My wife recently asked me to make a general purpose light to give to friends we will be visiting soon. A chance to make her happy with my hobbies must never be missed so I charged right out to the shop.
Rechargeables aren't too practical for the average person so I used alkalines. A 6061 tube with almost the right inside diameter was on hand and a little boring made it a perfect fit for C cells.
An XR-E R2 was used along with a DX 4735 driver. This obviously isn't the latest and greatest technology but the combination gets the job done just fine. I had a Ledil Eva-D optic on hand so it was pressed into service. It does just fine with the XR-E even though it is intended for the MC-E. There is plenty of spill with a distinct hotspot and the beam seems pretty good for general use. The emitter is pulling a bit more than half an amp and puts out plenty of light for the average Happy Homeowner.
The electronics are assembled into a heat sink that threads into the body tube. This thing is never going to overheat!
A salvaged Solarforce switch fit nicely into the tail cap and is held with a retaining ring.
The glass lens is sandwiched between two o-rings.
The finish is bare aluminum with a brushed surface done on the lathe with a magenta Scotchpad lubricated with Mother's aluminum polish.
I know I've got to stop using alkalines and I'll sure tell the new owner to check regularly for leakage. :sick2:
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