Solid Copper Build

is55

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Joined
Oct 11, 2013
Messages
7
So, I saw a few copper flashlights on the forum and had a thought. Why not make a flashlight out of common copper materials one could find in a local hardware store? A quick search online led to a concept design.

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A few days later I went to the hardware store and picked up some copper. I went with 4 gauge wire, a half inch copper pipe, a one inch copper female thread adapter, and a one inch cap. I wound the copper wire around a 3/8ths PVC pipe which had a slightly smaller diameter than the copper tubing. I then cut the copper pipe slightly shorter than the coil I had created.

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Next, I blasted the copper coil with a heat gun and iced the piece of pipe. Then, with a soft mallet, I hammered the coil onto the pipe.
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An interesting coloring effect was an added bonus (the photos don't do it justice)

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Here is most of the parts arranged together.

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I am now trying to cut the edges flat, but copper is annoying to cut. I was told to use a hack saw, but that is a pain. Maybe an angle grinder would do the trick?

I still have many things to figure out, but it's a start. For the actual light I am going with a 3w cool white Cree led powered by two AA's and a lm3405 buck driver. I am currently trying to figure out how to get a sturdy, good looking way of bonding the three pieces together. Also, I need to figure out what I am going to do for a switch, a lens, and a reflector. Finally, I must decide on a way to get to the batteries (possible solutions may be buying a one inch pipe plug or hex bushing to screw into the threaded fitting). Suggestion for design would be awesome. Let me know what you guys think.


Update:
I put off working on this project for a while due to lack of time and resources. I now have access to many tools and will try to work on the light when I have the time.

I have made a few changes to the design and found some solutions to my original problems. I solved the issue of getting a perpendicular cut on all the copper components. The solution was not to cut the copper but to use a belt sander to grind the surface flat. As for joining the pieces together I plan to lathe adapters out of aluminum and braze it all together. Their is not enough material on the copper sleeves to cut threads so I want to make aluminum inserts. In this way I will have more room to cut thicker threads. I have opted for the use of a twisty switch for its simplicity and rigidity. As for the LED I want to go with something more powerful like the xml and I would like to power that with two CR123A's.

This is the lens I chose for this build. I want to make the lens easy to change which brings me to the reflector. I plan to CNC the reflector and make it a housing for the lens, LED, and driver that will thread into the head of the light. Luckily I found a defective female thread adapter that hadn't had the threads cut into it. Now I can cut any threads I want and no longer have to worry about a tapered thread.

more pics
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Last edited:

Chodes

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
1,092
Location
Australia
Lens/reflector: maybe "graft " a cheap chinese bezel / lens and possibly it's reflector inside your copper.
Possibly cut away a lot of bezel,

Do you have metal epoxy? JB weld a common brand..
If you can get parts where they need a bit of force to mate, the epoxy will be doing very little and it's strong anyway.
Where you need electrical path, leave some parts without epoxy.

Switch - same again, graft in either part or whole switch from the cheapie light you buy for parts...
 

newdeathscope

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Jun 10, 2014
Messages
18
sorry about the grave digging but I am really interested as how this turns out. Will you make the cad file of the reflector and body available online? What is the focal length of that lens?
 

is55

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Joined
Oct 11, 2013
Messages
7
sorry about the grave digging but I am really interested as how this turns out. Will you make the cad file of the reflector and body available online? What is the focal length of that lens?

Hey thanks for the interest! Sorry for such a late reply. I do not visit this forum much at all. I did want to give you an update anyway even if it's a couple years late. Basically this has been put on the back burner. I don't have access to a lathe any longer unfortunately. The reflector was never designed. I was working in a lab on this and the instructors were poor and wanted to do everything for you, not teach you how to use the equipment. I ended up with the aluminum pieces being cut too small by the instructor. I will revisit it when/if I ever have access to the right equipment. I do still really like this piece and would love to finish it.
 

Str8stroke

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Nov 27, 2013
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On The Black Pearl
Super neat.
I have a hand made copper pipe light made by Old Lumens. Search that and you may see how he did it. No switch, twist action btw. That would likely be a easier way to go.
Btw, pretty sure that cool color effect is anodizing from the heat.
Looks great.
 

DaveC1964

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Feb 16, 2016
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USA
ingenious idea! Not everyone has access to fancy CNC equipment, why not use pre made parts and mod it! Looks cool and copper is also good at heat transfer for the emitter. My only advice is that aluminum can't be soldered to copper. Maybe use all copper except buy a pre made reflector.

It would be cool to see this finished.
 

is55

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Joined
Oct 11, 2013
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You actually can braze copper and aluminum together. It's done on radiators/hvac all the time. Not the best joining though. I am planning to do a press fit, like with a bearing. That's how the coil was bonded to the pipe. That was the final decision on bonding. I could use all copper but that is costly(especially if a mistake is made). You end up wasting quite a bit of copper too. I am considering other materials due to galvanic corrosion caused by joining copper to aluminum. I have seen other copper pipe lights but nothing like mine:cool:

My brother is in stage work and his friend/coworker runs their cnc shop. I have really been wanting to finish this thing lately. I may have to see if I can get into that shop. My reflector was supposed to be interchangeable with a laser housing and possibly a lightsaber. I planned to make it so you could unscrew the housing and screw in whatever. Had lots of crazy plans for this:thinking: The reason I haven't gone a different route other than cnc is that I wanted to finish this with the best look and feel possible. I strayed away from trying to use everyday parts because I put so much work into it and felt the need to go all out on it. I will try to come up with some more options though. Hopefully I can get going on this again.
 

DaveC1964

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Feb 16, 2016
Messages
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Oh yes brazing I was thinking solder. As you say though, galvanic effect.

I think the light would have a certain charm being built with everyday parts, nothing wrong with that in my opinion. It is your call obviously and it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
 

HarryN

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Jan 22, 2004
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Pleasanton (Bay Area), CA, USA
McMaster sells silver filled conductive epoxy. I have used it in the past to electrically bond Al and copper components. IIRC, it was something like $30 for a small tube though, so more or less 1 - 2 joints done at the same time. The bake temperature to fully cure it was reasonable for assemblies like this.
 
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