# Heat conductive tape?



## greenLED (Jun 22, 2006)

After many months sitting in my mod box, I finally was able to get AuroraLite's TL3 minimag hotwire mod up and running. I get a dark hole in the beam as soon as I turn the light on. The filament is too high so I have to turn the head a couple of times to get a decent hotspot. At that point, the head is almost at the end of the threads, and the bezel wobbles.

I thought about using good ol' teflon tape to stop the wobbling, but I don't want to completely kill the heat dissipation path. I'm wondering if there's any sort of heat conductive tape (or other heat conductive material) that I could use to prevent the wobbling from hapenning.


Other than this, the mod is great; brighter than my SF A2 and gets "toasty" fast!

_Edit to fix confusion about filament height._


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## FirstDsent (Jun 22, 2006)

I'm confused. If you have to turn your head until it almost falls off, then your lamp is sticking out too far. 

Bernie


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## greenLED (Jun 22, 2006)

FirstDsent said:


> I'm confused. If you have to turn your head until it almost falls off, then your lamp is sticking out too far.


Nope, it's actually sitting all the way into the ceramic switch. The lamp legs/switch contacts are such in my light that I can't pull the bulb much further out (thus raising it and playing with the "focus") or the bulb will not make proper contact.


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## Reptilezs (Jun 22, 2006)

they make thermal tape which is for attaching heatsinks in odd places but it probably doesnt work in your application. you can try thermal epoxy but bridging a gap would make it more of an insulator.


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## Kryosphinx (Jun 22, 2006)

Yeah, I'm with FirstDsent. I don't quite understand. If the filament was too low, you would have to screw the reflector IN after you turned it on, which is not possible with the minimag. 
If the filament was too high, you would screw the reflector out, which seems to be your problem. 
Try putting some type of conductive spacer under the lip of the minimag body. This would make the filament sit lower, which would reduce the amount you have to screw the reflector out, thus reducing wobble.


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## Handlobraesing (Jun 22, 2006)

What about the pink goop used for installing CPUs? No, not the thermal paste, but the square of wax like material that melts into place as the CPU gets hot. You could apply it hot and let it set at the desired point. It should get rid of the wobble, but the wax doesn't set hard enough to make the head unremovable.


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## greenLED (Jun 23, 2006)

Kryosphinx said:


> If the filament was too high, you would screw the reflector out, which seems to be your problem.
> Try putting some type of conductive spacer under the lip of the minimag body. This would make the filament sit lower, which would reduce the amount you have to screw the reflector out, thus reducing wobble.


:laughing: I see where the confusion may be; from the way I worded my first post (I'll have to fix that).

Kryosphinx, yes, thank you, that's my problem - the filament is too high. I hadn't thought about shiming the ceramic switch downwards. I'm guessing a couple of small brass washers will do and I can easily adjust the size of the washers (I have a Dremel now, and am not afraid to use it!). Great idea!

That might solve the wobble problem, at least partially.


Handlo, I'm not familiar with the pink goop you're talking about. I'll have to look into that.

Something that just popped into my head: squished aluminum foil. I know there's always the risk of a short (somehow), but that the foil is pliable enough that would fill whatever gaps are left after I shim the pill down.


:thinking: I wonder why nobody else using this mod has reported this? (I could've missed it entirely).

:thanks: for your help!


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## Alexis (Jun 23, 2006)

what about JB weld, it has a decent amount of metal content


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## Bernhard (Jun 23, 2006)

I think several company made this, example Dow Corning and 3M. Not sure where you can buy one, but here some of the info:

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/etronics/etronicspadsfilm/etronics_tcpad_thinov.asp

http://www3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001...vetape_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

Hope it helps


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## greenLED (Jun 23, 2006)

Those look like neat products, Bernhard. Thanks for the links.
I wonder if they're the same/similar to what Handlo was talking about.


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## AuroraLite (Jun 23, 2006)

Greenled, :wave:

I don't have my Minimag Hotwire on me now, but if my memory served me correctly, the bottom of the bulb should be only 1-2mm above the top of ceremic socket orelse a little trimming or better placement of the bulb is needed. I don't recall much 'wobbling' but I think that could be my luck with that one minimag of mine.  From my other minimag experiences, I do see wobbling happening from time to time; and my wild guess is it might have something to do with their QC for plating and machining? :thinking: 

But the suggestion for a metal space could be a good idea, so as long the space is good in conductivity, and outter diameter and inner opening are large enough, so the ring will sit snuggly in the body tube and not causing a short at the bulb legs.

I remembered once there was a user who had used teflon tape to make his Minimag more waterproof, but I am sure it shall work well here to prevent wobbling no less. Another pop into mind is to check the o-ring to see whether a thicker o-ring will lessen the wobbling.

Good luck with the mod and have fun! :thumbsp:


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## greg_in_canada (Jun 23, 2006)

You can buy copper tape (self adhesive). That should have good conductivity 

At my old job we used it for EMI shielding (to meet FCC regulations).

Greg


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## marcdilnutt (Jun 26, 2006)

I just had an idea, aluminium tape. I have a roll of it in my attic,i will try it and see how it works on the threads on one of my [email protected]
marc


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## DUQ (Jun 26, 2006)

Yes, that aluminum tpae will work but you need to work it into the threads. Use a piece of plastic such a credit/bank card. One none overlapping layer should make up the difference.


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