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Shaping al tube

Apologies for metalworking content.....

I'm still futzing with my project to make a LED flashlight that has the features I want but have not found in a commercial offering.

I want the body to house 3 AA cells (any chemistry) side-by-side in a triangular configuration. I wondered if round aluminum tubing could be thus shaped simply by forcing a tool of suitable form into the tube, leaving the other end round for elex, 1-watt LED and optics.

I don't yet have suitably-sized tubing for a triad of AA cells, but I tried the idea with a bit of scrap tubing .900 ID and .053 wall thickness. Sturdy stuff, scrap from a cut up eldercare appliance.

I calculated the diameter of three cylinders such that when arranged side-by-side the envelope periphery would be the same as the internal circumference of the tubing I have. Turned some rodstock to that size, cut off three 1" pieces, welded them in triangular formation, chucked the weldment in the lathe to cut a taper on one end, and jammed the resulting tool down the tube. I started squeezing it with my mill vise, thinking I'd move it to the hydraulic press if it put up much fight, but it was an amazingly easy squeeze even with no lube.

Probably obvious to most readers here, but I thought I'd mention it. It's an easy way to make an odd shape with aluminum tubing.

Reply to
Don Foreman
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Don't know, Don, but 3 cells in a triangle is going to be a little more difficult (not impossible) to make the electrical connections if you are using a series circuit. If it's a parallel circuit, then okay, but any reason why 3 cells instead of 2? BTW, I bought one of those SMALL 9v types with a big thick lense in front of the LED and it's great. Supposed to glow all the time, and a push button (click on, click off) to turn it on to full brightness (one led). It is bright, and glowing all the time is supposed to last a year or so on one battery, and about 40 hours straight turned on to full power. It is even designed in a rubber case so it is almost indestructable, but makes it a bit tougher to get it out of your pocket as the rubber case(covering) kinda "sticks" to everything... but it's okay. Ken.

Reply to
Ken Sterling

Posted only for metalworking content, Ken. I do have reasons for preferring a triangular arrangement of AA's, don't forsee any problem in accomplishing a series connection.

That said, there are lots of LED lights out there, some of them pretty good.

Reply to
Don Foreman

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