Making a torch

Yeah!!! I know that one can buy them dead cheap (Or pay a fortune) but you can also buy a biro for pennies & people still make pens!!

So has anyone tried making a torch. Perhaps a nice aluminium  rechargeable one? Coloured, anodised barrel perhaps. LED's or Zenon ( what should one use?) Are there any designs out there to follow?

I want a nice handy powerful round rechargeable one for the boat that will not go flat in five minutes & be there when I need it & not just glimmer at me & die.

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 17/12/2018 22:25:50

Led automobile headlight and a moderate 12v leisure battery??

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LED beats Xenon for that ^^^

This is probably the best place to start your research : **LINK**

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/

Loads of technical information, and lots of discussion !

MichaelG.

I bought a Workzone one from Lidl. It has a 200 mtr. beam and two levels of power and a flashing light as well. £19.99 Charger comes with it.

With a bouyancy aid built in?

CPF used to be the best (only?) place for flashaholics but if your interest is in making your own within reasonable constraints, then http://budgetlightforum.com is probably the most useful now.

Some of the blf designed Chinese made torches are fantastic value, but if you have an old d cell maglite lying around then a proper led conversion is a nice little project.

I've got a D cell Maglite, if anyone wants it is there for the cost of postage, or pick up from north Cheshire

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Thanks for that

http://budgetlightforum.com

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 18/12/2018 00:11:48

Got some of these at morrisons, three quid each, orange ones, found this black one recently at TK max

Runs on 3 x AAs for up to six months

They use a rheostat switch and on the low setting they have an amazing single charge lifespan, never come across anything else like it

So consider a dimmer switch as part of your super dooper torch

Years and years ago, decades even, one of the young engineers pet projects was a thing known as a "Battle Torch". Machined from solid high grade al. alloy, with specially set up optics, and a ni cad battery. It was indeed an impressive piece of kit, very good light, very solid, almost indestructible, just what the Army wanted. At a bid review where it was announced that the cost, (the "cost", not the selling price) was over $500. One of the more cynical people plopped a metal torch on the table and said...."Bunnings, $20, it does everything the Battle Torch does"

Guess who got his nose out of joint.

Merry Christmas

cheers

Bill

If you search for cree torch on ebay the choice is ridiculous

3 for a tenner

correction: 5 for a tenner

Edited By Ady1 on 18/12/2018 09:20:55

I'd build something using leds and 18650 3.7v 4250 mAh cells.

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At last we are getting back on topic

Thanks Roger

MichaelG.

As I said in my original post--we can all buy biros for pennies - But??

Machining the aluminium, cutting the threads, - nice fine ones so it feels like quality-anodising the case, making the clip & decent knurling. Battery fixings could be fiddly & a job for a printer.

I am sure that i could work out something for a reflector or LED mounting & perhaps use a small magnifying glass lense for the glass. Would that work? Focal length & all that.

Not sure about the electronics & that is where I was hoping to get some comment. Switch could be a screwed base.

It was only a thought for a project different to the run of the mill steam engines etc etc

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 18/12/2018 10:22:53

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For use on a boat, Sam ... I would think twice before using Aluminium

MichaelG.

The Aeries self steering is alumnium & is 40 years old. It is anodised. The torch will not get wet so I am not worried about it being aluminium. thanks.

But, that being said, what would you suggest as an alternative that is easy to machine , turn, thread & mill flats on etc?

One of my first lathe projects was an aluminium and brass torch with a push-button switch at the back and a blue LED (you couldn't get cheap white ones in 1999).

Neil

Found it!

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 18/12/2018 11:32:48

Saw something like that on Ali Express,very useful when walking alone,and I think you can even use it as a torch as well !

Worth checking out.

Since a reflector is useful but hard to make I'd get a cheap torch to cannibalise for that but make a body (wood for buoyancy) with a bigger battery. Perhaps have some fun with a trick or hidden switch. I think torch making is a hobby in its own right in the 'states, like pen making, pointless but fun for some.

Some years ago I bought a 'shaker' LED torch for about $10. It had an in-built generator which recharged the 'battery' (more likely a bank of capacitors) when you 'shook' the torch back and forth. When doing this it rattled, a bit like shaking a spray can of paint. I assume it consisted of a free-floating magnetic bobbin inside a coil. Was intended for marine use so would float and was waterproof (meaning moulded plastic body with all joints glued or fused together, no external openings, no on/off switch etc)

Worked well, lasted about 1/2hr before needing to be shaken again, but this could go on indefinitely. 30 seconds of shaking would fully re-charge it. In practice I would tend to shake it little and often to keep the 'tank' topped up.

Only got rid of it when the electronics failed and could not be bothered pulling it apart to see why. Could be an interesting exercise to try and replicate??