keeping electrical conductivity on screw thread

[john royce]

I have one of those small LED pocket torches (flashlight). To turn it on
and off, I have to screw the end up towards the bulb end to compress the
contacts against the battery.

The thread in the screw end is an extremely 'loose' fit and tends to
'unscrew or scew up' when it sits in the car glove compartment for a
while.

Is there a way to *stiffen* this 'loosness' in the thread, without
reducing
the electrical conductivity?

It needs to make good electrical contact for the torch to work, so I guess
that rules out putting a dab of wood glue on the thread? Thanks for
any
advice.

 

[john royce]

Sounds like a gentle squish of the end cap will do the job...

Thanks. could you explain to a novish 'squish' ? would i need to do a
degree course?

 

[Blah]

run a rough file over the threads

 

[Stormin Mormon]

All forwarded text?

 

[Blah]

Wrap a few turns of Teflon pipe thread tape around the male threads so that
the looseness is removed. You might have to rewrap frequently, depending on
how much use the flashlight gets.
Another suggestion is to cut a gasket out of a sheet of very thin rubber or
vinyl sheet, lube it with silicone grease and wrap the gasket around the
threads.

won't that insulate it? ...

 

[aemeijers]

won't that insulate it? ...

If it IS a real MagLite, OP is mistaken about it being part of the
circuit. You can actually take the nose off and use it as a base, and
use the flashlight as a candle. (leastways, on the pre-LED versions) I
suppose there are some knockoffs that use it as part of the circuit, but
I have never seen any. Flickery light is almost always due to an
internal spring getting wimpy.

(Note- even on a full-size Mag, the side switch is repairable. A pain to
get it out, but repairable.)

 

[Tony Hwang]

run a rough file over the threads

Hi,
I'd try a piece of Al. ducp tape.

 

[F Murtz]

Most of these torches have an o'ring on the bit you turn them on
with.Get a new o'ring or one a trifle bigger.

 

[E Z Peaces]

Screw the cap over a strip of paper along one side.

 

[Bob Larter]

run a rough file over the threads

Or insert a piece of dowel, then crush the threads a little with a hammer.

 

[Jim Yanik]

Depends how sturdy it is. If it's an AA-battery sized torch then
probably just a quick 'bite' or a gentle tap with a block of wood
would do the job. If it's more solid then a (padded) hammer could do
it.

The intention is just to make it very slightly out of round, so it
makes a good solid connection and can't rattle loose.

just ding the threads slightly and it will be tight and electrically
connected.
It's SO simple. just a tap with a hammer.