Where to get plastic flashlight lenses?

Hi, I'm looking for a specific size of flashlight crystal (edit: lens), looks to be 50.8mm, for the Home Depot Husky 2D tactical 4watt light (the fugly one).

Funny thing, DealExtreme actually has a 50.8mm crystal but it is glass. Due to the design of the light, the crystal needs to be plastic, because it snaps into place. I believe glass would just break if I tried to do the same with it.

Anybody know where I can find such a thing?

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Flashlightlens.com makes some excellent light transmitting lenses. Not sure if they make that size or not.

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

BVH said:

Flashlightlens.com makes some excellent light transmitting lenses. Not sure if they make that size or not.

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Nope.

Dealextreme and Kaidomain both have the right size but only in glass.

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Hellbore said:

Due to the design of the light, the crystal needs to be plastic, because it snaps into place. I believe glass would just break if I tried to do the same with it.

Anybody know where I can find such a thing?

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So you want a plastic lens.... not a "crystal".

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

What you want is probably saphhire glass.

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Marduke said:

So you want a plastic lens.... not a "crystal".

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OK, but some websites call them crystals, and in the watch industry they are called crystals. Technically it's probably at least as correct or more so than calling them lenses, since by definition a lens has one or both surfaces curved and / or directs and focuses light, neither of which a flat flashlight "lens" does.

It's funny you guys call them lenses when they aren't technically lenses, but yet I get corrected when I call the lens on a Cree emitter a lens, you guys call THAT a dome even though it clearly IS a lens by definition! (the bottom side is flat and the top side is round).

But I digress.

SuperLightMan said:

What you want is probably saphhire glass.

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Glass won't work in this particular light

Hellbore said:

.. Due to the design of the light, the crystal needs to be plastic, because it snaps into place.

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It has to be plastic. Plastic lenses anyone? I need about 50.8mm, a tad smaller might work, like 50.5mm or so.

FlashlightLens.com will cut custom sizes out of Acrylite, copy'n'paste from their store home:

ALL DIAMETERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS MATERIAL AND CUSTOM SIZES ARE AVAILABLE!! - Contact us for details

Not trying to hammer flashlightlens.com home, but they'll be able to cut you a custom plastic lens.

Somehow, this is the second time I've plugged that site in the last two weeks.

Teego said:

FlashlightLens.com will cut custom sizes out of Acrylite, copy'n'paste from their store home:

ALL DIAMETERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THIS MATERIAL AND CUSTOM SIZES ARE AVAILABLE!! - Contact us for details

Not trying to hammer flashlightlens.com home, but they'll be able to cut you a custom plastic lens.

Somehow, this is the second time I've plugged that site in the last two weeks.

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Thanks but this material is a diffusion lens, I want regular clear plastic. Do they have that? I'll keep looking on their site and shoot them an email, i'll ask if they can make custom sizes of the 2-sided AR coated polycarbonate lens they sell...

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Hellbore said:

OK, but some websites call them crystals, and in the watch industry they are called crystals.

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That's because they are crystals (sapphire, mineral glass, etc) in watches. Smack one with a hammer and find out.

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Marduke said:

That's because they are crystals (sapphire, mineral glass, etc) in watches. Smack one with a hammer and find out.

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No, they also call plastic ones crystals! My uncle used to be in the watch repair business, they called them all crystals even the ones that weren't really crystal.

Point taken though I'll call them LENSES even though by definition they aren't a lens, if that's what they are usually called I'll conform. I just wasn't sure what the common name for the part was. Now I know it is LENS. If you notice I already started calling them lenses in my previous posts and even changed the thread title.

Re: Where to get flashlight crystals?

Hellbore said:

No, they also call plastic ones crystals! My uncle used to be in the watch repair business, they called them all crystals even the ones that weren't really crystal.

Point taken though I'll call them LENSES even though by definition they aren't a lens, if that's what they are usually called I'll conform. I just wasn't sure what the common name for the part was. Now I know it is LENS. If you notice I already started calling them lenses in my previous posts and even changed the thread title.

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You poor guy. I don't blame you. Sort of confusing. Lens, lenses, and now "window's". Little by little CPF'ers are getting around to calling the glass, quartz, plastic, Borofloat, etc, etc, those clear things covering the front of flashlights, windows. I notice that Surefire has been using this term for awhile. Window does sound sort of neutral, and it does not make any difference what the window is is made out of, except of course where we might want to chose a certain material for our purposes; it does differentiate lens, lenses, that might shape the beam from the clear material that is keeping the elements out, and allowing light out, the window.

By the way, you are a CPF'er, one of us, we don't all agree on this or that sometimes, so you don't have to conform.

Bill

A maglite comes with a plastic 52mm lens if you think you can trim 1mm off fairly smooth.

I don't know how the accuracy is on that lens, they might make it smaller than 52mm. Maybe someone knows the exact diameter.

Since you seem to know what you're looking for, maybe take a look around on the website for

edmundoptics

I looked for a few minutes and could only find a 3" diameter plastic lens. It's kind of a specialty shop, I paid $18 ea for some 30mm borofloat lenses from there.