ive been convinced to build my own flashlight.. ideas/suggestions?

after reading this forum, and being the HUGE tinkerer that i am.. ive decided i wanted to build my own custom flashlight.. ive seen some flashlights with over 1000 lumens, but i dont think this is necessary for my application, my target is 300-500 lumens

im wondering what it is i should use for a shell? i notice i can buy shells relatively cheap for a variety of batteries

i understand first i should determine my target brightness, find an LED emitter that can handle that brightness, determine the voltage that LED runs at, and find an LED driver that can power that LED, look at the batteries used by that driver, then find a shell that can handle it all... or should i start with the shell and find an emitter and driver board that match?.. my other option are 3.7v lithium cells wired in series to achieve the desired voltage for a direct-drive LED.. something like 14500 or 18650 cells

so.. any suggestions or advice?

ive been looking around at flashlight shells.. this website "dx.com" has a lot of useful stuff... im thinking ill use one of the ultrafire shells (whats the difference between the 501 and the 502?).. it seems i can even find pressure switches for these for mounting to the forearm of a shotgun if i decide to put one on my 870.. but anyway, im looking for an 18650 shell, that has the spiked crown and can take a pressure switch for a firearm mount.. the WF501B and WF502B come into mind, but feel free to make suggestions.. seems i can get drop in modules to produce the lumens i want with the battery i want, and fit the shells ive been looking at..

then id like to fabricate a second drop in module to use a 140 lumen red LED for other uses, as it turns out bugs are NOT attracted to red, and it doesnt seem to scare away animals like fish and wildlife (i know for a fact deer cannot see the color red, they are dichromats which means red light is invisible to them just as infrared and ultraviolet are invisible to us.. so orange camo we can clearly see just looks like green camo to them)

You probably have no replies as you have no specifics other than light build.

I can help with some terms to make communicating with others easier:
Host is the most common word for a "shell". Or body.
I believe Crenelated or Strike Bezel is the term for your "spiked crown"
You are not really "building" a custom light. Chosing a host and a dropin is just that. Chosing 2 components.
For dropin most would suggest either of the 2 prolific dropin builders in the Custom Buy/Sell/Trade section (Nailbender or Vinhnguyen54)

Many would recommend a Solarforce host, I wouldn't though, I just don't like them, feel cheap.

what would you recommend for a host then?.. and i think id prefer to go with a single 18650 cell

justin22885 said:

what would you recommend for a host then?.. and i think id prefer to go with a single 18650 cell

Click to expand...

SolarForce L2 or similar.

Norm

I feel that Solarforce is pretty decent in terms of quality. I own both Surefire & Solarforce, and I can't say the latter feels cheap or poor.
And Solarforce do have their own pressure switch too.

But if you want to mount it on a weapon, it could be a different story because I'm not sure if a regular host & dropin can take that kind of recoil.

- JonK

so basically im down to the solarforce l2, the ultrafire 501b/502b, and various other models on the dx.com website.. and the consensus is that the solarforce is better than these other ones?.. or about the same and i should just go for the one i like more?

justin22885 said:

so basically im down to the solarforce l2, the ultrafire 501b/502b, and various other models on the dx.com website.. and the consensus is that the solarforce is better than these other ones?.. or about the same and i should just go for the one i like more?

Click to expand...

I have used both Solarforce & 501/2b host.
My personal opinion is that Solarforce host feels more solid & more ways for lego-ing because they uses almost the same parts as Surefire 6P.

- JonK

which parts would be compatible with the surefire 6p?, does the body of the shell have the same thread pattern for the end caps and such or what?

another idea i had was to take a piece of metal tubing the length i wanted for the battery pack i was going to use, probably a 1" diameter body, thread a reduction fitting onto one end, a threaded cap over this, and id have a "host" that i could drill an endcap for a rear push button switch as well.. could be an interesting project.. but ill look into the solarforce L2s, looks like they come in various lengths too

justin22885 said:

which parts would be compatible with the surefire 6p?, does the body of the shell have the same thread pattern for the end caps and such or what?

another idea i had was to take a piece of metal tubing the length i wanted for the battery pack i was going to use, probably a 1" diameter body, thread a reduction fitting onto one end, a threaded cap over this, and id have a "host" that i could drill an endcap for a rear push button switch as well.. could be an interesting project.. but ill look into the solarforce L2s, looks like they come in various lengths too

Click to expand...

Hah, almost anything from Surefire can be fitted onto a Solarforce L2 series host, vice versa.
Solarforce is built/design with Surefire 6P as its base model.
Bezel, bezel ring, battery tube, battery extention tube & tail caps are all interchangeable between those 2.

- JonK

in that case.. ill get the solarforce, thatll greatly expand my options.. now, last question is where is the best place to buy a solarforce host? when i search online i do find a lot of websites to be rather questionable

I buy them herehttp://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/index.php...

- JonK

any idea what the difference between the L2 and L2P is?

Other than some design differences, i cant say if i know of others functionality difference.

- JonK

yeah.. thats true.. however, im not seeing much DIY in this... buying a host and adding a pre-built drop in unit... its about as DIY as buying something "batteries not included"... this is just customization... i think im going to get a piece of threaded metal tubing, thread it to fit an end cap and find something suitable for a head and i dont think im going to go with aluminum to be honest, i kind of want to use a metal like brass, copper, or bronze instead

It sounds like you wish to assemble as opposed to construct one from raw materials. Is this a correct assumption?

~D