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

[speckacuda]

WALL-E. What on earth is under that optic?

It's one of my red shop cloths, I use them to wipe chips off the parts after they come off the mill. It really hammered home the 'Terminator' vibe. If anyone is interested, I will take another when it's doing its job of holding parts the mill - it screams 'WALL-E' and give a great glimpse of how all y'alls engines (among other parts) will be made in the future!

 

[discoverEDC]

Wow, that shop cloth looks like a bloody eyeball under the magnification of the optic. Always enjoy seeing the behind the scenes operations.

 

[justanotherguy]

My tiny nugget 21700.. the box still smells of the charring process...

pictured next to my S21

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15eU1NepTj_tmdT1fsvLjfI5x_m3WfYNL/view?usp=sharing

 

[TheFraz]

Update:

Just finished a shop week and had some (hopefully) fantastic progress in the form of a great new evolution in the design. This is currently not for sale as it undergoes torture testing etc.

The new design is a kind of throwback to our first model that went on sale years ago. The original concept was a design so simple (aesthetically) it didn't even have a bezel - just two pieces that rotated to adjust brightness. That concept was very difficult to replicate with the new user-LED-replaceable 'wireless' design. That old design also did not have a user-replaceable QTC piston and was just clunky in general. This new model (if it holds up to our smash testing) will drastically reduce the time it takes to change an LED out by making much easier access to the fastening components. In my opinion it also looks cool - and now only has 2 possible points of water incursion....at the optic, and at the battery tube. Which are both water-sealed tight. Getting rid of the battery tube tail cap and bezel on the front feels real good. Machining them however was a nightmare at first.

Here are some pics of the unanodized components. We will get back home tomorrow and anodize them and have some fun/tears torture-testing them.

This design also opens up some other interesting possibilities in the form of optic options....hopefully. We'll be back with video of some torture testing (and the ever-elusive LED change video) soon.

-Fraz

 

[speckacuda]

Crawled out of the shop around 11:30PM tonight, as this was prototype week! Nothing I say could describe the process, but if you slam your hand in a car door every day for a week it's a close second...

Also, I'm pretty sure I shaved several years off my life this week for various reasons, as well as gained more than a few gray hairs. Balance is good, right?

All jokes aside, I want opinions!! Do y'all like the ascending milling marks on the engines, or do y'all like them all on the same level (like Fraz's photos above on the new prototype, or the current engines)?

Here's a photo for you DiscoverEDC - this is the WALL-E jig (pre-engrave) in action. Here are two engines, straight off the band saw, and two freshly machined. They'll be in y'alls hands after being bead blasted, washed, anodized, and shipped.

 

[ledbetter]

+1 on ascending milling marks because it sort of shows the adjustability of the led, but having them all the same is pretty cool looking too. I'd buy them both!

 

[Shooter21]

Would 2xcr123 destroy these lights? Thanks

 

[djans1397]

Shipping delayed!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Anxiously awaiting my new bombproof zombie apocalypse EOTW Lumenite 21700

 

[thermal guy]

The ascending milling marks are nice but I would rather have them all the same length. Aesthetically I think it looks better when marks are all even.

 

[TheFraz]

Would 2xcr123 destroy these lights? Thanks

Yes, the over-voltage will fry the LED (won't destroy the light, but will certainly fry the emitter).

 

[geisto]

This new design looks like it will provide good grip for one-hand use. The old lights had checkering which provided a good grip but chews up pockets.

 

[justanotherguy]

The ascending milling marks are nice but I would rather have them all the same length. Aesthetically I think it looks better when marks are all even.

+1

Came here to say just this... If the ascending marks indicated a level or something, maybe..

The even lines of Fraz's prototype are much more appealing to me

 

[KITROBASKIN]

The ascending marks are more interesting looking and make FrazLights distinctive but I have yet to experience them in-hand. The fluting difference will probably not give better heat release with the longer flutes?

Wondering if the single cell 26650(+) design challenge has been addressed?

Loving the throwback simplicity too! You two make candlepowerforums more interesting.

 

[TheFraz]

#Sos24 your PM is full

 

[TheFraz]

I think ya'll will like the new design....if it holds up to the battered tree abuse (me and my buddy and Speck throwing the new prototype against a tree for hours). Reminds me of Hellboy squashing a pixie (seems brutal but something that needs to be done...not that the light has teeth).

I've also seen new peeps on reddit discussing the light,..very interesting (many threads now apparently). Makes me appreciate you guys even more than I already did. I am not an electrical engineer.
-Fraz

 

[vand3537]

will the Tiny Nugget 21700 be restocked on the website any time soon?

 

[Sos24]

#Sos24 your PM is full

I've cleaned it out.

 

[TheFraz]

will the Tiny Nugget 21700 be restocked on the website any time soon?

We will be going back to the shop next week, so should be around 10 days for a restock.

 

[TheFraz]

Did a 30 x drop test onto concrete today testing the new design for weakness. Everything held up nicely. A few more tests and we should be good to go.

 

[Mgizler]

I love these videos!!