anyone run three N cells in a mini mag?

I placed 3 of the N-cells in my mini mag and a take up spring.It will light an LED and looks pretty decent.The cells are very loose and seems to be kind of shaky.Anyone do this and find a way to make the 3 cells more snug?It sometimes does not make contact with my clickie switch and take up spring.

I did this to a Brinkmann 2AA Legend, sort of the short LGI in output. I wrapped a clear plastic but the an artist's paintbrush came in, after splitting it lengthwise, and cut a short piece of Al bar stock for a spacer (although your spring idea is better) and wrapped around its circumference with masking tape to isolate it from the inner walls of the tube.

I used a wood dowel with a resistor in a hole I drilled down the middle of it first. Later I tried a piece I cut off of a plastic vial. Both worked great.

I wrapped some tape around the batteries to take up a little room.I think it is going to work out fine.I drilled a hole in a piece of wood about the diameter of a AA cell and about 1/4 of an inch long.I threaded a spring through the hole(lenghtwise)and it sticks out a little on each end.This wood is the spacer and helps keep it a little tighter inside.I am using one 5mm blue LED rated at about 8000 mcd.Sunspot was kind enough to meet with me today and gave me 6 of these LEDs.It works and it is pretty bright for a quick mod.Kind of cool to have a mini mag with a blue LED.Any idea on the run time of three of these n cells?I am going to try to run two LEDs joined together when I get time.Will these n cells power two of these and will it be a little brighter?

I used a piece of plastic comb from a booklet.
See this post.

Dan has a really nice article on this conversion here:
http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_lighting_flashlites.html

My Mouser catalog shows NiCad Ns (.47x1.18") as 150mah. Better is 2/3AA (.57x1.18") at 270mah. The 2/3AAs are cheaper at $2.10 vs. $2.35, quantity of 10 is 20 cents cheaper for each, either size. Your spacer is more than .30 in. isn't it? I don't see any NiMH. But alkaline & lithium 2/3AAs are available. Of couse the voltage is too high with lithium @3.6...unless...3x3.6=10.8v, Hmmm...No, lets not go there.

Yep it worked very well for a while but it turned out the LEDs were not matched so some of them got burnt and the body is now ready for a rebuild.

Uh oh, I've got mismatched LEDs in my CCrane trek light. That may explain what happened to one of the new ones (2 years ago) that recently went out. I suppose I'll replace all 4 of them (it came with 2) next time one goes away.