cant open my mini mag

i got a mag lite mini, and i havent used it in years.
i need to replace the battery but cant open the bottom screw part to do so.

any ideas on how to open it??

vise grips usually do the trick

The vise grips won't have to be set as tight if you heat the joint first with a propane torch. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Welcome to the forums gg12o! sorry to say your MiniMag is probably scrap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif If you want to repair it badly enough, you can, but most here will tell you it is only suitable for an "alien host" for a "mod." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Larry

[ QUOTE ]
mossyoak said:
vise grips usually do the trick

[/ QUOTE ]

your batteries might have leaked and sealed the cap on. if you are going to use a vise grip you should have something like a fat rubber band wrapped around the tailcap to protect it from scratches from the vise grip.

[ QUOTE ]
gq12o said:
i havent used it in years

[/ QUOTE ]
The batteries probably leaked and sealed your light. You might need to get a new one.

yea..
i guess my mini mag is gone..
just wanted to see if i can salvage it.
i might consider the vise..if i have time

thanks guys

tvodrd: thanks for the welcome..didnt know there was a forum for flashlights.

A few years back I had a minimag in the state of battery major corrosion. It had Eveready batteries in it, and they had that guarantee, that stated, "if this battery leaks and destroys something we will replace your equipment". I know loosely quoted.

I cut the bat down the centerline with a hacksaw, and pryed open the flashlight case enough to read Eveready. I packaged it up, and off to Eveready. To my amazement they sent a check for around $25. And that was at least 8 years ago.

Do they still have that guarantee printed on each and every battery? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

Brian

Minimags are quite cheap nowadays,
Better of getting a new one if it is to badly damaged

I cut my mini mag and made it into mini mini mag. The battery only melt at the tailcap, the rest of the mini mag is ok.

screw driver in the lanyard hole. might want to try banging on the tailcap too

I had this happen to a 3D Maglite once. It was still giving off full power light so I'm not sure it was due to battery leakage. But, I couldn't get the tail cap off period. Not even a vise would get if off. I finally got ticked and threw it away. At the time, I had so many Maglite D-cell flashlights that losing one didn't really phase me (I still have quite a few, but these days I mod them with LED and better quality lenses).

Has anyone suspecting battery leakage tried contacting the manufacturer (suspected) and asked for advice? If so, what did they say?

Penetrating oil.

I emailed Energizer and said I had some batteries stuck in a flashlight. They sent a prepaid mailing label to ship it back to their offices. Plan to try and do a return and see what happens.

Like Torch Boy suggested, why bother?

heat the body up with a torch and use vise grips. might work.

I used a vice and pipe wrench. Nothing like having a well worn mag light on your keychain to start conversations.

I don't know about a propane torch or anything.......but a more simple way that has worked for me everytime (even on a really old metal military flashlight (it was so badly coroded and stuff that the switch was caked over.)Anyway, I had to try a new technique of mine and it worked. I simply put the light in a pot just large enough to fit it and turned the range on high with the pot full of water. I let the water boil at alarming bubblyness till the water was nearly gone and then removed it with tongs and simply grabbed ith end with a ruber jar opener and to my surprise it opened!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Even vices couldn't open it before.

Ofcoarse the entire 30 minutes was useless cause I threw the light out anyway (due to a rather pungent oder from the inside). Just a technique that you could try.

O ya, I must agree though that it would probably be better just to buy another $6 minimag /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

A dull knife will do th trick. Open the head, take out the bulb and pull the head off with a knife.

-tom

Had the same thing happen to mine last year. Finally opened it and saw the Energizer label amongst all the leaked chemicals. Sent it to Energizer and they promply bought me a new Maglite even though they said the batteries had past their use by date. I used to check the flashight by turning it on and it still worked well even with the serious leakage. I only decided to change the batteries because I was heading to the hills for a while.
Spoke to Energizer about this because I've since checked all my new batteries and only some of them actually have use by dates on the batteries themselves, while all have them on the package. Energizer apparently can tell from the codes on the batteries though for the life of me I don't know how they got this off my corroded batteries. Energizer is made in different factories around the world and I suspect this is part of the problem. Mine were made in China. I check all new packages and try to get only the US made ones now but this is not always possible down under.

Since this episode have bought only Energizer batteries simply because of their outstanding service.

I had another Maglite die a couple of years earlier the same way but the batteries were so corroded I really couldn't tell what they were without cutting open the case completely. I suspect that that particular batch were Duracells but I didn't think of sending it to them. Wonder now if they would have warranted it as well as Energizer.