# 1D Mag the easy way, a DIY using hand tools..



## StefanFS (Mar 26, 2009)

I had a pewter 4D Mag lying around waiting for that extreme hotwire mod that was never going to happen. Instead I decided to make my own shorty MiniMegaLite running on one LiION D or one emoli etc. It had to have room for some cells in that category.

Step one. Remove all threads on the inside of the head. It needs to be flush. I used my Dremel clone and various tools for it.









Next hacksaw your batterytube to desired lenght. Make sure the cut is true.








I wanted it as short as possible and still be able to utilize D-LiION or emoli. ~142 mm felt right for this. I also wanted the tube smooth for the cool look and feel.








Some filing and the parts are flush, not tight and not loose. Later on I fixed the parts with JB-Weld.








Starting the drilling for the switch. An easy way to get it right is to hold the tube in exact line with a light source to get the correct position to drill and mark it in a few dots along the tube. Measure the inside compartment above the switch and under the heatsink used to make sure your choice of driver fits. Then find a spot to drill along the tube. Start with a small drill and increase tho hole in increments. I opted for using a switch cover sold on DX and KaiDomain, 14 mm. That means a hole that's 14 mm. It's necessary to remove a few mm from the post in the switch boot. Trial and error. It takes a while to position the switch boot perfectly.

























Mark the position for the ground screw by centering the switch assembly and turn down the ground screw really hard. Then drill very gently with a small diameter drill bit in that mark. A fraction of a mm.


I opted for an optic and four Cree R2 driven in parallell, a total of 2.8A. Fixing the stars with AA epoxy and using the head for pressure. I used a Multi-Sink from user download for this light.








A detail of the sink and the switch with the AMC7135 based driver setup. It's a 2 level multimode setup.








Finished. The head, barrel and switch assembly are fixed in place with JB-Weld as I wanted a very stable and robust light. It's possible to drill some holes and use screws to fix the parts instead. UCL glass lens from Flashlightlens and a shorty spring from KaiDomain













This type of mod works for lights that use fixed focus, like my optic here, or SSC P7/Cree MC E based Maglites.


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## DUQ (Mar 26, 2009)

That's very cool Stefan. I'm gonna try that sometime.


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## AlexGT (Mar 26, 2009)

Pretty good results for only using hand tools!

Thanks for sharing!

AlexGT


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## Northern Lights (Mar 26, 2009)

StefanFS said:


> Starting the drilling for the switch. An easy way to get it right is to hold the tube in exact line with a light source to get the correct position to drill and mark it in a few dots along the tube. Measure the inside compartment above the switch and under the heatsink used to make sure your choice of driver fits. Then find a spot to drill along the tube. Start with a small drill and increase tho hole in increments. I opted for using a switch cover sold on DX and KaiDomain, 14 mm. That means a hole that's 14 mm. It's necessary to remove a few mm from the post in the switch boot. Trial and error. It takes a while to position the switch boot perfectly.


 
What an excellent idea. I was looking for a method to shorten a light without a lathe, this is it.

I figured I could chuck up the tube on a mandrel and spin it in a drill press and apply a hack saw blade held in a vice to get the cut...
That might work to grind the threads out too.

But I do not quite understand how to align the tube and light to get the hole position. Please explain some more.


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## StefanFS (Mar 26, 2009)

Northern Lights said:


> What an excellent idea. I was looking for a method to shorten a light without a lathe, this is it.
> 
> I figured I could chuck up the tube on a mandrel and spin it in a drill press and apply a hack saw blade held in a vice to get the cut...
> That might work to grind the threads out too.
> ...


 
The aligning part is about getting the right position on the curve/circle that the tube really is...


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## lumafist (Mar 26, 2009)

Fan.....!!!!

Respekt...!




Frickin hardcore work...!
I love stuff like this..!


You should have cut it shorter though!
I have mine doing a 18500....:twothumbs


Very nice work AND clean....:twothumbs


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## tx101 (Mar 26, 2009)

instead of the side switch, how about installing 
a tail switch :devil::devil:


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## lumafist (Mar 26, 2009)

tx101 said:


> instead of the side switch, how about installing
> a tail switch :devil::devil:


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## download (Mar 27, 2009)

:wow: StefanFS, Powerful modding force! :thumbsup:
I would like to recommend to add warm tint led inside, it turns the real world rendering near perfect. 
It brings white as WC & Incan color as the same time. ( I used Q3 WC & P3 7A like incan tint.)


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## Sgt. LED (Mar 27, 2009)

How much?


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## rizky_p (Mar 27, 2009)

Excellent idea :twothumbs


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## VidPro (Mar 27, 2009)

wow i never would have thought, i could almost do that at home, and save $40. course mine would look just a bit rougher 

now your just a few steps away from making the motorized Aspherical adjusting focusing mod, where the mag head glides up and down on the tube.


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## f22shift (Mar 27, 2009)

i like it. 
i was trying to think how to make a shorty for cheap. i was wondeirng if you get a pipe cutter, would it cut the barrel or is it too thick.

a tailswitch would be nice to make it even shorter.


or if you cut under the switch and the length of the barrel you want, could you jb weld the 2 pieces( i gues more on the inside to look better cosmetically)


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## StefanFS (Mar 27, 2009)

About using a tailcap switch. 
Sure, that's a nice feature and it shortens the light even more. But I like the excellent Mag switches, they are robust and work for decades. Especially in this light where I wanted to achieve maximum reliability and robustness. Driver and wires etc. are potted with silicon glue. This was a first experiment, now I have to find a lathe and some other equipment.


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## tx101 (Mar 27, 2009)

Just me think out loud .... 
tailcap,a home made momentary switch, D2flex and a P7 emitter :twothumbs


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## spc (Mar 27, 2009)

thats a great idea! Just focus your emitter then bond the head on..
Now how about a tail-cap-clickie how to


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## Northern Lights (Mar 27, 2009)

spc said:


> thats a great idea! Just focus your emitter then bond the head on..
> Now how about a tail-cap-clickie how to


 
Fairly easy. Drill a hole in the tail cap put in one of the tail cap covers sold by Dx or KD as these have wide skirts or if you get fancy you can notch the rim for the Mag cover.
Put a Judco switch, btw you can get these in momentary which is what you need for the D2FLEX,
similiar to this:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=504PB-ND
on a round board cut with a circle cutter (board material available from electronic shops), plexiglass can also work, and drop it in. A "C" clip without a notch in the wall of the tail cap will hold it in the tail cap ok. This light is fitted in that manner, it uses a mag cover but the after market switch cover would have been better:





The type and depth of the cover determines how the cover will sit, out or recessed.


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## tx101 (Mar 27, 2009)

Wanna make a tailswitch 

LOOK HERE


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## ma_sha1 (Mar 27, 2009)

Nice one,

I was going to cut one myself for 1D p7 using my table saw, 
but I didn't want to glue the head & lose the focusing.
I would had to cut the tube in half, keep the thread on both end &
join the tube back in the middle. 

For Quad led, it doesn't matter, as you can't keep the focusing function anyway.


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## Northern Lights (Mar 27, 2009)

ma_sha1 said:


> Nice one,
> 
> I was going to cut one myself for 1D p7 using my table saw,
> but I didn't want to glue the head & lose the focusing.
> ...


With the single P7 on the LOP reflector sold by KD and DX it does not focus very well any way. Dead down bottomed out onto the LED gives the best hot spot, no donut.

I had one where the head was hanging on a burr on the sync and I thought it was all the way down, it was 1mm or less than all the way down and the beam pattern was horrible compared to three others, two I built and one MTE all 4 with that reflector. Just that little bit up from the bottom spread the hot spot way out. It was a great flood but not that much of an imporved flood to give up the throw. I finally found what that difference was, it was so slight I did not see it readily. Once the reflector was down where it belonged the beam was corrected.
With that reflector you do not need and probably will not want to focus it. 
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12229
BTW- The vendors sell this reflector with a P7 already in it as an altermative product. That with the P7 all ready in it does not heat sync as well as the DIY syncs sold such as the H22A. 

My MTE has a thermal cut out and uses that small sync if you can call it a sync. It does cut out long before the the P7s on the D2Flex thermal cut out and H22A react to temperature. Usually the H22a syncs so well it does not trip the D2Flex thremal protection at all.


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## kosPap (Mar 27, 2009)

Stefan this is a classic case of the Columbus egg conundrum....

I could have thought it myself!

BRAVO!


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## jasonck08 (Mar 27, 2009)

Nice idea! I might have to try it sometime!


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## darkzero (Mar 27, 2009)

Cool, reminds me of the one Chodes did. He also did it with a hacksaw & JB Weld. He called his garage modded short body. I liked his cause it was all smooth too & the glow powder looks nice. He made up a tail switch though.


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## Aircraft800 (Mar 29, 2009)

Good Find Will, I forgot about that one. I had some pictures of 2 HSJB (Hacksaw and JB weld) LED mods that member DonShock brought to a 2007 get-together. I'll have to dig them up, they also turned out great.

Nice Work! I love the Garage Mods, right up my alley!


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## StefanFS (Apr 1, 2009)

I have to say that a tail switch really doesn't belong on a 1D D-size Mag. I think it can be great on a cutdown C-size Mag or all the 18650 sized lights I have, but on a light this thick and massive (500 grams) it's better to use a thumb clicker. It's just better ergonomics in that! I have very big hands and holding a light this size to tailclick is awkward, even for me.







A tailcap switch is cool, but there are other things to consider in doing a successful mod that works in everday use. I'm thinking about maybe getting some C-size Mags for my wife and cut them down really short and use a tail switch.


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## LEDAdd1ct (Apr 1, 2009)

I am *very* impressed! You make it look so easy!


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## khoalie (Apr 2, 2009)

ok this build absolutely kicks ***, might have to try this one out. love the side switch, and download's use of one warm led in the mix is a great idea. i might throw a red one in there instead, similar to mac's sceptre.


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## javiole (Sep 21, 2009)

f22shift said:


> i like it.
> i was trying to think how to make a shorty for cheap. i was wondeirng if you get a pipe cutter, would it cut the barrel or is it too thick.
> 
> a tailswitch would be nice to make it even shorter.
> ...


 

pipe cutter will work. Although you need a good one + strong hands. I did it in my first bike mag light. I just needed about 50mm long body with no switch hole and wanted both threads in the body so I won't mess with the cables when screwing the tail cup with the on-off switch and battery cable connection. I cutted the body twice. Once between the o-ring and the switch hole, a couple of mm away from the o-ring, about 16mm from the top. The other cut was about 35mm above the bottom of the body. Glue both parts together. Aesthetically looks perfect since the join is hiden inside the mag head once it is screwed in. It took me less than 15mins and $36 dollars saved!!

as always, great work stefan!!


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## PCC (Sep 21, 2009)

The only thing about using a pipe cutter is that it pushes the material outwards as the blade pushes into it. You end up with a bit of a ring at the edge of the cut.


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## jar3ds (Sep 21, 2009)

tail caps are cool but they do have their limitations.... they aren't the best for every light...

i agree the side switch might be a better setup for a Mag D light....

I'm very interested in the beam profile and the optic used... where did you get the optic? also ; can we get a beam shot of how the beam looks?! 

Thanks again for sharing this awesome idea!!


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## StefanFS (Sep 21, 2009)

jar3ds said:


> tail caps are cool but they do have their limitations.... they aren't the best for every light...
> 
> i agree the side switch might be a better setup for a Mag D light....
> 
> ...


 

There is a light used in post #2 in this thread that has an identical optic:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/212835

Those beamshots are not very good and they were made with compromises due to bad weather. They do show that the optic has a nice and even hotspot even at quite some distance and that it can light up the surrounding areas with a more than adequate spill. It's a very good optic at a bargain price, the two lights I have them in are used daily as they have nice even spill and pretty good throw. I got the optics from DX (sku 1915), but they are available from other online stores, in a variety of countries, as well. Link: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1915


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## ^Gurthang (Sep 22, 2009)

Using a pipe cutter....be careful and take your time! I did pipe cutting long ago so here are a few tips: 

Make certain the cutting blade is sharp w/o any nicks
Secure the tube so it can't shift or rotate 
Wrap the tube so you don't tear up the finish 

Cutting: 
Tighten down the cutter until it makes contact...DON'T CRANK IT DOWN!

Tighten down 1/8th turn

Rotate the cutter to score the the body, check to make sure the score is one continuous circle [not making a spiral, that means the cutter is mis-aligned]

Once you've got a good score line tighten the cutter down 1/4 turn and rotate the cutter slowly at least 3-4 times until you feel the cutting resistance lessen.

Repeat the above step but reverse the cutting rotation [this prevents tube distortions and reduces burrs]

Keep making small cuts, you'll feel the cutter begin to bite deeper but resist the temptation to "crank down", you want to make a smooth even cut, not crush the tube.

When you're very close to making the final few rotations "rock" the cutter back-and-forth to complete the cut. 

Taking your time will produce a clean even cut w/ minimal burr and no tube distortion.


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## TakingVacation (Dec 7, 2009)

Started building a few of the low-budget Mag 1D's. I'm using a Compound Miter saw with a stock Carbide tip. Carbide tip is way harder than the Aluminum, just have to go waaay slow, but it cuts nice/clean and square across the Mag. 

I'm making one with the main tube at 107mm, following the process listed in this thread. The 18650 (actually about 69mm length) is going to a modified spring inside the tailcap, just enough to make connections. 

The second one is using a tailswitch that I took from a another EDC 7.2v light. The main tube is going to be just at 90mm (3.5" or so) plus the tailcap and head, using the 18650 battery. 

Will post pics when I get finished. 

Agree that the tailswitch doesn't make a lot of sense, but just wanted to see what it would look like. It's so short, I can mount on a bike or put in a jacket pocket. I'm not at home, but thinking the total length is going to be around 120-125mm (less than 5" total).


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## Turn Key (Dec 9, 2009)

Can you do this with rebel led 2d mag, also would it work with just 1d battery or would you use a different power source?


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## abbyjhon (Apr 13, 2011)

Thanks for info...


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