The Lightsabre

[KAC_fenris]

Newbie here... Since I can't post yet in the battery section, I was thinking maybe I could post this here.

I HAD an eGo starter kit, but it got busted after a month.

Desperate and a little low on funds (e-cigarettes aren't cheap over here in the Philippines), I decided to make my own. I bought a couple of aluminum flashlights and decided to make my first mod.

This is what it looked liked at first... It's powered by 3 rechargeable AAA batteries that are 1000mah.

Since the batteries were only 1.2 volts x 3, I decided to add more to get a higher voltage. I experimented with 7.2v (tons of smoke, but burnt taste), 6v (still lots of smoke and burnt taste) and settled on 4.8volts (a little more smoke than 3.6v but better flavor). The atty I'm using is a 510LR. Since the diameter of the flashlight wouldn't accomodate an extra batt, I had to make it taller. I got the body of the other flashlight and extended the mod's height.

This is what it looks like after making it a 4.8volt PV...

It's so big, it looks kinda like a lightsabre. Hence the name, The Lightsabre!

What do you guys think? My only problem is the flimsy red switch I used... sometimes it fires, sometimes it doesn't. I'm planning on adding an LED at the opposite side of the red switch so I know it's firing.

*** I'm actually deciding whether to use a normal red LED or use one bright LED so it can double as a flashlight (all I need to do is unscrew the atty for flashlight duties)...

 

[BiancaMontgomery]

Very creative! It looks really good too, good job!

 

[classwife]

KAC_fenris, welcome to ECF ! Nice job !

 

[KAC_fenris]

Thanks! I learned a lot from reading the "Modding" section. My inspiration for this was the "Puck" and various flashlight mods.

 

[KAC_fenris]

Hmmmmm... maybe a mod could move this to the Modding section since it doesn't really fit with this section.

 

[keyzygirl]

Very Nice!!

 

[swedishfish]

Excellent job! Thanks for posting the pictures!

 

[Nunnster]

I like it! Looks like something I would try to make if I could make things. Id paint it black with red accents and maybe a green/red interchangeable LED at the end to make it look like a light saber depending on which side of the force I was feeling that day. To bad I dont have any skill like that lol.

 

[Killjoy1]

Nice mod! Definitely a lot more slick than anything I could cob together

 

[P1NkY]

Good job KAC_fenris, and great pics! I love to see all the DIY mods people come up with!
If that's you're 1st mod, you're definitely "one to watch" for upcoming goodies!

 

[KAC_fenris]

I just added a red LED on the opposite side of the switch so I have a visual cue if the atty fires.

Took me around 30 mins because the aluminum body around the switch is kinda thicker than the rest of the mod. I had a hard time drilling the hole for it.

Before adding the LED, I had to listen by putting the atty up to my ear to know if the atty was firing... which, by the way, looks kinda stupid.

 

[KAC_fenris]

Well... this sucks!

The LED died on me. Hehe... my fault for not adding a resistor. Hehehe...

 

[classwife]

Moved to Battery Mods

 

[KAC_fenris]

Thanks! I hope I can still reply here, though. I don't think I have enough posts to reply to posts in this section.

* apparently I do have enough posts to reply... dunno for making a new topic. *

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I have a question regarding grounding...

For some weird reason, the aluminum body of the flashlight lost its conductivity. Even if the body is screwed on properly, the ground connection doesn't travel from the bottom (main switch) up to the switch (for firing) on top.

I had to add a strip of aluminum foil from the bottom to the top just to get a proper ground. Weird. It was working alright before... I wonder why all of a sudden the body seems to have lost conductivity.

The mod is split into three screw-able parts...

The top part (where the switch and atty are) ---> body (where the batteries are located) ---> bottom part (where the main switch is located)

It just suddenly happened. The body seems to have lost its conductivity. How can that happen? Any theories?

 

[lynch]

Nice job KAC, were you using a dual coil cartomizer when you had the burnt juice taste ? Reason I ask is on my 6 volt mod in a regular clearomizer my diy juice taste burnt, then I tried the same juice at the same voltage in a dual coil and it was awesome. Try that if you havent, might make a big difference.

 

[KAC_fenris]

Nice job KAC, were you using a dual coil cartomizer when you had the burnt juice taste ? Reason I ask is on my 6 volt mod in a regular clearomizer my diy juice taste burnt, then I tried the same juice at the same voltage in a dual coil and it was awesome. Try that if you havent, might make a big difference.

I was just using a 510LR atty... I couldn't even taste the flavor of the juice at 6volts... probably because it is an LR. Hehehe. Even at 4.8v (I'm pretty sure the real voltage is lower), I can only do a few consecutive puffs as the atty easily gets hot.

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Oh, anybody have a theory on my conductivity problem? It's really bugging me.

 

[Deadite]

The aluminum may have corroded just enough to lose the connection.
If you have a wire brush you could try running that over the treads and see if that fixes it.

 

[Chief Cuzzo]

6v with a LR atty is way hot, not surprised you are getting a burnt taste! I find if it take the atty / carto resistance and add 2, i get a good vape.

2.8 ohm carto + 2 = 4.8 volt vape.

Nice job on the mod!

Chief

 

[WillyB]

I have a question regarding grounding...

For some weird reason, the aluminum body of the flashlight lost its conductivity. Even if the body is screwed on properly, the ground connection doesn't travel from the bottom (main switch) up to the switch (for firing) on top.

I had to add a strip of aluminum foil from the bottom to the top just to get a proper ground. Weird. It was working alright before... I wonder why all of a sudden the body seems to have lost conductivity.

The mod is split into three screw-able parts...

Well hopefully you have a meter so you can do some continuity checks to find out exactly where the problem is rather than guessing.

Simply check for continuity, if your meter has an audible beep continuity setting it will take just a few seconds.

Some of the checks are redundant, but you get the idea.

Look hard at the bottom screw on clicky switch, these often are a source of problems and can also introduce a lot of extra resistance.

How is your atty connector wired? Often times there is a problem there with the ground. How is it grounded to the body?

 

[KAC_fenris]

I broke my multimeter a long time ago... too bad.

This is what I've tested using a simple wire... I'll use your blue dots as a guide (from left to right).

1. Wire on 4th dot and 3rd dot = not firing
2. Wire on 3rd dot and 2nd dot = not firing
3. Wire on 4th dot and 2nd dot = firing
4. Wire on 4th dot and 1st dot = firing (but bypassing switch)
5. Wire on 1st dot and 2nd or 3rd dot = not firing

The 2nd dot is the switch casing, 3rd dot is the first body, 4th dot is the bottom switch + 2nd body... I used 2 flashlight bodies to extend the length. So maybe it's the connection between the first and second body that has the problem. The connection must've gotten corroded somehow.

This is the best I could do without the proper tools...

The aluminum foil running down the inside of the tube solved that problem, though... I'm just wondering why it happened. One minute it was working and the next minute it's not.