3/4" led string blade,what I need for it?

[parfaitelumiere]

Hello,

I have seen on the Custom Saber shop some blades with 3/4" and thick walled,I have seen polyethylene tubes,seems they go inside.
These are sold in the"EL" section of the shop.
My question is:
Doest it work for led strings blades too?

I'm looking for 3/4"blades,as thick walled as possible,ad these ones in the shop seems good for me.
But's if it's too hard to find moss diffusor...

Patrice

[cardcollector]

I have not built a LED string, but I am pretty sure 5mm LED's will fit in there nice and snug. If you get a trans-white blade, you may just need to sand the outside and the light be even.

That's all I can say, hope that gets you started somewhat.

[Azmaria Dei]

definitely need to talk to Slothfurnace on that one... he and makototsai are the 2 that i would refer you to look up the builds of. sloth's site is http://www.nonentity.com and he's done a few excellent build logs for sabers with string blades.

http://www.nonentity.com/New/Main/Projects/ObiANHSaber.htm

[parfaitelumiere]

You're right,sloth makes really good work,and makoto's are really bright,that's why I finally choosed this way too^^
For my first graflex I have find a used blade socket,it's a 3/4"
For my first custom saber,the hilt is just over 1"1/4 external and 1" internal,so I was thinking about a 3/4" blade too...
Seems what would be difficult with a 3/4" blade is the white diffusing moss,but I really like this diameter,and I would try something with the blade,because I hate the standart end-caps.
In France I have seen "mousse isolation pour parquets",maybe it's good?
I will look once again at Sloth's website.

[Azmaria Dei]

for the blade, the translucent polycarbonate is quite good at diffusing the light.

/me activates the slothsignal!

[slothfurnace]

Howdy all,

Ok, for LED string, I direct you to my LED build of my ROTJ saber - http://www.slothfurnace.com/sabers/ROTJLuke_02.html

As far as the diffuser, when using an LED string you'll need:

String of LEDs
PolyCarb blade, thin wall, one inch
the plastic diffuser tube that comes with TCSS blades and MR blades
one foam tube diffuser.

The foam tube diffuser both evens out the light AND snuggles up the LEDS so they don't rattle around in the tube. It protects them so they don't move. (moving is bad)

Use the right method of assembly and the right LEDs, and you'll end up with a blade this bright -

http://www.slothfurnace.com/images/ROTJL/087.jpg

Now that's all using the one inch blade. I don't think you can make an LED string small enough to fit into a thick walled 3/4 inch blade. You might be able to fit the LED string in there, but you won't be happy with the lighting results without the foam tube.


Hope that helps,

-sloth

[Skottsaber]

Not so.
I have a parks blade, thickwalled trans white 3/4" with a diffuser foam (around a PCB thicker than the LEDs). Granted is uses 3mm LEDs, but its still one of the brightest sabers I own.

[parfaitelumiere]

Thanks for your replies.
seems it's not easy woth 3/4" thick walled blades,mine leaves only half a inch inside.
After looking closely at parks,you can see a little bit each led inside the blade,not as the Sloth's or Makoto's blades.

[Jordandau]

Where did you get the LEDs for your blade Sloth? The v3s here always seem to be out of stock.

[Skottsaber]

He used some secretsauce uber super duper sun bright LEDs that put a Makoto to shame....
When it gets too bright to outshine Sloth, you know you've gone too far :lol:

[parfaitelumiere]

I would like to know the specs of makoto's leds.
Lots of guys tell about candela,but what I don't understand,if a big candela power and a very small emission angle,the total light in lumen is very small,no?
So what would be the best choice between 33000 mcda at 15° and 1000 mcda at 170°?

[Grackle]

He used some secretsauce uber super duper sun bright LEDs that put a Makoto to shame....
When it gets too bright to outshine Sloth, you know you've gone too far :lol:

Actually he used some LEDs from Mouser electronics that I recommended to him after I tried them out. The Mouser part # is 630-HLMP-CM34-X1000
You can see the ones I used in the saber on the left of this shot: http://i54.tinypic.com/15r1pav.jpg
(along with the red versions of those LEDs, part # 630-HLMP-Eg2A-XY0DD on the right).

Much, much brighter and more evenly lit than the normal FX blades in the center two. Though... the green ones suck so much juice that the PLI on that saber never gets above the lowest yellow light. I'm probably going to switch the resistor on it to the next lowest voltage one, even though it's a 4.8v saber with the 4.8v resistor on the PLI.

[parfaitelumiere]

is the vader on?
really not as bright as the one on the right....
Who made the OB1ep1,seems it's quite good,not as good as the Z one(too thick inside tube on handle),but quite good!
I really like this saber!

You have the specs of these leds,especially candela brightness,and nominal current.
I would know them to make idea of lumen brightness...
If 30000mcda at 45°,would give a big 14 lm brightness....if at 20mA,just 60 leds will give 840lm,unbelivablely awesome...
For the moment the best I have find is 5,9lm at 20mA...
My idea was to drive about 63 leds with a Mr board,feeded with 4 ni-mh cells to 4,8v
I would group all 6 grounds in only one for the led string,because of removable blade with RCA connexion,and battle ready saber.
Other idea was to make a 3 grounds for the blade,one using one ground of the board,other using two,and the last using the 3 last grounds,to have a ingnition effect,but to have a relatively strong blade.
however it won't be possible with my furst custom saber and a 3/4" blade,because of really narrow handle.
In fact I 'm not sure I will make this saber now,because I have find better tube,same,but larger^^.
I don't really like the 1" blades,too large,but I have received my parks 3/4" blade,and it's not very rigid,even it's 0.125" walled.
The best would be 1" bottom and 3/4" top conical blades,to be more "screen accurate",and keep best balance,and aesthetics.
I would try something to obtain this result,but I think it will be very difficult.
I really hope it will work,I would make my first lightsaber,then a true graflex and a Russ OB1 are waiting for their electronics^^

[Jedi-Loreen]

The Obi-wan is a Hasbro FX saber with an original stock blade.

[Grackle]

The Obi-wan is a Hasbro FX saber with an original stock blade.

Yup, and yes, the Vader is turned on. :) The one beside it is just that bright! I'm lucky I got that Obi-Wan TPM when I did, as everyplace I looked had stopped carrying them except for Lucasfilm's Star Wars store... and a short time after I placed my order there, it disappeared off that website too... close call.

parfaitelumiere, good luck with your Russ Rep Obi-Wan... I'm in the middle of building one too, already have Russ's pommel and booster here, and I'm waiting to get my Emitter and Grenade in a few weeks when he is done with his current run of them. Already talked to Slothfurnace about having him mill me a blade holder and battery holder/spacer just like his so I can finish mine just like his. :)

[parfaitelumiere]

Wow,it's possible to have a blade holder form sloth?
Interesting.
I don't know exactly the internal diameter of emitter,but it would be great to put blade inside.
I'm waiting for grenade and emitter,like you^^
I'm waiting for another pommel,I have one,but I want another to polish myself(It's my job...) ad modify the cap,to install sound,then will have a layer of chrome.
I would ask to a freind for true inconel emitter replica,will depend on his price.
For the moment I have pommel,booster,clamp and bubble strip.
I think all electronics will definitemy go in the grenade(4 AAA and yoda board) will leave place for crystal chamber under the clamp.
If it's possible to have one from Sloth,would be great!

[Jedi-Loreen]

Guys, let's please not talk about people other than Tim making or modifying parts for you.

Remember, these forums are part of Tim's Store, so have some respect for him. Take it off the boards, if you want to talk about that.
Sloth respects Tim, and doesn't talk about this sort of thing here, himself.

Thanks.

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

parfaitelumiere,

To directly answer your original question, you can do a 3/4" makoto blade. You can see the one I did here: http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?9996-Mace-Windu
I used a thickwall nylon blade, and wrapped the 5mm LED's in foam, but with what I'm sure was at least partially due to my uneven soldering, the blade is not perfectly even. The advantage of using a larger diameter blade is that you have more space to get the light from LED's properly diffused.

[Grackle]

Guys, let's please not talk about people other than Tim making or modifying parts for you.

Remember, these forums are part of Tim's Store, so have some respect for him. Take it off the boards, if you want to talk about that.
Sloth respects Tim, and doesn't talk about this sort of thing here, himself.

Thanks.

You have no idea how much I wish Tim made movie accurate thin neck chokes ;)

(they'd be half the price of Russ's and you wouldn't have to wait over a year to get them)

Speaking of which, since the Mako V3s are perpetually unavailable, maybe the LEDs I gave the part #'s for here would be a good replacement? The company that makes them (Avago Tech) sells them by specific bin (those part #'s are for a specific binning for vf, current, and hue/brightness), maybe he can see about getting them in stock here? I'd love for more options for making string sabers...

http://i56.tinypic.com/29gic1i.jpg

(everyone always takes pics of their lux-style sabers in dark rooms so their glow will show up... I can hold mine right under the kitchen overheads and it still looks good :D )

[Azmaria Dei]

(everyone always takes pics of their lux-style sabers in dark rooms so their glow will show up... I can hold mine right under the kitchen overheads and it still looks good :D )

you mean like this?
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_k8Kp4lNYp8g/TUfg7T7NBRI/AAAAAAAACns/uLlvuRZsH9s/s640/IMG_20110201_192952.jpg