# A single use/disposable Maglite!



## subwoofer (May 10, 2010)

My fiancée handed me her 10 year old 2D Maglite asking me if it was any use or if she should throw it away. 'It is pretty good it has lasted quite a while as I only use it occasionally'.

It looked in almost perfect condition, but when I tried to undo the tail cap to remove the batteries, which I assumed would be in a pretty horrible state, I could not. I took off the reflector and could smell battery juices, and so began my efforts to remove the tail cap.

After escalating in the brutality of my attacks, I have decided to give up as I either simply cut the cap off or throw it away. Initially I tried not to scratch the torch and used penetrating oil to try and loosen it, but after having no luck started to use tools that bite into the metal to get a better grip. Eventually I drilled a hole through the cap and inserted a metal bar to use for more leverage. After building up to hammering the bar to try and turn the cap all I ended up with was a bent bar and the holes in the cap getting oval shaped as the aluminium deformed.

That tail cap is not going to unscrew! I imagine the treads have corroded so badly they are welded together.

Oh well, I think I'll cut the cap off and see how badly damaged the inside is, maybe I can salvage it to use as a host for a custom light with special power pack.


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## RAGE CAGE (May 10, 2010)

Gnarly...could you post some pics of the carnage?

You need to include "I promise to never leave alkaline batteries in flashlights whilst they are not being used" in her part of the wedding vows....


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## Roger999 (May 10, 2010)

Have you tried clamping the tail cap with a vice and then turning it with gloves? If it was me doing that, I'd probably have raged and smashed the light lol.


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## COAST (May 10, 2010)

RAGE CAGE said:


> Gnarly...could you post some pics of the carnage?
> 
> You need to include "I promise to never leave alkaline batteries in flashlights whilst they are not being used" in her part of the wedding vows....


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## mrartillery (May 10, 2010)

Try a vise and a big pair of vise grips, it'll leave teeth marks but i don't think you're going for appearance at this point . Hit the vice grips with a hammer to jar it loose.

After all this is said and done, IF the cap comes off, then you have the horrid task of removing those batteries. Good luck! :laughing:


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## swampgator (May 10, 2010)

mrartillery said:


> Try a vise and a big pair of vise grips, *it'll leave teeth marks* but i don't think you're going for appearance at this point . Hit the vice grips with a hammer to jar it loose.


 
Pad the jaws of the vice and the vice grips with a piece of scrap leather and you'll avoid the teeth marks unless you really crank down on it.


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## mrartillery (May 10, 2010)

swampgator said:


> Pad the jaws of the vice and the vice grips with a piece of scrap leather and you'll avoid the teeth marks unless you really crank down on it.



True. But if its as tight as he says it is it will probably have to bite into the metal.


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## think2x (May 10, 2010)

Pull the switch out through the front by removing the retaining ring, cut tube to 1D and buy a bust-a-cap tail?


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## ruriimasu (May 11, 2010)

i was thinking... could you have turned the cap the wrong direction? :thinking:


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## Mr Bigglow (May 11, 2010)

The car mechanic's secret to removing corroded parts is to apply penetrating oil, wait a bit, and then heat the connection with an acetylene torch to break the corrosion. Not sure that the oil is really necessary but that's what I was told. In the case of such a mag, I would go outside and GENTLY use a propane torch, wearing gloves and eye protection, and be very very wary about the hazard of boiling the battery juices, etc. And resort to vice grips if necessary. 

Actually, I would ask a relative to remove the cap. I have several in mind.


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## guiri (May 11, 2010)

swampgator said:


> Pad the jaws of the vice and the vice grips with a piece of scrap leather and you'll avoid the teeth marks unless you really crank down on it.



Yeah, I'm thinkin' he's past that at this point...


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## guiri (May 11, 2010)

Oh, and here's one thing no one mentioned...have you considered beating HER on the head with it? That should loosen something up...not sure what but I'm thinking it'll be for the better... :devil:


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## fyrstormer (May 11, 2010)

Mr Bigglow said:


> The car mechanic's secret to removing corroded parts is to apply penetrating oil, wait a bit, and then heat the connection with an acetylene torch to break the corrosion. Not sure that the oil is really necessary but that's what I was told. In the case of such a mag, I would go outside and GENTLY use a propane torch, wearing gloves and eye protection, and be very very wary about the hazard of boiling the battery juices, etc. And resort to vice grips if necessary.
> 
> Actually, I would ask a relative to remove the cap. I have several in mind.


Yeah, I think the risk of boiling the batteries outweighs the rewards of finding out what happened. After all, we already know what happened. Leaky alkaline batteries happened.


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## guiri (May 11, 2010)

Hence the suggestion to let a relative do it :devil:


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## IlluminatedOne (May 12, 2010)

Would soaking it in vinegar loosen it up any as that usually gets the alkaline fluid off most things.


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## DIY Lumens (May 14, 2010)

Unless your time is worth nothing and/or you enjoy digging into corroded parts, it would probably be best to salvage the head and throw the rest away.
I have seen one in similar condition that soaking in penetrating oil for a week, then clamping in a big bench vise sans padding until the tube started deforming, and using a pipe wrench (also without padding) on the tailcap, still would not break it loose. The body turned in the vise.


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## swampgator (May 14, 2010)

DIY Lumens said:


> Unless your time is worth nothing and/or you enjoy digging into corroded parts, it would probably be best to salvage the head and throw the rest away.
> I have seen one in similar condition that soaking in penetrating oil for a week, then clamping in a big bench vise sans padding until the tube started deforming, and using a pipe wrench (also without padding) on the tailcap, still would not break it loose. The body turned in the vise.


 
I have a Streamlight SL-35 that someone long ago decided to try to run on akalines. Actually it was given to me as a resurrection project. I managed to get one of the batteries out. Did all the tricks described above and nada. I've even drilled the core out of the cells in an attempt to crush the cells down on themselves. Still no dice. Now I have a slightly out of shape head and a body that now has a much grippier (is that a word?) surface. In hindsight I should have left it alone. At least it would be in a displayable condition.

Along the same lines but slightly OT, I found a ROV Sportsman 2D in my parent's barn. Switch is corroded over and won't move but batteries did come out. It's in bad, bad shape but it's my next project awaiting rebirth.


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## subwoofer (May 15, 2010)

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions (including did I turn it the wrong way!)

Having an "M. Eng" after my name (a Masters Degree in Engineering for those that don't know) I hope I would remember my lectures on "righty tighty, lefy loosy" ;-)

It is now dismantled, using a hacksaw...

Click on the thumbnails for a bigger picture:

This is the end cap with nice looking spring. You can see the hole that I drilled through the cap which had a steel rod through it to give extra turning power. This was not enough and I had to cut it off.





Then we have the lovely white crust at the end of the battery. The part that would have had the threads had no distinguishable threads left.





Here is the final line up with the end cap, tail-end battery welded to the tubing, and the front battery (still looking OK) which I was able to remove after cutting off 1 D-Cells worth of tube.





I have tried the remaining "1-D Maglight" with an 18650 battery in it and it worked quite nicely so I just need to find a neat way of adding a new end cap. Any suggestions?

I was considering trying to make this a little project light, but I have not found any components worth bothering with. As in they either don't have the performance or are so expensive I may as well buy a new torch.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good little project for the 1-D, no end cap Maglite?


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## mrartillery (May 15, 2010)

When all else fails....bring out the saw!


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## guiri (May 16, 2010)

Ok, so I"m not a real flashaholic and I have to ask.

Other than the obvious (that you just didn't want the light getting the better of you), why go through all this trouble for a light that these days is pretty cheap?

George


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## subwoofer (May 17, 2010)

guiri said:


> Ok, so I"m not a real flashaholic and I have to ask.
> 
> Other than the obvious (that you just didn't want the light getting the better of you), why go through all this trouble for a light that these days is pretty cheap?
> 
> George



Once I get to a certain point there is a stubborn streak in me that takes over and I can't help but carry on.

However, isn't this type of obsessive nature what makes a true flashaholic, where it is not just economic value, but personal satisfaction that makes an endeavour personally worthwhile?

After giving up on undoing the end cap I wanted to cut it off to see what was inside, and then as I still couldn't get the batteries out, cut it once more. The cutting was much quicker than trying to unscrew the end cap as it took about 10 mins in all to do the two cuts.

As you say though, for what is a pretty cheap light (about £15 new) it was not worth the effort. In then end I was just thinking of using it to build a custom light.


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## DIY Lumens (May 17, 2010)

How about cutting it even shorter, weld on an aluminum cap with installed charging port, and load (from the front) four nimh AAs, to overdrive a 3-cell bulb?
Or even 14500 lithiums with a 14.4 volt bulb.


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## swampgator (May 18, 2010)

subwoofer said:


> However, isn't this type of obsessive nature what makes a true flashaholic, where it is not just economic value, but personal satisfaction that makes an endeavour personally worthwhile?


 
Exactly. I don't want to be beaten by a simple piece of equipment. Lights aren't rocket science. At least Incans. But I'm the same way at any of my hobbies.


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## DIY Lumens (May 18, 2010)

swampgator said:


> Lights aren't rocket science. At least Incans.



There is more science involved in a good incan than an LED. Just because LEDs are newer doesn't make them more complicated.


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## TorchBoy (May 18, 2010)

DIY Lumens said:


> There is more science involved in a good incan than an LED.


Not if we look at how the light is made. :devil:


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## papajoe (May 19, 2010)

Cool thread, throw the junk in the trash, what's next ?


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## DIY Lumens (May 19, 2010)

TorchBoy said:


> Not if we look at how the light is made. :devil:



Phosphorus glows, and science didn't create that, only observed it. Science observed that some materials glow when an electrical current is passed through it, and then people started working on finding the best materials. The rest is just a matter of containment and heat-sinking. As far as powering the thing, any current source that exceeds the forward drop voltage is fine. 

OTOH, incans were created by science, and every aspect of an incandescent bulb is hard science, from the composition and construction of its filament to the composition and construction of its glass envelope; in the composition of rare gases contained within.
Then there is the power source. Because of the demands for just the right voltage level coupled with a minimum current capability for any given bulb, every new development in battery technology has far more impact on incans than on LEDs.

LED technology has been a matter of mostly stumbling around, trying this and that. Incans require hard science in every aspect.

Oh, and I don't buy into the popular assertion that LEDs are more efficient, either. In some ways, they can be. But a properly designed incan lighting system produces more, broader-bandwidth, light energy for a given power input than does any LED. High performance LEDs need heatsinks. Do incans? Think about it.:thinking:


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## subwoofer (May 19, 2010)

DIY Lumens said:


> Phosphorus glows, and science didn't create that, only observed it. Science observed that some materials glow when an electrical current is passed through it, and then people started working on finding the best materials. The rest is just a matter of containment and heat-sinking. As far as powering the thing, any current source that exceeds the forward drop voltage is fine.
> 
> OTOH, incans were created by science, and every aspect of an incandescent bulb is hard science, from the composition and construction of its filament to the composition and construction of its glass envelope; in the composition of rare gases contained within.
> Then there is the power source. Because of the demands for just the right voltage level coupled with a minimum current capability for any given bulb, every new development in battery technology has far more impact on incans than on LEDs.
> ...



Well, this thread is not about LED vs Incan so lets knock that one on the head. Can we agree that both are as valid and improvements in science and technology allow both to be improved through the application of that knowledge.

We are in an interesting age where science is quickly taking us to physical limits and efficiencies of the materials we have at our disposal.

Anyway, I think that I should probably go back to original line of thinking for this thread and consider the old maglight an expensive disposable/single use light. It is not a suitably interesting base for a project light considering something like the Ultrafire WF-501B with a cree LED (for £8 delivered) blows away anything I can make out of this old thing.

Hope this sorry tale was of some interest.


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## guiri (May 19, 2010)

papajoe said:


> Cool thread, throw the junk in the trash, what's next ?



Well, we obviously need to take something else apart. I personally loved reading about it and yes, I think his stubbornness took over but hey, that's our nature and I'm not much different.

Alright, who's in for an Extreme Home Makeover or sumptin' ?


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## papajoe (May 19, 2010)

Mebbe I was mis-understood. I loved this thread (reminds me of my stubborn self).

What's next ? You tell it....I'll read it.:twothumbs


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## TorchBoy (May 19, 2010)

DIY Lumens said:


> LED technology has been a matter of mostly stumbling around, trying this and that. Incans require hard science in every aspect.


 Sweet.

subwoofer, can you tell if they were the original batteries?


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## cityevader (May 19, 2010)

Hey Subwoofer,
If you're just gonna get rid of the head, I can give it a nice new home. Just let me know how much you want for it/shipping.


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## guiri (May 19, 2010)

How about taking a v8 apart with a tooth brush or something a little less aggravating...?


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## DM51 (May 20, 2010)

subwoofer said:


> Well, this thread is not about LED vs Incan so lets knock that one on the head. Can we agree that both are as valid and improvements in science and technology allow both to be improved through the application of that knowledge.


Excellent!


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## Ray_of_Light (May 20, 2010)

I have lost many lights because of alkaline cell leakage. In all cases, the cell were well within they expiration date and never left discarged in the lights.
Usually, I have always been able to open the damaged light and assess the damage. In the case of my beloved black Maglite 2C, something weird happened.
The one years old, "primary brand" C cells leaked in the Mag 2C.
I used a specialised oil and my leather strap wrenches (used to open-up boiled SF bezels) and I lost the strap wrenches.
I decided that keeping the finish of the Mag 2C was not important. Placed the light in a heavy duty bench vice, and used a 22 cm. spring-loaded wrench to turn the tailcap. I broke the wrench.
I decided that I won't be humiliated from a stubborn flashlight. I drilled two 10 mm thru-holes, one in the tailcap and another in the flashlight body, passing through the batteries. I fitted two 10 mm steel rods in the holes, and used two 50 cm. extension pipes to turn the tailcap. The steel cut through the aluminium, but the tailcap didn't turn in any case.
Last step, I chucked everything in the recycle bin.
Last month, I had a similar surprise, with a Strealight Twin Task 3C, where the "other" primary brand of alkaline C cells were installed, and tested charged six month before and far from the expiration date.
I only tried the bench vice and a pipe wrench method, unsuccessfully. I saved the bulb and the gasket, and chucked the SL TT too. 

Way too many losses in the past with due to leaking alkalines. Many ancient lanterns which I was proud of, also.

Regards

Anthony


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## Pellidon (May 20, 2010)

I have a very old 1984 Mag that had the batteries fail. I cleaned it up and fixed it up with a LED drop in and run it off 3 C cells now so the crud doesn't affect the batteries. If I didn't get it squeaky clean. 

I bought two at a flea market that were almost toast. One is a 3D blue that I repaired quickly. The 4D I still haven't gotten the head off the body tube. I have boiled and frozen it and used strap wrenches to no avail. 

I paid $1 each for those beaters so it wasn't that bad of a deal. My Stubborn tinker streak made me buy them in the first place. :laughing:

If you could have pulled it apart without damaging it you could have returned it to the battery company for a replacement.


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## Roger Sully (May 20, 2010)

subwoofer said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good little project for the 1-D, no end cap Maglite?


 
Have a look at this thread. There are quite a few things that can be done. I don't know if you there are any members on your side of the pond that does this type of stuff.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/239209


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## swampgator (May 20, 2010)

DIY Lumens said:


> There is more science involved in a good incan than an LED. Just because LEDs are newer doesn't make them more complicated.


 
Actually I was only referring to: battery, ground, switch, bulb. No electronics to complicate things.


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