First a little background. I got a V11R a little over a year ago and pretty much thought that was the perfect EDC light for me. It is a great light, but every once in a while I'd accidentally turn on the tail switch while it was clipped to my pocket and would find out by detecting the warmth of the light (because it was on high) after it had been on for quite some time. I didn't want to have to unscrew the head for lockout as that takes away the one handed quick use I need my EDC for. Another thing that bugged me was that the adjustment ring became so loose it almost could be turned just by shaking the light. I've since remedied that issue by disassembling it and scraping away all the dried up lube and redoing it- works fantastic now. Last fall I got an Olight S10 mainly because of the magnet in the tailcap and because of the super small size of the light. The ONLY thing about that light I don't like is the fact that moonlight mode and low are too close and low and medium are WAY too far apart- was driving me nuts.
Then I discovered the Niteye Eye10 a little over a week ago (missed it when it came out a year ago). I liked everything about the light- no tail switch so no coming on in my pocket and infinitely variable light output coupled with a pretty small size. Before ordering the light I had already planned to remove the lanyard post and install magnets in the tail. I received my Eye10 today from FastTech and have already completed the mod.
Initially, I was going to completely remove the post, but it couldn't be driven out because of the super tight friction fit- I'm guessing it was pressed in place hydraulically and/or glued in place as well. The first 2 photos are of the interior of the tail of the light. This one shows the pressure spring in place.
The pressure spring just comes right out with needle nose pliers. In this photo, you can see there is a spring steel washer on the post. I'm guessing it's there so when the press drives in the post, it will stop at the perfect position. Edit: Maybe that is the end of threads, even though it appears to be a different color than the post. Regardless, I couldn't unscrew the post, either.
I thought I could drill the post out using my drill press. It didn't occur to me (had my idiot hat on today, apparently) that once the drill bit hit the cross hole, it would grab the light even though I had hold of it with a pair of vice grips over a piece of leather. Here is is center punched and ready to be drilled.
I then used my Dremel with a carbide burr to remove the remaining stainless material flush with the aluminum. You can see here the result of trying to drill out the post- when the drill grabbed it, the bit took a couple of chunks out of the edge. I didn't care how smooth the grinding off of the post was since I was epoxying magnets over it anyway, but wasn't real happy about the two missing chunks.
Here are the two magnets (1/16"x1/2" ) that will be stacked and epoxied in place in the tail. They are so far apart because they are so strong they would jump together otherwise.
Here are the magnets stacked and placed where they will be epoxied permanently. They are maybe a 64th of an inch below the edge of the light which turns out to be perfect.
Here is the epoxy I used. This stuff is about the best epoxy I've found over the years. Sets up pretty hard in about an hour or two and works on plastics.
Magnets epoxied in place. I first put a small amount of epoxy between the magnets before putting epoxy in the bottom of the tail. I then just pressed the magnets down which squeezed out the excess epoxy. I left it a little high so I could trim off the excess flush with the end of the light.
Here it is finished. I trimmed off the excess epoxy with a razor knife while it was still soft. I will paint the epoxy black to match the light.
Notice here on the ring where there are ribs added that were not in the original Eye10 and apparently as a result of complaints of the ring being smooth, they made the change- works great.
Here it is stuck to the drawer of my file cabinet. There is enough strength in the magnets to pick up the lid of my washing machine- it's about the same strength of the magnet in the tail of the Olight S10.
With a finger lanyard like I put on every single EDC light I have- simple and takes up as little space as possible.
Then I discovered the Niteye Eye10 a little over a week ago (missed it when it came out a year ago). I liked everything about the light- no tail switch so no coming on in my pocket and infinitely variable light output coupled with a pretty small size. Before ordering the light I had already planned to remove the lanyard post and install magnets in the tail. I received my Eye10 today from FastTech and have already completed the mod.
Initially, I was going to completely remove the post, but it couldn't be driven out because of the super tight friction fit- I'm guessing it was pressed in place hydraulically and/or glued in place as well. The first 2 photos are of the interior of the tail of the light. This one shows the pressure spring in place.
The pressure spring just comes right out with needle nose pliers. In this photo, you can see there is a spring steel washer on the post. I'm guessing it's there so when the press drives in the post, it will stop at the perfect position. Edit: Maybe that is the end of threads, even though it appears to be a different color than the post. Regardless, I couldn't unscrew the post, either.
I thought I could drill the post out using my drill press. It didn't occur to me (had my idiot hat on today, apparently) that once the drill bit hit the cross hole, it would grab the light even though I had hold of it with a pair of vice grips over a piece of leather. Here is is center punched and ready to be drilled.
I then used my Dremel with a carbide burr to remove the remaining stainless material flush with the aluminum. You can see here the result of trying to drill out the post- when the drill grabbed it, the bit took a couple of chunks out of the edge. I didn't care how smooth the grinding off of the post was since I was epoxying magnets over it anyway, but wasn't real happy about the two missing chunks.
Here are the two magnets (1/16"x1/2" ) that will be stacked and epoxied in place in the tail. They are so far apart because they are so strong they would jump together otherwise.
Here are the magnets stacked and placed where they will be epoxied permanently. They are maybe a 64th of an inch below the edge of the light which turns out to be perfect.
Here is the epoxy I used. This stuff is about the best epoxy I've found over the years. Sets up pretty hard in about an hour or two and works on plastics.
Magnets epoxied in place. I first put a small amount of epoxy between the magnets before putting epoxy in the bottom of the tail. I then just pressed the magnets down which squeezed out the excess epoxy. I left it a little high so I could trim off the excess flush with the end of the light.
Here it is finished. I trimmed off the excess epoxy with a razor knife while it was still soft. I will paint the epoxy black to match the light.
Notice here on the ring where there are ribs added that were not in the original Eye10 and apparently as a result of complaints of the ring being smooth, they made the change- works great.
Here it is stuck to the drawer of my file cabinet. There is enough strength in the magnets to pick up the lid of my washing machine- it's about the same strength of the magnet in the tail of the Olight S10.
With a finger lanyard like I put on every single EDC light I have- simple and takes up as little space as possible.
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