Newb

[Beeni]

Hey I'm new around here and I've been reading through the forums and finally decided to start making my own saber. So far I was thinking of getting:
Blade Holder Style 17
Rebel Lense holder/8.7degree viewing lense/Royal Blue LED
Heat sink shim for the LED
MPS Pommel style 4, insert style 12
2 wire quick connector
1/8' Adhesive lined heat shrink
LED TCSS battle blade, 8-32x 1/8' set screw w/drill & tap for retention screw
Star Thermal tape pad
2AA battery holder, trustfire 3.7v 900Ah 14500 2pack, all in one charger
BuckPuck 700mA 4-wire
SPST Momentary guarded blue switch and Hilt style 4 with guarded switch hole.
If I'm missing anything or you have any helpful advice/ideas please feel free to share them with me. I still havent read as much as I'd like to yet due to school but I hope to really get into this :-D. Sorry in advance for any Newbish questions.

[amwolf]

Welcome, fellow newb. My best advice is to keep reading – when you think you know what you’re doing, read some more. Bookmark pages for quick reference later, as trying to remember where topic “x” was can be maddening.

If you want a particular orientation between the switch and that blade holder, you may want to have Tim do some custom work to have a 7” double female extension turned with the hilt 4 groves, then add the appropriate switch hole service and describe the orientation. The switch may not be where you want it otherwise. You might also want to add a MPS clip to hold that pommel insert in place. Any thoughts on powder coating or o-rings?

[Beeni]

Yeah, I was thinking of flat black in the grooves and maybe getting a couple of black o-rings

[Va Tosh]

This is a very short hilt 6" to switch 7.5" to blade holder so single handed by necessity unless you have tiny hands.
You could lengthen with extension pieces, try holding as ruler to measure your grip.
Welcom Va Tosh

[Beeni]

Okay thanks a lot, I was thinking about maybe getting a 2" Double female connector with a double ended male connector for the bottom
and now I've got a good reason to do that.

[Va Tosh]

Hi have done a quick render, even with the flat black parts it looks a bit plain.
Ignore my embelishment of the double male adaptor just jazzing it up a bit.
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii86/kevin_allen40/Benis_saber.png

Yours Va Tosh

[Beeni]

Wow thanks, yeah it is a bit plain for now. I was hoping to add some things as I get better at this.

[Beeni]

So if I was to use the 2010 hasbro soundboard from what I've read I'd need a Momentary Switch instead of a Latching right?

[equinox13]

So if I was to use the 2010 hasbro soundboard from what I've read I'd need a Momentary Switch instead of a Latching right?

yes, exactly. as well as a 5V regulator if you use a power supply that's more than 5V and a TIP42 transistor.

[dgdve]

you may also want to check on the batteries.. Most rechargables dont like batter holders since they are a larger diameter, but Welcome.. and your not a newb.. your just new(as were all of us at one time)

[Beeni]

Ooh, okay thanks a lot.

[Va Tosh]

Was looking again at the deisgn and its simple form is growing on me.
You can always add a shroud later to jazz up its appearance but if you have not ordered the double male adapter yet I would consider getting that pc'd as well as the main body, black follows the theme and looks good but I think a contrast colour e.g. copper or brass would be better, you could even fit black or blue trim rings : http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Search.aspx?s=Name ASC&c=55&p=1
Either side of the adaptor to further enhance the appearance - if we have to use adaptors may as well make some aesthetic use out of them.

Another option if you don't want to use the adaptor is to use the gender changer, which would be fine in this low stress location:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Adapters-Misc-C55.aspx
with or without a trim ring.

Glad the project is going well.:)
Va Tosh

[Gin Malinko]

welcome and.....yeah welcome is all i got right now. lol

[Keladis]

Hi, happy thanksgiving and welcome to the forums

[salohcin86]

I like your design. I am a newbie as well. This is the parts list and the first rendering of what I was looking for.
DPDT Latching green illuminated switch
Green LED indicator
Activation box style 4
Hilt style 4 with guarded style switch hole
Ribbed grooved / Choke Combo
MPS Pommel style 3 v2
Screw on LED blade holder style 12
Adjustable LED driver
Add-on board for Adjustable LED Driver (Latching)
MPS Clip
Seoul P4 (Green)
Collimator Lens 5° viewing angle
Luxeon III/P4 Lens Holder
9V battery connector
9v to 18v adapter
Luxeon star heatsink
Star thermal tape pad
1" Hilt safety plug (Clear)
1-3/16" ID Green O-ring
MPS insert style 12
Premium Speaker
MHS speaker mount V3
8-32 x .3" black thumb screw
10-32 x 1/4" set screw
I was thinking of getting a green shroud made to go over the main body portion(Lower portion of picture(Does this shop make custom shrouds?)). I want to run this unit with two 9 volt batteries. I want the main LED for the blade and another toward the bottom to send light out the bottom insert. What do you guys think? Anything I forgot or any suggestions? Does anyone have a picture with all the different colors available for powder coating? I would like to see the different color variations before I made a final decision.
http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m626/salohcin0083/saberblank4.jpg

Thanks ahead of time,
Nick Duque

[Skottsaber]

salohcin86, please in future start a new thread instead of "threadjacking" somebody else's. ;)
And, never use a 9v in a lightsaber.
Their runtimes suck, because if you think about it, your runtime is of a single AAAA cell.
Secondly, 18v will most likely fry your electronics or get very hot, as the LED only needs around 3v.
A 4AA will suit your needs fine ;)

[dgdve]

Skott is correct.. Last time I used the two 9v(18v) set up was in old old EL sabers(3/4") we used to make(1999 anyone? ;).. but that was before the first LED sabers, Master Replica's, soundboards and all the VAST improvements made by the community as well as industry catching up, your talking 10yrs ago(big yellow box style). I Do think your build has promise (and possibly a mod can move this?) or you can start your own thread, as this is a thread about a different saber and yours (while it sounds absolutly great) seems to need some community input as well as a few design revisions(not that your idea's arent good, but 2 heads are better than 1) And some of the "Super Sabersmiths" here have a head worth any 5 outside the community(and worth 2 of any of us "Standard Sabersmiths" within the community, so yeah your in the right place, just in the wrong thread). Lets get some help from them to keep your main idea and direction but help to keep your electronic's on track. I'd assume you'd want atleast 1 accent led... and they dont like 18v.. so lets start you a new thread and get your saber off the paper and into your hand!!

Edit! OOOoo yeah.. and you will save a TON of money with some minor tweaks to your build, basically I think your over spending, So let the old Pro's give you some help(you dont have to take the advice but what could it hurt to start the new thread and see what people like and what they dont, then you decide. No one here will dog your work.. We ALL started with the same idea of shoving a car battery and a helicopter search light into a hilt(yeah I'm talking BLINDING bright.. dangerous even).. but the implimentation is where we all decided... ok maybe not.

[salohcin86]

Thanks for the advise dgdve and Skottsaber :p! I must have got my notes mixed up in thinking I could not fit the 4AA battery holder in the hilt I was designing. I will get my own thread up as soon as I get done working and figure it out; My bad Beeni. As you might of been able to notice this is my first post anywhere on the inter-web. And any advise on design and electronics is greatly appreciated as I have little experience in both. Hope you guys had a great Thanks Giving(good luck with black Friday shopping if that's you thing) and I look forward to working with you guys!

[Jedi-Loreen]

It looks like you guys missed the fact that he had the adjustable driver on his list, which can take up to 20V. Probably why he wanted to use 2 9V batteries.

But yeah, you still don't want to run LED saber on 9V batteries, there are better battery solutions out there that will give you better run times.

[Skottsaber]

Ahh, true.
But as I said, the LED only needs ~3v, so 18v is overkill, and the extra cells could be used for longer runtimes instead.
But I think he gets it ;)

[Beeni]

Lol no problem I thought it was kinda funny. Anyway welcome =)

[GAEBLER]

I am newbie here.Nice to be part of this forum.