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View Full Version : How to do the bottom of a Removable blade



Nerdicus
12-24-2014, 10:17 AM
I am considering making my lightsaber with a removable string blade, partially because it looks better and partially becuase its a somewhat cheaper/easier route to multi-colored blades (IE Make more than one, so it could be green with one blade, red with another. If this is wrong please let me know) I dont know, however, how I would go about making the connector. does anyone have advice?

Forgetful Jedi Knight
12-24-2014, 10:21 AM
While I don't have any advice about the connections, the premise that making separate LED blades is cheaper than a single RGB, base lit die is flawed.

Nerdicus
12-24-2014, 10:25 AM
It was more of wishful thinking towards my budget being low and my skill also being low. Idrk, trying explore all options before purchasing anything. My bad :P

Forgetful Jedi Knight
12-24-2014, 10:47 AM
String blades are NOT for beginners.

Obi1
12-24-2014, 02:25 PM
Neither are they cheap, you could easily spend 1.5x more on the LEDs for a decent LED string as you would pay for an RGB base lit one (now only speaking about the LED's). If you do three of them for the three main colors, you can do the math.

Weaver
12-25-2014, 08:35 AM
My research into component blades leads me to believe ~$50US is the price you're looking at. For the connections, you may want to research 7-pin audio connectors. They (again, from my limited research) seem to be the go-to choice for reliable connections. I don't have a link handy, but a brief Google search will yield some results.

Forgetful Jedi Knight raises a valid point about component blades being an advanced study. You have to plan carefully for the power requirements of the LED string. You have to know ahead of time how much current and voltage the entire string requires, compare that to what the board can deliver, etc. There is also the point that component blades can be done in different ways (e.g. all-parallel versus "seriallel").

The board you're using is another concern. If you're using the CF LS, you can use the 7-pin connector to light up the six segments in sequence, for a scrolling effect. If you're using another board, you have a few more limitations placed on output. I was looking at the LS for my next saber and was pretty impressed by the fact that it can deliver such a high amperage to each of six strings.

Not trying to dissuade you from your efforts at all, just...know what you're getting into. I'm studying up on them myself, and it's somewhat daunting. Look up "string blade saber" on YouTube and try to find Hampton's HandCrafted Sabers. He has a decently-explained tutorial on this subject. He also makes some of the brightest blades I have ever seen.

Jedi Lex
01-02-2015, 07:49 PM
My research into component blades leads me to believe ~$50US is the price you're looking at. For the connections, you may want to research 7-pin audio connectors. They (again, from my limited research) seem to be the go-to choice for reliable connections. I don't have a link handy, but a brief Google search will yield some results.

Forgetful Jedi Knight raises a valid point about component blades being an advanced study. You have to plan carefully for the power requirements of the LED string. You have to know ahead of time how much current and voltage the entire string requires, compare that to what the board can deliver, etc. There is also the point that component blades can be done in different ways (e.g. all-parallel versus "seriallel").

The board you're using is another concern. If you're using the CF LS, you can use the 7-pin connector to light up the six segments in sequence, for a scrolling effect. If you're using another board, you have a few more limitations placed on output. I was looking at the LS for my next saber and was pretty impressed by the fact that it can deliver such a high amperage to each of six strings.

Not trying to dissuade you from your efforts at all, just...know what you're getting into. I'm studying up on them myself, and it's somewhat daunting. Look up "string blade saber" on YouTube and try to find Hampton's HandCrafted Sabers. He has a decently-explained tutorial on this subject. He also makes some of the brightest blades I have ever seen.

These are the best Audio Connectors in the industry. XLR connectors will be smaller and easier to design into the blade but these are designed for the type of current needed for a blade, whereas XLR connectors are not.
http://www.neutrik.com/en/speakon/speakon-chassis-connectors/nl8md-v-bag