# Trit slotting - or why I no longer offer that service ...



## precisionworks (Mar 22, 2013)

I posted a short note in my sub-forum about this but went into no great detail. Most light owners have not much interest in the business aspect of machining but some of the readers here may appreciate this.

Some time ago a member suggested that I slot lights for trits. Seemed easy enough & that's Mistake #1 ... the easier something seems the more difficult it actually is - my bad for not taking my own advice :nana:

What does a shop need for slotting? Here's a short list:

Milling machine that most of us already have.

H/V super spacer or H/V rotary table or H/V dividing head. My Phase II H/V super spacer runs around $1000 USD for the 8" model & that's a nice size because of the big through hole.

Tailstock for above. Figure $200 for the TS or less if you find one on eBay & make it work.

DRO on X Y & quill. If you're a wizard with dials forget the DRO but proceed at the risk of buying a few lights.

ER-40 collet chuck to hold smaller ER extension chucks to get into hard to reach locations. I have two & both are needed.

Centering microscope. Only way I've found to pick up existing slot centers & edges when adding slots. 

Enough solid carbide end mills for the sizes you run. At a minimum 0.0625" & 1.5mm, .0937" & 2.5mm. You'll need both inch & metric collets to hold the inch & metric tools - they don't interchange well.

A high speed spindle for aluminum slotting. Mine turns 50k rpm & was about $400 IIRC. Again you'll need the inch & metric collets for that spindle. 

The upfront costs are fairly high but those costs will eventually be recovered by the work you take in. Payback can be really long. For me the work was always really high stress, not nearly as much fun as probing around inside a 480 volt panel or cell tower welding at 190' - to me those are both much more enjoyable than slotting. So I no longer offer this service & recommend Jeff Hanko as an excellent source for slot work - his new CNC machining center is up & running & he's a super nice guy to deal with.


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## gadget_lover (Mar 22, 2013)

Sounds quite reasonable to me. 

I stopped doing work for others because of the high possibility that the part may be damaged. Little things like an endmill that breaks can mar a part. If that's someone else's light I feel really bad about it. I also occasionally spin the wrong hand-wheel or turn something the wrong direction. That's not a big deal on my stuff, but most people who want lights modded are looking to enhance a favorite or valued light.

Daniel


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## inetdog (Mar 22, 2013)

gadget_lover said:


> That's not a big deal on my stuff, but most people who want lights modded are looking to enhance a favorite or valued light.



Cosmetic surgery gone wrong.


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## precisionworks (Mar 22, 2013)

gadget_lover said:


> ... occasionally spin the wrong hand-wheel or turn something the wrong direction. That's not a big deal on my stuff, but most people who want lights modded are looking to enhance a favorite or valued light.
> 
> Daniel



+1

I've never messed up a standard aluminum light like a Surefire but I've bought a couple of really nice Ti lights for customers. Sure takes all the fun & all the profit out of a job & then some. The worst part is that even after doing a bunch of slots I was still waaay too tense. Never did reach a comfort level & that's the only machining op ever that made me feel that way.


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## Anglepoise (Mar 22, 2013)

precisionworks said:


> +1 . Never did reach a comfort level & that's the only machining op ever that made me feel that way.


 I feel the same way about knurling. So easy for things to go wrong.


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## wquiles (Mar 24, 2013)

I am slowly also starting to offer less and less custom work, for the same reasons above. Not worth the aggravation/stress.


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## precisionworks (Mar 24, 2013)

+1

In the movie Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood famously said "A man's got to know his limitations." Being more than a little stubborn tends to mask that & causes some to think that they are progressing. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I finally realized that boring & mechanical mods are what I do best. 

The experience isn't all negative. Learned something about machining tiny slots in Ti-6-4, discovered that the smallest tools require the smallest ER collets, figured out that a 40x centering microscope is a nice addition to the kit. The super spacer will stay on the mill for barrel fluting so it will eventually pay for itself. Most things work out as they should.


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## will (Mar 25, 2013)

I never did a lot of custom work on other's lights for all the reasons above. The greater majority was done on C, D, or AA Maglights. easily replaceable at a reasonable cost.


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## RedLED (Aug 18, 2013)

May I say something here? I understand why you do not accept certain projects , I turn things down, too. And if you think your clients are nuts, wait for my upcoming book. Nevertheless back to the subject at hand...

My years as a photographer,,if I have learned anything, it is that the single most important aspect of coming back with a useable series, or a project nicely done for the client or editors is: Planning. 

Planning.

Not anything else. Not. Exposures , color, equipment - just good planning in advance. 

I wager you guys in the machine shops across America must put quite a bit of planning to ensure an excellent outcome. 

My colleagues simply do not understand and underestimate what planning can do. Sometimes we will have a large project which will require me to plan logistics for several months in advance. It never has let me down. And, things do come up that you did not plan for, but the fact you did a good job in advance will make whatever problems arise much easier to deal with. 

It is great to be able to own these fantastic and beautiful flashlights, and for myself, knives, too! 

Thanks To all the Machinist's out there!

Best wishes,

NR


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