Tritium vial installation question...

Dr. Mario

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I am wondering about the options I have about installation of the Tritium vial into my Convoy S2 flashlight after I am done filing down the slot in the tailcap.

Since Norland 61 is kind of hard to get, I wonder if Solarez is good or bad (asking before I jump), or should I look at different UV curable casting / adhesive? I am open to suggestion.
 

Thud1023

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I use clear nail polish on all of my installs. Much thinner than Norland, and goes in a syringe easily. I'm sure it's not as durable, but works well for me..and you can air dry : )
 

Dr. Mario

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While clear nail polish is a good idea, I need much more durable way to protect the vial as in this blacklight flashlight, it's not installed into a groove in the flashlight body since I don't have the tool to mill it, instead it's being installed into the slot made in "lip" of the Convoy S2 flashlight tailcap at the opposite side of the lanyard slots. (I already made three holes in the lip of tailcap, now I will have to file it down into slot I can pop in the 6mm Tritium vial.)
 
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Dr. Mario

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Looks like CRLaurence UV682 is a potential candidate. I will buy it along with a few other things off Amazon this week, so I can test it.
 

Dr. Mario

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gunga, the thing is, I prefer to buy several things in a package nowadays, as shipping isn't cheap (of course mixglo.com web store is quite good, and that's where I bought the Tritium vials from). And 30 grams of CRL UV682 optical adhesive for $12 is also a good deal when bought from Amazon website.
 

Str8stroke

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I have used several types of Ultra Clear epoxies several times. I find them almost always better than nail polish, air bubble, wise. The last one I used was a Resin like you would put on top of a counter.
Worth mentioning: Then, I did a glow powder mix on one of my cheap mods for a friend. It turned out pretty cool too. Poor mans trit.
 

NoNotAgain

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I have used several types of Ultra Clear epoxies several times. I find them almost always better than nail polish, air bubble, wise. The last one I used was a Resin like you would put on top of a counter.
Worth mentioning: Then, I did a glow powder mix on one of my cheap mods for a friend. It turned out pretty cool too. Poor mans trit.

Sporting goods shops that sell components for building fishing rods also sell clear epoxies that can be used for application of trits.

I had some roller eyes that needed replacement so a couple different color threads and the epoxy and I was in business.
 

Dr. Mario

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Yup, NoNotAgain, I am sure (due to strict legislation on those stuff) but this will be the only vial that's hand-installed (just so it doesn't interfere with holster - encased with the hard stuff), it will be in my blacklight flashlight I assembled together (Nichia makes excellent ultraviolet LED). Any other flashlight may have keychain marker installed into the tailcap lip (lanyard slot).
 
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Dr. Mario

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You can contact Nichia directly - I had to get ahold of the sales representative, although they're occasionally quite busy.

Also, be sure to check the bins in the datasheet for what you're looking for (like NVSU233A-U365 P7d22m for example) first before you write out order paperwork, and NVSU233A is about $13 in US Dollars, BTW. I might order more at some point. You will have to cover the center pad in Cree XP-L starboard MCPCB first with Kapton tape before you solder this LED on (this NVSU233A only has two pads vs. three pads on Cree XP-L LED).

EDITED: Inquiry link - https://www.nichia.co.jp/en/contact/inquiries.html (availability also depends on availability of stocks in certain area - Nichia just go through the LEDs in shotgun manner so sales representative in your area may be the best bet to get ahold of a few LEDs.)
 
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Dr. Mario

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Some dealers occasionally jack up the prices on those Nichia LEDs, it's usually cheap to buy straight from Nichia nowadays.

As for those power freaks, NVSU333A is much more expensive ($150+ and yup I asked), but is one of the most powerful emitter, so powerful the user can get the sunburn from it in as much as few seconds and it could get Fluorescein dye to possibly lase. It's rated for 3.6 Watts of 365nm UV. I am good enough with NVSU233A LED however as it's both cheap and quite sane (4 Watts NVSU333A LED has to be mounted on a large heatsink, at least XHP50 starboard is usable with this LED - it runs almost as hot as the AMD Athlon XP CPUs of the past - about 18 - 19 Watts TDP).

EDITED: ZWB2 visible light - blocking ultraviolet filter do Nichia NVSU series UV LED a good deed since it gets rid of dull purple light. I have 20mm ZWB2 filter installed in the custom Convoy S2 flashlight with NVSU233A-U365 LED installed inside, and do it make such spectacular difference - purple light occasionally hide certain fluorescence. I have an unfiltered UV flashlight with the P60 dropin containing NVSU233A LED, and there are some visible purple light. I will use unfiltered one to cure the glues.
 
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Dr. Mario

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Alright, ordered CRL UV682 adhesives along with a few 3cc Luer Lok syringes for glues (as well as some solder pastes - most 10cc tubes solder pastes come in are hard to deal with, not to mention they're mostly for pneumatic soldering machine). They will get here next week, then I will try that stuff in the Tritium vial installation.
 

RGRAY

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Most people use Norland 61.
My wife has used it about 40 times.
It works great.
 

Dr. Mario

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I agree, it's a bit hard to obtain though.

I bought Bondic Ultraviolet curable adhesive too to test its quality as it's easily obtainable from Walmart. It may be of interest to some folks however.
 

Dr. Mario

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Bondic wasn't too bad. Ditch the crappy blacklight LED it came with though - you can probably use it as a poor man's money checker but it sucks at curing the glue quickly enough. I used one of my unfiltered P60 Nichia NVSU233A flashlight to cure it though. It cures FAST. You can use 4 Watts blacklight fluorescent lamp that's typically used for lighting up fluorescent Halloween items too.

Just one tiny bubble in the vial slot though. I am not too bothered by it.
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