# Introducing Mockbug: The story of my first flashlight build.



## AER-Lights (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi folks.

I have been lurking for quite a while but i figure it’s time to chime in.
Being a soft flashaholic (I know some of you guys are pretty hardcore) but you know…
Starting out as a five year old kid screaming his heart out because he wasn’t allowed every flashlight he laid his eyes on and the fact that the feeling hasn’t quite gone away the better part of forty years later  

My current collection isn’t impressive but it does hold of a couple of SF Cs and Es etc. But… being a home machinist i guess it was inevitable.
Spending part of my vacation i finally got around to building my own flashlight from scratch and here’s my story and I’ll try to keep it short so you won’t get pictures and explanations of every step.

Design :
Design is tricky by nature. I mean it’s got to look right, be functional , and leave enough options to be interesting. The majority happened over time in my head and i initially figured I’d do a take on a P60 type host as it would leave me a lot of open options and i could just buy a proper drop drop-in but as with so many things in live the plans changed as the design progressed. 
I ended up with an in-line, clean, single RC123, mule with the major difference being that it’s built in steel.
So… Short and Fat 

The material choice was tricky but i ended up deciding on steel as it will provide ample surface treatment options and will provide a hard substrate for whatever treatment i end up deciding on. That and the fact that I like steel. Having said that it would have made my life considerably easier if I had chosen aluminium or brass.
I had also planned to use a mcclicky switch but as i live in Europe and i forgot about the switch in the planning phase it’s currently built using a chinesium switch. (It takes forever to get stuff from the states and it will cost and arm and a leg in shipping and import fees)
And i can always change it later once they arrive.

Here’s the result.






Once you start breaking it down quite a few components go into one of these things.





Build:
As with all machining jobs all start out with raw stock.
Here’s my “shipment”. (They missed a couple of things but there’s enough here to get started.)





Cut to length and faced.





I started out with the body:
First problem to overcome is boring a 17mm hole through a piece of steel on a hobby grade lathe.
It did take a bit of fiddling with feeds and speeds but eventually I got it.





Next up was turning the outside and the threading.
Keeping true to most P60 style hosts as well as Dons Mcclicky i decided to go with 20TPI but in metric sizes. I know… but i am European J
so… M20-1.25 it was. No this is not a standard thread but that’s what i needed.





Next up was the head:
The head turned out to be easier that i expected and pretty much just happened.





My biggest concern was if the threads would match up so a test was needed immediately.
fortunately they fit exactly the way i intended. It’s not the tightest thread in the world but it matches up with what you’d find on an SF, Solarforce, Ultrafire so well within expectations.





As my dog ate the pictures of cutting the flats on the head  you’ll have to do without them but that was done on a mill using a dividing head.
Next up was the tailcap. The initial design in cad was made on the assumption that I’d have the mcclicky switch available which i didn’t so it was time for a new iteration using the chinesium switch.
this in turn meant that I had to do the switch holder (a piece of brass that screws into the tailcap and holds the rubber boot in place as well as providing a proper seal between the boot and the bottom end of the tailcap)





In the end it took a couple of tries to get the “headspace” right. Eg. the switch holder and the bottom end of the tailcap in order to get a proper seal on the boot. 





Almost there 
All that needs to be done now is the Crystal and the pill/”reflector”. This being a mule it doesn’t really have a reflector but more of a cover to make it look a bit better than just the bare PCB.
Yet again I had to go through a couple of iterations to get the spacing right but as with so many things it can be fixed by putting in the work.





The Crystal/glass is basically a piece of 2mm polycarbonate cut and sanded to size so not much to it.
At this point the pill is built from a old CREE XR-E and the wrong driver as I’m yet again waiting for parts. 

All of the above brings us to the result.
One fully functional short and heavy steel flashlight as designed.









A size comparison for good measure. (note that the picture skews the actual size. The E2E has a body diameter of 21mm whereas the short and heavy is 22mm)





Considerations:
1. This being steel “in the white” it will rust over time so I’m planning on Nickel electroplating it. This also ties back to the loose fit on the threads. There needs to be enough slop to allow for the plating.
2. I’ll update the pill with a latest generation LED and driver when they show up.
3. I’ll need to update the tailcap with a mcclicky.

Reading through this post it might seem that this was a walk in the park. Well it wasn’t J
I added an additional picture of bits and pieces that didn’t work, was out of specification or otherwise rejected. And these are just the parts that didn’t get cut down on the lathe immediately.





Well… If you’ve made it this far i respectfully thank you for your time.

BTW. I would welcome any comments, questions and or inspirational ideas.

May you live long and prosper V.

Stig.


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## mcbrat (Feb 23, 2019)

Nice!


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## Ozythemandias (Feb 23, 2019)

Very clean! Good job


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## AER-Lights (Feb 23, 2019)

Wow that was fast. 
Thank you both. Coming from you guys that means a lot.


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## badtziscool (Feb 23, 2019)

Interesting design. I like the brass facing you made to “pretty up” the mule head rather than the bare led board. Also the dimensions of the light look like it would be very comfortable in the hand. Might be a little slick if it gets wet or greasy. Any plans on adding some knurling or ridges?


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## Nimitz68 (Feb 23, 2019)

Nicely done!


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## archimedes (Feb 23, 2019)

Very nice to see another build thread here, thanks for sharing


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## id30209 (Feb 23, 2019)

Good job! Nice model🤙


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## forstersun (Feb 23, 2019)

Nice!! It's handy and, how to say, tasteful, I think. 

I guess it was pretty hard to machine steel on this "hobby grade lathe"...

Considering the thickness and material, it should not be very light? Do you plan to design and machine some anti-skid knurls or stripes?


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## AER-Lights (Feb 23, 2019)

Hi Guys
Wow! The replies are quite overwhelming. Especially considering the crowd.
Thank you !

@ Archimedes: I’m happy to share. If I’m lucky someone might get inspired.

@ Badtizcool: I thought it looked a bit nicer “prettying up” the front but i appreciate that you recognized it.
I also recognize your input on it most likely being slippery in wet or greasy situations. 
I did consider adding Knurling, groves or dimples but being a Northern European i tend to like smooth and simple.
That on the other hand does not mean that it’s not worth looking into.

@ Forstersun: Thank you! And Yes You’re right.
Although it can be frustrating from time to time it’s also what makes things interesting.
Doing this on a Mazak or Okuma would have been light work.

The Mockbug is heavy for it’s size but it’s not massive.
Heres a comparison. (All measurements are including batteries.)
SF C2 145/grams 5.11/oz
SF E2E 90/grams 3.17/oz
Mockbug 105/grams 3.7/oz

Regarding anti-skid… Badtizcool already touched on this and as you can see below “we” can look into that. 
Enter the wonders of digital design.
let’s have a look shall we 











Personally i think I’m leaning towards the dimpled version…
And it should do the trick.


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## forstersun (Feb 23, 2019)

I agree with you, making a flashlight is not the whole purpose. Sometimes the process is more fun. When we see the flashlight in the future, the process is what we think of.

The dimpled version looks better, but if there are some matching on the tailcap would be great. You need to consider the align problem if the knurling or ridges on the tailcap is not circumferential.


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## MRsDNF (Feb 23, 2019)

You have built a real nice original torch. Well done and looking forward to future builds.


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## nbp (Feb 23, 2019)

Excellent work, that is a sharp little light. I love a Mule!


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## Eric242 (Feb 24, 2019)

Very nce light, well done :thumbsup: I like the dimples.


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## easilyled (Feb 24, 2019)

I love the clean design, tough stocky look. I'd love it even more if the tailcap boot was recessed so that tailstanding is possible.


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## AER-Lights (Feb 24, 2019)

Again… Thanks guys.
Pondering the same design over and over again causes blindness which is why i asked for and highly appreciate your input.

Tail standing shouldn’t pose much of a problem i might look into that.
My thought up flat steel cap instead of a rubber boot would though 

Dimples however is a different matter.
Getting a proper pattern doesn’t leave much wiggle room or error if you will on the depth of the dimples.

I’ll have to do probing on the surface prior to cutting them. But that’s just another challenge to overcome.
Back to the shed!!  might be a while till i’m back though.


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## AER-Lights (Feb 26, 2019)

One tailcap boot recessed for tailstanding capability as “requested”  






As i mentioned. The dimples will take a while longer.

Happy hunting.


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## easilyled (Feb 26, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> One tailcap boot recessed for tailstanding capability as “requested”
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Perfect now. :thumbsup: Great design and machining. Well done!


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## DrafterDan (Feb 27, 2019)

I like the design AER-L, good work there! I prefer torches that can be easily identified by feel which end is up, you've solved that with the faceted head. My only joke is that you have a funny idea of a hobby lathe. That's a CNC, correct?

_D


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## wosser (Feb 27, 2019)

That is a beast of "hobby" lathe. Looks like a 4 way turret head, that machine is no joke. Can't quite put my finger on it though... Haas? Tormach?
I'm guessing it's a 4 axis if you're considering dimples instead of knurling. Anyway, a nice machine for sure. I'm jealous. 

That is a real gem of a light you've created, I know how much work it takes to get from a CAD model to a final finished piece, this is really very impressive.
The recessed tail switch looks totally badass.

Is that Fusion 360 you're using? Nickel plating would look good but how about copper plating? After a while it would look incredible with some unique patina. Gotta be worth a re-render in copper?

Awesome work.


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## AER-Lights (Feb 27, 2019)

Going a bit off topic here but… Haahhh 

It’s true it’s not the smallest of hobby lathes. And it’s true it’s a CNC. But Dan... yours is much sturdier.
It is however a 210 KG / 400 pound lathe not a 5000 pound’er. I have about 1.5 hp available but the machine lacks the rigidity to use it. And you’re right it has a 8 position tool turret.
It's only a 2 axis machine. I’ll have to do the dimples using a dividing head on the mill which causes a couple of alignment issues to say the least. 
Hence probing the surface prior to cutting them. (I’m currently working on that.)

I’s wish it was a Haas or at least a Tormach but those are beyond my budget.
It’s a Sieg iKX4.
A word of caution! The controller is a POS and the documentation is horrible. But it’s still quite a lot of machine for the money.







Thank you for the kind words on the design and execution. All of you!
Jup. It’s fusion 360. They have a brilliant price plan for hobbyists 

Not to sure how durable copper would be but you're right about the patina.
Sure thing. Lets do a re-render in copper.


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## DrafterDan (Feb 27, 2019)

Excellent, no matter what tools you have, it's up to us to maximize their potential. 

I use a spindexer for doing work like the dimples. You might also post a few things in the Machining section, that's were most of my projects go.


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## wosser (Feb 27, 2019)

Nice rig - she sure gets the job done.

Regarding dimpling the central tube section...

If the centre section is an internally smooth tube then it may be possible to use a purpose made aluminium arbor (temporarily superglued into the work) to hold the tube while you cut the dimples. That way you wouldn't have to re-clamp the workpiece in the dividing head half-way through the dimpling process, so all your dimples are perfectly regimented and even.

Then just heat up the metal to release the glue and remove residue with solvents.

The front end of that copper version looks so damn cool, that texture looks so real. I think the black o-ring sets it off nicely.


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## AER-Lights (Feb 28, 2019)

Thanks for the input guys.

I figured I’d take what i heard from your advice and just go for it instead of complicating it needlessly.

In the end i should have just gone with the groves. 
Dimples as It turns out are hard to do consistently. Not to mention incredibly boring 
I did a couple of tests and still managed to bodge up one of the body’s. It’s the one in the picture but the picture is taken from it’s best side 
The other one is currently setup in the machine waiting for me to get back to it.

Anyways… here’s the result.
Hopefully i'll have a success story by tomorrow.


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## wosser (Feb 28, 2019)

Don't be so hard on yourself, you've already segmented the project into enough parts that any risky or experimental operations cannot cause wasted effort on other components.

Prototypes are not meant to be sold off to, or scrutinised by, the audience, they are under the control of their maker... you! They are for proving concepts and for "showing their best sides" to the camera. Done and done.

I'm not sure how you did the dimples (theory: spot drill followed up by ball-end mill and then polished with a dremel?) but they look fantastic. Compare the second PHOTO in post #24 with the first RENDERING in post #10... there's no difference besides the two body o-rings. Dimples may be hard / boring* to do but that's why they make your light stand out among a million others with standard knurling.

As I see it you've nailed it every step of the way. 

MORE!!!



*to be honest, I love the boring, repetitive parts of machining because that's when I get to relax and listen to podcasts and the rest of the world just melts away into nothingness, but that's me


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## AER-Lights (Mar 1, 2019)

Ahaa! Success today!
I think i mentioned it earlier but most things in this world can be fixed by putting in the work.
The dimples on the second body are deeper but consistent. It also provides a better grip but still doesn't tear up your fingers.
Here’s the result.





@ Wosser. You are right. And thank you for keeping up the positive feedback.
Regarding how i made the the dimples. Basically just plunged a ball-end mill straight into it.
A good one (YG) with boring capability though. You guys encouraged me to pretty much go for it and so i did. It caused a couple of issues but i got there in the end.
This can be setup for a series type production but it would require either a proper lathe with a C-axis and live tooling or a pretty elaborate setup on the mill to get it right every time in a single run but it’s defiantly doable.

Well what do you know… it turns out that if you leave parts on the table they spontaneously multiply 
Unfortunately my vacation is coming to an end so progress from this point on will most likely be really slow.


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## Nimitz68 (Mar 1, 2019)

Very nice. Really great work. If you get to the point where you are ready to sell and have the necessary CPF membership (able to post in the WTS section) please let us know.


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## egginator1 (Mar 1, 2019)

Nimitz68 said:


> Very nice. Really great work. If you get to the point where you are ready to sell and have the necessary CPF membership (able to post in the WTS section) please let us know.



I second the motion. Great job!


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## wosser (Mar 1, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> Ahaa! Success today!
> 
> ...
> 
> @ Wosser ... thank you for keeping up the positive feedback.



It's a pleasure to see a project grow like this. To get this far takes a lot of personal dedication to learning CAD/CAM and also the practical setup of a very complex and sensitive (not to mention temperamental and dangerous!) piece of machinery. To get output to such a high standard as this from your labours must bring a huge amount of satisfaction and thrill.

I bought a manual milling machine a few years ago and I've made a few small things that I'm happy with (most recently the monogrammed 'tactical' grip for my XT2CR http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?455441-Custom-metal-grip-bezel) but ever since I've regretted not getting a lathe instead.



Please do continue updating us with your project progress.


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## AER-Lights (Mar 2, 2019)

I guess this is where the proof lies.
If someone is willing to pay actual money for whatever you make and encourage you to sell it you must be on the right track 
If i get to that stage (And yes... i'd like to) you guys will be the first to know.

@ wosser. I had a look at that and it looks great. And yes… it’s a downright hysterical and temperamental piece of machinery. It’s like working with a robot… ehh.. wait a minute. It is kind off a robot. It only does what you tell it to and when you tell it to do something stupid. Well… that’s what you get.
You need to get a lathe  it’s not a question of a lathe or a mill. You need both. I found that out the same way you did albeit a good 10 or 15 years ago.

The fruit of the past four hours of labor.
Drilling is an issue. I had a mishap on the one on the left. But got it right on the one to the right.
Two stage peck drilling. That’s what you get for not having through drill high pressure coolant


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## MRsDNF (Mar 4, 2019)

They are real cool looking torches AER. Your doing some amazing work on your little lathe. :thumbsup:


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## wosser (Mar 5, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> @ wosser...
> You need to get a lathe  it’s not a question of a lathe or a mill. You need both.




Hehe, my "workshop" is about 6 feet by 5 feet. I'd have to get rid of my scroll saw 

Although Lathe/Mill combo machines are a thing - expensive though. One of those would be PERFECT for making torches - fewer clamping/re-clamping operations.

Oh noooooooo, what have you done? Now I'm looking at the catalog........


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## AER-Lights (Mar 6, 2019)

As i believe i said in the previous post i did two body blanks but made a rookie mistake on one of them while doing the dimples. 
Basically i didn’t tighten it down properly so it came loose during milling &%#¤(/%¤#&#!!!!!
The result being the two body blanks turned into one with dimples.

I’ve pretty much run out of stock at this point and have ordered more. Along with some O-rings and other bits and pieces.
Basically I’ve decided to try to do a small run of say 5 -10 flashlights.

This will take a while though as i don’t have a lot of spare time for this besides when i’m on vacation.
I’ll keep you updated on progress though.

@ MRsDNF
Thank you. I really appreciate it.

@ Wosser
Not that i have any experience with them i believe you’re right that one of the combos would actually be pretty good for flashlights.
Quote. “Oh noooooooo, what have you done? Now i'm looking at the catalog........”
Haaahh… that sound to me like inspiration. And i can only advise that you go for it


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## wosser (Mar 6, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> @ Wosser
> ...i can only advise that you go for it



Alas, my bank manager does not share your _joie de vivre_! 

Mind you, I've been having a great deal of success with online 3D printing services (just this evening I've had another part made - pictures to follow in a day or two) which is mercifully a lot cheaper than buying more heavy machinery.


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## AER-Lights (Mar 10, 2019)

Update.

So… things are moving but they’re moving slowly.

I had/Have a bunch of tweaks that i need to make.
1. Improve the bore quality of the inside of the body. (that’s as good as it’s going to get for now.)
2. There’s a bit of chatter on the threads on the bodies as well that need to be sorted.(still needs a bit of work)
3. Nail the offset for making dimples. (found it but need to update the code)
4. Make a reliable setup to cut flats on the heads.
5. Update the end stop on the tailcap. Allowing Tail standing capability as standard.

I did manage to turn out some parts though. 





And i still need to cut the flats on the heads.

The plan at this point is to get this down and do a run of 10 complete flashlights but as i mentioned in the previous post i’ve run out of stock and i need to prioritize my day job. (in the end that’s what allows me to do this in the first place)


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## id30209 (Mar 10, 2019)

You did amazing progress since the first post. Can't wait to see the final batch.


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## Dobtruckers (Mar 11, 2019)

Wow, what a fantastic first effort. Can't wait to buy one of your first copper lights


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## easilyled (Mar 11, 2019)

I'm convinced that the end product is going to be excellent. You appear to be a perfectionist with a flair for aesthetic design. 

Would you consider making a reflector-based light that can also throw as well as having some spill?


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## AER-Lights (Mar 11, 2019)

Thanks guys!

I cannot believe the support and kindness i receive from this forum. It’s highly appreciated.

So… Help me out here. At this point i’ve only heard from one that thought steel was actually a good idea albeit he would have preferred stainless.
Should these be made from something else?
(Not counting Titanium at this point. I simply don’t have the capability)

@ easilyled.
Haaahhh!!! You’re hitting pretty close to home.
I have learned to stop at a point though after practicing most of my life.
Usually “close enough” for me is “pretty good” for everyone else 



> “Would you consider making a reflector-based light that can also throw as well as having some spill?”



I’ll consider almost anything 
Changing from a mule to a real reflector has a massive impact on the functional design. 
In it’s current form there’s simply not enough room which in turn means a complete rework of the mechanics. Additionally it will have some at this point unknown effect on the design although that might actually turn out for the better.
I do however have to focus on “the job at hand” or this project will just fizzle out instead of happening. This is a hobby to me and i’m doing it in order to have “fun” and relax which in turn means that i have to be very careful with how much i take on at any given time.
(The way things look right now there’s no reasonable amount of money i can charge you guys that will make it a good deal on my end  The hourly rate is at best horrible.)
Having said that. After this run is completed and if i get a sense that there will be takers it could defiantly be a thing.

Last but not least. Please keep the ideas and comments coming. As you can tell from the rest of the thread some will most likely happen


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## archimedes (Mar 11, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> I cannot believe the support and kindness i receive from this forum. It’s highly appreciated.
> 
> ...



If Ti is out, alumibronze is also highly regarded here.


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## easilyled (Mar 11, 2019)

When you say that you don't have the capability to machine Ti, is that due to the difficulty of machining Ti or because you can't justify the expense?

If its due to the difficulty (ie. threads that have a tendency to gall with Ti, wear and tear of machining parts etc.) most folks here seem to start with Aluminium first and then progress on to Ti once they've gained experience and confidence. However judging by your results with steel (which I think has a similar hardness and strength to Ti), I would have thought that it wouldn't take you long to master Ti.


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## Ken_McE (Mar 11, 2019)

If it was me, I'd be quite well pleased with that first light.


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## AER-Lights (Mar 12, 2019)

Thanks guys.
I know i say that a lot but i really appreciate your input 

So.. your all pretty much confirming what i suspected. TI is the way to go. Hmmm… this will complicate things 
But hey. That’s why i asked. 

@ Easilyled.
Thank you for your confidence in me!
It is simply due to the difficulty. I never actually tried machining Titanium but from what i can tell my major problem would be drilling the body and head.
For steel i can “cheat” pecking and waiting for things to cool down but (again this is from what i can pickup from others who actually do this) that doesn’t work for titanium. It’ll work harden in an instant ruining both the part and drill bit so you have to push it hard and then we’re back to the size of the machine. There’s a good number of additional parameters/issues that make me “fear” this but as this is not in the machining section i’ll leave that out. Suffice to say that Titanium has a machine ability index of somewhere between 6 – 19 whereas the steel i’m using is about 100 - 130. And just for reference Aluminium is in the 300-400 range if i remember correctly.

@ Archimedes
That’s great input.

@ Ken_Mce
Thank you.
It might not sound like it but i actually am.
It started out as me making one for myself. That goal has been achieved and I’m actually quite proud. Then i had to go and complicate things 

So… Conclusion on this…
Back to the original idea. I’ll be doing the batch in steel and we’ll see how that goes.
If that turns out with some measure of success we’ll switch to exotics 
In the meantime i could get some Titanium and start practicing… This should make my life interesting. (wow! That sounds like i actually have no life  )


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## wosser (Mar 12, 2019)

I don't really understand the Titanium craze. From a machinist point of view it's a major PITA for several reasons:


Galling (instantaneous, unwanted surface welding) seems to be Titanium's national sport.
$$$
Difficult to obtain in tubular stock of a useful size (Jason Prometheus mentions this on his website)
... consequently there's a large amount of wasted material in swarf and chips which is problematic to recycle economically in certain parts of the world.
Super-fussy about "speeds and feeds" and thermal dissipation in both workpiece and tooling during the cutting process.

If someone wants to change my mind please send me a titanium Alpha for permanent review, thanks .


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## archimedes (Mar 12, 2019)

I don't mind steel in a small flashlight, but I do prefer titanium


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## AER-Lights (Mar 16, 2019)

First-off. Thank you guys to responding to the question regarding material.
I heard the message loud and clear 
Unfortunately I’m not in a position to deliver on that quite yet so for now the “plan” remains unchanged.

So… i figured it was time for a progress report even though there’s not that much to tell.

I received my new batch of stock and i’m in the process of cutting and cleaning it up to prepare for machining.







Since it’s the weekend i found the time to tinker and fiddle a bit and have managed to get the threading sorted. It was one of the things on the to-do list.
It’s hard to make out in the picture but the progress is shown from left to right. Fixing is was just basic stuff. Feeds, speeds DOC etc.
Now it’s time to update the code.






I also received some bits and pieces like o-rings and the initial/test LED drivers.

Last but not least i’ve been looking into the Titanium thing and if i’m right i might have found a “loophole” that will allow me to do it. It will require some testing and i’ve yet to find a suitable piece of stock. 
(I need to get it from within Europe or the import and customs declaration fees will kill me  )
I’ll let you guys know the results as soon as i do but it will be a while.


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## Nimitz68 (Mar 16, 2019)

Looking forward to your progress and updates!


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## TailoredEDC (Mar 18, 2019)

Very impressive first build! I hope that my first will at least look half as good :thumbsup:
Keep up the good work and keep the great pics coming!


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## AER-Lights (Mar 24, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you. And i do hope you make one better/more impressive than mine 

@ Nimitz68, Wosser and the rest of you following along.
Knowing you are following the progress and might even be looking forward a bit to the updates is an incredible inspiration to me.

So without further ado.
Progress report.

I must admit that during the week days I’m not really getting any work done on the project. Daytime work simply takes up to much time. (I guess this goes for most or us.)
But as this is the weekend i got the chance to move forwards and got into a bit of a rhythm which i guess series production is all about.
I got 7 body blanks done. 3 more to go before moving on to dimpling.





Drilling is an issue and will remain one indefinitely on this lathe i suspect. 
I believe it’s pretty much as good as it’s going to get for now but the results vary a bit and i don’t like that . I attached a picture showing worst to best. 
(Unless off-cause i do something crazy like introducing pressure through drill coolant but that’s a project in itself not to mention the cost or the drills  
but then again i might at some point if for no other reason than it annoys me.)





Until next time.


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## ninemm (Mar 24, 2019)

Thanks for sharing your journey in this build! Incredible and inspiring results so far. Even for those of us who simply dream of having the tools/skill/dedication to do it! I really appreciate your philosophy towards the project as well. Keeping it fun and not overwhelming yourself, but still pursuing better and better results. Looking forward to seeing it progress! Cheers!


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## TailoredEDC (Mar 24, 2019)

I hope you are right. time will show :naughty:

Is the drilling your final Op or do you use a boring bar to finish it? 
I have had great results with Sandvik Silent boring bars. the price will bring tears to your eyes, but you can bore amazing deep holes with them completely without chatter.
A carbide silent bar can do up to 14xD !
Another solution is to ream them by hand. that will give you a very nice finish, but you need to leave a little stock for the reamer.

Very nice to see your progress! Hope to be able to share some pics soon


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## AER-Lights (Mar 24, 2019)

@ninemm
Thank you and i’m happy to share 

@ TailoredEDC
Nooooo!!!! Please dont!
I’m pulled towards fancy tools like insects to light.
Which is hardly a surprise 
Yes.. you made me look at the silent tools… aw! 

I’m drilling as the first operation to get every last bit of rigidity out of the system
Going 16.5mm and then basically reaming with a 17mm drill. And they’re YG Cobalt drills.
I don’t have a 17mm reamer and i’m kinda out of money for tools at this point.
Having said that. Yes… you’re right. And thank you for the input. 

Now go do something fabulous.


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## AER-Lights (Mar 25, 2019)

Damn you TailoredEDC :laughing:
I just ordered a what i believe to be suitable reamer.
I don’t have the money to go for the fancy Sandvik Silent tools boring bar at this point.
But yes… You’re right. “It must be better” 

I’ll post a status report as soon as i have a result.


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## wosser (Mar 25, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> @ Nimitz68, Wosser and the rest of you following along.
> Knowing you are following the progress and might even be looking forward a bit to the updates is an incredible inspiration to me.



To see the development of a machining project like this from scratch to a finished product is a rare thing and is fascinating to watch. I've been subscribed to this thread since day 1.

Please don't feel rushed, this is first and foremost your hobby and we are merely spectators.

I think your choice to go with a reamer is absolutely the right thing to do in this situation. A boring bar will probably not solve chatter issues, because the entire machine needs to be super-rigid and the speeds and feeds need to be sympathetic to it. Getting 99% of the work done with a chattery drill is totally valid now because the reamer (used VERY slowly and carefully with lots of lubricant) will get you that vital last 1%. Used right a good quality reamer will last you a lifetime, so that is a brilliant investment.

I look forward to living vicariously through your project. Now I just need some popcorn


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## Nimitz68 (Mar 25, 2019)

wosser said:


> To see the development of a machining project like this from scratch to a finished product is a rare thing and is fascinating to watch. I've been subscribed to this thread since day 1.
> 
> Please don't feel rushed, this is first and foremost your hobby and we are merely spectators.
> 
> ...



Well put. I'm just excited to see the tremendous progress made and looking very much forward to the completed lights. We done, AER-Lights!


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## TailoredEDC (Mar 29, 2019)

Im sorry that I woke the desire for expensive tooling 

Are you located in Europe? Sieg machines are normally not sold under the original brand in hte US


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## AER-Lights (Mar 30, 2019)

Thank you guys!
I’m repeating myself here but… You guys and this forum is amazing.

@ TailoredEDC
Haaahhh… Don’t worry about it. My “shortcomings” can never become your problem 
Yes. I’m located in Northern Europe. Not too far from you in fact.
But looking at the prices the Sieg machinery goes for around here i opted to import it myself. It was certainly a hassle but it came out at somewhere between half and two thirds the cost of buying it locally.


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## AER-Lights (Mar 30, 2019)

Update time…
Got the reamer and put it to work today. Thank you guys for showing me in the right direction on this.
I’ll go as far as to say problem solved.





In addition i had the time so i sneaked another body in there. Eight done two to go 





I’m crossing my fingers i don’t lose any of them during the dimpling operation and i hope the head and tail cap requires less adjustment than the body has turned out to need. 
In addition the rejected parts bin is filling up but i figure i’ll wait until the series is done before i show that


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## TailoredEDC (Mar 31, 2019)

That turned out great! Looks like the reamer tid the trick.

A friend was the importer of Sieg in Norway. They are nice machines for the price!

You should consider to make a mandrel fixing the bodies. 
Thst will insure that the body does not come loose and if you desire you can machine dimples on the full length of the body. It will also make sure you dont get toolmarks on the body.
Make it with a slight taper one end and make a cone that slides on the shaft on the other end. Thread the end and use a locknut to tighten it together. 

Happy machining


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## AER-Lights (Mar 31, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you for the suggestion. (This has been mentioned earlier as well)
Any chance you could post a link or share a picture of how you “see” this mandrel? Or are you thinking of a generic one?

A quick status for the end of the weekend 
Got eleven body blanks done in total and the bore quality is fixed.
No pictures on this one. Sorry guys.

Next up.
I need to mount a stepper to my rotary table.
There's no way i'm doing 198 rotations by hand  (one for for each row of dimples).

Until next time.


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## TailoredEDC (Apr 1, 2019)

This is one way of solving it.






Sorry for the crappy rendring. 

You basically end up with something similar of turning between centres.

You tighten the bolt on the mandrel with a washer and force the tapered cylindre to fix the flashlight body (the fit between the mandrel and the tapered cylindre drawn in brass for easy recognition) should be quite tight, but free running)









you can also buy an expanding mandrel, but good ones are expensive.
arc euro trade has some that is made in the East. Have not tried them so I cant say how the quality is.
https://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Cata...raight-Shank-Expanding-Mandrels-Quick-Release


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## AER-Lights (Apr 1, 2019)

Thank you for the input and don’t worry about the rendering. It gets the message across just fine.

I’ll have to go over that at a later stage as i currently have the dimpling setup functional. (with the exception of the automation)
I’m running an improvised tail stock to keep the body aligned during the operation.
And although i might not be able to do massive production it will suffice for the run i’m doing now. 
But again. Thanks for sharing


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## TailoredEDC (Apr 2, 2019)

You are welcome :twothumbs

Have you looked into the electronic dividing heads yet?

divisionmaster is popular, but pricy. 
They pop up on ebay.co.uk from time to time.

here is one that is more diy, but cheaper
http://www.worldofward.com/rotarycontroller/

you could also use a quick division chuck. that saves the cranking, but you would need to buy a new chuck.

The very last way of doing it (well the last way I know of) is to add a dividing plate to your cnc lathe spindle and mount a live spindle (pneumatic drill works good) on the carriage. that way you can index the spindle with the dividing plate.

The best part with doing it on the lathe is that everything runs perfectly true when the body has been turned. you can also drill a line of dimples in a very short time :naughty:

just make sure that you take precautions so that the spindlemotor is disconnected when the index plate is locked. Someting will break if you start it locked down.


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## George7806 (Apr 4, 2019)

Nice work Stig, it's refreshing to see something original as far as form factor and size. Keep those ideas coming, to push other makers as well! Great work!


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## AER-Lights (Apr 6, 2019)

You know this scenario. You’ve been here…
All setup and ready to go and then you run out of time 

Fortunately i already “CNC’ed” my mill some 10 years ago and while it’s even more flimsy than the lathe it too gets my jobs done.






I did manage some progress in spite of the time restriction.
- The Stepper motor is mounted to the rotary table.
- The “new” 4TH​ axis is integrated to the controller and calibrated. 
- The code is rewritten to use the 4th​ axis.
- The system is tested. (From a mechanical point of view)
- Next step is running the code to get auto dimpling running 

You’ll get a fresh status report on the project tomorrow.

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you for your input but as you can see above i already had the bits and pieces needed. I just needed to string them together  

@ George
Thanks. It's highly appreciated.
And as i believe i mentioned earlier in the thread. If i’m lucky i might inspire somebody.


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## AER-Lights (Apr 7, 2019)

Status report for this week.

Good news and bad news.
- On the positive side the dimpling setup seems to be working as intended.
- The not so good part is a concentricity error that translates into the dimples. E.g. consistency is a bit of an issue. This is not something you see unless you scrutinize the part but it’s there which annoys me J but i’m not going to fix it on this run. (and at this point i doubt there’s going to be a second run but you never know.)

Anyways… Six bodies done.
And with a bit of luck i’ll be done with bodies next weekend so i can move on to the other bits and pieces.


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## ninemm (Apr 7, 2019)

They’re looking awesome!! Thanks for the updates.


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## id30209 (Apr 7, 2019)

+1^^^^^^^


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## AER-Lights (Apr 13, 2019)

@ Ninemm and id30209
Thank you guys. Your too good to me 

So…
Having had the chance to ponder on the dimple size inconsistency mentioned in last weeks status report my OCD has apparently won (No i don’t technically have OCD ) 
i have come to the conclusion that i will not be releasing them in their current state.
My reasons behind this conclusion is that as someone will be paying real money for these they cannot be sub standard. Once we get to releasing them they will still pretty much be advanced prototypes and not full production grade but as the dimples seems to be my thing  they have to be better than they currently are.

At this point a couple of things need to happen to get there.
1. I need to probe the surface prior to cutting the dimples to take out any variation in z height introduced by concentricity error. (this may get us all the way)
2. The setup for cutting the bodies will have to be changed to do both ends and threads in the same setup. Not flipping the part will solve the concentricity problem. It does however introduce a tooling problem that needs to be addressed.
3. Get a better chuck. (my 3-jaw chuck is poor to put it mildly) and I’m seriously looking into a collet system.

The result of this is that from a “production” point of view i’m pretty much back to square one. Not counting the knowledge i gained of cause. 
And the release of these lights will be delayed accordingly. 

Now… Off to the shed to do an auto probing setup which by the way should be fun 
I'll let you know how it turns out.


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## TailoredEDC (Apr 13, 2019)

Looks awesome!

You could look into a 4 jaw chuck instead. then you could make sure it runs true even it the chuck is cheap.

a 5c COLLET INDEXER could be perfect for you.

Kep up the good work! Dont give up!


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## AER-Lights (Apr 14, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you. That pretty much confirms what i was thinking too.
Except I’ll have to go with something like an ER40 instead of the 5C. Would have loved the 5C but i don’t have enough room. 
It simply takes up to much Z travel and my spindle bore is only 20mm so it won't fit.

Give up! Hell we just got here! :laughing:
In all seriousness thanks for the encouraging words. Sometimes it pays off to be stubborn which i must admit is a trait of mine

Status report:
I’m back from the shed and in a bit of a better mood 
I did the auto-probing routine and the results are much better.
Basically i mounted a switch to a stick, fiddled a bit with the code and probed the Z height before cutting each row. A standard microswitch is usually good to about 2-6 hundreds of a mm / 1-2,5 thou which for this purpose is plenty accurate.
And now we have consistent dimples.

Current setup:
(The picture is taken with a test body installed.)





I won't include a picture of the five bodies as they look pretty much the same as the previous ones.

We lost just shy of half of the heard on this one. We’re currently down to six bodies now so i guess i’ll have to go do some more.
Until next time


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## AER-Lights (Apr 20, 2019)

Status report!

So… Having put in ”overtime” we’re sort of back on track 
We now have ten bodies ready and done. (machining that is)
The Auto probing function works a treat and has been as steady and reliable as i could have hoped for. 





And… since i had to go back to do four of them again i had a chance to fiddled a bit more with the drilling routine. A change in coolant/lubrication made wonders to the bore quality. Even though this might not be super relevant for you guys i now have confidence that with time i can get this down which to me is fabulous 

Next up…
Hmmm… boring…
I need to cut more stock.
I’ll get back to you.


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## Nimitz68 (Apr 20, 2019)

Very nice. They look really, really great. I'm excited to see your tremendous progress. Keep up the excellent work.


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## AER-Lights (Apr 21, 2019)

@ Nimitz68
As always your encouragement is highly appreciated 
Thank you.

So i started with a bit of housekeeping.
1. Cut some stock. (lots more to do)
2. Changed a broken end-mill in the lathe. (More about that below)
3. Made a couple of changes to the tail cap code. More specifically i integrated the tail standing capability.

All in order to start the run of tail caps which is “stage 2” in this series run. I still need to make a couple of tweaks before i start the run but we’re getting there.
(as mentioned. A couple of additional tweaks are needed and… the top hasn’t been “polished” yet. Hence the grooves in the picture.)





Broken carbide problems.
Funny thing… well not ha ha funny but still..
A CNC lathe being what it is (stupid) and a human being a bag of flesh and blood. (This one in particular being a hobby machinist)
When you combine the two you will inevitably end up with broken tools 

I’m running a 10mm carbide end-mill as a drill and a boring bar combined and had to install a fresh e.g. unbroken one to move on with the tail caps.
Anyways… I forgot to reset one of the offsets and the result was yet another broken end-mill :shakehead
Fortunately i had been prudent enough to buy an extra last time i was tool shopping but I’m down to my last one.





Until next time.


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## AER-Lights (Apr 28, 2019)

Status report:

FRUSTRATIONS!
Ended up spending the vast majority of Saturday on my day job and when i finally got to playing with flashlights today i got three tail caps done (Second round of sanding and polishing is still missing) and then the controller on my lathe decided to crap out every second time i did a tool change 
Spent most of the day trying to track down the problem. It seems to be working now but i cannot reconcile any of my actions with why. My only thesis that will explain it at this point is a firmware bug in the controller.

On the positive side i did manage to make an additional couple of changes to the code and produce the three tail caps and hopefully enough stock cut and prepped for the remainder of the tail caps. 










Anyways…
Hope to be back on track next weekend although the way things are going right now my day job will most likely interfere.
Until next time


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## TailoredEDC (Apr 29, 2019)

Great to see some progress 
Really looking forward to your next update!

How does your toolchanger give you problems? Sometimes discussing the symptoms with others can give another angle of potentials sources for the problem.

Im still drawing models in fusion of my first flashlight. I want it to be perfect, but I also want to make one while i`m still young 
Have done alot of tooling up lately, and machining, but only made non flashlight parts


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## Zandar (Apr 30, 2019)

I've been following this thread for the last month and I'm very impressed with, what to my non-machinist eyes, is a fantastic first flashlight build! It's thrilling to watch you bring your dream to life. And yes I would happily pay for one of these lights.


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## AER-Lights (May 1, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thats great news. I’m really looking forward to see what you come up with.
I have this funny feeling you’re pretty much a full time machinist with access to the real equipment 
A single piece of advise I’d like to pass along to you if you don’t mind.
Don’t make it perfect. Do 90% – 95% and then ask the guys here for advice to get the rest of the way. I know my light is better for it. 

@ Zandar
You have my sincere thanks. You following along and letting me know is to me a large part of what makes this worthwhile. 
Except for the whole pursuing a dream thing off-cause.
And i’ll make sure you get a pre-warning before these go up for sale 

Status:
I’ve been carrying around the prototype for a while now and I’m happy to report that it’s worked pretty much flawlessly. (not that there’s much to go wrong but still.) I’ve only found one thing that annoys me and needs to be changed.
It’s the angle of the flats on the head. Right now they’re parallel with the axis of the body and not aligning with the end of the tail-cap so if you put it on a table or shelf it’s not as stable as it should be. Trying to explain and illustrate this turns out to be trickier that i thought 




Fortunately that’s fixable and the angle will be corrected when i do the heads.

And then a pic with the right size O-ring fitted to the front just because i don’t think you guys have seen it before.





Until next time.


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## TailoredEDC (May 6, 2019)

Thanks for the advice!
Im hoping to have something to show in not too long. Currently hamstering materials. so many choices!! 

I work with and also make custom design lighting for a living. Looking at venturing alittle more over to EDC, but designing and prototyping is a slow project that unfortunately has seen too little attention the last months.
Its great to be inspired by your project! Please let me know when your lights will be put up for sale. 
Im affraid the limiting factor in my workshop is me. Cant blame the machinery unfortunately :mecry:
Still need to organize the shop better, but im getting there.


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## wosser (May 9, 2019)

@AER-Lights

She's a beauty. I wouldn't worry too much about the stability of the light when it's lying down. Even if you solved this problem, it's made of metal, so it'll simply slide around on most surfaces in any case. 

The only way to solve that would be to put a pocket clip on it or make something like a paracord wrap around it somehow, but either of these would likely ruin the great aesthetics you've achieved.
But you can tailstand / nosestand it right? That's a good compromise.

So when are you going to make us all one of these, huh? Huh? When when?


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## AER-Lights (May 10, 2019)

Thanks guys. You’re too good to me 



> So when are you going to make us all one of these, huh? Huh? When when?


Haaahhh. Don’t worry we’ll get there. I’m working on it 

So.. last weekend was pretty much tied up in work and a family thing so i didn’t really have the time to work on the project hence the lack of an update.
This weekend should prove to be a bit better and i should have a fresh status for you by Sunday. Now if that status will provide progress or machinery issues remains to be seen


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## AER-Lights (May 12, 2019)

Status report:
I’m happy to share that i haven’t run into a single technical or biological issue for that matter and as a result i managed a fair bit of progress over the weekend 
The tail caps are 95% there.

All ten have been machined and i only need to clean up the last four. (it’s the last operation on the tail caps. A bit of sanding and a light polish of the top on the large chamfer)






In addition I’ve started the logistical part of this endeavor which is sourcing parts. The biggest issue i’ve run into so far is finding a reputable supplier of sapphire glass that won’t blow the budget. I may have solved it but more to come on this later.

Switches and rubber boots are en route and LEDs, springs and drivers i’ll deal with after the “glass” situation has been solved.

The last thing on the list besides actually building parts off-cause is some equipment and chemicals to do the plating. 

Next up is heads. These will most likely prove as challenging as the bodies 
As i’m learning the hard way there’s a massive difference between doing a single prototype or two and a batch of ten 

Until next time.


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## id30209 (May 12, 2019)

Allways pleassure to read updates.[emoji106]


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## egginator1 (May 12, 2019)

Batch of 10? I’ll take one!!!

Had to get that in in case I’ll slow when you cut them loose. Great looking project. Have really enjoyed watching the progress.


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## AER-Lights (May 13, 2019)

@ Gordon
Your feedback is always appreciated. Thank you.

@ Egginator1
Haaahhh… Now that’s enthusiasm. I like it :laughing:


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## AER-Lights (May 19, 2019)

Status report:
Ran into yet another tooling problem. Apparently that’s par for the course on this one 
Thursday i broke the seat for the drill holders so not the best of days.
I did however come up with a workaround so the project can continue.

I will have to do a rather comprehensive rework of the lathe including realignment of the turret and redesign and build of some of the tool holders once this batch of lights is 
completed 

On to the actual status. We’re still progressing.
The last polish / finishing work on the remaining tail caps is done and i have moved on to “stage 3” which is the heads.

I currently have five head blanks done and the raw material ready for the next five.
I’ll finish the blanks before building the setup for cutting the flats. I figure i’ll use the same technique i used for cutting the dimples as that turned out quite well.













All in all we’re getting there. Slow but relatively steady progress 
Until next time.


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## Nimitz68 (May 19, 2019)

Beautiful! Great pictures and nicely done. This has really become an exciting project.


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## AER-Lights (May 21, 2019)

@ Nimitz68, As always. Thank you! 
And i highly appreciate you letting me know you’re following along and appreciate the project.


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## id30209 (May 21, 2019)

Just checking in. Patiently waiting for a next episode. 
You’re doing fine[emoji482]


Sent from Tapatalk


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## AER-Lights (May 26, 2019)

@ id30209
Thank you. You know i appreciate it 

It’s time for another status report.
I got in a full (long) day on the project yesterday.
The cool part is that it means a fair bit of progress.
The not so cool part is that it didn’t really feel like “playing”. It felt a bit more like work but i guess that’s inevitable on something like this.
Anyways… over the week and yesterday i turned out the last five head blanks.
All ten of them need another slight polish on the chamfer just like with the tail caps did but that most certainly falls within the category or manageable  









Over the course of making the batch i tightened up the threads a bit as i was reworking the code anyway and i’m beginning to fear that that was a mistake but i’ll find out when we get to the plating process.
I also considered doing a hot bluing (If you’re unfamiliar with the term think old school gun black) on some of them but figured i’d ask you guys if that would be interesting?
And while we’re at it do you guys even care if they’re surface treated at all?
Any opinions on this would be highly appreciated 

Last but not least i’ve started tinkering with the setup to cut the flats. As i mentioned in my last status i’ll be using the same technique i used to cut the dimples but the setup and code is a bit different so a bit of time will have to be invested but this to me is the fun part so..


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## wosser (May 26, 2019)

Hot blueing would look interesting I think. It is a tricky thing to do consistently across a batch unless you can do them all at the same time (temperatures and immersion time are important). Try it on a few rejected parts.


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## AER-Lights (May 26, 2019)

Thanks for chiming in Wosser.
And thank you for the warning although i am aware of the at least some if the issues. So yes… Testing first on rejects 

LOL! Why do i keep doing this to myself :laughing:


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## Zandar (May 26, 2019)

Yes, I'm still following along, and no I don't know anything about hot blueing, or machining for that matter, but my old eyes tell me this project is really something special! And that really means, "I like what I see!" I think the idea of plating is neat but not really necessary on this project, which means two things; One, your going to do it anyway, just because of the challenge and two, you know everyone here wants to see what you can accomplish. Now the challenges really begin, only ten lights and so many choices, let's see, so that's copper, silver, nickel , chrome, zinc, cadmium, brass, gold, rhodium, and of course platinum.... Allright, that's an easy ten for you, not much of a challenge, I know! But you can always add in en plating as well.........:nana:


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## AER-Lights (May 26, 2019)

Haahhh!!!!
That’s brilliant. I believe that qualifies as a tease 

And as always… thank you for following along.


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## Zandar (May 26, 2019)

:laughing:


AER-Lights said:


> Haahhh!!!!That’s brilliant. I believe that qualifies as a tease  And as always… thank you for following along.


My pleasure, and after do consideration I think mine should be plated with platinum. Yes platinum the famous metal of catalytic converters everywhere!


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## egginator1 (May 26, 2019)

These r looking great, hoping that I don’t miss them when they r ready to go....!


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## AER-Lights (May 26, 2019)

@ egg.
Thank you!
Don’t worry about it. 
I figure i’ll give you guys a heads up on when they’re released. And a proper one at that. Something along the lines of a week.

@ Zandar.
Be careful what you wish for.
I will do a platinum plated light if you’ll buy it


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## Zandar (May 26, 2019)

Great, I'll need two then, one for me and one for my friend egginator1:thumbsup:!


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## AER-Lights (May 27, 2019)

@ Zandar
This being a challenge i obviously had to look into it and i have a funny feeling that you’ll find the price unreasonable 
The amount of kit i have to get in order to do that with any fair chance of success isn’t pretty.
There’s some technical “babble” that needs to be in order for this to work on a flashlight such as a predictable thickness of the plating, purity etc.

And last but not least you’d think i’m German right… but no :laughing:


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## Zandar (May 28, 2019)

Well, I guess if were forced to, we can settle on "trash metals", like copper and brass and, gold and silver or dare I say it, titanium! But what a disappointment that will be! And here I thought you wanted to distinguish yourself from all the other start up builders. What happended to all that Scottish inventivness?


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## wosser (May 28, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> The amount of kit i have to get in order to do that with any fair chance of success isn’t pretty.



Which is why outsourcing is a thing


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## TailoredEDC (May 29, 2019)

Looking good!!

If you want I can cerakote one for you in Midnight bronze


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## Zandar (May 29, 2019)

TailoredEDC said:


> Looking good!!
> 
> If you want I can cerakote one for you in Midnight bronze


I like the sound of that!


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## AER-Lights (May 30, 2019)

Warning!!! Rant incoming 



> But what a disappointment that will be!


And yes i saw the "teaser emoji thingie" 
So… how does one respond to that?

First off i appreciate what you’re trying to do. Let’s call it a “nudge”  based on the fact that i’m a sucker for most good challenges i’m presented with. Which by the way is a blessing and a curse but you already know this. 
Having said that it made me stop for a moment and think about the direction this project is taking. The thought in this thread in relation to the small series run was to ask you guys and get as much input as possible and run with that to whatever degree is feasible.

I could take Wossers advise and outsource it but to me that would defeat the purpose of this run. In the future it may very well be the way to move forward as a general strategy as this would leave me time to develop and prototype new things while still being able to offer actual lights to you guys which off cause is on my mind but to me the purpose of this run is still an elaborate experiment in can i actually do this.

The second thing this has made me realize is that at least from my understanding most of you guys actually want to see these lights in Titanium, Mokume Gane, Zirconium and whatever really exotic material you can lay your eyes on which at least initially leaves me with a choice.

I can invest in the kit, time and materials to do plating in a number of metals offering you guys a wide variety in “bandaids” to the problem. (which by the way would delay the release of these lights) 
Or i can finish the run and make sure this doesn’t become yet another project that was never finished and then turn my attention to investing the time and kit in adding titanium to the repertoire.
And i must admit i’m leaning towards option two as this seems to have more of a future.

Don’t get me wrong. I was the one asking the question initially and i highly appreciate your input. Was it not for that i may very well not have gone through this thought process 

One last note on this. The thing is… I could do platinum on the cheap. I believe i have found a way but i wouldn’t be in control of the process. Meaning even if it looked right and shiny which it properly wont i would not be able to control the thickness of the layer deposited and as a result it might simply rub of and i won’t release that as a “product”. 
On the other hand i have no problem releasing these “in the white” e.g. uncoated. Leaving you guys with the option of choosing any finish you can do on your own or through collaboration.

As always. Thank you guys for you inputs, insights and support.
I highly appreciate it.


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## ninemm (May 30, 2019)

Hey there AER - I leave for a month or two and my what progress! Looks like you've come quite a ways in the production. Hopefully the parts (glass, cap, etc) don't cause too much strife. As for the metals or coatings or whathaveyou..what about a simple beadblast or tumbled finish? Beadblast would help with grip, tumbling would be a bit harder/more resistant to scratches. Just a thought. Leaving them pristine is also a good option to get them to market quickly. I think they'd look pretty cool if cerakoted or some such by the owners afterward. 

What are you thinking about for the electronics? Driver? LED? Or is that a bit too far off? 

Thanks for sharing your progress as always!


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## AER-Lights (Jun 1, 2019)

@ Nine
Thank you. and you’re welcome 
I considered bead blasting as well as i personally think the surface looks really cool but unfortunately it doesn’t solve the basic issue.
Coating is a simple consequence of my material choice. They are made from steel and will rust if not coated/treated which is why i keep banging on about it.

The reason i originally chose Nickel as plating is that as a material choice it’s pretty hard, abrasion and chemically resistant as well as being a fairly good conductor.
I know i’m venturing into tech babble here and i’m by no means an expert on this but let me put it this way. There’s a general measurement for hardness of materials called Rockwell. The base steel the lights are made from is about 11 Rockwell C where the standard electro less Nickel plating i’m planning on is about 45. Just to give you a reference point normal 303 stainless steel which most of us consider pretty hard clocks in at about 19 on that same scale. And dare i say that platinum would be in the region of 0.3 

On to Drivers and LEDs.
The plan at this point is to offer up two versions.

The first one which i suspect by far being the most popular one is a combination of a “moonlight special” driver configured for moonlight (obviously) and a low and high setting combined with a Nichia 219C D240 High CRI 4000K LED.
This particular setup was recommended to me by a focus group of one  (you know who you are)

Option two is much simpler.
A direct drive 700ma driver combined with a CREE XP-G2 2700K LED.
The reason for including option two is simply that in my personal opinion a flashlight should be simple. E.g. one mode and by today’s standard fairly low powered.
You know… trying to find the fuse box when the house goes dark i don’t want to fiddle with my flashlight and get blinded by half a sun.
That combined with the fact that as i have mentioned previously am a northern European and we like our color temperature soft 
Having said that i know i’m outnumbered about ten to one on this. Hence two options.

Pre-status report:
On the up side i managed to get the setup for cutting flats on the heads dialed in during the week.
The not so cool part is that the cut isn’t as pretty as i would have liked it so there’s quite a bit of post processing to get them to where i want them to be.
This is going to take a while 






I’ll let you know how i progress


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## Zandar (Jun 1, 2019)

Coat me, plate me, I don't care which, but for G-D's sake do something to protect me! I've heard what happens to flashlights that don't quite measure up and it's not pretty. Oh sure the humans say we're all created equal but what they don't say, is that we can be subjected to the same level of discrimination that they themselves practice on each other. It really is insidious, as we only exist based on the whims of these fickle and often capricious humans. First, through no fault of our own, were born into this dark world, and one of the creators sticks the spark of life, what they call a battery, into our private area and screws us back together and we're now alive and well, and we can now see. Yes we can do something the humans can't, we can actually light up the world around us. Through a process called illumination we get to emit light, kind of like what that big ball in the sky, the humans are always worshiping does . And this must be why we were created because the humans will carry us around everwhere and their always making us emit light by pressing in the special place and I don't really understand how it works but I always get this warm tingly feeling and then I just emit. And I must have gotten pretty good at it, because my human makes me do it all the time, even when the big ball is out doing it's business. Mind you, I don't mind, because it feels so good. In fact, every time I meet another creator and their offspring in a social setting, the humans invariably make us emit together. In the beginning I felt funny about doing this in such a public place, with someone I just met, but it makes the humans happy and now it just feels like the right thing to do. So I get to meet other creators and their children and we learn that we're each a little bit different. Often we find that some of us are more popular than the others, so much so, that we have what are called clones, made of us, that are identical to us except they often have a different spark of life inside or even a different skin color. Unfortunately this is where the trouble always begins, once some of us learn that there are others like them that are similar but look different on the outside they begin to feel insecure and often begin discriminating against these other lights. Pretty soon the lights begin to divide up into factions and the fighting begins. In my case, I don't want to fight, I just want to fit in and be like all the other lights but I can't, because I'm made of steel and without some form of protection, my kind in the end, always suffer from the horrible skin wasting disease called rust. And once you get it, it never really goes away. Oh there are treatments mind you, but no real cures and the best therapies can do right now is to prolong a life filled with skin peeling agony! Right now I'm a young and healthy and carefree light, but how long will that last? After all my human takes me to all sorts of strange places, even in the dead of night, where I often have to perform in less than ideal conditions with lights I barely know! Each time, it's a "roll of the dice" where I run the risk of exposing my body and emitter to any number of dreadful diseases. So please I beg you, protect me before it's too late and coat me or plate me so I can have a chance at a normal life. Don't let me become yet another light cut down in it's prime.


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## wosser (Jun 1, 2019)

@Zandar, -- Hard to respond to that, really.


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## AER-Lights (Jun 1, 2019)

@ Zandar 
WOW!!!
That actually took some effort. And for that alone i’m grateful 
I guess it’s a poem called “reflections of light”

@ Wosser
yep.


Got half the heads cut today. We're still progressing.


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## roadracer46 (Jun 2, 2019)

I’m new to this thread... amazing stuff. Great progress. Excited to see how this will finish up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AER-Lights (Jun 2, 2019)

@ Roadracer
Welcome!
Thank you for letting me know that you’re following along and like what you see 

Status report:
The flats on the heads are cut but need post processing which will take a while to put it mildly.
I did get the cut quality up during the batch but never go to acceptable so they will all have to be sanded and polished by hand.
And i lost one head due to me not paying attention GRRRRRR!

Experiment:
So… not having had the best of weekends on the project i decided to do an experiment.
I figured i’d go and do the Old school hot bluing.
From a technical point of view the result is horrid but... It kinda has this thing about it so i figured i’d share the result anyway. 










Live long and prosper


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## Zandar (Jun 3, 2019)

Wow that looks like a textured finish? I'm nor sure what it's supposed to look like but it definitely has a certain appeal to me. I'm just wondering how durable it would be? Keep up the good work, Zandar


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## wosser (Jun 3, 2019)

Follow that bluing treatment with a short spell in a parts tumbler (10-20 mins maybe with some walnut shells and 1.6mm steel BBs) and I think that would look great.


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## AER-Lights (Jun 8, 2019)

Sorry for the late reply but i had to prioritize my day job.

@ Zandar
Thank you. A Wow is always highly appreciated 
I regards to what it should look like it shouldn’t be pitted and it should have a uniform color.
It has a slight texture to it and it feels somewhere between a bead blast and an HA III anodizing. So.. a rougher/more textured version of an SF C2 Centurion. On top of that the “treatment” was a bit more aggressive than originally planned so it has this “built in” patina. Not unlike what you’d see on an old canon.

Keep in mind that these pictures are close-ups and in the real world half the imperfections shown are not really noticeable unless you scrutinize the light.

When it comes to durability it should hold up pretty well.
It has to be oiled on occasion for the protection to work but that’s the nature of the beast.
This is basically the way guns were done in the way old days and unless you dump it in the ocean e.g. expose it to saltwater it should hold up just fine. The surface may wear on the high spots / sharp edges but i actually think that a bit of wear on this particular light would make it look even better and it won’t be a problem from a technical point of view.
Btw. Not many metals can stand up to saltwater  

@ Wosser
That sounds like a great idea and i’d love to do that experiment too but unfortunately the “shop” doesn’t currently include either tumbler nor bead blasting capability.

This particular light is basically a commission from a dear old friend of mine (his not really a flashlight guy) who for reasons i never really understood insisted it should be black.
Fortunately he loves it in it’s current form so even though the experiment didn’t go to plan it all worked out well in the end.

The Plan:
The plan for this weekend is to make another head to replace the one i lost due to not paying attention and then lots of sanding flats by hand.
As i believe i have alluded to earlier the depth of cut on the flats are even more critical than the depth of the dimples. The size of the flats are consistent coming off the machine but even a light sanding will make it bigger so i have to bring them into a consistent size which is a lot of work. A difference of a thousand of an inch shows.

During the design i wondered why this form of flats isn’t common since in CAD it seems like an obvious way to do it. Well now i know


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## wosser (Jun 8, 2019)

Get a transparent plastic lunchbox (the air-tight type with a rubber seal) and glue a round piece of wood to one side. Fill the lunchbox 25% full with crushed walnut shells and small steel BB's. Chuck the wooden piece into your lathe and set it running at 40 RPM - et voila you have a parts tumbler. 

Total cost $3.


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## AER-Lights (Jun 9, 2019)

Haaahhh 
Thank you.

As with so many things in this project it’ll have to wait a bit but that i just have to give a try.

I’m not really going to have anything even remotely exciting to show this week as the cleanup of the flats is taking forever. I’m currently at 2,5 and i must admit i’m bored out of my mind doing this so…
If we do a second run this is definitely one of the things that has to get “fixed”


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## TailoredEDC (Jun 10, 2019)

Really Nice to hear you are still cranking on! 
When removing tool marks I use a ocillating sander og the type use for general sanding.
I have a Hitachi With 125mm diameter round sanding pad and I use 400grit. Just be careful on edges since it will round them if you apply too much pressure. Take it slow and finish it With sandpaper for a brushed look.
This is a dimmer switch panel With 8 sliders I made for a customer.


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## TailoredEDC (Jun 11, 2019)

I see your time consuming work was not to finish it, but to get the correct size. My bad! I thought it was to remove the scratches.


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## AER-Lights (Jun 16, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you for your suggestion and the picture to prove your point 
Looks great by the way.
And i’m still looking for your thread so if i missed it please let me know.

Status report:
So… this project has given me a thorough lesson in patience 
As well as emphasizing my conclusion from last week.
If more are to come this HAS to be automated.

Ignoring the fact that i have been bored beyond belief and my right shoulder is about to come off i’m going to call this part a success even though i have a slight bit of cleanup on a few of them.

We now have ten flashlight frames (They’re not quite hosts yet) with six flats each.









I also received the switches and boots but i’m going to order the boots from another place as i don’t like the ones i received. The “knurling” on the boots are not as “clean” as i’d like and i know from experience that these can be nicer.

As always. Thank you guys and girls if there’s any among you for your support and advise during this project. It’s highly appreciated. 

Until next time


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## Zandar (Jun 16, 2019)

Well I don't have the experience for advice, but, I do like what I'm seeing, and what I'm seeing looks professional to me! Keep up the good work, Alex


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## AER-Lights (Jun 17, 2019)

@ Zandar
The thing is. As i do not expect everyone who gets one to be a machinist, home, hobby or otherwise your view is actually the one that matters so… Thank you!

And i will keep cracking on 
Most things that are worth doing will have parts to it that are less “attractive” to do so i see this as being the nature of the beast.


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## roadracer46 (Jun 17, 2019)

Beautiful work... love the design. I am absolutely IN when these drop. Fingers crossed 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AER-Lights (Jun 23, 2019)

@ Roadracer 46
That’s the sprit! I’m liking it 

Status update:
To be honest not much is going on.
I’m currently waiting for supplies to do the plating so i took the chance to make a few of spare parts e.g. a couple of heads while i am waiting anyway.
The whole sanding thing really got to me and while i was sanding one of the spare heads i actually broke through the skin on one of my fingers and started to bleed a bit.
So.. so far this project has actually broken sweat caused tears and i’ve bleed. In fact i’ve bleed on more than one occasion.
It must mean that this is worth doing 

I’ve also started fiddling with the code tooling setup for the internals. Switch holder, Pill and “reflector”
First up was the switch holder. I’ve done the lathe part so i’m about half way on that.

Until next time.


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## Zandar (Jun 23, 2019)

Sounds like progress to me. Go Mockbug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## AER-Lights (Jun 24, 2019)

Haaahhhh 
I'll take it!


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## DrafterDan (Jun 25, 2019)

Really coming along, very cool. And I like your first hot bluing, kinda post-apocalyptic but in a cool way. It feels like this torch should have this type of finish, somehow it wouldn't feel right cerakoting this.

Yes, large flats are extremely hard to get looking right. Even high rotational speed milling with low speed travel leaves snail trails. It's extra hard when you're a perfectionist....

and Ice that shoulder


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## AER-Lights (Jun 30, 2019)

@ DrafterDan
Thank you Dan i’m glad you appreciate it. Haaahhh!!! “Post apocalyptic in a cool way" is a fabulous description. 
That might stick if i go down this road again.

And yes… it left me with a bit of a problem  but i keep coming back to the original thought which is. This is all good and fine but the never ending possibilities will inevitably sidetrack the project to a point where if i’m not careful i’ll get lost and never finish the batch and finishing the batch has priority.




> “Yes, large flats are extremely hard to get looking right. Even high rotational speed milling with low speed travel leaves snail trails. It's extra hard when you're a perfectionist....”


Yes you can say that again. The problem to me is actually big enough that it may be a serious inhibiting factor to if i’ll make more. But most problems have solutions. I just have to find it 
The amount of hours that goes into each flashlight at this point is just absurd. But is guess that at least parts of that can be traced back to the perfectionist thing.
Having said that these are by no means perfect but so far they’re as good as my time, knowledge and equipment allows.

BTW. Shoulder is iced now 

I’ll give you guys an update later today. I’m currently working the switch cages and want to make good time on that.


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## AER-Lights (Jun 30, 2019)

Status report:

As i mentioned earlier today i’ve been working on and have now finished the switch cages.






Unfortunately i made a mistake when i did the first iterations and used the wrong reference tail cap. It was basically an earlier prototype and the spacing for the rubber boot was off so i had to go back a couple of times to fiddle with the code to get it right.
On the bright side i actually got into a rhythm on this. While the lathe was making the “base” the mill was cutting slots and contours and i was tending machines the way it’s supposed to work. E.g. tending machines not babying them 





I received the chemicals to do the Nickel plating but i’m still waiting for the last piece of equipment before i can get started. I’ts just a laboratory grade hotplate with a stirrer but i have been needing one on occasion for years now so i figured it was time to get one. So why the fuss???. Simple. They’re expensive  
Btw. It should be good for making sauce Bearnaise but that’s a topic for another forum i guess 


Supply chain:

Drivers:
Having spent a great deal of time pondering what bits and pieces to source and actually deciding on a moonlight special driver from Richard at Mountain Electronics (haven’t actually tried one yet but it sounds great on paper) and i was about to buy a bunch but they’re out of stock. I wrote them an email asking if they had any idea as to when they would be available again but haven’t heard back from them yet. I might have to change the plans a bit to avoid unnecessary delays in release of the lights as i won’t start work on the pills and “reflectors” before i actually have the parts in hand. Chances are that then I’d just have to go and do them again.

Silicone boots:
As i mentioned in a previous post i have ordered and now received yet another a bag of Silicone boots. These are exactly the same as the first batch and i’m not a fan. They’re a bit too thin, they’re not holding dimensional tolerances, they’re a bit too soft and last but not least the checkering is not as defined as i’d like. Fortunately i have just enough lying around in “inventory”  from a bag i purchased years ago so it’s not really a big issue but i’m starting to understand why guys like Prometheus have had their own done. Except for the customization part off-cause 
Hmmm… yet another project for the future.

Live long and prosper.


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## Zandar (Jun 30, 2019)

Somehow, I would have never come up with a combination bearnaise sauce and nickel plating for the Mockbug, ingenious really and dare say we tasty!


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## AER-Lights (Jul 7, 2019)

Status Report:

Well.. not much is happening in regards to getting lights finished.
I’m still waiting for the “hot Plate” to arrive and i’m still waiting on the drivers to get back in stock.

I did do a couple of spare parts but that’s just more of the same.

Since i seemed to have some spare time on this i figured i’d do a bit of housekeeping.
I don’t remember if i mentioned it at the time but i lost the driver for my cnc’ed rotary table on the mill during the project and replacement parts and time are now available so i dove into it and got that sorted. I’m running an old Xylotex driver and have added a bing bong chinesium single axis drive to get my axis back.





It was a bit of a hack job and neither the drive nor the original board is very well documented so i spent a fair bit of time probing and prodding to get it running but in the end it’s a success 
Now i just need to figure out how to fit it in the case. Hmmmmm.





Next up is fixing my broken drill bit holder on the lathe.
I’ll be needing that soon to do the LED covers “reflectors”

Until next time.


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## wosser (Jul 13, 2019)

This whole project would have made such a great youtube channel. It would be like Wintergatan, but for flashaholics


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## id30209 (Jul 13, 2019)

This^^^^


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## AER-Lights (Jul 14, 2019)

Haaahhhh. And thank you.
Inspired by grimsmo i considered doing a bit of a video log on this but must admit that my conclusion was that it was too involved and would without a doubt take time away from what to me was important. Making the actual flashlights that is. 

Having said that i’m no Wintergatan  And i seriously doubt i could bring the perceived energy into the segments to make them worth watching.
You do however have a point. There’s plenty of machine shop and knife making youtube channels but there doesn’t seem to be much choice for flashaholics. (Not counting the endless infomercials that go for reviews these days)

Status report:
It’s now official. Logistics is a major issue
We’re still not progressing much as i’m still waiting for the same parts.
I’ll get you guys an update on the drill bit holder when it evolves beyond a block of steel but other than that there’s no much to show.

It has however made me seriously consider if i should do my own drivers.
My problem however is that there doesn’t seem to be much i can bring to the game for what is basically a low powered light and considering the effort involved it doesn’t really add up beyond replacing one logistics problem with another.
The work done in the other forum over quite a few years by lots of people in regards to drivers is quite comprehensive and improvements on that is possible but the gains would be negligible.

I do however have a plan B.
If the situation doesn’t improve i’ll order a bunch on NANJG AK47 drivers hack them a bit and reprogram them for our purpose  
I’m basically sold on running moonlight mode through a single 7135 and higher power modes through multiple. It’s a simple yet very effective design and since the light isn’t designed to put out a million Lumens the 7135s will do the job just fine. 
“yea but you have considerable power loss compared to a FET” while this is true the custom flashlights we’re seeing here when considering them as a system have other issues in that regard and at the end of the day it’s a trade-off. 

Live long and prosper.


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## AER-Lights (Jul 27, 2019)

Status report:

Finally something is happening again.
Testing on the Nickel plating took a bit longer than i would have liked but i now have a method that works. 
And just in the nick of time as i seem to be running out of compatible scrap parts. They have to have functioning threads to spec. to be any good for testing.

Mind you the lights in the picture are assembled from reject parts. Hence at least some of the scuff marks 
The top light i apparently went overboard on the plating as the layer was way too thick. As a result the threads won’t fully engage. 
In addition the surface started to crystallize in some weird way forming artifacts as well as a finish that was approaching satin. I kind of liked the sating part though.





As an added bonus the light is now so close to ready that i figured it was time to lube up the o-rings and do the water submersion test 
And i’m happy to report that it went well.
Now.. it’s not a Mil Spec standard test or anything. Simply turned the light on, dumped it in the highest beaker i had around (20 Cm - 2/3 foot)and waited for 10 minutes.
Post disassembly showed no sign of water ingress so for normal use this should suffice.




BTW: If any of you choose to take it into space or something let me know. I think we can do a special edition for that  

As always.. Thank you for following along and i’ll keep you posted.


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## TheFraz (Jul 28, 2019)

Love the look and size of the light! Very nice project. I feel your pain about the sanding and polishing by hand.

-Fraz


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## AER-Lights (Jul 29, 2019)

@ Franz

Thank you.
Knowing what you’re doing that’s not a light compliment 
Regarding the pain. Thanks much appreciated. I think it’s one of those things that you have to have tried to know. But the thing about the pain is that it withers away over time but the result still stands 

Just a quick update.
Got half the lights plated 
The plating has the slightest tint but you can’t tell them from the untreated ones unless you’re holding both and compare.

The threads are getting scary tight but that was pretty much to be expected.





And… I’m looking forward to not having to rub them dry them every 10 minutes to prevent them rusting 

The electronics should arrive one of these days so i can get started on the pills.

I mentioned my plan regarding the drivers earlier but as they still don’t have what i need in stock i had to go another route.
In order to execute the new plan however i have to figure out how to program the MCU but there’s plenty of guides for that out there. Plus.. I do have experience programming uProcessors but i have never done Atmels. Should be fun though 

This will off-cause take additional time but if all goes right this might open the opportunity to do custom modes etc. The question I guess is if that is something you guys want?

It seems that there are no shortcuts on this project. I’ll have to get directly involved in every aspect. 
At least i didn’t have to go dig up ore to get steel 

Live long and prosper.


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## Zandar (Jul 29, 2019)

Excellent progress in a relatively short time, but your opening up a Pandora's box on custom modes! So yes, here's one vote for a custom mode.


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## AER-Lights (Jul 30, 2019)

Thank you Zandar.
Your vote is registered 

And yes… i’m aware that offering custom modes will complicate things but i also see it as an opportunity to bring something to the driver.
In fact i’m a bit puzzled that this is not more common on the high end stuff. Yes… you have the click, wait, do a rain-dance then click 88 times again to enter programming mode options for the fancy ones but as a UI i personally find it cumbersome and not very user friendly.

Having said that i figure that the mode options i’ll offer will be relatively simple. That is off-cause if everything goes to plan and the plan is subject to change 

The maximum output of the driver is 700ma.
The Nichia 219c High CRI should put out roughly 260 Lumens at 700ma. I have no means of measuring this so it’s based on a measurement from another forum combined with the datasheet.

Modes 1-5 (Specify modes as percentage)
Moonlight enable yes/no (deducts from modes)
Memory yes/no
Modes ascending/descending

By choosing something like 75% as the highest in modes you’ll also be able to detune the light for longer run times if you’re interested.

These are just my basic thoughts at this point and we’ll have to see how it goes.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 3, 2019)

So… Just a quick update as i’m busy 

The electronics came in and i’ve been working on the default modes. And to a degree of success i might add 
The driver is a hardware modified NJANG AK-47A running a 3-mode program. [Moonlight, 30%, 100%] off of two 7135s. 700ma MAX. for the flashlight.
Choice of memory on/off and intensity decrease when battery low and ultimately shutdown. I still need to verify the trigger voltage etc. but that shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

This is off-cause not something i have written myself. It’s based of the work of Toykeeper and JohnnyC and they have my sincerest thanks for providing both firmware and tools. 

So did that just go off without a hitch?
Are you kidding  nothing i touch just works 
A couple of blown drivers, a POS programmer in the bin and a rework of a raspberry pi to use as a programmer not to mention setting up the environment. (which i fully understand isn’t easy for newcomers. It’s not very well documented and if you’ve never fiddled with programming environments before it’s a steep learning curve)

Until next time.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 5, 2019)

Yet another step in the right direction.

I finished the "reflectors" 
Man is brass nice to work with 





Also got the voltage cut-off on the drivers sorted so the driver situation is pretty much done.

More to come


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## id30209 (Aug 6, 2019)

Yeap, you're getting there...


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## knfmkr (Aug 7, 2019)

This thread was a real page turner. I have some machining skills but geared more towards the sharp and pointy stuff. I have such admiration for custom guys and what they are capable of. Totally another world as far as machining goes and what I’m capable of. The Mockbug is a very aesthetically pleasing, functional work of art. I like the hot blued one, very unique. Well done and looking forward to seeing more.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 11, 2019)

Thank you knfmkr.
I’m really glad you like the read and the design. 
Although i’m not really sure i qualify as a custom guy. At least in the sense you’re referring to 
In my perception it’s more in the category of fairly capable hobby machinist.
(it’s actually kinda funny. I feel pretty much the same way every time i see a “homemade” folder.)

Status Update:
Pill “bases” are done.
And i’m going to repeat myself here. Man is brass a nice material to machine.
I guess that’s why everybody runs brass when they’re setting up jobs 










I also test fitted the first complete light with all the right components and standard code for the driver.





Until next time


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## TailoredEDC (Aug 11, 2019)

Wow this looks very good! Brass is very nice to work with! It is actually the standard of how good a material is to machine with brass as the best machining of them all.
Im still tinkering with my design unfortunately, but Im finding great inspiration in your project. Just need to finish a couple of jobs and It will be my top priority 

Keep up the good work and progress!


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## AER-Lights (Aug 14, 2019)

@ TailoredEDC
Thank you. And brass being the standard makes perfect sense.
Must be different in Europe from the US i believe they use 1018 steel as a reference.

I’m happy that you find my story an inspiration. That’s just about the best i can hope for 
If i can help you in any way please don’t hesitate to PM me


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## AER-Lights (Aug 14, 2019)

I’m happy to announce that were at that point and i figured you should have a head start.
The batch is all but finished and these are going up for sale on Friday at 08:00 CEST. (11 PM Pacific Daylight Time)

I’ll post updated pictures at my earliest convenience 

To all that have supported me in this build with kind words, encouragement and input. THANK YOU!
I highly appreciate it. 

Best
ÆR


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## wosser (Aug 14, 2019)

I'm so stoked that you are on the home straight with this project. It's been exciting to see it progress week by week.

I'm sorry to say that I can't afford to buy one right now, but I'd love to see some beam photos / videos from those fortunate to be able to obtain one.

Do you have a link to where they are going to be on sale?

This has been an awesome thread to follow and you've set a high bar for us all to aspire to. Congratulations ÆR


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## AER-Lights (Aug 14, 2019)

@ Wosser
Thank you again for all the support and kind words.
I'm sorry to hear that you are not in a position to get one at this point and... are you sure about that  

Off-cause. They'll be going up here on CPF.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?40-WTS-CPF-s-Custom-amp-Modified-Flashlights

Yeah. just figured out this forum actually supports funny characters. 
ÆR wasnt a mistake


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## wosser (Aug 14, 2019)

AER-Lights said:


> are you sure about that



Not really sure, no. I'm sorely tempted though, believe me.



AER-Lights said:


> just figured out this forum actually supports funny characters.


That particular one is called an "A-E ligature" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æ). The old (proper) spelling of "encyclopædia" has one (https://www.britannica.com/).


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## AER-Lights (Aug 16, 2019)

Thanks Wosser 
Although i'm one of the relatively speaking few that can actually pronounce “Æ”

Just to keep the thread up to date.
The sales thread is up.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 16, 2019)

Sorry. Can’t help myself 
(This is an experiment that's extra polished)

And here's a link to the sales thread. 
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...-First-small-series-run&p=5329472#post5329472


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## wosser (Aug 16, 2019)

So... shiny...

That thing is bad ***. The movie really brings it to life.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 16, 2019)

Uhhhh…. I forgot to put in the text that the one in the “movie” is extra polished and is an experiment for myself. (I’ve updated it now.)

And as always... thank you Wosser.


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## maxspeeds (Aug 16, 2019)

This light is gorgeous! Any chance of a Titanium or Aluminum version? Living in Hawaii, I'm very cautious of purchasing anything made out of steel as when the electro nickel plating wears or gets scratched, it will quickly rust here.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 17, 2019)

Thank you maxspeeds that’s very kind.



> Any chance of a Titanium or Aluminum version?


Let me put it this way. I need a brake. At this point i’m not even convinced i’ll ever do another run.
And if so it is likely to be a different light. The design would likely be similar but still.

While i do appreciate your concern in regards to the Steel Nickel combination i must admit i don’t share it. I live about a couple of kilometers from the shore up here in northern Europe and it’s built to withstand the rigors of our environment. 
As i was doing the "Post Apocalyptic" finish i had to first plate the lights, then plug up the holes and strip the Nickel from the outside. Knowing what that took i'm not really concerned with the durability of the plating. Well i mean if you sandblast it and leave it in the ocean for a week you're obviously going to have problems but still. 
The environment in Hawaii may be worse but ours is not California 

Having said that this light being a mule doesn’t really have any throw so primary uses would be around the house, in the car or lighting the ground to see where you’re going. 
This is actually the first mule i ever owned and around the house it’s in my opinion nothing short of brilliant. You get a really wide field of view with virtually no hot-spot making it ideal for close quarter kinda things.
Although one is never encouraged to use your own product  last i really used it was in a vertical installation duct. 
It’s been a pain every time i had to do anything in there (Normally using an SF E2L) because there’s no space and i normally either get “blinded” by the hot-spot or there’s not enough spill to see what’s going on. 

BTW: this is actually a chemical Nickel Phosphorus plating. It's harder and more abrasion resistant than electroplated nickel.

If there's anything else i can do to alleviate your concerns please let me know.


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## badtziscool (Aug 27, 2019)

The Mockbug arrived today and it’s awesome!! You just don’t realize how compact it is until you have it in hand. Below is a couple of pics next to a McGizmo Mule and an E1e, which are already very compact lights. I just love the shape and how it fits in the hand. Very well finished and smooth. No hard edges. And the dimple grip pattern is a pleasure to run your fingers over. Thank you AER-lights for sharing your story and letting us see this come to fruition.


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## AER-Lights (Aug 28, 2019)

@ Badtziscool


> The Mockbug arrived today and it’s awesome!!


That is just about the ultimate reply and much more than i had dared to hope for.
THANK YOU!

That’s some mighty fine company in those pictures.



> Thank you AER-lights for sharing your story and letting us see this come to fruition


Not that i think you doubt this but it’s been my pleasure. And i'm still overwhelmed by the support and help from you guys on this project.


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## AER-Lights (Sep 7, 2019)

*Mockbug reflector mod*

With things coming along nicely in the sales thread. Ehh ok... It might have stagnated a bit but we’ll see what happens  i figured it was time to complicate things again 

The thing is that in context quite a few of you have suggested, requested, wanted a reflector light instead of a mule. (Btw. most of this was by PM) 
And going into that leaves me with a couple of options.



I can go back and redesign the whole thing to accommodate a reflector. (As i have stated earlier as well)
I can try to come up with a big honking shoehorn and attempt to make it fit.

At this point in time i’m not really a fan of option a. so i guess option b. is what we’ll do 





The problem in a nutshell is to make the reflector (2) fit in the space of the LED “cover” (3) using only the space i can steal from the pill (4) + whatever is left over from the cover (3).

I did some mockup testing to get an idea of the throw vs. spill of the reflector i ordered and to my surprise it seems to be pretty much spot on. Off-cause it has a lot less spill than a mule but if i compare it to something like an SF E2L (KX2) which used to be my go to light it has a lot more spill so as a compromise I think we’re good.
I figure i should mention that i always believed that the KX2 has too much throw and not enough spill. 

This should be a fun challenge 

I’ll let you know how this turns out. But it’s likely to be a while.


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## badtziscool (Sep 7, 2019)

Definitely looking forward to seeing the progression of this one. Good luck and have fun!


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## pc_light (Sep 7, 2019)

Nicely done AER-Lights, the Mockbug looks like a gem.

If space is at a premium would you consider an optic? There are some low profile optics (e.g., Fenix E16) that throw much like traditional reflectors.

I think "option b."- shoehorning would be a great idea. Particularly if you make retrofit kits available for both the remaining lights and those already sold. You would have the start of a "system" of lights with interchangeable engines/reflectors and keep existing customers coming back for more!

GLWS, sub'd and following.


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## AER-Lights (Sep 7, 2019)

*Mockbug reflector mod*

Is it modding if you’re changing your own design? Or would that be development 

The initial stage of this went a lot faster than i had anticipated.
In addition to adding the reflector the power was upped from 0,7 amp to 1.0 amp which should theoretically translate into approx. 360 lumens at maximum "umph". 
I also changed the driver code to be a two mode only. High and Low.



Centering the LED is a bit fiddly but doable as Obviously i don't have a centering jig for this experiment.
I may have developed a thermal problem but further testing will show. (Further testing showed this not to be the case)
There's an odd anomaly in the hot-spot i need to figure out where comes from. It might be down to centering. (Centering issue which is now sorted)
Had to cut down a winding on the switch spring. (not much i can do about that)
It will no longer take over-sized e.g. long protected 16340 cells. (not much i can do about that)

But other than that it’s pretty much a drop-in kit  (Yes... highly inspired by pc_lights comment)






The driver now extends a bit into the body tube. I needed another 3mm or so.
And the wires are now thinner but double as that means i can route them around components within the pill.





@ Badtziscool
Thank you. And i guess i’m sorry but for now it’s pretty much sorted. Unless off-cause i choose to go with pc_Lights suggestion.

@ pc_light
Thank you!
Yes i would indeed consider an optic. I’ll have to look into that.


> I think "option b."- shoehorning would be a great idea. Particularly if you make retrofit kits available for both the remaining lights and those already sold. You would have the start of a "system" of lights with interchangeable engines/reflectors and keep existing customers coming back for more!


That’s actually a pretty interesting concept. Thank you.


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## AER-Lights (Sep 7, 2019)

Quick update.
Had to go back and verify the anomaly in the hot-spot.
Simple... LED alignment. 
Once centered it came together just fine 

Best
/ÆR


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## AER-Lights (Sep 8, 2019)

*Mockbug reflector mod*

*Comments:*
I updated the “reflector mod post” but i forgot to mention that since this is designed to add some throw to the light i figured i should up the power a bit as well. It’s now running 1 amp at maximum which should translate into approximately 360. 

The code is also updated to run two mode. Low and high as to me at least moonlight doesn’t make much sense with this mod.

Although it seemed simple from the post above a lot of time went into this mod and due to the construction there’s not much room for efficiency gains if more are to be built.

*Testing:*
Worrying that the mod had an inherent thermal problem i went off and did a bunch of testing. Basically i “dumped” four battery charges through it in continuation and in the end that turned out to be pretty boring. 
The light and engine handled it with no issues what so ever 

So at this point all i would need to do is come up with a LED and Reflector centering jig and that’s about it.

If any of you guys want this send me a PM.
If there’s enough interest i’ll build a small batch and we'll off-cause process it through the WTS thread.

At this point all i have to add is that "well this was good fun" And it would seem that shoehorns really do come in big versions 

Best
/ÆR


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## wosser (Sep 11, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*

Regarding the comments about reflectors, I'm not sure if you have already tried this but instead of adding optics, how about removing the silicone dome from the LED? Does that cause the beam to throw a little?


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## badtziscool (Sep 11, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*



wosser said:


> Regarding the comments about reflectors, I'm not sure if you have already tried this but instead of adding optics, how about removing the silicone dome from the LED? Does that cause the beam to throw a little?



Typically, slicing the dome off of an LED helps with tightening up the beam profile, but you still need to have some mechanism to focus the light forward. A de-domed/flat-dome led would still be pretty floody without an optic or reflector.


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## AER-Lights (Sep 15, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*

Thank you guys for the suggestion and rebate on dome slicing.
As suggested i’ve been looking into lenses including regular domed optics as well as lenses based on the Fresnel principle.

I do have a bit of background knowledge in optics. Not a ton but still. 
You need some distance between the emitter and the lens for any of them to work and at this size from what i can tell it turns out it doesn’t matter much in regards to the complete length of the system if it’s a reflector or a lens. Although i might be able to pick up a couple of millimeters with a “tuned” lens.

@ badtziscool
This however makes me really curious about the “Fenix E16” any way you could try to assess if the lens is actually cone shaped?

Anyways… i ordered more reflectors as i figure I’ll do a couple of reflector lights and post those in the WTS post.


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## badtziscool (Sep 15, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*

Not too sure what you’re asking about. The E16 looks like it uses some sort of optic to shape its beam profile. So there should be some inherent curve/shape to it to efficiently capture all of the light from the led. Is that what you’re referring to?



AER-Lights said:


> Thank you guys for the suggestion and rebate on dome slicing.
> As suggested i’ve been looking into lenses including regular domed optics as well as lenses based on the Fresnel principle.
> 
> I do have a bit of background knowledge in optics. Not a ton but still.
> ...


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## TheFraz (Sep 17, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*



AER-Lights said:


> Thank you guys for the suggestion and rebate on dome slicing.
> As suggested i’ve been looking into lenses including regular domed optics as well as lenses based on the Fresnel principle.
> 
> I do have a bit of background knowledge in optics. Not a ton but still.
> ...



I've found with reflectors and optics the difference between a smooth pattern and artifacts is less than .01" or even less for a focal point on the emitter. Even with a rule of thumb of the injection molds (or pdf schematics) created for popular optic seating it still has to be tinkered with. In my opinion, the useful light is paramount to the pattern on a wall and I can appreciate the engineering more than the beam pattern - just imo.


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## pc_light (Sep 21, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*



AER-Lights said:


> @ badtziscool
> This however makes me really curious about the “Fenix E16” any way you could try to assess if the lens is actually cone shaped?



Badtzicool wasn't sure because actually I was the one to mention the Fenix Lens in the post just prior to his.

Here is an image from Fenix marketing literature about the lens. -





The lens is almost pancake like in shape rather than conical and it produces a beam more like a reflector than that from a Fresnel lens. They do work but the issue is where to source them :thinking:


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## badtziscool (Sep 21, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*

Ahhh. I understand now. Yeah that would be perfect in this application but you’re right. The question now is where it can be sourced. 



pc_light said:


> Badtzicool wasn't sure because actually I was the one to mention the Fenix Lens in the post just prior to his.
> 
> Here is an image from Fenix marketing literature about the lens. -
> 
> ...


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## AER-Lights (Sep 22, 2019)

*Re: Mockbug reflector mod*

Apologies for the absence my day job took over for a while there 

Thank you guys for chiming in.

This was the exact question and answer i was looking for.
And you’re right. Where to source those???
I’ve been searching high and low but apparently my Google Fu isn’t strong enough  so if any of you find them please let me know.

Also my brain wandered a bit and i started thinking about a “reverse Maksutov” optic. 
Although i have absolutely no idea how i would do that in the real world but it would make for an interesting experiment.

But ultimately a 3mm lens like on the Fenix would solve the problem.


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