November 28, 2025
Description
Technical Stuff:
To shine a light, this model requires a flashlight. The one it is designed for has a diameter of 32mm (16mm radius) and a length of 92mm. I am including the Fusion360 file so you can adjust it to your needs. Change the LightRad (Flashlight Radius - don't go over 16mm) and LightLen (Flashlight Length) parameters as needed. Then you'll need to twiddle with the Plunger and Button drawings.
NOTE: Dicking around with a design can cause unintended results. I am a poor designer. I wish you luck.
.2 resolution, files are oriented as I printed them. I used supports on the fuselage, but you might want to invert it and see what that gets you.
The tag is designed to do 3 colors, with each color being 1mm thick.
Transparent PETG is . . . problematic for me. I decided to separate the lens assembly so I could print the lens separately from the threads and glue them together rather than waste prints trying to do the lens and thread as one unit. I've included the LensAssy.stl file for those who print better than I.
I printed the lens at .3 resolution, concentric fill, 100% fill, 2 perimeters, 2 bottom layers, 0 top layers, and slow.
The plunger is a tricky little thing. I had to clean out the shaft with a 5mm bit and the pocket with an 8mm bit. Getting the plunger into the hole can be fun. A tiny drop of glue fixes it to the button.
As always provided free of license restrictions and cost.
Long, boring, design monologue:
I like bringing obscure props to today's fans. Something like the flashlight Capt. Kirk used for 10 seconds on one episode almost 50 years ago is right up my alley. There's no specs on these things, no one really talks about them and there are not very many pictures. Perfect.
So you find the best pictures you can, make some assumptions regarding sizing and ergonomics, and pretty soon you have the basis for a design.
But I really wanted it to do something. Buttons that press are nice, but I wanted it to be a flashlight, not just look like some plastic version of a prop. I started looking into the electronics, battery packs, switches, LEDs, etc. Sure, I could do it, but it'd cost money. What did I have that wouldn't cost money? In my junk drawer, I had some (3) AAA battery flashlights.
Wouldn't it be easier to design a body to go around a working flashlight than buy a bunch of parts and make a flashlight?
License:
Creative Commons — Public Domain