JDuffPhoto
05-16-2014, 04:50 AM
I posted a while ago a saber that I installed my first soundboard in. Last year, a connection broke in the saber about two weeks before a major event and I rewired the saber as a stunt hilt without the soundboard. Last fall, I started designing a new personal hilt to use for costuming only - no battling this time. I wanted to incorporate a shroud on this saber, something that I initially designed on my first saber. I got the materials and began layout, started making my first cuts and then put it aside for several months.
Well... with another major event coming up, I wanted my character to have an updated lightsaber. With the event only 3 weeks away, this was the "kick in the pants" needed to actually work on the shroud again. After grinding down the edges with a Dremel, followed by several hours? worth of filing and sanding, I had a shroud that was close to perfect.
Too perfect. My design and concept was meant to be something that has been handed down for generations, or at least have components that were from sabers that were handed down. After researching for weeks on the subject, I decided that acid etching was the way to go. I settled on a phoenix as a subject and found a design online that I used as a reference for my own image. After drawing the layout, I followed tutorials found online and took the plunge.
I?m happy with the way that this turned out. It?s far from perfect, but I?m not interested in perfection on this piece. I like the aged look and the flaws just add to that look. I?m looking now at how to weather the rest of the saber (leaving the black powder coated piece alone) and I?m considering carrying a design element from the shroud into the body and emitter.
Thoughts? Here?s the pics:
9920
9921
9922
9923
9924
The saber is running a PC1.6
Lux III Amber (closest I could get to a yellow blade without color blending a multi die LED). This LED actually appears brighter than the LEDEngin 5W Amber that was previously installed.
I have a chassis hidden under the ribbed section for easy access to the board.
Thanks for looking!
Jon
Well... with another major event coming up, I wanted my character to have an updated lightsaber. With the event only 3 weeks away, this was the "kick in the pants" needed to actually work on the shroud again. After grinding down the edges with a Dremel, followed by several hours? worth of filing and sanding, I had a shroud that was close to perfect.
Too perfect. My design and concept was meant to be something that has been handed down for generations, or at least have components that were from sabers that were handed down. After researching for weeks on the subject, I decided that acid etching was the way to go. I settled on a phoenix as a subject and found a design online that I used as a reference for my own image. After drawing the layout, I followed tutorials found online and took the plunge.
I?m happy with the way that this turned out. It?s far from perfect, but I?m not interested in perfection on this piece. I like the aged look and the flaws just add to that look. I?m looking now at how to weather the rest of the saber (leaving the black powder coated piece alone) and I?m considering carrying a design element from the shroud into the body and emitter.
Thoughts? Here?s the pics:
9920
9921
9922
9923
9924
The saber is running a PC1.6
Lux III Amber (closest I could get to a yellow blade without color blending a multi die LED). This LED actually appears brighter than the LEDEngin 5W Amber that was previously installed.
I have a chassis hidden under the ribbed section for easy access to the board.
Thanks for looking!
Jon