Home Depot "DEFIANT" Pen Build

This transformation started out while wandering through the local Home Depot store. I spotted a 2pk. of "Defiant" pen lightsfor $4.88.
Well, for $2.44 each, and with a name like Defiant, these babies were just begging to be modified, and so it began.

There have been quite a few very nice pen builds lately, and most all are super powerful burners that will singe the hair off a cats a$$ at 30 feet.
This one is a little more laid back, using one of my favorite little diodes, the opnext 638nm 120mW single mode.







Here are the components used in this project:

• "Defiant" pen light from Home Depot.
• Custom aluminum sleeve/heatsink.
• 2 - 10440 Li-Ion batteries.
• Survival Lasers extended, black anodized aluminum focus adapter.
• Opnext/Oclaro 120mW diode in copper module w/driver (set at 300mA) & G2 lens from DTR.
• Arctic alumina thermal adhesive.

The first step was to completely disassemble the pen, including the tailcap switch, in preparation for bead blasting.



After disassembly, I found that the bore was slightly too large in diameter for a 12mm module, and also too short to fit the module/driver assembly, while maintaining the two battery configuration.
So, what I did was to make an aluminum sleeve/extension piece to fit my altered penlight crown.

Before and after pics of the business end of the pen.




To obtain the clearance that I needed for assembly, I also had to remove the rear of the 12mm module, this gave me enough room between the driver and battery contact board to make the electrical connections.



The LED driver board was stripped of components and re used as the battery contact board. I applied a dab of solder for a better connection.
this pen came with a little threaded ring to help retain the contact board.




All assembled for the 1st time. As I previousely mentioned, the host was stripped of its black anodizing by bead blasting, and then was sprayed with a matte, clear laquer finish for protection.
I retained the black tailcap switch, pocket clip, and added a nice Survival Lasers black anodized extended length focus adapter for some contrast with the natural silver finish of the bare aluminum.




Here is the original "Defiant" LED pen along side of the finished laser pen.




Indoor beamshot in the barn.




Clamped in the tripod, sitting in the snow.




Beam shot and dot on the barn wall in late afternoon on a snowy day. If you look hard, you can just see a faint beam.



Again, thanks to DTR for the excellent diode/driver combo., and also to Gary at Survival Lasers for the sweet focus adapter.


That's all for now folks, thank you for looking!

Woohoo nice build I'll post more but I wanted to be the first to say great job Betcha I can't REP you though

Hi Bowtie,
Holy C%@P My man that's one sweeeet build, I'm impressed well done kudos to you.
I think you said you had two. Well, what's going in there spare host ????. Are you going to kick it up a notch?? Wow great work keep it up, now that's refreshing.
+Rep to you if i can..ok i can enjoy...
Rich

Now that I've had the chance to really look it over way to make such a cheap host look professional. Hard not to be jealous of the tools you have on hand to make custom parts. I've messed around removing the anodizing with a high speed Dremel wire brush but it doesn't come out so nice and smooth like bead blasting would.
I've also had to remove the end of the module before for a driver that is too long but I'm confused that you would need to if the module came complete from DTR.
Did I mention Bow and I are friends so I get partial credit for his builds by association lol
What does your wife think of all this anyways? Mine just kind of let's me be. She's a school bus driver (was a monitor but just passed her official road test with the second highest score the district has ever seen). Been married 26 years and absolutely adore her Wish I could spend every moment with her. In general I do my build stuff when she's not here. I've got no problems honoring her here or anywhere for that matter even if it's off topic.
I think I'm going to strip one of those other defiant pens I bought tomorrow and see how it turns out.
I really need to build some single mode stuff. May be less power but visibility should be better due to the better divergence.

I really enjoyed not only the build but the backgrounds of your pictures. I couldn't help but gawk!!
The floor of that "barn" is cleaner than a restaurants floor. Jealous of your lathe with 5C collets, bead blaster, welder, everything so nice and neat, tidy and clean. It says a lot about you my friend!! I am happy for you

:gj:

Thank you very much for the great comments guys, it's nice hearing positive feedback from members such as yourselves, who have many many top notch builds between you!

@Pman, I think my wife is much like yours, she pretty much lets me be; I tend to do my building when she's not home too.
I've come to really like these lower power single mode diodes, there are quite a few of the newer super high power diodes that I haven't even built with yet.

@LaserChick, that lathe in the picture is a Hardinge, a very sweet machine, it is unfortunately not mine, it's one that I can use at work on occasion.

@Lifetime, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the 2nd host yet. Thank you for the +rep!

Wow Bowtie, no clue so much work, I love all the maniacs who just have to give that personal touch like the sandblasting It was the "DEFIANT" thing wasnt it Like lifetime asked whats the other going to be (go green). Nice by keeping and re working that led board kudos from this noob. Not to take anything away from this build but you could of showed the Nova a little or was the wife driving it lol

Very nice indeed!

Thanks GSS and Tonga, appreciate the kind words!
@GSS, I may go green with the other pen, possibly a "Fasttech" module, or, I do have another 515nm diode that would do.

GSS said:

Wow Bowtie, no clue so much work, I love all the maniacs who just have to give that personal touch like the sandblasting It was the "DEFIANT" thing wasnt it Like lifetime asked whats the other going to be (go green). Nice by keeping and re working that led board kudos from this noob. Not to take anything away from this build but you could of showed the Nova a little or was the wife driving it lol

Click to expand...

I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one thinking this!

That's a slick little pocket trick.

i wonder if a snowman would be interest in laser? if we have snow in Australia i would build a snowman with laser Vision!!!

Red, Trendkilla, thanks, glad you liked it!
Isaac, first off, congrats on your new name; also, in most winters, I'd send you all the snow you wanted, but this year we haven't had a whole lot of it, thankfully.