First build (StuntSaber), Build Check.

[Jay-mo]

So before the Holidays I pulled the trigger on my order for my first build. I didn't want to make another "What do i need to buy" thread, so I did a bit of research and came up with the following. I suppose I'm looking for some opinions.

I based my schematics off of Jay-Gon Jinn's PVC hilt thread, but noticed it was intended for children. Naturally, me and my buddies would want to spar with our sabers (Before we pull the trigger on full MHS kits), and I decided to make the first two using a PVC hilt. In addition to sparring, we want brighter blades that hopefully can be seen in mild daylight. Since the guide uses thin walled blades, I figured I'd have to up the power to the LED with a stronger driver.

I wasn't quite ready to get a tri-star so I started simple- I can always get a resistor if my buckpuck is too powerful or someone thinks it could be improved, in addition to a higher powered LED. At worst, I make a few returns.

Well, here it is:

Electronics:
-2 Luxeon 1-UP Rebel Star, Deep Red in color- rated between 350mA and 700mA
-1" OD heatsink for ease of use and the ability to power future, stronger leds
-5 degree and 8.7 degree lenses with holders
-Buckpuck with Dimmer, rated at 700mA (Twice the mA in Jinn's guide)
-4-cell AAA battery holder
-2 Latching on/off switches with Wire Leads.

What I regret not buying:
-18650 battery holder with battery

Saber:
-2 40" Clear Polycarbonate Thick-Walled blades w/ Shouldered Blade tips.
-2 Homemade PVC hilts. A respirator is nice for carving the PVC with power tools- those fumes and dust are bad.
-End caps of my sabers will have holes drilled in them in the very, very rare case of a battery malfunction. Just being safe.

So this is my general list, and thats where I'm at.

I don't have a drawn up schematic on my laptop (I prefer graph paper and pencils), but I intend to power the driver with 4 AAA's for the first test, this should come out a little above the minimum or right at its minimum voltage requirements, if im right. 4 1.5v batteries=6v in total.

So If im right, this is the proper order for configuring the electronics:

Battery (6v to start)--> Dimming 700mA buckpuck---> On/off Button (Needed with the dimming button?)---> Luxeon 1-Up Rebel star inside heatsink---> Cram-Fu!

Of course, everything will be tested before being assembled.

So, does it check out guys? I like to think I've done my research on this one- if not, please point it out to me! Tips are welcome!

My main concerns/questions so far are:
-Battery life/power, will my 6v setup run that 700mA buckpuck for a decent amount of time? If im right, it should do well.
-Is running that 1-up at its maximum rated mA going to shorten its lifespan? Overall, how long should it last?
-Brightness of a home-rolled blade, will tediously rolling a load of cellophane diffuse my LED properly? I'll be using a very thin dowel.
-Is the 700mA driver overkill? I figured the dimmer will help if its just too much power/drains too quickly.
-If i wanted to include an on-off button in addition to the dimmer switch, would I add it in between the buckpuck and led or would it have to be in-front of the dimmer?

I apologize if my list is jumbled or I have used improper electronic terminology- I'm still getting into it each day. I hope I've adequately researched all my parts, if anything appears unsafe or unusable, again, point it out!

Advice, comments, and input in general are more than welcome and highly appreciated! I can't wait for my packages to arrive this week!

[Miraluka]

Okay, my first thoughts... I know you said you regret not getting 18650s, and yeah. definitely get some Li-Ions for the sake of battery life. Buuut keep in mind, if you use Li-Ions, you need to use a 7.4V pack OR switch to a resistor instead of a buckpuck. Also, you are not going to need that dimmer. Your LED will be fine running at .7A

Running a single LED at .7A, you're not going to be seeing much when you're out in daylight. You can overdrive 3 dice at once and still not see much in daylight.

If you want to diffuse your own blade, Jay-Gon has a tutorial for that, but yeah, done properly, it will diffuse the light.

I would ditch your dimmer, use a latching on/off switch like this
12868

[Jay-mo]

Okay, my first thoughts... I know you said you regret not getting 18650s, and yeah. definitely get some Li-Ions for the sake of battery life. Buuut keep in mind, if you use Li-Ions, you need to use a 7.4V pack OR switch to a resistor instead of a buckpuck. Also, you are not going to need that dimmer. Your LED will be fine running at .7A

Running a single LED at .7A, you're not going to be seeing much when you're out in daylight. You can overdrive 3 dice at once and still not see much in daylight.

If you want to diffuse your own blade, Jay-Gon has a tutorial for that, but yeah, done properly, it will diffuse the light.

I would ditch your dimmer, use a latching on/off switch like this
12868

Firstly, thank you for your assistance and help, I sincerely appreciate it!

It should be easy to remove the dimmer cords (I think) i thought it would be a fun feature, but it is another button to press while dueling, right? Regardless, I'll stick to the Latching on/off switch as suggested. It is also good to not hear "Your setup is way off" for my first build, so I'm feeling good on that front!

But as far as brightness goes, we're more after the blade being fully illuminated in the evenings/nights should we go to another event. I'd like to think that at night this thing will be rather bright. If not, I would love to hear opinions on a bright setup for night/evening use. For daytime, I'd probably pick up a colored polycarbonate tube.

On 18650's/Li-Ion's- I think I will order some holders from TCSS for sure. I am still kicking myself for that one. On the "7.4v Pack", I am not familiar with 18650 "packs"- looking at the store, I'll need a PCB (Which will warrant a cheap chassis/internal holder, that looks fragile) and the proper battery. I'll have to research rigging that up some more, I'm always very cautious with my 18650s. Thank you for the tip!

I noticed Jay-Gon had the guide, and have it bookmarked! I wasn't sure if he had some sort of film that wasn't shown because his blades always look so good!

[Jay-gon Jinn]

I actually did build some regular adult size pvc sabers too:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o141/Jay-gon_Jinn/My%20pvc%20sabers/100_8663.jpg
That was just a green rebel running off the miocropucks I used in the kid sabers. 3volts, 350ma. That one ran on 2-AA's that were in single AA holders...I had to wire the holders in series in order to get the 3 volts necessary. A side-by-side 2-AA holder didn't fit in the sabers as I had built them, and neither did a 4-AAA. The hilts I did were just simple pieces of 1" i.d. pvc electrical conduit, so they had the same i.d. the whole length. you can certainly get more creative and use different types or sizes of pvc to fit your electronics better.

You will not need a pcb for any of the li-ions listed as packs in the store....they are already protected with a built-in pcb. Those would be the ones with plugs on them....there is a single 18650 cell listed that also has a built-in pcb, but it's currently out of stock.

I'd also agree with Miraluka's suggestion on skipping the buckpuck and using a single 18650 from the store and just going with simple resistors. Just make sure you use the correct resistor on the red rebels, 700ma is all they will handle, any more than that and the have a tendency to stop working.

My blades still use the same clear gift wrapping I used in the tutorial, so you should be fine there as well....just make sure you use enough. some people try to skimp on the film and then complain that their blade isn't evenly diffused. 4-6 feet usually works, depending on the blade length...the longer the blade, the more film you may need.

EDIT:
Here's a full sized pvc saber running a red Rebel at 350ma:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o141/Jay-gon_Jinn/My%20pvc%20sabers/100_8667.jpg

[Jay-mo]

Jay-Gon, I regret not getting a micropuck! Those sabers look phenomenal- do they use thick walled blades?

I am glad your giving me a little advice too, but when I said your pvc tutorial was more for kids I was referring to the thin-walled blades used more than the 350mA pucks. I figured if I used thick-walled, more power might be a wise idea.

Also, I want to thank you for that guide on PVC sabers- I loved the idea of making my own hilt but never thought of using PVC! It really got me hooked on this new hobby, I love hand carving things, and with PVC the sky is the limit. It is also cheaper than ordering a few MHS sabers only to find my friends are not all that interested.

I too am using the 1" ID pvc, but I figured for my first run, having extra hilts wont hurt. Its good to practice working with them. Giving them to a friend or family member is a great option too, especially considering many of them are suddenly hinting at their interest in this, both young and older. If the battery pack won't fit, the "Model 0.04" will have a bulky pommel to house the battery until i find a new hilt material or consider using the MHS/get a 18650 setup.

What kind of battery life were you getting on your pvc sabers using the 350mA puck+2-cell AA pack?

I'll give the 18650 (With built in pcb)+Resistor a try, is it really more efficient than the driver I have selected, even If i had the proper power for it? After all my research on saber manufactures, I'd love to keep supporting TCSS, so if its in stock, I'll probably get it. But my order shipped today, so I'll let that come first and see how short the battery life is.

My other plan was to "Merge" (Hacksaw+jbweld to custom chassis) two 2-cell AAA holders, in tandem, to form a 4-cell AAA holder (6v). I'd have to have my buddy in electronics give me the "okay" on that before I pop in batteries, of course- but it would fit in the hilt's I have. If battery power is that short, I'll give a 9v with an extra large pommel to hold it a try- I have plenty of those laying around, as bulky as they may be.

All that said, knowing myself, I will for sure mess around with putting one of the 700mA buckpucks in a saber, and return the other. Its just in my nature to want to give it a shot at max power, and I am admittedly very excited to make my first saber. Would running it at its maximum rated power risk blowing the LED/ drastically shorten its lifespan? Most of my research tends to say 700mA on the Deep-Red Lux will work well (So does TCSS's site under luxeon 1-up's, IIRC), although I do fully expect a shortened battery life, especially with a 6v setup that I'll start with.

@Jay-Gon Jinn- Whats you opinion on the dimmer on my buckpuck? I am tempted to disconnect it when it arrives, but I have a feeling being able to mark on the dimmer where "about" half power is could be really useful. Show-offish at max, dueling at half kind of thing. And when you said you combined single-cell AA holders, would wiring two 2-cell holders at their leads be as easy as it seems (Solder + to +, - to -)? Most guides seem to involve a hacksaw, from what I've gathered.

And last questions (I hope):
-In those pictures, are those thick-walled blades? If so, I think I may literally just follow your schematic by the book for future builds, maybe using a battery setup.
-For removing the "Dimmer" from my Buckpuck, is it as simple as cutting the dimming wires, and covering the leads with heat-shrink/electrical tape?
-With the 18650's, as meantioned, I already own a charger for 18650's- is the single cell one everyone is referring to (With the PCB) able to fit in one? Its a nitecore 4-cell charger, and has been charging ecig batteries quite well.

Thanks everyone for all the advice! I sincerely appreciate it, it will make "Day one" when the package arrives that much easier.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Thick-wall blades are over-rated, in my opinion...all my personal blades are thin-wall. They will still take plenty of abuse and not break, and I've seen people use thick-wall blades in pvc sabers before and actually have the hilt break because they were "gorilla" dueling with the sabers. Thin-walled will light up much better, regardless if you have a puck driving the led's or are using resistors.

Those sabers running on 2-AA's and only pulling 350ma ran for a couple of hours before the blades got noticeably dim. Using a resistor and an 18650 will be brighter than a micropuck (not to be confused with the buckpuck sold in the store here) because you can run the led at is full current rating, with the micropuck you will only get half (350ma) so the led will be about half as bright. The buckpuck works by taking the extra voltage (above the le'd rated forward voltage) and converting it to extra current and will maintain a more constant brightness over the life of the batteries, so you'll actually get a longer battery life by using the buckpuck. I don't think you'll need the dimmer circuit with this saber...you actually need to have a potentiometer to use it anyway.

I would skip the 9-volt idea...they only have a capacity of 350ma/hour and will die in about 15-20 minutes with 700ma being drawn from them.

Putting two 2-AAA holders together for 6 volts should work just fine, but you have your wiring idea for them backwards...they way you mention it would double your current, not the voltage, so you'd need to take the postive from one pack and connect it to the negative of the other. The remaining positive and negative then act as the leads for the entire pack/holder, giving you 6 volts instead of 3.

The pictures are thin-walled blades.

I think the charger you have will work, so long as the 18650 you ordered was not one with the plug soldered to it. This cell should fit the charger you have: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Panasonic-Protected-18650-37V-3400mAh-P855.aspx

[Jay-mo]

Thanks again, Jay-gon! That battery will for sure fit in my charger- once they come back in stock, I'll pick a few up!

I have yet to order the 18650 or the holder for it, as they are out of stock at the moment- I may make a separate order for the holder, though. Either way, the package is shipping.

I was concerned about the PVC's strength compared to the thick-walled polycarbonate, so I suppose this may warrant some better hilt material- I don't think we'll go "gorilla" in duels, but having the extra durability should be nice. I hope the thick-walled blades will illuminate well if properly diffused with my setup.

Next time I'll make some dueling sabers with thin walled blades for sure, especially if they can take some abuse as you have said. Is the "bending" noticeable when you spar? I've heard they may bend a little bit.

On the dimmer: My buckpuck should include a built in potentiometer, if it does not, I'll contact the company for a refund (TCSS was out, so I had to make two different orders). If it has the Potentiometer, is it worth setting up the dimmer? I'm relatively positive the on/off switch should go before the buckpuck, as far as wiring goes.

Combining the batteries: If i understand -and my apologize for being slow- I'll take one positive and one negative from each, solder those, and then seal them off creating a "loop", then use the remaining two wires as leads for the rest of my wiring. Does that sound accurate?

So far, my first setup (While I look/wait for 18650's), will be: Battery--->On/off latching button--->Puck with Potentiometer---> LED in heatsink

I think this should provide a basic setup for me to mess around with, and if I get the proper protected 18650 battery+holder, I'll consider replacing the buckpuck with a resistor as recommended for a longer battery life. The potentiometer will just be an added feature for my own saber, or taken out if I find its too much of a pain.

I think its time for me to start making some schematics in paint to save a little time, too. I really appreciate your time and input- its been invaluable in this process!

[Miraluka]

@Jay-mo: Just so you know, the 18650s and holders are back in stock.

And for your battery pack combination dilemma...
12903

[Jay-mo]

Thank you so much, Miraluka! I got my first package today (LED's/drivers) from another source. Unfortunately, I may have to return my drivers as they do not have the potentiometer (Turns out I selected the wrong option!), and on that note: You guys were right, I'm not afraid to say it.

I'm tempted to get the potentiometer just to have the option of running it at different power levels. I still like the idea of marking off where 1/2 power is, full, etc. I suspect I should have gone with the 350mA micropuck, but hey, its a learning experience.

I checked TCSS, it looks like the battery Im after is still out of stock- I assume you were talking about the TrustFire 18650's? They have lower mAh than the Panasonics but I think I'll put my old ecig "If it has 'Fire' in its name, don't get it" motto behind me for this one. I'll have to order a pair and 2 holders- they also look like they would fit in my nitecore 4-cell charger.

I really appreciate the battery schematic too, it confirms what I was thinking of doing and it also makes me feel safer combining battery packs for the first time. I'll have to make a custom chassis for the two 2-cell AAA holders, then I'll solder them together to form a 6v pack in tandem so they fit in my 1"ID tube. I did research combining battery packs thoroughly, but its always reassuring to hear from the community here. I tend to be overcautious when it comes to batteries- Better safe than sorry!

So what came today:
2 Luxeon Deep Red 1-up's
2 1" OD heatsinks
2 700mA Buckpucks, with dimming leads (To be removed, or have a potentiometer added)
2 8.6? Lenses w/ holders

Still waiting on blades/buttons, but I found an old on/off red push button to mess around with. I think I'll try my first build using the homemade 6v battery pack, the 700mA puck and see what I can do about those extra leads. I'm tempted to return them and just get a resistor from a local shop.

EDIT: It seems I could simply solder a resistor between the REF and CTL leads on my 700mA buckpuck to run it at about 350mA, so this should be a good option for lower power without making returns. I believe a 5w resistor/2.5 ohms should do it. Also learned you can simply cut the dimming leads, and seal them off to remove that feature. Also checked on the 18650 holder, those are out of stock- too slow on the draw today.

Any and all advice, input, opinions/etc are welcome and appreciated in this thread! I'm always out to learn more. The more I know, the more questions I can answer, right?

Thanks again!

[Miraluka]

I thought these (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/TrustFire-Protected-37V-2400mAh-18650-Lithium-Battery-2-pack-P517.aspx) were the ones you were waiting on. My bad :smile:

[Jay-mo]

I thought these (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/TrustFire-Protected-37V-2400mAh-18650-Lithium-Battery-2-pack-P517.aspx) were the ones you were waiting on. My bad :smile:

No worries! I looked those over and would have got them, but no holder and I despise paying for shipping from two sources. I ordered one offline with a holder in the meantime. I see some MHS sabers in the future once my buddies see even this basic one. Everyone was gun-ho for a pre-wired sparring saber, now they are just seeing basic progression pictures and subtly hinting that they would like one down the road. Linked them TCSS/MHS and they love the freedom of design.

I finished wiring & soldering my first highpower LED, and wow. 700mA was bright enough to almost fully illuminate a 4' PVC pipe.. without any diffusion or end cap. I connected my positives enough times tonight and practiced some cram-fu to ensure my build would hold up/soldering was in proper order. It does appear to be both durable and functional. Also just cut off the dimmer leads and sealed them over with electrical tape, as advised.

I cannot wait to try this setup with an 18650. I should have my blade supplies tomorrow, and hopefully will be able to share some pictures of the finished saber. I haven't done a battery life test on this one so far, but I imagine the 4 AAA's will burn out after 2-ish hours or at the very least dim substantially. 18650's should arrive in a few days.

Now, as far as 18650's go- even using a protected battery has some risks. I take its well advised to have a small "vent" hole in the extremely rare case that it malfunctions, in addition to ensuring the battery holder is snug without being airtight, right?

Thanks again for the input Miraluka! I'm enjoying the DIY aspect of this so much. I also have been playing around with a few MHS setups.. Okay, maybe its around 5-6 setups. But hey, we all start somewhere in this hobby. Hopefully I'll be able to help some new members out once I finish a few builds and pull the trigger on a MHS saber for myself down the road.

EDIT: Is it still advised to use an 18650 with a resistor over an 18650 with a 700mA driver? I do have the drivers just kind of sitting around at this point, so I figure it couldn't hurt.

[bigkevin61]

I did a mass build project recently. I had to do it on the absolute CHEAP (the two pictured are #'s 23 & 24). Some parts were TCSS (mostly in MY personal build, not pictured here), but I sourced a LOT from overseas.
With that being said, the LED's I used in these two are NOT Luxeon Rebel nor CREE (but are driven at 700ma for the royal blue, and 750ma for the green, using resistors).

I also found 3 AAA holders that fit exactly inside 1" thin walled blade material, which fits exactly inside the 1" pvc. I'm using 3 alkaline AAA's as the forward voltage on the Leds are just over 3 (3.4fv for royal blue, 3.3fv for green).

The PVC is painted with Rustoleum "Hammered" colors (Black, Silver, Copper and the dark grey is "Antique Bronze").

These are NOT combat worthy (just for show), and you will get an hour out of the batteries (if lucky, depending on brand and type), and I probably could have put a few more wraps of cellophane in the blades, but since I was providing the labor for free, I didn't give myself anymore work! The blades are 32" (plus tip), and I found that is an "OK" length (trust me, 40" is too long!)

As for Thick vs Thin walled, I have both, and the thick just IS HEAVY once you use the thin. remarkable so, especially in a PVC hilt, where the blade may weigh more that it!

129111291212913

[Miraluka]

I also have been playing around with a few MHS setups.. Okay, maybe its around 5-6 setups. But hey

There will be a lot of that... oh yes... a very lot... I only have about 10,000 MHS combos saved. Some of them are just for fun, some of them are going to be built. I'm working on a dual blade, currently, but it was a tough choice between that and one of my single blade concepts. I ended up going with the dual blade, not because I like the design better, but because I haven't made a dual yet and I always loved them, ever since episode one.

[Generic Jedi]

The batteries that Miraluka linked to will fit inside this holder (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/18650-Single-Cell-Holder-P886.aspx), but it's out of stoke right now.

The holder was designed to fit inside speaker mount v6 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-speaker-mount-V6-For-28mm-Speakers-P892.aspx), which will also hold a Nano Biscotte soundboard.

[bigkevin61]

The batteries that Miraluka linked to will fit inside this holder (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/18650-Single-Cell-Holder-P886.aspx), but it's out of stoke right now.

The holder was designed to fit inside speaker mount v6 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-speaker-mount-V6-For-28mm-Speakers-P892.aspx), which will also hold a Nano Biscotte soundboard.

This would normally work, using aluminum parts, but this was going to be a PVC build, and 1" Sched 40 PVC had a 1" ID, and the "speaker mount v6" won't fit inside.

Luckily, with the MHS V2 (with 1" ID), Tim already has Chassis Parts to hold stuff, including 18650's.
Acrylic Chassis Disc for MHSV2 18500/18650 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Acrylic-Chassis-Disc-for-MHSV2-1850018650-S17-P959.aspx)
Though, I will admit, with manufacturing tolerances, a 1" Sched 40 PVC's ID is NOT exactly 1.000 Inches. In reality, it is a surprisingly significantly larger than 1.000 (I don't have my pipe & calipers on me to measure), to a point where I used these discs in a PVC build, and had to "build the discs diameter" up a bit, for a tighter fit.

[Generic Jedi]

The holder would fit without the speaker mount. You would need to find a way to secure it so it wouldn't slide around though.

[Jay-mo]

Lots of replies since last night, love it! Lets keep this helpful input coming- I really appreciate it, and I'm sure it can help some newbies like myself and lurkers who have yet to join- if your a lurker and your reading this, join. Do your research before posting, and you will learn a lot.

On batteries: I didn't expect much from 4 AAA batteries, an hour or two of sparring would be great. I did, however, order 2 18650's and a holder just for the sake of battery life and not burning a hole in my wallet with disposable batteries. 700mA is a lot of power, and I do have some regrets about not just following Jay-Gon's PVC guide by the book once hearing his opinion.

But this has been a learning experience. If you decide to make your own saber by hand and order all the parts, expect some mess ups, mild frustration, etc. Its like starting any other hobby.. Yes, you will mess up. No, it look perfect or even be valued at what you put into it.

How long should I expect from a quality protected 18650 battery?

On the Thick-Walled vs Thin Walled: I heard that thin walled had a habit of bending slightly when struck, and always figured "Well, replacing the hilt would be more fun.. so why not?". Replacing a blade is easy enough, it seems- but I've been enjoying the hilt making as a hobby, and can always save them for a younglings birthday or as a gift to a friend.

I'll probably swing by a hardware store and try the "sinktube" or some Aluminum next. However, both my heatsinks have a 1" OD- would simply using electrical tape to make up for the extra space be sufficient if I decided to use a sinktube?

@BigKevin61- You are correct, 1" ID PVC isn't exactly 1". Its slightly more, though I haven't measured. My measured 1" OD heatsink can freely slide in it, unless secured. A very small screw or the switch being behind the heatsink should solve this issue, if not a little electrical tape goes a long way. Now, on the thick-walled blades in PVC: I love your input. Are they display only because it would clearly break the PVC, even in spirited/light sparring?

EDIT: @Bigkevin61- Yes, 40" blades are far too large, and heavy after feeling them for the first time. The idea was to be able to cut a blade to a preferred length/experiment with one.

Perhaps it will be best to try making two Shoto saber's first, if the concern is of the hilt breaking in combat. Again- I don't expect us to go "Gorilla" "All out" or what have you. PVC was just a nice medium to work with, albeit disgusting when you sand it- Highly recommend a mask, or respirator if using a belt sander that could "Burn" the PVC... Bleh.

Okay, as I was typing this... My package from TCSS arrived. 2 40" blades, 2 blade caps, 2 switches, and an extra 4-cell holder to mess with.

First impressions: Im going to have to go get a sinktube or aluminum. These blades are hefty!

[Miraluka]

Thin wall vs thick wall? Just use thin.

Here's the thing... if you're hitting a thick wall with a thick wall or a thin wall with a thin wall, neither one of them is likely to break but eventually, they will. Thick wall might seem better because yes, if you beat a thin wall with a thick wall, the thin one will break first. But thin wall are lighter, brighter, and as long as everyone is using thin walls, everyone should be fine... mostly. ;)

[bigkevin61]

"These blades are hefty!"

I'm assuming you went with the thick walled?

If weight is't an issue, I actually prefer the thick walled blades.
The 1/8" wall gives you a "thinner central core" look (if using clear tube).
And yes, you will be hard pressed to bend the thick walled tube enough to see the cellophane (difuser material) crinkle, even in aggressive sparing.
I have thin walled blades, and you can easily bend the tubes, and when you do, you see crinkles in the cellophane. The good news is I haven't permanently damaged the blade or cellophane with light/medium sparring yet.

[Jay-mo]

@Miraluka- I think ill go with thin from now on, at least if i plan to spar with a pvc hilt.

@Bigkevin61- Yeah, I went with thick walled. I think it warrants making a deeper blade hole at the minimum, at least, with PVC. In the meantime, ill keep an eye out for some sinktubes when Im out!

I am, however, proud to report that I made my first saber last night- 700mA @ 6v on 4-AAA's is bright enough to illuminate my small room! I'll try to get some pictures up today or tomorrow. Cannot wait for some 18650s.

I do need to work on rolling the diffusion film for a cleaner look, but so far, even as crude as my first job is, Its not bad! No glue yet, so i can always re-roll the film.

I haven't sparred with it yet- but the blade is about 2" deep, with the retention screw about 1" down the blade holder. It can take quite a beating though!

Next step.. Metal hilts, or, a MHS hilt!

[Miraluka]

Congrats. I have a triple deep red at home I haven't gotten around to using. It's the only color I haven't seen in person so I figured I'd check it out buuuuuut as of right now, it's still in the envelope it shipped in. To be honest, it'll probably be a while before I wire it up. No need for it right now. However... my 2 tri rebels for my saberstaff shipped the other day and I can't wait to wire those up even though I'm still missing several pieces for the hilt.

[Jay-mo]

Congrats. I have a triple deep red at home I haven't gotten around to using. It's the only color I haven't seen in person so I figured I'd check it out buuuuuut as of right now, it's still in the envelope it shipped in. To be honest, it'll probably be a while before I wire it up. No need for it right now. However... my 2 tri rebels for my saberstaff shipped the other day and I can't wait to wire those up even though I'm still missing several pieces for the hilt.

Thank you! I'm quite pleased with deep red, even this 1-up shines very well. I'd imagine a triple would be fun to work with!

I still want to rework the hilt and get my diffusion roll right before i post pictures, so im going to focus on that before i post them. The diffusion was easy following Jay-Gon's guide, i just need to make my cuts straighter and my rolls thicker- otherwise, it illuminates beautifully. Even in daylight, the light is very noticeable- but it is running at its maximum power rating.

Im also looking at new hilt material. I'd love to make my 1" OD heatsink work with a larger ID hilt, so thats kind of in the works. I still have enough spare parts for one more saber, as planned- one more deep red 1-up ready to go.

I figure this first pvc hilt was and will be my "Test" hilt- It works, its sturdy for now, but I for sure do not want to spar with it quite yet- maybe even another layer of pvc over it would help it stand up to the blade.

As other have said, the hilt will break before the blade ever does and just swinging it around makes the pvc creak ever so slightly. I'm considering just getting some aluminum pipes in the meantime.

To the community and everyone who contributed to this thread: Thank you for the help, advice and schematics! Next step: Aluminum pipes for something a little more durable for duels.

EDIT: I forgot to grab my resistors, derp. May have to return those 18650's if I want to keep using that nice 700mA buckpuck- any ideas on this one, guys?

[Miraluka]

Here's a tip: Do you use the white, plumbing PVC? Use the gray, electrical conduit PVC. It has more flex to it and it's less prone to snapping than plumbing PVC.

I'm not sure what you're asking in your edit. Ideas for what? :confused:

[Jay-gon Jinn]

If you want ideas on what to do with those batteries, just build more sabers for them. ;)

[bigkevin61]

I still want to rework the hilt and get my diffusion roll right before i post pictures, so im going to focus on that before i post them. The diffusion was easy following Jay-Gon's guide, i just need to make my cuts straighter and my rolls thicker- otherwise, it illuminates beautifully. Even in daylight, the light is very noticeable- but it is running at its maximum power rating.

Building my own blades from scratch, was one of the most difficult things I had to learn/do for my sabers. I will say, practice does improve quality, and it is more of an art/skill, than science. Just remember, no matter how much you get better at it, there will just be that occasional time when nothing works right, and you just have to walk away, and try again later. I can tell you one time it took me several tries (and several different wraps, as I kept messing them up) to the point I swore, I'd buy blades pre-made from then on. Came back a few days later to give it one last try, and nailed it first time, piece of cake.


EDIT: I forgot to grab my resistors, derp. May have to return those 18650's if I want to keep using that nice 700mA buckpuck- any ideas on this one, guys?

Well, you can't run a buckpuck with a single 3.7v 18650, as it doesn't meet the minimum voltage requirement. If you have a 7.4v "pack" (two 18650's in series), then you could use the buckpuck (though that battery setup takes up A LOT of space).

Resistors are cheap, and would probably be easier to find/buy, than returning the batteries.

[Jay-mo]

Well, I had to rewrite this because my batteries arrived mid-post: Two new ThorFire Protected 18650 Batteries and some basic 18650 holders with wire leads. Someone must have thrown an extra set of holders into my package, because I got 4 battery holders instead of 2! All the more for my growing "Spare Saber Parts" bin. It is also the first time I have EVER bought LI-ion's with the word "Fire" in the name.


Checking the batteries I just got: I put both new batteries into my nitecore 4-cell charger, just to see if they were shipped charged and if my charger would work with the "Nipple" top. It was a tight fit, but they are charging and do fit safely, so that is reassuring. Both clocked in at 3.83v when I put them into my charger, so thats nice to see my batteries are at the same power level and have the potential to be "Mated" in a set/series, if I go that route. As usual for all my 18650's, I'll charge them on the "Low" setting only.

It is kind of funny that I've had my packages arrive mid-post two times now.. Maybe three? I digress.

On the battery question/ "EDIT" in my last post: I was kind of thinking of ideas on how to make my new 18650's work with my current buckpucks- I already have the buckpucks, so I figure I should at least make use of those. Wiring in series is an option, as is a simple resistor.

@Miraluka: Yes, I used "White" pvc, scheduled 40 if I recall. I did pick up a large length of electrical conduit PVC (The kind used in Jay-gon's original guide) to make some sleeves for reinforcement and general aesthetics. After a few minor durability tests, I think it will stand up to sparring, especially with the sleeve's that are in the works. Probably not "Full-out-Gorilla" sparring, but good enough for my friends and I. However, I will advise friends to use electrical conduit PVC if, or rather when, they decide to join in.

@Jay-gon Jinn: I like the way you think 8-). I have enough spare parts to make some gifts in the future, and at least enough parts to make my own MHS hilt down the road. I'd still like to make my 1" OD heatsink work with the MHS system, so I'll be looking into that specifically this week...I cannot believe I'm already close to ordering a MHS hilt after this project. Again, major thanks to you in particular for that PVC guide- it's what made the idea of making my own saber seem doable and really sucked me in.

I did look at the sinktubes the other day, and decided I'd rather not mess with them quite yet. The threads didn't feel like they would hold up for long, and were pretty damn sharp/poorly made...Maybe I'll try another store.

Funny store from the "Plumbing Section" though- I did notice a kid and his mother out who were sizing up sinktubes/seemed a little frustrated, and simply said "Hilt troubles?". I then told them about this site and all the resources available, and they took note of it. The look on their faces when I said "Hilt trouble?" was priceless and it was nice to see some younglings getting into the hobby with their parents support.

@bigkevin61: You are right, it would be a lot of cramfu if I wired up 2 18650's in series to run the buckpuck, but I don't mind longer hilts to be honest- I have big hands. I forgot the resistors, however, and think I'll get some next time I order from TCSS. I think it may warrant saving the 18650's for a MHS hilt.

Rolling my own film is difficult- there is for sure an art to it, but I've found that a 2nd person to help hold the cellophane in place for the first wrap helps a lot. I suspect folding the cellophane over itself, then rolling, will help me get a cleaner looking tip. My current one was not cut straight, and you can for sure see the lines near the tip- but thats why I have 3 rolls of cellophane from a sale. ;)

Anyhow, I'll give the 18650's a test later or maybe just save them for a MHS hilt.

Oh! I'll also try to get a decent looking grip/wrap on my hilt so it is somewhat photo-worthy. Either way, it is my first hilt I suppose- it was not meant for detail, only function and as a "Test". I'll probably post pictures at least when I reroll the film.

[Miraluka]

That's funny about the hilt troubles. Reminds me of Breaking Bad... if you've ever watched that show.

[Jay-mo]

That's funny about the hilt troubles. Reminds me of Breaking Bad... if you've ever watched that show.
Oh I have- Love it. Gotta love the scene where he catches the two guys with the sketchy shopping cart! Not many tv series I like either, currently only watching Orphan Black and waiting on The Wind of Winter.. I digress.

UPDATE: My 2nd hilt was crafted last night. Now designed around making a durable sparring hilt- and I do believe this one will hold up to the test. This time I found someone locally who sells quality aluminum, cut to size, without making my wallet bleed!

Very simple start, but it lights up. Hand-tapped some threads for the retention screw, and simply put a hole in it for the button. I'm going to focus on detailing it before I get pictures up, the first saber I post will hopefully look half-decent.