Looking for a little help with a Malkoff drop-in

Optik49

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
504
Location
Boston
Looking for a little help with a Malkoff drop-in. I got so use to them being sold out, that when I ordered one I forgot to get a pre-cut reflector. I was going to order the stippled reflector but they were sold out. So my dilemma is how do I cut the stock reflector? Does anyone have any idiot proof directions? Preferably with photos :laughing: LOL. Also since I haven't purchased a Mag host yet if you are reading this and you have one, would you recommend a 2, 3 or 4D Mag? I'm thinking a 3D might be best. Oh ya and before someone writes "try a search"….I did and I did not find anything helpful.. so there!
:nana:
Thanks, looking forward to the responses.
:popcorn:
 

JamisonM

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 26, 2006
Messages
750
Location
South Carolina
Looking for a little help with a Malkoff drop-in. I got so use to them being sold out, that when I ordered one I forgot to get a pre-cut reflector. I was going to order the stippled reflector but they were sold out. So my dilemma is how do I cut the stock reflector? Does anyone have any idiot proof directions? Preferably with photos :laughing: LOL. Also since I haven't purchased a Mag host yet if you are reading this and you have one, would you recommend a 2, 3 or 4D Mag? I'm thinking a 3D might be best. Oh ya and before someone writes "try a search"….I did and I did not find anything helpful.. so there!
:nana:
Thanks, looking forward to the responses.
:popcorn:
Here are two photos (not very good photos) of a stock maglite reflector with and without the cam.
http://www.geocities.com/jamisonlm3/Pictures/maglite.reflector.mod_1.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jamisonlm3/Pictures/maglite.reflector.mod_2.jpg
The cam is just a cylinder that sits on the curved portion of the reflector. Before you start cutting, if you stick your finger back of the reflector you feel this. When you start cutting the cam off, be careful not to cut to close to the curved portion of the reflector, otherwise, you will start taking off reflective material. Also, a pair of the cutters that are in the second picture will help alot.

All you have to do is cut off the cam. To get the most of it off use a hack saw like Marduke recommended. Put the Cam portion of the reflector in a vise, but leave about a quarter of an inch gap between where the cam meats the curved portion of the reflector and the side of the vise. Tighten the vise, but just enough to hold the reflector securely without squeezing it to death. It if buckles a little that's fine. At this point get your hack saw in your primary hand (the one you use for writing) and hold the reflector in your other hand. I think it should also be mentioned that depending on which hand you mostly use will also depend on which side of the vise you will put the reflector. If your right handed put the reflector in the left side of the vise and if you're left handed put it in the right side of the vise. Once the reflector has been secured in the vise use the hack saw and start cutting into the cam slowly until the two separate. Don't be in a hurry to do this. Once you've freed the reflector from the cam, take the came out of the vise and discard it. Take a pair of wire cutters and start nipping at the rest of the cam on the reflector. Again, don't be in a hurry.

What kind of host should you get? That Depends. A 2D host will give you the shortest runtime, lowest brightness, but will be the lightest and most compact. A 3D host will give you great runtime, max brightness, but will be slightly heavier then the 2D host. A 4D host will give you max brightness and longer rutntime over the 3D host, but as with the 2D and 3D host; it will be slightly heavier then the 3D host and also the heaviest host for your new drop-in.
I think I should also mention that you can substitute 3C cells in place of of 2D cells (the extra space allows you to add another cell) with the use of sleeve to hold the batteries in place and reversing the spring in the tail cap. PVC pipe and heater hose have been used for sleeves. Replacing D cells with C cells lowers weight, but also cuts runtime nearly in half unless you rechargeable batteries. You can also do the same with a 3D maglite by using a sleeve and putting 4C cells in it. This has been talked about much on the forums and I won't go into it. I don't don't do. I don't mind the weight nor the size of a 4D maglite and I"ll take a D battery over a C any day of the week.
 

jzmtl

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
3,123
Location
Montreal, Canada
I have a ghetto set up, with a small 2" benchvise clamping a dremel, that you can use saw disk, sanding disk etc. So I can hold the workpiece in hand and move it around, seems more precise this way than using dremel on a clamped workpiece.
 
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