DIY...re-cycle

[saxonaxe]

A cheap little multi led torch from the local Super Market died, as they occasionally do..
One of this type...that have gazillions of soldered connections behind the Leds which are impossible to reach and repair


Rather than bin it, I cut a disc of kitchen foil that slid down inside to cover the contacts..

And a disc of thick black plastic ( from a Micro-Wave meal tray) Yep! that's my standard of cooking... which I glued over the glass lens with waterproof adhesive.


The switch end already has a rubber insert which I also proofed with the glue. The ex torch body now easily takes some Vaseline covered cotton wool pads and a pack of NATO matches to make a pocket sized fire kit.



The red tape is to remind me, when I'm having a Senior Moment, that's it's a fire kit and that's why this torch doesn't work...

Just a little light re-cycling exercise.........little light re-cycling.......should have been a script writer...

 

[BJJJ]

Great stuff, good idea

 

[Bishop]

Definitely a spark of genius
stray thought.. knock the glass end out and glue in a small button compass

 

[crosslandkelly]

Neat idea.

 

[Mesquite]

Very neat repurposing of the torch

 

[Hammock_man]

Really like it, I have a bigger one which lost most of the LEDS, will copy the idea. Thanks

 

[sunndog]

Definitely a spark of genius
stray thought.. knock the glass end out and glue in a small button compass

Or a Fresnel lens

 

[saxonaxe]

" Really like it, I have a bigger one which lost most of the LEDS, will copy the idea. Thanks"

It just seemed a shame to throw a perfectly good aluminium case/capsule away, that I thought there had to be a use for it even though I think that when new, the torch was only £3.99 or something similar.

I did think about a compass or a match striking surface on the end, but the only button compass I've got is of smaller diameter and as I had some Rat Pack matches handy I just went with the KISS principle and put them inside.

 

[Muddypaws]

I like it. Fresh thinking, and great upcycling!

 

[Erbswurst]

Just add a small candle and the torch is perfectly repaired!

Good idea! Thank you for charing!

 

[Janne]

Saxonaxe, why did you use the foil disk and the black plastic roundel?

Imho you did not ’re cycle’ but ’up cycle’, as I have no need for a light when outside, but a huge need for a decent match protector!

 

[saxonaxe]

Saxonaxe, why did you use the foil disk and the black plastic roundel?

Janne, the foil disc was just to make a smooth base to cover over the 9+ faulty soldered connections inside the torch, they were quite crude with sharp points. I thought any tinder would be easier to extract if the inside of the torch was a smooth based cylinder.
The black plastic roundel was to reinforce the glass to prevent it breaking easily and hide the 9 Leds which remain sealed behind the black roundel.
What I tried to do was make the broken torch useful with whatever I had available, not make a major project of it and turn it into some sort of survival capsule or custom matchbox. I was in the kitchen so cooking foil and the empty food tray were to hand, even the glue was in the kitchen drawer, so a simple task.

 

[Janne]

Understand, I suspected that was the reason.
Ingenious, imo.

I have my matches in an ancient plastic container, but will copy your design with pride!
I do not have a broken led flashlight, but I just use what I have, and never use.

The one I have has a little lip with a hole for a clip = can secure the new firelighting container on an easily reachable place.

Why do I never think of these ingenious things?

 

[grip]

A lightbulb moment perhaps

 

[saxonaxe]

"A lightbulb moment perhaps"

Must have been Grip, well something LED me to do it anyway...

 

[R.Lewis]

I made one of these some time ago. I replaced the lens with a strong magnifying glass. I have no idea where it is now though!

 

[Janne]

I made one of these some time ago. I replaced the lens with a strong magnifying glass. I have no idea where it is now though!

Upwind of that forest fire close to you??

 

[Paul_B]

Hmmm! I've got a small maglite that's uselessly dim, even with new batteries and bulb. Don't know how it's lost its brightness as new it was really bright. I wonder whether that's able to be saved as a torch or not if not then it might make a neat version of what the op made. Just a shame to use a maglite this way instead of getting it working properly (it's probably 25+ years old).

It's good when you give something broken a new life. Either repair, recycle or upcycle. Even better as a job done in the spur of the moment with whatever you have to hand.

I've repaired things that way with outdoor kit through to our son's toys. Matches are my favourite bodge job item. Wood is a good material and matches can be worked into many uses to repair or upcycle.

 

[greencloud]

@Paul_B
Don't they do replacement LED bulbs & working gubbins for the maglite? That should fettle it.