Tritium slot machining

Status
Not open for further replies.

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Trit slot machining is no longer offered. The following info is for reference purposes only:
Tritium slot machining:
Prices are shown for aluminum slots. Titanium or stainless slots are priced on request - please email with the details of what you have in mind.

The most popular size is 1.5x5mm. Both B@rt & Merkava offer trits on The MarketPlace section of CPF & some eBay sellers also offer them. I cannot provide tritium vials.

Some lights have enough thickness to accept a 2x6mm vial. These are impressively large compared to the 1.5x5mm.

1.5x5mm slots are $12 each
2x6mm slots are $22 each
2x8mm slots are $26 each
2x12mm slots are $30 each
2x24mm slots are $36 each

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I no longer offer installation of your trit vials. Info below is for reference only:

Installing your trits using Norland Optical Adhesive:
1.5x5mm trits - $18 each
2x6mm trits - $22 each
2x8mm trits - $26 each
2x12mm trits - $30 each
2x24mm trits - $36 each

The reason that installation prices are greater than slot milling costs is that Norland optical adhesive (NOA-61) is really picky to work with. Getting the material to lay in & correctly fill the slot is a challenge. I encourage members to try their hand at trit installation since that saves money & can be very satisfying to the owner of the light.




Image-9853934-163051119-2-Web_0_5a2cf733c0ad2c3598ce74815956c10a_1


Image-9853934-163135995-2-Web_0_8f075534a23e8e988859415f55a701f5_1


Image-9853934-163135923-2-Web_0_e4a4c47ba7bb36388b802995d13ca694_1
 
Last edited:

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

McGizmo Haiku with TTT (twin trit tail) with 1.5x5mm slots on the inside face & 2x6mm slots on the outside:

Image-9853934-152249891-2-Web_0_5d11c5901b5f8c11e56e9f4efa7d20e9_1


Image-9853934-152249892-2-Web_0_28b33a7435376bdc3a1d8043285a2429_1


Image-9853934-152249899-2-Web_0_0bd802bbb2f5bd52ef58b6e8880f6b6a_1
 
Last edited:

Doc

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Messages
239
Location
Alaska
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

E-mail sent for Lens Light mini trits! Doc.
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

E-mail sent for Lens Light mini trits! Doc.
I'll be happy to look at the Lens Light Mini & see if trits slots can be milled where you want them. Other Mini owners may also be interested in this.
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

Currently have one titanium frame lock folder in the shop. Photos with trits when that one's done :)

A few members have asked about other knife related services like drilling & tapping a titanium handle for clip relocation. I'd rather walk over a bed of red hot coals than drill & tap anything Ti - so this service is not available. Trit slots are a different story - I'll mill trits slots into anything that will fit into the vise. Lights, knives, pretty much anything that has enough thickness for a slot or two.

Every time my ZT0550 gets used it looks like a canvas for trit installation. Not an easy shape to grab in the milling vise & that means making a pair of Delrin soft jaws to protect the handles. Certainly room for lots of designs or patterns. Some possible locations shown in orange:

Image-9853934-153912879-2-Web_0_8b832d3e72416975d1873fe1b873098f_1
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

Just finished boring a C2 for Matt in Brisbane. Planning to mill four 2x12mm slots, one in each of the four corners. Photos later today :)
 

Mattaus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
1,765
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

Just finished boring a C2 for Matt in Brisbane. Planning to mill four 2x12mm slots, one in each of the four corners. Photos later today.

:twothumbs

Someone on the forums is selling a light machined by you that had 2 slots added on 2 edges (not sure how long but they ran the length of the flat spots). It looks amazing. I remember thinking 4 would look even better...so I'm a happy man!
 

Mattaus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
1,765
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

It sounds like you want 2x24mm slots ...

I don't mind the length though if I had a choice a trit on each of the 4 edges would look the nicest I guess? One advantage of 4 trit edges is that the light is visible in the dark from pretty much any angle - if of course you use trits practically and not just for looks ;-)

As usual im not overly fussed which I assume can be annoying :-/
 
Last edited:

Mattaus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
1,765
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

Can I get the full length slots on all four edges then? (24mm I believe...or is it 2x24mm? I don't know how long those flats are).
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

Can I get the full length slots on all four edges then? (24mm I believe...or is it 2x24mm? I don't know how long those flats are).
Not a problem. There's about 3mm remaining at each end after the slot is milled to 24mm + 2mm for the radius allowance.
 

tobrien

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
4,861
Location
Georgia Highway 441
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

would you be interested in tritium "slotting" a Klarus XT20 on its head?

I made this thread the other day with the details, but wanted to know if this light is possible to get slotted?

I'd probably want a circle/ring of small trits on each side, or, if money becomes an issue, just an X design of four trit vials.

your thoughts? is the XT20 too thick to mill for trits?

(i don't own the light yet, but i will soon enough)

thanks man!
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Boring service for Surefire® and other aluminum or titanium lights

would you be interested in tritium "slotting" a Klarus XT20 on its head? I'd probably want a circle/ring of small trits on each side, or, if money becomes an issue, just an X design of four trit vials.
... is the XT20 too thick to mill for trits?

Image-9853934-155015955-2-WebSmall_0_27e4268cb25c0b0b3999e916d9243711_1


It appears from the image that there's enough thickness to do just about anything you want. Cost depends on size of the slots you want as well as the total number:

1.5x5mm slots are $12 each
1.5x6mm slots are $15 each
2x6mm slots are $22 each
2x8mm slots are $26 each

Prices are for machining only. I have no trits available but B@rt & Merkava (in The Marketplace) have these & there are usually some on eBay.
 
Last edited:

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

A number of emails come in with questions about trit slots on a McGizmo Haiku. The image below shows the best locations for slots:

aa49feee.jpg


Either 1.5x5mm or 2x6mm work well.

Head - either 6 or 8 slots

Collar & tail - either 5 or 7 slots.

Cost for 1.5x5mm slots in titanium is $24 each. The 2x6mm slots are $44 each. If 10 or more slots are milled at one time there's cost savings of 10%.
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

There's a Haiku on the milling machine right now - 2x6mm slots in head/collar/tail. The left side of the image shows the internal expanding collet that is gripping the inside of the head. The right side shows the white Delrin plug that is press fit into the tail opening & the tailstock that supports it.

Tail slots shown below:

Image-9853934-155302129-2-Web_0_bd38ad6c7dd1cd6f7f919f54d4e027e0_1


Visible is a tiny bit of burring at the ends of the slots. These come right off when the light is cleaned up & deburred with a nonwoven pad. Blue liquid is the vegetable based cutting oil that lubricates the tiny end mill. Small specks on the white Delrin are the titanium chips that are blown away from the slot by the lubricator.

Image-9853934-155302128-2-Web_0_4beb70ff427ffefda8ef7efcda1a0068_1
 

tobrien

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
Messages
4,861
Location
Georgia Highway 441
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

There's a Haiku on the milling machine right now - 2x6mm slots in head/collar/tail. The left side of the image shows the internal expanding collet that is gripping the inside of the head. The right side shows the white Delrin plug that is press fit into the tail opening & the tailstock that supports it.

Tail slots shown below:

Image-9853934-155302129-2-Web_0_bd38ad6c7dd1cd6f7f919f54d4e027e0_1


Visible is a tiny bit of burring at the ends of the slots. These come right off when the light is cleaned up & deburred with a nonwoven pad. Blue liquid is the vegetable based cutting oil that lubricates the tiny end mill. Small specks on the white Delrin are the titanium chips that are blown away from the slot by the lubricator.

Image-9853934-155302128-2-Web_0_4beb70ff427ffefda8ef7efcda1a0068_1
that's cool, thanks for posting those pics!
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

that's cool, thanks for posting those pics!
Glad that you like them :)

Here's the finished product - 6 in the head, 5 in the shoulder & 5 in the tail:

Image-9853934-155603857-2-Web_0_379bf7988262bf822e9ff5cbeb2abe7d_1


Image-9853934-155603862-2-Web_0_7aed82c79301e2e5a025f6a8c9208acb_1


The Haiku head slots are a bit of a challenge ... the slots have to be located at the very back of the head to avoid an internal recess:

Image-9853934-155819470-2-Web_0_5ba345e1b4e576bd26e5ab0f9430c206_1
 
Last edited:

Mattaus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
1,765
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Re: Tritium slot machining & installation

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

That looks amazing!

How do you take the photos with the trits so well lit? Are you using a UV light or something? Or is it simply long exposure with a high f-stop filter on the camera lens?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top