pr base led mods

is there anywhere you can order a empty pr base so you dont have to drill the thing out? quickbeams site has useful information on the topic but i would rather buy some empty pr bases without expoxy inside so i could make my own led mods. since I have a tec40 and getting a surge i won't have much use for my 3cell maglite. its just asking me to make a turquoise 3led bulb for it.

If you heat it up, the insides come out pretty easy, but wear glasses for protection.

I use a drillbit that just fits the inside diameter of the pr base and a cordless drill. Break out the glass, stick the drillbit in as far as it will go, spin it up to a medium speed and push. You'll feel it give and it'll rip out almost all the epoxy. Pull the drill back out immediately after you feel it give. If you don't, you'll crack the dark glass insulator at the bottom.

Oh yea, don't hold the pr base with your fingers, use padded pliers or something.

I converted a few actual PR bulbs but then figured out a better way.....

Go to the plumbing section of your local hardware store. You will find 1/4" copper piping and various fittings. It just so happens that these 1/4" plumbing parts are the same diameter as the PR bulb. Use nylon hex washers to fill the base and use brass screws for you contact. Solder the (+) lead with resistors into the base screw. Solder the negative lead into 1/16" holes in the side. Works very well....plus you get a top-notch heatsink with the copper bulk.

Oh...also, if you are building for a Maglite, you can use the slightly larger copper plumbing couplings which fit very snugly into the Maglite barrel.

I have made several of these and they work great!

Hi StuU. I think your idea is very interesting, but I'm a little confused on what kind of part you're describing. Could you elaborate on that? It takes screws and has 1/16" holes. Maybe it's me, but I'm not getting it.