Youtube videos of my current project

[Arkhan]

I have posted 3 videos on youtube of my current hardware saber project.

Its not MHS, however, the blade, led and many tiny pieces are all from TCSS, so I hope I'm not stepping on any toes. I promise my NEXT saber will be MHS based :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENEwfme9Uwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7LZ8LBDeLQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9aUM8N9Gs

one correction: voltage to the led is 3.6, not 4.5 Should actually bother to use a meter on it before video'ing

I hope these videos are of some use to folks.

Thanks to Tim for such an awesome service from someone who remembers going to the theatre for Star Wars at 7 years old, and how amazing it was.

[vargose]

I like your hardware twist to the custom parts.

I have a couple questions, specifically about the choke and pommel. What Brass fittings did you use and where did you get them? I can see that you widened the inner diameter, but did you do any work on the outside of them?

[Arkhan]

The "choke" is a specialized coupler for PEX/CPVC pipe. It come with a plastic liner and is sorta like Chinese Finger-cuffs. You can press the pipe IN very easily, but when you try to pull it back out, it gets tighter and tighter.

The "endcap" is a "endplug" from the same product line. you would use it to cap off a line that currently goes nowhere. Same internal plastic bits.

I removed the plastic stuff inside while I was still in the store parking lot, using a pocket knife. not exactly hard to do, but if you were using 1" copper, you might be able to leave them in.

There is no alteration to the exterior diameters (other than sanding and polishing). The choke and endcap will take 1" copper pipe without changes. I did put shims inside to tighten that up (which you can see in the video). When I went to the 1.25" sink tubing, I removed the lip at the end, the shims, and then used a dremel tool to get the interior diameter correct. (wish I had a mill/lathe so I could have done it RIGHT)

The only 1 slight mishap was that one of the 4 screw holes that holds the 1.25" to the choke was thinned out too much and now the threads are shot. I'll have to find a way to get that one to tighten up <sigh>.


As to "where would you get such a thing"? I bought them at Menards, which is a regional "Home Depot" in the Great Plains/Midwest. I haven't been able to find them online other places, despite searching a good bit. I'll get the manufacturing information off the coupler (its not quite all sanded off that piece, but will be hidden by the shroud anyway)

They might have cost $15 all together. Of course, they didn't come all shiny, but they are very "shinable" :)

More info after I go home for lunch, I'll get the manu. info.

[Arkhan]

Coupler

http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6874

Endpiece

http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6887


finding a place to buy them is up to you.

[Ki-Djowac]

Looks like a soon to be masterpiece ! I'm curious to see how the leather wrapping is gonna turn out.

[Arkhan]

when I say "leather-wrapped", I guess I should clarify.

It won't "leather-wound" with a long string of leather, as you might see on a tennis racket, or similar.

it will be "leather-wrapped". A single piece of leather will be cut out with a template, turned inside-out, sewn into a "sleeve", turned right-side out, and the sleeve pulled over the hilt, secured with glue between them.

The covertec wheel and switch bezel require that the ends of the sleeve be left partially unsewn prior to installation, and then the two short end areas will be sewn with a whip-stitch. only about 1/2" of this differing seam will be visible, and will be on the bottom of the saber, between the endcap and covertec.