$100 Super Bright Flashlight for under $10!

Let me say right up front that inspiration for this Instructable is credited to dchall8 for his Tactical Flashlight Instructable. I thought there had to be an easier way to mod a smaller flashlight with less hardware and one that took less time. I put this one to the test against my Surefire E2 that cost $95.

Watch the video for Test Results! You will be suprised!

Step 1: Here is all you need...

1. Eveready Contractor Industrial Flashlight
Model #IN215WB-S. These are impact-resistant with a heavy-duty casing that withstands a 5-foot drop test on concrete. Resistant to grease, oil, gasoline and solvents. Shock- and corrosion-resistant.

Comments

[Oimi]

I want this but using LEDs instead!

[fight4gipper1]

I NEED SOME HELP

I built this, though during the process I destroyed the piece of metal that runs along the flashlight to connect the negative to the bulb.

Is this an easy fix??? Any help??

[ilpug]

replace the metal strip with a peice of wire.

[2NP1NS]

ANYONE EVER THINK OF USING ALL THOSE TINY MIRRORS YOU FIND IN AND AROUND THE LASER DIODS, THAT ARE IN DVD/CD ROM DRIVES? GLUING THEM ONTO THE REFLECTOR, KINDA LIKE A DISCO BALL...THIS WOULD DEF. INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT AND REFLECT HEAT AWAY FROM THE REFLECTOR...ID LIKE TO SEE SOMEONE DO IT AND SEE IF IT WORKS...AND NO IM NOT YELLING, IM HALF BLIND LOL..

[PerfectPantaloons]

Why not use a High Intesity LED for this??? I modded a little pen light i had and stuffed 7 of them into it and the shot about 90 feet and almost blinded my friend

[Edge]

could you fit in a halogen bulb?

[Jugfet]

why bother with halogen or krypton? LED 's are the way forward now. Save your pocket and the planet.

[dpr]

 because led dont travel very far the light disperses

[Lushie]

Not necessarily. Some LEDs now come with lenses over the emitter. Combine that with a good reflector and you can have a search light in your pocket. I built one such combination that easily out performs all my 6v volt incandescent lights.

[branfrog]

I actually don't like LED flashlights for functional illumination if its the only available light source. In true darkness, it seems to throw out a false light and makes certain surfaces glow like a black light. For intensive purposes incandescent are still superior to LEDS. Although I do hope they come up with new LEDs that will compete with a good incandescent.

[Thenwcp]

Here's an experiment for you, use whatever camera on default settings, heck the camera can even be the now old shutter camera. Don't use flash and take a picture under an old fashioned light bulb, then take a picture under LED lighting, then take a picture outside. Both kinds of light will distort colors because neither is a true white, the incadescent bulb will have a yellowish/orange tint to it and the LED (provided its a white LED) will have kind of a blue tint. Your eyes are just so used to incadescents you don't see the difference with nothing to compare. In any case flash fixes all because it balances out the colors and gets rid of nasty shadows. So for functional illumination, which I presume your talking about an every day lamp, the LED is superior because of its efficiency and low cost, after few days your eyes won't know the difference.

[lolzertank]

Why bother? Halogen bulbs are far brighter.

[Zod9876]

 I have a cheaper way to drill out the flashlight body...Take 1/2" I.D. copper pipe.
Bore one end with a cheap cone shaped grinding wheel...Push tube into body and it will shave the plastic out of the body and save the filings in the tube ....Much less than a 5/8 drill bit.

Works great..

 

[ReCreate]

This is pointless. You change the bulb to a higher voltage one and overpower it and call it a super bright flashlight? i give it a 0\5

[Evilthingamabober]

Umm, yeah, that's how you mod a flashlight, and it works...

[ReCreate]

Its not a mod, it is simply changing components, Did you know that kipkay makes profit every time you watch one of his videos?

[Evilthingamabober]

But isn't a mod basicaly making some do something it normally wouldn't do?

[ReCreate]

Its overpowering a bulb.

[Evilthingamabober]

...and thats a mod. You could save a lot of money just by building this.

[ReCreate]

Not at all, In fact, An overheating bulb can cost you a lot more than 100. AKA fire

[Evilthingamabober]

..but the bulb doesn't overheat.

[ajax517]

Actually the bulb does over heat and it melts the plastic lens if you let it run over 10 minutes.

@ReCreate: How is changing parts not a mod?  If you change the OEM parts on your car is it not referred to as MOD-ified?  And not that it matters but who cares if KipKay makes money from his videos?  No one is forced to pay and watch them.

[Evilthingamabober]

 Eh, I'll never run it over 10 minutes anyways.
Agreed with the second part, though.

[TarzanJr]

 ajax517 over powering a bulb is a mod just a basic one  (plus mod is so broadly used now it not even funny) and second depending on how much voltage is added to the the bulb at normal will over heat it and make a fire. but the fire will not be like and explosion of mass destruction the light bulb that he is using has a non-flammable gas in it and there is nothing on that flashlight that would combust so where would the fire go?

[ajax517]

The light itself probably won't catch fire but left near anything combustible it could very likely start a fire.

[Evilthingamabober]

Wait, so this is a burning flashlight??? THAT"S MOAR EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!

[lolzertank]

Thats what a lot of people do on http://candlepowerforums.com, except with flashlights like maglites and halogen bulbs sometimes exceeding 200 watts. And those are really, really, really, really, really, really bright.

[windsorbug]

great for 1 minute then the lens melts!

[gbpackers]

Is there anyone like kipkay except easier? please help me

[eeeXsmart]

sweet instructable! I've been looking for that flashlight and cant find the same one. So i looked for similar flahlight and it says they have krypton bulbs already in them. What should i do?

[think2x]

I finally found mine at an o'reilly auto parts but it was $8.

[lolzertank]

Buy the new bulb and replace the one already in the flashlight. Keep in mind, the CR123As are wider than a AA, so make sure you can widen the flashlight's inside to fit them.

[think2x]

I actually built and LOVED this light until I left it on above a ceiling at work the other day and it melted the reflector. I left it for 30 minutes before I remembered to get it and had only used it in ten minute spurts otherwise.(I miss it) EXCELLENT output!

[lilpepsikraker]

The batteries are not Lithium Ion. They are simply Lithium. Li-ons are rechargeable and are more powerful (3.6v VS 3v) than Lithium batteries. If anyone uses Lithium Ions (such as 14500's, they require no modding they are AA sized, only use two, as they are as powerful as 8.4v together sometimes.

[moo of the cow]

coooooooool i might try it

[Darter76]

hav u heard about the torch it gets so hot. there is a video of someone making scrambled eggs on it and it setting fire to paper

[lolzertank]

Yum... would you like your eggs scrambled, sunny side up, boiled, or scrambled on an overdriven 12v 100w halogen lamp?

[poozer42zer]

i like willquillin's idea to use a 6-cell maglite replacement bulb and i was just wondering how the use of a xenon bulb would compare to the krypton bulb used in the instructable. according to candle power forums the xenon bulb will produce a brighter light. does anyone have any input on this?

[Namlem]

I tried this and the bulb burned out the moment I hooked it up. What gives?

[disturbedreaper]

maybe you got the bulbs mixed up