flashlight bore cleaning rod

OK it can be used for a lot more thing than that, but a friend brought his 6 "D" cell flashlight with duracell batteries in it and naturally they had leaked 3 of them had to be dug out in pieces. This left the bore badly corroded. bad enough that a steel bristle bore brush didn't get everything out
So I turned 1 end of a 7/8" 1018 round bar down enough to fit in the chuck on my drill press then set my band saw up right and placed the made from scrap table on it then made 2 cuts in the other end of the rod to form a slot wide enough to place 4 layers of 1" wide 180 grit cloth in itAttachment 18131
Before
Attachment 18132
After
Attachment 18133
mounted in the drill press
Attachment 18134
I just left the drill press at the speed setting already on it, way to much drama to change RPM for a project like this
I just held the flashlight body by hand and moved it up and down

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I happened to notice that the last few expensive flashlights I bought all had Energizer (the pink bunny) batteries, not Duracell (the copper top).

Reading a bit on the web seems to indicate that Duracell are noted for leaking and Energizer are far less prone to this. Having lost several Maglites to leaking Duracells, I've now switched over and use Energizer exclusively.

Time will tell if I notice any difference but I know it can't be any worse than the Duracells.

In fact, Energizer guarantees to repair or replace any device damaged by leakage from their batteries. Full text here...

http://www.energizer.com/about-batte...attery-leakage

My problem with flashlights is I hardly ever need one. It is those times when I do need one I need it right now and I want it to function as it should I don't want to go fumbling around in search of fresh batteries only to find that the dead ones in the flashlight have leaked and probably ruined the whole thing so I keep at least 1 flashlight stored above the fridge without batteries in it and in a lower drawer in the fridge I keep a supply of batteries in most sizes that I use.
I do not know this as a fact but somewhere I had read new batteries would last indefinite if kept cold but never frozen, because cold slowed the chemical action process inside the cells. I also keep a package of glow sticks in the fridge drawer as well. I like the one time use ones that you snap an internal vial and shake

For my two cameras that use AA batteries, I use Eneloop batteries. These are rechargeable NIMH batteries with an extremely low self-discharge rate. They can sit unused for months and still be ready to do their job when called upon. Their discharge rate is so low that they can be shipped charged from the factory and are ready to use without recharging when received by the consumer. Highly recommended.


You can read the full story here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eneloop

and, no, I have no interest in the product other than being a satisfied user.

Yes I like the rechargeable s I have tried the larger C & D size forget what the brand was had a green stripe on them but again they always seemed to be dead when I needed them. I have a couple of those plug in the wall flashlights that just stay plugged in the 120v receptacle all the time
The problem is when I need a flashlight really bad I am never at home I carry a corded light in my truck that can either be plugged into the lighter socket or clipped to a battery terminal they'er handy but bulky and have a limited range you can use them (length of cord) and all that.
I'd like to find another self generating flashlight like the one I had in Kuwait. Again it was another of those trade show giveaways . You can buy those palm squeeze ones on Amason and Ebay but this one was built and shaped much like a mag light indestructible just shake it a few times and have light for an hour ran on capacitors and a liner generator

I had Duracell replace a Maglite due to leaking D cells, about 4 years ago.
They have a similar policy as Energizer.
It ruined the light, but I still have it, as I was hoping air would learn about some chemical that would dissolve the
corrosion. I never did, BUT I may well try this mechanical reaming technique!
Ricklesss

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ricklesss

I had Duracell replace a Maglite due to leaking D cells, about 4 years ago.
They have a similar policy as Energizer.
It ruined the light, but I still have it, as I was hoping air would learn about some chemical that would dissolve the
corrosion. I never did, BUT I may well try this mechanical reaming technique!
Ricklesss

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They're alkaline batteries so acids are the best thing to use to remove battery leak crud. Vinegar is safe and easily available. For something a bit stronger citric acid is available online in a convenient powder form. Still safe and can be dumped down the drain without dissolving your plumbing.

https://www.amazon.com/Milliard-Citr...ds=citric+acid

mklotz,
Thanks for that little tidbit of info!
I actually did think of using vinegar, "the wonder solution", but didn't.
However!
I recently bought a small bag of citric acid powder, and use it all the time for removing rust on steel.
It works miraculously well! I heat it up a little, not sure that's necessary however.
I WILL try it in the maglite and report back!
Rickless

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ricklesss

mklotz,
Thanks for that little tidbit of info!
I actually did think of using vinegar, "the wonder solution", but didn't.
However!
I recently bought a small bag of citric acid powder, and use it all the time for removing rust on steel.
It works miraculously well! I heat it up a little, not sure that's necessary however.
I WILL try it in the maglite and report back!
Rickless

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Yes, I keep citric acid on hand for exactly the same reason. It's also useful as a pickling solution when silver soldering.

Folks who don't want to order it over the web can find it at local stores that carry home canning supplies.

Yes, that's where I get it as well, its cheap, too!
So, I do a fair bit of soldering on motorcycles, but I don't know how or when one would use the citric acid.
Is this a technique I should learn?
I'm pretty good at soldering now, but always interested in learning.
Thanks!
Ricklesss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ricklesss

Yes, that's where I get it as well, its cheap, too!
So, I do a fair bit of soldering on motorcycles, but I don't know how or when one would use the citric acid.
Is this a technique I should learn?
I'm pretty good at soldering now, but always interested in learning.
Thanks!
Ricklesss

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Just to be clear, I'm referring to silver soldering, not soft soldering. The solder used to secure electrical joins is soft solder and, while there is some flux residue, it's seldom removed except in the case of circuit boards.

Silver soldering (really closer to brazing than soldering) uses silver-bearing solder to form a much stronger joint. The temperatures required are far higher than those of soft soldering. A difficult-to-remove residue results from the process and should be removed both for appearance sake and to prevent corrosion.

In model steam engine building, silver soldering dominates but soft, low silver bearing, solder is used occasionally such as a joint sealant for rivetted boilers.

Ahhhhh, that totally explains it!
Thanks!
Ricklesss

Citric acid has the wonderful property of being more reactive in diluted form over a concentrated form. If you want it to be a stronger more active reaction you actually water it down but in the concentrated form it is a lot less reactive. Learned that in chemistry class 30 years ago but never actually tried it.
I also read in a hobby magazine years ago that you can soft solder Aluminium if you put a few drops of light oil on the surface and then scratch it clean with a small screwdriver and the oil stops the Al from oxidising, you then apply a bead of soft solder while the oil is still on the part. Never tried it but it does sound logical.
Rich.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mononeuron

Citric acid has the wonderful property of being more reactive in diluted form over a concentrated form. If you want it to be a stronger more active reaction you actually water it down but in the concentrated form it is a lot less reactive. Learned that in chemistry class 30 years ago but never actually tried it.
I also read in a hobby magazine years ago that you can soft solder Aluminium if you put a few drops of light oil on the surface and then scratch it clean with a small screwdriver and the oil stops the Al from oxidising, you then apply a bead of soft solder while the oil is still on the part. Never tried it but it does sound logical.
Rich.

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Oil as a flux always sounds illogical to me, but I do know that the recommended flux for soldering Pewter is Olive Oil. Of course old Pewter plates and mugs had a high lead content which is why they shouldn't be used today. Newer manufactured Pewter is supposedly close to 100% pure Tin. I am not sure which Pewter type the Olive Oil is best suited for.

I guess the oil part does sound illogical but the exclusion of air was the logical part I was thinking of as Al instantly oxidises in air. I will have to try it soon and see what turns up. I may just make a lot of beads of soft solder or it may work. Olive oil may have been the type of oil the person who wrote about this was talking about. Maybe a test of a few different types would be in order and maybe heat from underneath the plate and not directly in the oil itself.

Had no idea about weaker solutions of citric acid working better then stronger concentrations.
I really do wish I had paid more attention in chemistry class rather then flirting with Brenda...
I will water it down and experiment a little.
For rust removal, I generally use about oz. of citric acid by volume, to about a quart of water. Or so.
Works very well. Was keeping it warm on an electric radiator as well, it really bubbles!
Ricklesss

I've never tried to solder aluminum, I've just mig, tig, stick or welded with an oxygen acetylene torch and for those processes the operative word is CLEAN ,clean and clean some more.For mig and tig the use if a pure inert gas such as Argon of Helium is required for stick the electrodes are flux coated. after cleaning of the weld can be a bother I normally use a rotary SS wire wheel. For torch welding I use the stick electrodes and a low neutral flame slightly on the yellow side towards carborizing.
The HVAC guys routinely solder Aluminum to copper but I've never tried it so can not explain their process.
When I was a kid an Uncle of mine explained how he as he called it welded pewter buy making welding sticks out of doner pewter buy melting it down then removing one side of a piece of corrugated cardboard to make sticks somewhere along the way he used a judicial amount of a paste he made out of oxalic acid and wax he made form honey comp other than that I do not remember much. I watched him do it a few times but was too young to try it for myself I do know that he could mend a broken pewter heirloom so it looked like it had never been repaired