My eclipse tin mod...

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Shortstuff116

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First a great big Thanks to Connman for making and posting the details of his eclipse tin mod. It was his ideas that made it possible for me to make one for myself and I love it. I didn't have some of the same materials to work with so I had to improvise and make due with what I could, but it all works.

In this first series of pictures you can see that I started by cutting a small piece of nylon strapping that came off a package I got in the mail to act as an insulator between the positive battery terminal and the tin case, I used JB Weld (which is electrically non-conductive) to glue it in place. Then I drilled the appropriate size hole for the 510 atty connector, applied soldering flux to the connector and hole and put it in place. I then dropped on two rings of solder (I formed around the connector) and applied enough heat with a small butane torch, just enough to melt the solder and hold the connector in place. The remaining pictures show the connector in place with the rubber gasket installed, then the center connector in place.

EclipseModMulti1.jpg


I had no copper sheet or anything similar but I know it had to be thin. So I took a clean piece of 12 ga. electrical wire and hammered it flat on a piece of hardened steel (polished railroad rail) and then filed it to the shape you see below and soldered my positive wire to it. I then used the JB Weld once again to glue it in place on top of the nylon strap. The other pictures show the switch, resistor, LED in place. I wanted to make sure that I had good negative contact with the lid so I soldered a small battery terminal spring to the lid and cut it to the appropriate length which allows the lid to stay closed securely and provide good contact.

EclipseModMulti2.jpg


One main issue I had was finding something to hold the 18650 battery securely in place, preferably with no movement or looseness. I found that a pre-shaped $0.10 (dime) roll worked perfectly. It's almost as if it was made for an 18650 battery. So I put a battery inside one, then laid a thin coat of Elmers glue on a piece of card stock thickness paper with a small squeegee. I then rolled this paper around my dime roll with battery (about 2 full turns) and allowed to dry. The remaining pictures show my finished product.

EclipseMod12.jpg


EclipseMod13.jpg


EclipseMod15.jpg


EclipseMod16.jpg


Thanks Connman!
 
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Connman

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Wow, now that`s fantastic Shortstuff116.
Love the dime roll way of getting the battery tube and the soldering around the connector. Great job on your mod. :thumbs:

So doesn`t it really fit the hand perfectly?
I really like this mod. Thanks for posting yours and very nice picture detail. A perfect how to type post..
 

Shortstuff116

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You're right Connman, this mod really fits in the hand well and has just the right weight to it too. I'm probably gonna build a couple more of these in the future (different flavors/colors of course).

I really like working with the tin too because it is so easy to work with, easy to solder and provides a ground eliminating the need for a separate ground wire or two. And you can't beat the sturdiness either. I was also going to add an additional on/off switch but realized that I never used any of them in my previous mods and it would be easy enough just to remove the battery if necessary. This way I was able to use a heavier guage wire to ensure that I'm getting all the power I can to the atty.

Definately the best mod to date (for me anyway) and looking forward to your next one!

:thumb:
 

Connman

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Shortstuff116 I use a piece of styrofoam as a spacer above the switch to fill that area in some. This lets me stabilize the battery a bit more and then I also cut a hole in one side of the thin material I used for the positive battery insulator to use as a on off switch type set up. just open the lid and flip the section to the solid side for off. back to the side with the hole for on.

Been working very well and simple to do.
There is pictures in one of my threads doing that if you want to give it a try.

I laughed when I read your response on my next mod. I was posting it as you must have been typing that.

I`ve also said I think the eclipse mints tin is my best mod to date. Just fits the hand so nice and great weight.
 

Shortstuff116

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OK, call me crazy...again! But, I don't see any wires to the + on the connector? Why can't I wrap my simple brain around it??? Can you explain?? It's so simple I'm missin' it!

Actually you can't see the wire soldered to the center terminal of the 510 atty connector in the photos because it is hidden beneath the switch inside, but if you look closely at the picture below (and also posted earlier), the red line shows where the connector ends and the solder begins and then the wire you can see too.

Hope this helps.

EclipseMod5detail.jpg
 

Nothing Norml

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This is really cool and it is kind of stealthy. Great job!

It's kind of like covering up a can of beer with a cocacola wrapper. At first glance, no one would even know it's a pv.


A beer can mod would be sweet, or one made out of those old can safe things, remember them lol!
 
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