpg


Here is the beam at its narrowest: At the distance of 1 m the hotspot has some 5 cm diameter:

P8010497.jpg


I'll provide you with outdoor beamshots when I get to the countryside... :)

This is what the after glow looks like:

P8010493.jpg


A bit different angle. Here you can see the magnification of the emitter and the wires:

P8010495.jpg


Thanks for looking! :)

-N
 
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Mad1

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May 10, 2006
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711
Location
UK
Very nice, I love the beam on these things and hope to build one myself one day.
 

Essexman

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Oct 9, 2006
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1,192
Location
U.K.
Nice build and show (again).
Why did you remove the top edge/lip of the heatsink ?
 

Robban

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Jul 6, 2004
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849
Location
Sweden
Where do you get your hosts? I'm assuming Finland has the same crazy prices on them as we do over here *sigh*

Nicely done, any reason you always seem to go for the AA rather than lithium route?
 

Nereus

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
509
Location
Espoo, Finland, Northern Europe
Thanks for the comments, guys! :)

Essexman: I removed the lip because it prevents the heatsink from going deep enough in to the flashlight body.

Zelda: I bought a Downboy Blank converter in the Sandwich Shoppe and soldered 0,1 and 0,05 ohm resistors on it.

Robban: I bought the host here in Finland and yes, it could have been cheaper... I bought the metal-flake-covered parts in this GB. I prefer AA nimhs because they are safer than lithiums. Furthermore, like this usual non-rechargeable AA cells can be used also.

-N
 
Last edited:

KrisP

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May 13, 2007
Messages
331
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Essexman: I removed the lip because it prevents the heatsink from going deep enough in to the flashlight body.

-N
It doesn't go deep enough for proper heatsinking or for the focal distance of the lens?

Surplus Shed said they won't be getting any more of those size lens :( Did you buy your lens a while ago?
 

Nereus

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
509
Location
Espoo, Finland, Northern Europe
It doesn't go deep enough for proper heatsinking or for the focal distance of the lens?

Surplus Shed said they won't be getting any more of those size lens :( Did you buy your lens a while ago?

The heatsink needs to be lowered in order to get the emitter to proper distance from the lense. I bought the lense in Surplus Shed for a few months ago.

-N
 

joedm

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 13, 2006
Messages
161
Location
Australia
Nereus, did you tap the thread for the hex screw into the heatsink?

As usual another quality mod..
Love your work.
 
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