Fraz Labs Mechanical Flashlights (formerly QTC Non-Battery Crush)

[discoverEDC]

@discoverEDC You know the deal: Pics or it didn't happen . You have a PM ...

LOL, it's been a LONG time since I posted any pictures to the forum. I'm not sure I would even know how. PM sent.

 

[TheFraz]

Fraz, looking for that emitter swap video please 

Sorry, I promise I'll get on it - I get so distracted at the shop.

I'd like to get one. Either the 23650 or the 18650. Boulder, Colorado

Got you down.

My Tiny Tank 18500 arrived today. It lives up to it's name, it's a tank. Just a solid chunk of aluminum nicely machined. It makes my other lights seem flimsy. The milled flutes make for good grip. Very, very nice.

Hope you like it! How do you like the LED? It is definitely warm (seemingly a bit less bright than the cooler ones). You also got a slightly frosted optic to spread the beam evenly.

 

[thermal guy]

Been using my 18350 tiny tank almost every day now. She's a solid little light that's for sure.

 

[discoverEDC]

Sorry, I promise I'll get on it - I get so distracted at the shop. Got you down.Hope you like it! How do you like the LED? It is definitely warm (seemingly a bit less bright than the cooler ones). You also got a slightly frosted optic to spread the beam evenly.

The warm emitters pay an output penalty because of how thick the phosphore has to be to get the very warm color temperature. 3500k was the warmest that you had on hand but I ordered several 3000k MCPCB's and will be trying them out; one of those will likely stay in the light. Unfortunately I couldn't find any Samsung's in that color temperature (yet). The light frost optic made a nice beam pattern with the 3500k SST20. I'm also going to try a clear spot optic with a bit of DC Fix diffuser film in the center. I tried that with one of my 26mm optic lights and it knocked down the square artifact and still left a some throw.

 

[toadgravy]

Just got my 18500 Tiny Nugget. This is about as bomb proof of a light as you can get. I love it. The box is awesome too! What a super deal!

 

[Mgizler]

I would love to see an emitter swap video also. I have been carrying my 18650 tiny nugget every day as my main light. Such a great well built light. I definitely want to pick up more. I also would love to have an 18350 battery tube.

 

[toadgravy]

I would love to see an emitter swap video also. I have been carrying my 18650 tiny nugget every day as my main light. Such a great well built light. I definitely want to pick up more. I also would love to have an 18350 battery tube.

Extra tubes would be great. I want a 21700...

 

[toadgravy]

Another great thing about this light is the mass keeps it from getting to hot to hold on max output.

The only negative I have found is for me it takes two hands to turn it on/off.

BTW the run time in loooong

 

[TheFraz]

Glad you guys are enjoying! At the shop making more as I type this....as seen below a pic of the lathe making part of the piston assembly (one of my least favorite things to make). Thought about taking a sneak pic of Speck on the mill, but she'd probably kill me.

Also working on making them a bit easier to turn while still being very waterproof.

I'll work on that vid (LED change-out) too. As soon as I get the machines on a long op, I can put some of it together.

 

[thermal guy]

Very nice! Keep on turning.

 

[jabe1]

Excellent update pics!
Hey Fraz, can you change mine to an sst-20 3500-4000k please?

 

[discoverEDC]

I like that the action continues to smooth out as the parts wear in. Has anyone run their light for an extended period of time? I wonder if the QTC will take a set after being compressed for that time? Happy that I could get one 👍

 

[adamlau]

The kids have left it on for days more times than I can count. Being able to go so low so as to not emit visible light through the optic is insanely awesome though....

 

[discoverEDC]

Excellent. I was thinking of how you could get tritium on the light (inside/behind the optic actually) but I realized that it could be it's own locater marker/light. I am beginning to discover that you can think that the light is off but it really isn't, you really have to crank it past what you think is off.

 

[Mgizler]

Excellent. I was thinking of how you could get tritium on the light (inside/behind the optic actually) but I realized that it could be it's own locater marker/light. I am beginning to discover that you can think that the light is off but it really isn't, you really have to crank it past what you think is off.

I've done that a few times. Thought it was off but in the middle of the night I got up to let the dog out and see that it's on in super low low

 

[troutpool]

Fraz and Speck, I just sent a message to you through your website Contact system regarding a flashlight order. I would like to get in line for an 18650 light, whichever model becomes available first.

 

[discoverEDC]

Fraz: Denis Cyplenkov, holy cow, that guy has hands like Andre The Giant! My Tiny Tank is two handed operation for me.

 

[speckacuda]

I like that the action continues to smooth out as the parts wear in. Has anyone run their light for an extended period of time? I wonder if the QTC will take a set after being compressed for that time? Happy that I could get one 

I've left mine halfway compressed overnight several times with no ill effects, and I know we've left them fully compressed for several hours on end without losing any variable brightness. There's untold YEARS of R&D on that piston system to have juuuuuust the right amount of stress on the QTC, but not enough to cause severe problems. Example - gave my dad a light for Christmas 2018 and it still has the exact same piece of QTC today. It still works as well as it did then (I'll get a video of it when I go back home) and he uses it every day at least twice a day when he feeds cows.

The kids have left it on for days more times than I can count. Being able to go so low so as to not emit visible light through the optic is insanely awesome though....

My favorite thing to do with that is to take the retaining ring and optic off, turn the light on just enough to barely illuminate the emitter, and look at all the different patterns in each bulb. Also, I'm easily amused.

Fraz and Speck, I just sent a message to you through your website Contact system regarding a flashlight order. I would like to get in line for an 18650 light, whichever model becomes available first.

I've got you down for any 18650 with a 4000-4500 emitter. I will try to take you off the 18350 notification list from the site as well.

Fraz: Denis Cyplenkov, holy cow, that guy has hands like Andre The Giant! My Tiny Tank is two handed operation for me.

The man cracks walnuts with one hand. Had no idea that was even possible!

 

[speckacuda]

Just had to share this pic I took last night of my wife using the Lumenite 18650. Terrific light!

This photo is awesome, but I'm jealous of the snow. That would almost make the cold weather worth it... almost. Give that sweet pup a nose boop for me!!

Just got my 18500 Tiny Nugget. This is about as bomb proof of a light as you can get. I love it. The box is awesome too! What a super deal!

Glad you like it!! We are scaling up a bit in the next few weeks, so making battery tubes available by themselves will hopefully be an option soon.

I would love to see an emitter swap video also. I have been carrying my 18650 tiny nugget every day as my main light. Such a great well built light. I definitely want to pick up more. I also would love to have an 18350 battery tube.

We are still working on an emitter swap video but we are trying to focus on getting lights made so y'all will have one to swap an emitter out in the first place - stay tuned and I'll let you know when it finally arrives on the YT.

... Thought about taking a sneak pic of Speck on the mill, but she'd probably kill me...

After cleaning out the mill, I was a tornado of WD40 and aluminum chips that day - Death would've been imminent.

Alrighty folks - I think we've got all the lights out to everyone who ordered last week. I apologize for the delay, but we've been having some odd supply chain issues (emitters, boxes, tiny ziplock bags) which seems to be the story of 2020 still haunting us all. Some of you will get recycled shipping boxes, others will get sandwich sized ziplock bags containing the Break Free cloth (I almost had to use the bags with Olaf on the side, but resisted). All of you to date have gotten lights with newspaper as packing paper, but this last batch was a whole new level of whirlwind - Fraz nearly packed up his EDC a few times and I almost included a craft item I jokingly make from aluminum chips just to round it all out. All in all, we really hope you enjoy your new flashlight! I'll post some more photos in a bit.

 

[Mgizler]

I love the updates and responses provided by you and fraz! The fact that you both are so active on here is amazing and makes owning one of your lights that much better.