Cheaper solution for McClicky in Solarforce tailcaps

I am too cheap to buy the brass ring for the tailcaps but without it, the switch can be difficult to center & are all too short for my Solarforce tailcaps.

So this is what i came up with..

Things needed:
1) McClicky
2) 15mm diameter shrink wrap, cut in 2 length
3) Any ring with ID of 12mm & OD of more than 15mm.
4) Solarforce tailcap.

Now, on to the steps:
1) I removed the small plastic ring that is on the inside of the switch retaining ring. Some comes off easily while some needs a bit more force.
Nothing a pair of plier can't fix..

2) 2 pieces of shrink wrap cut to approximately 3mm & 7mm.

3) Put the 7mm shrink wrap on the McClicky switch & heat it away. This is how mine look like..


This is to prevent unnecessary shorting.

4) Take the ring & squeeze it in over the shrink wrap area.
This ring is to provide some height so that the retaining ring will be high enough to make contact with the host.


5) Take the 3mm shrink wrap & place it on top of the ring & heat it away till it is snug fit.
This is to hold the ring & also holds the retaining ring we wanna tighten it into the tailcap.


6) Lastly, place the retaining ring over the 2nd layer of shrink wrap & it should be able to be held in place.
Top view:

Side view:


- JonK

The end product..


- JonK

Cool mod. Thanks for sharing. :thumbsup:

I got a question...
I what kind of Solarforce tailcap did you did the mod on?
Cos there are 2 kinds of.
The first that appeared (L2 generic)have the retaining ring the size of the battery tube threading.
latter models like the S6 have a smaller retaining ring that screws in a recess smaller than the battery tubr

kosPap said:

I got a question...
I what kind of Solarforce tailcap did you did the mod on?
Cos there are 2 kinds of.
The first that appeared (L2 generic)have the retaining ring the size of the battery tube threading.
latter models like the S6 have a smaller retaining ring that screws in a recess smaller than the battery tubr

Click to expand...

Oh, this is for the one with the retaining ring that has the same thread size as the battery tube.
As for the newer kind, i only needed 1 layer of the heat shrink to make the retaining ring snug fit on the switch..

- JonK

Nice shortcut, JonK. I was thinking of doing this for my incoming L2T. How does the rubber boot responds to the new switch? Is it stiffer or softer to press?

Either I do it the JonK way or just machine a whole unit to house the switch...That's another 15min of agony of switching the lathe's gear around to just thread it. I hate doing that because I'd have to re-align the gears and lube them. SO MUCH MESS >.>

Tiresius said:

Nice shortcut, JonK. I was thinking of doing this for my incoming L2T. How does the rubber boot responds to the new switch? Is it stiffer or softer to press?

Either I do it the JonK way or just machine a whole unit to house the switch...That's another 15min of agony of switching the lathe's gear around to just thread it. I hate doing that because I'd have to re-align the gears and lube them. SO MUCH MESS >.>

Click to expand...

My personal experience is that McClicky are usually softer as compared to the stock Solarforce switches.

And unlike you, I do not have the fortune of owning a lathe machine, so i have to resort to DIY methods to get what I need..

- JonK

DellSuperman said:

And unlike you, I do not have the fortune of owning a lathe machine, so i have to resort to DIY methods to get what I need..

- JonK

Click to expand...

Lathe or not, you're still ending up with the same result. I forgot to mention that swapping the gears around in the lathe often resort to cutting the fingers when aligning and tightening it together. Not really worth the health issue

Tiresius said:

Lathe or not, you're still ending up with the same result. I forgot to mention that swapping the gears around in the lathe often resort to cutting the fingers when aligning and tightening it together. Not really worth the health issue

Click to expand...

Wow, i didn't know it can be so troublesome.
Btw, did i mention that I spent less than $5 for everything? (excluding the McClicky & tailcaps)

- JonK

The retaining rings are harder to get here in the UK due to shipping so I often buy cheap solarforce/spider fire/ultra fire and so on tailcaps off eBay and use the retaining ring out of them in surefire tailcaps. I've never had to use heat shrink on any of them yet but I may do from now on!

jamie.91 said:

The retaining rings are harder to get here in the UK due to shipping so I often buy cheap solarforce/spider fire/ultra fire and so on tailcaps off eBay and use the retaining ring out of them in surefire tailcaps. I've never had to use heat shrink on any of them yet but I may do from now on!

Click to expand...

I didn't know the retaining rings from the other brands that you mentioned fits Surefire tailcaps... Thats good to know!
Anyway, having those heat shrink gives me a peace of mind that there will be no shorting if the flashlight gets dropped or sustain a big impact.

- JonK

jamie.91 said:

The retaining rings are harder to get here in the UK due to shipping so I often buy cheap solarforce/spider fire/ultra fire and so on tailcaps off eBay and use the retaining ring out of them in surefire tailcaps. I've never had to use heat shrink on any of them yet but I may do from now on!

Click to expand...

jamie do you happen to have any of these leftover tailcaps with anodized threads?

so if i buy a mcclicky it wont work with my solarforce tailcap?
sorry im new at this

hkenawy said:

so if i buy a mcclicky it wont work with my solarforce tailcap?
sorry im new at this

Click to expand...

It will, if you have the brass ring.

It will work too, even if you don't have the brass ring.
Its just that the switch will be difficult to center properly & there is a risk of shorting (caused by the switch being moved) if the flashlight is dropped or sustaining an impact.

- JonK

ok so where do i get the brass ring

OverReady sells them but iirc, it comes with the McClicky switch.
They don't sell the brass ring on its own.

- JonK

kosPap said:

jamie do you happen to have any of these leftover tailcaps with anodized threads?

Click to expand...

I have but the threads aren't usually anodised, infact they're not that good full stop haha

Come to think about it, i have not seen a tailcap with anodized threads.
The anodized threads are usually on the battery tube side, no?

- JonK

Solarforce tape switches have them...But is is an expensive proposition just to harvest the hull.

(and i have seen them on some older spiderfire tailcaps too)

Is your light still waterproof after the clicky install? I want to upgrade mine, but am worried it will leak.