My First attempt at making a DIY Aluminum Host

[lazeerer]

Hey All,


So I have been working on this host for a few weeks now. Its my first attempt at making one of my own hosts. "Its no Ehgemus host thats for sure":tinfoil:


So i wanted to make it as simple as possible to get a feel for it. So I decided to make a Press fit Module pocket rather then do a press fit diode and the front cap be the adapter. The Module will press in a little deeper and then the front cap will just press fit right on. Making the laser somewhat fixed focus.

The host will take a 14500 cell as you can see in the pictures. I wanted it to be small but have good heatsink. So i made the head a little thicker. Original it was going to be all smooth.


Right now iam working on the tail end and threading. Never threaded before so this should be fun.:can:

It will get a nice polish job when its done and a clicky installed.


Here are some Pictures of the Host.....



Pictures:

The Module will get pressed in alittle deeper so the cap can go on.

I'm pretty happy how it came out.:wave:





:thanks: For Looking.!!!

 

[bennett326]

hey it looks nice especially for your first attempt. you always start somewhere :beer:

 

[lazeerer]

hey it looks nice especially for your first attempt. you always start somewhere :beer:

Thanks alot for the kind words buddy.

Also glad you like it too.


I cant wait to get the tail cap done so i can get a build in this.:wave:

 

[532 with Envy]

Thats great!
Your host build world is just opening up, only bound by what you can imagine.
Looking forward to some more builds!:beer:

 

[jimdt7]

Great start man !
I wish one day, i will be able to make my own hosts

Jim

 

[Drew]

Classy, simple and very functional. Good job! Good luck on the threads

 

[qumefox]

About the only suggestion I would have would be to make you a large radius curved flat top bit and do your final machine pass with that only taking off maybe .002" and feeding very slowly. This will give you a much smoother final 'machine' finish. And when polishing, the more smooth your starting surface is, the less time and elbow grease you have to waste polishing.

On the threading. It's really no sweat so long as you index properly, and don't try stupid things like cutting the full thread depth in one pass. If I could figure it out and get decent at it in a couple of tries, you should be able to as well.

 

[LaZeRz]

Nice work! Are you going to be adding fins to it?

 

[lazeerer]

About the only suggestion I would have would be to make you a large radius curved flat top bit and do your final machine pass with that only taking off maybe .002" and feeding very slowly. This will give you a much smoother final 'machine' finish. And when polishing, the more smooth your starting surface is, the less time and elbow grease you have to waste polishing.

On the threading. It's really no sweat so long as you index properly, and don't try stupid things like cutting the full thread depth in one pass. If I could figure it out and get decent at it in a couple of tries, you should be able to as well.

Yeah, Ive only made small Heatsink less then 2 1/2 inches long and they always came out pretty smooth but i noticed with longer pieces and especially when using the live stock "I think its called that" it does not come out as smooth. I don't know how to make my own bits yet and have not even tried but ill see if i can pick one up to do a final pass with rather then make my own this time. I was going to go over it again but ill do it with what you say to use.


I know Nothing about threading. Even more whatever i learned so far on the lathe was on my own or bits a pieces i learned from members on the forum. Ive never used a lathe before prior to buying one a few months ago. Iam going to practice on PVC first as its not expensive if i mess up.

I should have it done on the weekend i hope.:can:

Thanks for the Tips.:beer:

Nice work! Are you going to be adding fins to it?

Iam going to leave this one smooth and give it a wicked polish like i normally do.

The next one i will try to make will have fins and be for an 18650.

 

[Ehgemus]

Looks great! Post more pictures when finished.

 

[Wolfman29]

Nice!

I plan on doing this at some point. I have access to a lathe and I have had quite a bit of experience making heatsinks and the like (gotten good at making fins, pressfits for modules [don't have the right drill for a pressfit diode], and I have even done threading before...). Unfortunately, since all the good bits are *owned* by the head machinist at ASU, whenever I want to use his 60 degree bit for threading, I have to ask him to haul his ass to the student machine shop.

But, I had an idea... why not just get a standard thread size for tailcaps, like .75"? That's thicker than a 18650 (by about 50 thou) and it would make for good walls, plus it would just mean that you need a good set of tap and die

Anyway, that's what *I* plan on doing. Good luck with your host... looking good!

 

[qumefox]

Yes, taps and dies are much easier than threading on lathes, but it really depends on the situation, and size. Large diameter taps aren't exactly cheap, and unless your going to be doing a lot of parts, the cost might not be warranted for only doing a few pieces. Threading on the lathe is slower and more tedious, but cheaper for large diameter things if you only have to do a few.

 

[Wolfman29]

The way I see it is that, if I am going to start doing hosts, then using a standardized tailcap would be useful, no?

 

[DTR]

Looks like a great start. Can't wait to see how your hosts evolve.:beer:
Have you found a nice clicky to use with your hosts?

 

[lazeerer]

THanks Guys.

@Wolfman29 You will need both a tap and die to thread. Which im guessing a good pair will run you ~ $80-$100.

Cheap taps and dies work good for the first 5-10 times but then need replacement.

It would be much more cost effective to do the threads yourself. Even if you are doing many hosts.

Looks like a great start. Can't wait to see how your hosts evolve.:beer:
Have you found a nice clicky to use with your hosts?

For now iam going to be using one of these switches with a rubber cap:

Clicky Switch for Flashlights (11mm 5-Pack) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

It should be enough for a <1W 445nm laser or possible a 635nm laser.

I had to replace a flashlight switch that was this kind that came DOA that i put a 900mW 445nm in there and the switch works great.

I was Using a Boost drive too. IIRC it was pulling ~1.6A.

However finding a better switch would be nice for some future Designs.

 

[Wolfman29]

I would thread them myself, but I was never taught to thread interior threads :\ Fortunately for me, the same person who has the 60 degree tool-bit *also* has a tap for .75", and I am sure I could get a good .75" die for about $40! So it may not be more worth it for me.