Obligatory Parts Check

[Jedi-Elf]

I am getting ready to order the next set of parts for my saber and I want to make sure that I have all I need while allowing for later upgrades. So, here is what I have already...

Blade Holder #16
Hilt Style 4
Double Male Connector
Double Female 2 inch Connector
MPS Pommel 3 v2
MPS Pommel Insert 12
Gold Plated AV switch

I want to start with just an LED and be able to add sound later when I can afford a decent board. I also want to use rechargeable batteries with a recharge port. I figure for now I need,

P4 LED kit (Buckpuck)
Quick Connect 4wire adaptor
Pololu or some other way to convert my momentary switch to latching.
Lithium Ion or NiMH batteries (any advice?)
Machined Switch Hole Service
Recharge Port Service
Drill and Tap Service for blade retention screw (what screw can I use that would be inconspicuous and flush with the blade holder?)
Heatshrink (What size is best?)
Extra wire (Any recommendations here as to what kind and how much?)
One of the thick-walled "dueling" blades

That seems to be it from what I have read in various threads, but am I forgetting anything or do I have something wrong? I want to be able to add sound to this saber so is there anything I should be doing differently so that I won't have to start over when I get a board? I know that I will need to send my hilt and BH to Tim in order to get the machining done, but I'm waiting to do that until he is caught up and able ready to take new PCing orders since I want some color added to my hilt too. So how does that list look?

[Rafalema]

I really would like to see a render of your saber, because you have a double-male connector and 2" dual-female section for apparently no reason.

On the batteries, I suggest Lithium-Ion, cause you can have just 2 of them to get 7.2v but if you used the NiMh batteries you'd need 4 to get 4.8v.

Extra wire - Maybe like 25" of all the colors you need, especially if you plan to upgrade later.

About the heatshrink, I don't know the imperial system very well so I cannot help you with this, but I bought heatshrink locally from a store.

Flush screw - Set Screw is the most flush. They are cheap, so you could order many different lenghts of them so you could choose the perfect one for your bladeholder.

Oh and by the way, Tim does NOT take send-in machining/powdercoating orders. So I suggest you just wait a while longer.

And if you go with the Li-Ions, you must wait, because the Li-Ion smart charger is out of stock at the moment.

Oh 2#: If you want a good way to secure your batteries inside the hilt, I recommend the speaker mounts. They mount the speaker if you want, and they are excellent for keeping the batteries inside the hilt in place.

Oh 3#: In your P4 blue kit, did you pick the "AA" battery holder? Because Li-Ions don't come in AAA to my knowledge, at least not on TCSS.

Good luck.

[Skottsaber]

On the batteries, I suggest Lithium-Ion, cause you can have just 2 of them to get 7.2v but if you used the NiMh batteries you'd need 4 to get 4.8v.
...
Oh and by the way, Tim does NOT take send-in machining/powdercoating orders. So I suggest you just wait a while longer.

Be careful, because depending on which board you get in future, the Li-Ions may be a bit too much voltage.
And I'm pretty sure Tim does let you send in your parts for PC.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Yup, as seen in the thread "Can I send my parts in to be Powder coated??? (http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=5063)" and look at that, in the Powder Coating board too! Who would'a thunk ;)

*edit* Tim has already stated you can mail parts in to be PC'd so you are good to go Elf. Raf, hopefully you know my post was good natured teasing, would hate to have someone take offence, after all... you can't see my grin :D

[Rafalema]

Shadar... You're dead!


... You can't see my grin either :D

[Jedi-Elf]

Rafalema: I have posted renders in other sections here, but I'll tell you the reason I have the male and female connectors. I used them to get a bit of extra length to my saber between the main hilt and the pommel because I didn't want to use a choke or other extender. This way I have a hilt that is just under 12 inches and seems like a good size for me.

As far as sending the parts in for machining and PCing, I might just order a new main body and blade holder since the ones I already have are slightly blemished where I dropped them and I don't know if the (slight) scratches will be easily sanded away or not. I have not yet ordered any batteries or the P4 kit (green btw) since I'd like to get as much ordered and done at once as I can, so I'm waiting til Tim is caught up on PC orders. The speaker/battery pack combo sounds like a good idea since I will be adding sound at some point, so maybe I will get that and keep the battery holder from the kit as a spare.

I have another question now. What type of soldering iron would you all recommend I buy? Looking on amazon i found several ranging from around $15 to $60 and I'm a complete soldering and electronics noob so I don't know what works best for saber building.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Unless you plan on doing this as more than an occasional hobby thing, something like this (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062750&filterValue=%2410.00+-+%2449.99&filterName=Price) could serve you well...

[Jedi-Elf]

Thanks Shadar! I figured something similar to that was what I needed but I wanted to be sure. Thanks to everyone for the help. I think I have a decent Idea of what to order now to get my saber lit up anyway. Sound will come later.