Another noob that needs help, sorry!

[VibeKnight2012]

Hey everyone,

Ok, building a lightsaber has always been an interest of mine, but it wasn't until recently that I knew all of this was possible.

I have been doing lots of research and I know most of the stuff I need, but some stuff easily escapes my understanding.

I discovered Sloth Furnace and decided, though it would be challenging, I would like to try to make a blade like his. What I'm really unsure about are the power requirements for 90 LEDS that have 25,000mcd, with a forward voltage of 3.2V and a max of 3.6V. What is the best set up? Any specific batteries?

Also, has anyone had any luck finding 3/4" OD x 1/2" ID polycarbonate tube and diffuser? I have found 3/4" OD x 5/8" ID, and 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID PC tubes. My first thought with those are to sand the 5/8" OD tube so it acts as a diffuser and is just thin enough to fit into the 3/4" OD tube. But I am worried the LEDs will have little to no protection during a duel. Has anyone tried this?

Also, because of the kind of LED set up I want to try, I thought it would be easiest to set up a 1/4" socket like what TCSS's recharge port to provide power to the LEDs. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[TheDarkPhoenix]

Have you got a link to Slothfurnace's build?

I think you're talking about outdated lightsaber technology. Lightsabers use to have LEDs in the blade but now they have high powered LED modules in the blade holder.

[VibeKnight2012]

Here's the link! http://www.slothfurnace.com/index.html

The link to the specific project is here. http://www.slothfurnace.com/sabers/ROTJLuke_01.html

Well, he just completed the project I'm talking about last December. The only reason I want to do this is because I see how dim the tips of the blades are in the pictures on the website.

[VibeKnight2012]

I lied! Unknowingly, however. The build was finished in December 2010, three and a half years ago.

[VibeKnight2012]

To anyone interested in this process, this is something I found.

http://www.thejediassembly.com/tutorials.php?id=y45

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

First off, Welcome to the Forums!

OK, to answer your question, Slothfurnace's builds are not using "old" technology at all, per se, they are an alternative to the standard shine up LED's we use today. Builds like those are not easy to do at all, and he uses the LS version of the Crystal Focus board for them. LED strings blades are basically for SHOW, not dueling. He is working on a couple of LED string blade projects as we speak.

From reading your post, if you plan in using the saber for dueling at all, I suggest you just use a standard LED build and when it comes to the blade, you can get the tip to light up well, IF you do it properly.

"EL technology" is old by today's standards, the store use to have an EL section, but because it was rarely used anymore, I think almost everything was discontinued a while back.

[VibeKnight2012]

That makes sense. If I were to use a standard LED build, what is the proper way to set it up so that the tip lights up well?

What if I took an extremely bright 5mm round top LED and mounted that much in the same way as the Luxeon LED? Something like this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/121335737774?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 - a 25-28,000mcd LED. That way it would be more resistant in a duel, but maybe brighter than the alternative?

Thanks for you help, by the way. I really appreciate it!

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

That makes sense. If I were to use a standard LED build, what is the proper way to set it up so that the tip lights up well?

What if I took an extremely bright 5mm round top LED and mounted that much in the same way as the Luxeon LED? Something like this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/121335737774?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 - a 25-28,000mcd LED. That way it would be more resistant in a duel, but maybe brighter than the alternative?

Thanks for you help, by the way. I really appreciate it!

First of all, a standard build would use something like Tri-Rebel would be bright enough. You'll find that the 2 green dice of a Tri-Rebel GGW will be quite bright. Also the optics play a role in how things turn out.

One of the "secrets" of blades is in the actual blade construction and how you deal with the tip. The main reason why the tips don't light up well, is that most people don't modify the mirrored disk at the tip (which reflects the light back down to make for a more even blade).

[VibeKnight2012]

Ok, so the secret is using a mirrored disc. Hopefully this doesn't come across as negative or rude in this limited form of communication, but that sounds pretty simple. Do you have any pictures of the results this method wields? Sorry to be so naggy, I just want to make sure I do the best job I can!

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

You can look at my Apex and Illustrious builds. I'm sure there are hundreds of other builds in the gallery you could look at.

[ghoti115]

I have to agree with Forgetful Jedi Knight on the use of the EL blades versus the blades that use an LED in the base. I've been playing with the EL Blades very gently for years and they both still work. The main reason I started looking into building an LED blade (or two) is so I can have some fun dueling instead of worrying if I'm going to cause damage to a saber. If you are worried about brightness, you could try using a Tri-Rebel (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Luxeon-Tri-Rebel-Star-P777.aspx). They come in GGW and BBW, so you could easily run the two greens or blues in a series circuit as each user had mentioned in the reviews. Wiring them on a parallel circuit will produce a brighter light, but will also drain the battery quicker. You could even see if there are Tri-Rebels with three of the same color available if you want to go for an over the top brightness.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

If you are worried about brightness, you could try using a Tri-Rebel (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Luxeon-Tri-Rebel-Star-P777.aspx). They come in GGW and BBW, so you could easily run the two greens or blues in a series circuit as each user had mentioned in the reviews. Wiring them on a parallel circuit will produce a brighter light, but will also drain the battery quicker. You could even see if there are Tri-Rebels with three of the same color available if you want to go for an over the top brightness.

*FJK inserts the legalese here*: The above statements GREATLY depends on what battery solution as well as what sound card you plan on using to run your saber. Limitations will probably apply. Your mileage may vary. Any visual impairments are the sole responsibility of the saber builder/user.

[ghoti115]

*FJK inserts the legalese here*: The above statements GREATLY depends on what battery solution as well as what sound card you plan on using to run your saber. Limitations will probably apply. Your mileage may vary. Any visual impairments are the sole responsibility of the saber builder/user.

Very good points. Mind if I use that as my signature?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Very good points. Mind if I use that as my signature?

Sure, It would't be the first time that I've wound up in someone else's signature.

[VibeKnight2012]

Alright, that makes sense!

My next question is in order to run one of those LEDs, a clash sensor, swing sensor, a second led if I wanted to get crazy and have a lit crystal, a driver, speaker, and Petit Crouton (am I forgetting anything else?) what would the power requirements be? How can I get the most bang for my buck and have an adequately bright, even saber, and have a battery that will last at least a few hours? I say at least a few hours because I have no idea what the standard for battery life is.

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Alright, that makes sense!

My next question is in order to run one of those LEDs, a clash sensor, swing sensor, a second led if I wanted to get crazy and have a lit crystal, a driver, speaker, and Petit Crouton (am I forgetting anything else?) what would the power requirements be? How can I get the most bang for my buck and have an adequately bright, even saber, and have a battery that will last at least a few hours? I say at least a few hours because I have no idea what the standard for battery life is.

Sounds like it's time for someone to do some research. Why don't you go through the Petit Crouton manual (it's in the store, with the board). In the manual you will find all kinds of fun facts - like that the swing and clash sensor are already part of the board, and that it supports a couple of accent LEDs and such, and what it needs to power it.

Your runtime will depend on what you ultimately decide on as far as battery solution go (which also can mean what battery pack can you actually cram into your design). Typically the maximum run time for a multi-die setup can be up to 75-90 minutes - and usually it's quite a bit less.

[VibeKnight2012]

Will do. Thank you so much for your help!