Help me build my light?

Hey CPF
i decided to join this community as flashlights have always interested me (we call them torches in Australia). Anyways i want to build my own flashlight just to get a personal touch to my first real flashlight without spending hundreds of $$$

so far the only flashlights i own are cheap chinese led junk that can put out a big blast of light before dying on me a few days later.

i want to make a quality light, from pieces that i can order. preferably 2xAA XP-g since its so hard to get your hands on 123A or 18650 batteries in Australia. If it is possible i would like a total noob guide...

what are the steps i need to take in order to build one?

i found a website where i can order the xp-g led, optics and driver on cutters but apart from that i am lost at what to do next...

keeping in mind i have a budget of about 50 dollars what would you recommend ? keep in mind i am a totally new to building flashlights!

cheers

Welcome to CPF, Denial

I'll move your thread to our Homemade & Modified section here, where I hope you'll find plenty of advice and help.

Good luck with your project!

You will want a 9P body , Either make your own drop in , or buy one ...

Just depends on how complicated you want it to be ...
Your first drop in may not be that reliable ? as there is a learning curve .

Anyhow ....

Host body for your consideration

Empty pill for gizzards

Driver that works with 2xAA

Mine

Now the easy way would be to just buy a 3 mode or single mode or 5 mode Solarforce LOW voltage drop in , like this one

And just assemble and run with 2xAA ...

An other option which I enjoy very much , is the Solarforce L2 , I would recommend the L2M [ 18650 ] + extra CR123A extension , + the low voltage drop in ...
And you can run , CR123A - 18650 - or 2xAA ...

As for getting 18650 batteries ?? Check out Dealextreme.com or Kaidomain.com or good old ebay .. + Plenty of chargers to chose from ...
Batteries $10 USD for a pair , charger $8 to $15USD , this is usually with free shipping out of Hong Kong

But I would suggest you hang out at CPF , for a week or two and read as much as possible , and you may decide to go in another direction , looking at whats available at KD and DX also wets the appetite , you may decide to go EDC [ every day carry ] , AAA , AA , CR123A , 18650 , MC-E , SSC-P7 , SST-50 , SST-90 , XP-G , XP-E , XR-E , a lot of toys [ eer lights ] to look at .

18650s aren't that hard to get (DX) and are definitely better to use than AAs, especially if you were to use the light suggested by old4570, which is wide enough (or almost wide enough) to use 18650s anyhow. One 18650 has as much energy in it as 3 NiMH AAs.

My suggestion:
2-pk 18650 $8.63AUD
Trustfire TR-801 $14.60AUD
thermal adhesive $7.80AUD
XP-G on <17mm board

solarforce makes a cheap host that is much like others that are out there. It would work well for your XPG build and it will take an 18650. You can get the batteries from DX or Kai I am sure, but try to get them from AW on marketplace if you can. That is one thing I would not cheap out on. Not to say that the batteries from DX or Kai are bad.

I think you can also get a blank P60 size drop in for your XPG and the boards are available as well from DX or Kai.

Cutter is a great choice for getting the led.

Thanks for the help!:twothumbs
So after reading all your recommendations i did a bit of research and heres what i have decided to build from scatch:
2xAA/2x18650 PVC bodied Neutral white XP-G LED flashlight

* 25mm OD and 15cm long PVC tube as body - free
* 20mm MOP Aluminium relfector - $2 from KD
* xpg r4 neutral white on 20mm star board - $7 from cutters
* 3V~8.4V 5W Cree 3-Mode Memory Circuit board 16.7mm - $3 from DX
* glass lens 24.5mm 10 x pieces - $4.50 from wholesaletip

The reason i chose the PVC body is because it was lying around in the shed and i wanted something temporary before i start building my own real flashlight body out of some aluminium material, besides that it had the right ID to fit one or two 18650 batts and 2xAA batteries with some simple mods.

Cheers CPFers!!! :twothumbs

Now i wait in the dark until it arrives :candle:

Denial said:

Thanks for the help!:twothumbs
So after reading all your recommendations i did a bit of research and heres what i have decided to build from scatch:
2xAA/2x18650 PVC bodied Neutral white XP-G LED flashlight

* 25mm OD and 15cm long PVC tube as body - free
* 20mm MOP Aluminium relfector - $2 from KD
* xpg r4 neutral white on 20mm star board - $7 from cutters
* 3V~8.4V 5W Cree 3-Mode Memory Circuit board 16.7mm - $3 from DX
* glass lens 24.5mm 10 x pieces - $4.50 from wholesaletip

The reason i chose the PVC body is because it was lying around in the shed and i wanted something temporary before i start building my own real flashlight body out of some aluminium material, besides that it had the right ID to fit one or two 18650 batts and 2xAA batteries with some simple mods.

Cheers CPFers!!! :twothumbs

Now i wait in the dark until it arrives :candle:

Click to expand...

Ok , for your consideration ...

2x18650 = 8.4v
2xAA = 3v , depending on the driver , 3v may be a cut off point , and the light may not even fire up .. If your building a body for 2x18650 , you may wish to go 3xAA for 4.5v

3xAA = 150mm
2x18650 = 135mm
2xAA = 100mm

15mm difference from 2x18650 to 3xAA
35mm difference from 2x18650 to 2xAA
and then there could be a voltage issue with 2xAA

Denial said:

Thanks for the help!:twothumbs
So after reading all your recommendations i did a bit of research and heres what i have decided to build from scatch:
2xAA/2x18650 PVC bodied Neutral white XP-G LED flashlight

* 25mm OD and 15cm long PVC tube as body - free
* 20mm MOP Aluminium relfector - $2 from KD
* xpg r4 neutral white on 20mm star board - $7 from cutters
* 3V~8.4V 5W Cree 3-Mode Memory Circuit board 16.7mm - $3 from DX
* glass lens 24.5mm 10 x pieces - $4.50 from wholesaletip

The reason i chose the PVC body is because it was lying around in the shed and i wanted something temporary before i start building my own real flashlight body out of some aluminium material, besides that it had the right ID to fit one or two 18650 batts and 2xAA batteries with some simple mods.

Cheers CPFers!!! :twothumbs

Now i wait in the dark until it arrives :candle:

Click to expand...

Mind the temperature at the LED with that PVC body. A 5w DX driver is going to be anything from .8 to 2 amps lol.

AnAppleSnail said:

Mind the temperature at the LED with that PVC body. A 5w DX driver is going to be anything from .8 to 2 amps lol.

Click to expand...

Yeah, make sure you use good amounts of thermal compund/epoxy. Arctic Alumina and Arctic Silver are good ones.