Reflector makeover

I am thinking about mixing latex paint and fine sand in a cup, then dipping my Mag lite refector in it and after it dries spraying it with chrome paint. My hope is to eleminate the ugly rings and create a smooth beam, weighted toward the center...like the SureFires.

I welcome any thoughts, suggestions or kind words as to how bad this idea might be...has anyone done this?

Kinda Blue Peter...

You'll be using VERY Fine sand I hope?

If it was that simple to produce a near perfect parabolic reflector with a brilliant, mirror-like stochastic stippled surface, then every flashlight would have it!

Good Luck!

LOL,Thanks Al, I feel more confident knowing your behind me 100%. I`ll let everyone know whether it`s a bang or bust. If it works I`ll think up a fancy name for it...how does micro-celica bonded surfacing technology sound

Umm, does anyone know were I can get a Mag-Lite replacement reflector at...just in case...

Just in case. http://www.tannersstorefront.com/magparts.htm

Great, thanks Deuce, one more thing...does anyone know were I can get a frosted 3 cell holagen bulb at...might get rid of the rings without the risk...

That will smooth out the beam a little. But most of the rings come from that big hole that accomodates the bulb holder.

Hmm, great point David...maybe this is futile then...thanks for bringing this to my attention. Darn

I didn't mean to rain on your parade. I think something can be done on the hobbyist level. I've thought about attaching a reflector on the bulb holder itself. Or maybe switching to a bi-pin setup. But then I'd have to find a new reflector.

It might help, but the chrome spray paints I've seen aren't a bright silver. Not even as bright as the dull side of aluminum foil.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Size15s:
Kinda Blue Peter...

....................

Good Luck!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Al, at least explain to the Americans what Blue Peter is - they probably think it's something rude !

Anyway, months of wasted research later:

I've been trying to cover/diminish the wide lamp aperture of the Mag-Lite reflector, using polished washers and crumpled Mylar among other things.
So far, the results are, ahem, ummm, inconclusive.
Really, I'd say I noticed very little beam improvement. I'd like to believe that there was perhaps a 0.1 Lumen increase in output.

I've also tried *improving* the reflector, by spraying a "Chrome finish" paint directly onto 1,600 grade (very fine) wet and dry paper, and cutting it into a cone shape to line the reflector.
It didn't work too well either ......

It does even out the beam, making the Mag-Lite 3D a wide angle light. Reach is so much diminished, it definitely becomes close-up light only.
The rings are almost totally removed, but unfortunately, so was a fair proportion of the light given out. The dark spot in the centre is virtually reduced to nil. There remains a small irregular hotspot, which is marked by spirals, maybe from the filament, or the ribbed lamp-holder retainer.

The focusing ability is also practically removed, probably because although the paper cone will form a neat circle cross-section "across" the reflector, it does not conform to the parabolic curve of the reflector "lengthways".
The paper is too stiff to form a curve.

I suppose the next step is to try some way of dusting the reflector with Aluminium powder, so keeping the parabolic shape, while introducing some diffusing properties.

Anyway, for what it's worth, the experiments showed that the Mag reflector is a piece of ... well, certainly improvable ......

I don't think that the chrome paint was much good. And it has shown that an "orange peel" reflector would be a great improvement.

I wanted to get some "Ulbricht Sphere paint". This "photometer paint.......... with a reflection coefficient of ~ 0.97" is only sold in 2 kg amounts, at a price of ~$277.
And it is only rated to 80 degrees C, and has a 1 month shelf-life.
Anyone want to do a group buy

Or, anyone have an idea where fine Aluminium powder can be obtained - a chemical supply company charges enormous amounts for the stuff.
Would anyone know if Aluminium fingerprint powder is shiny or dull ...... in say a film can sized amount, posted to the UK - any LEO's reading this ??

lightlover

Just a thought if you're willing to experiment.... I've seen this spraypaint like stuff that can be used to "frost" a sheet of glass - used on bathroom windows and that sort of thing - a thin layer might scatter the light just enough to fade the rings a bit and still keep light output pretty good. I'm sorry, but I don't know where to get it anymore... I'd try hardware stores.....

The frost paint can be had at craft stores.eg; Ben Franklin, Michaels. BTW, the craft stores also sell a glass etching acid that will frost glass but is permanent. The paint is removable....HAVE FUN!!

......Dana.....

How about a SF beam diffuser. Could one be modified to fit??

Fine aluminum powder is available in Art supply stores as Bronzing powder even though it's not bronze. Be careful with it, though. If dispersed in the air, it is flammable if the mix is right. As a matter of fact, it forms flash powder if mixed with the right amount of oxidizer. In that form it is actually explosive and forms about the brightest flash I've ever seen short of lightning.

What about sanding the lens lightly?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by K Horn:
What about sanding the lens lightly?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, Mr Horn, your (separate and previous) idea of applying a thin film of plastic material to the lens is very useful ......

This will be made public soon - stay tuned for more details in another topic !

Meanwhile, reflector research continues apace.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

lightlover

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>This will be made public soon - stay tuned for more details in another topic !

Meanwhile, reflector research continues apace.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

"* Something" - did you have any success in this endeavor? If so, what worked?

Yo, Doug P, you can call me lightlover - anything else would be too "ridiculous"

All will be revealed soon, in a new topic. K Horn's film idea is a diffusing thing that applies to lenses on most any torch.

lightlover

Hey lover of light - don´t make things as secret - or is this a 007 - thing ? Might need to ask Q then .....

Klaus

Still not talkin', eh, Lightlover? Hmmmm... Well here's something else for you (and everyone else) to ponder:

I was at the RadShack and saw a fairly common looking 3-d cell plastic light, but instead of having a textured REFLECTOR, it had a textured BULB! This got me thinking - ruining a reflector in experiments to get a smoother beam ruins the entire light. Ruining a bulb, on the other hand, is easily rectified - spend $.50-$1.00 on another bulb and try again!

The RS bulb had a plastic clear rippled coating to diffuse the light.

I'm going to try a few things - sanding lightly aroung the edges of the bulb, etc, and see how far I get. It might be as easy as rubbing some fine sandpaper around the sides of the bulb to get the desired effect...