Creating my lightsaber

[BaronBlackaby]

Hello Forum. I hope everyone had a good Christmas!

I am hoping to make my first lightsaber soon and have been studying the internet and these forums to try to determine what I need to do. Unfortunately, I am better at understanding these things once I have taken them apart and find it harder to work it out from all the available possibilities I have seen! I have been very drawn to the MHS as the lightsaber I am envisioning is rather simple in style, which the MHS seems ideal for. However, there are a couple of things I am uncertain it will be able to do. Below is the initial hilt designed on this site and then below that is a mock up of the additions I want to make:

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16139

This will not be a stunt blade and (at least at first) I do not intend to add a blade so I would quite like the green light to come out from the partially open piping below the blade emitter. I wondered if I placed a safety plug within this section of tube with the light below it, this would work. Additionally, I wonder if this will affect the button placement - I am not set on where the button would go so this may not be a bit issue but I wondered whether the Saber Shop would be willing to drill a button hole elsewhere.

Below is the list of parts I have considered so far. I would appreciate a bit of feedback. I understand that this forum is not for people to do all the work for you but that is why I want to learn how to make this work.

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/ViewWishlist.aspx?ViewCode=d670d71f-fe60-4ad8-88c6-715379ec7fd2

So, my new lightsaber friends, what do you think?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Welcome to the Forums.

Before I start answering your questions, let’s start with these questions: Do you plan on having sound at all? Do you plan on having a blade at some point (which is mostly the point of having a saber to start with)?

[BaronBlackaby]

Hey there. Thank you very much for getting back.

Regarding sound, it would be good to have that so I apologise for missing that. From reading, I understand there are different sound cards so I will look into the different options shortly. I presumably don't want to cheap out on that sort of thing.

I am not sure if I would ever add a blade. If at all possible, it would be good to build one that does not rule it out entirely but my current thinking would be that it lights up the hilt and my imagination (and everyone else's) can fill in the blanks. Therefore, I thought that the two safety plugs might do the trick.

[BaronBlackaby]

Hello again,
I have been looking more into the construction, particularly regarding sound and blades. To start with, I really just want to create a solid lightsaber - the sound and blade are secondary to the basic shape and lights. What I do not want to do is aim too high initially and fail to create anything at all. That being said, if adding a sound unit (such as the Nano Biscotte Sound Module) is a simple addition, then I would love to add that too. I have some basic experience soldering so would happily tinker with this sort of thing. However, what I really want is the opinion of the people on this forum to decide what angle I should come at this. Thanks a lot and have a happy New Year!

[minorhero]

I am building my second lightsaber right now, before building my first I had zero electronics experience, or soldering experience. I took my time and read through the manual pretty thoroughly and it honestly wasn't that hard if you do enough research. I say that adding sound is definitely achievable.

[BaronBlackaby]

Well, if it is achievable, then adding a sound module would be good. I don't mind reading the manual! Thanks!

I shall add a sound module to my parts list then. Another thing I am uncertain about is button placement and button type. I wanted to have the button on the side but I am unsure about where to place it as I don't know where the electronics will be fitting inside.

[minorhero]

This is a hard question to answer. Generally you want the button mounted as far forward as you can get without running into your emitter. How far back from that point you can go will depend on the rest of your design.

[BaronBlackaby]

I feel this could be an issue with the way I was envisioning this hilt. In order to get the slots on the connector to light up, the emitter is presumably going to have to go below that, which means the button will have to be fairly low down. I just drew out a quick diagram below. Yes, it is not a circuit diagram by any means but just a way of visualising the space. Thoughts?
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[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

Several. You won’t have enough room in the spot you have allocated for electronics for the electronics you’ll need. The windowed piece you have is designed for something like a Crystal Chamber, and the diameter of that piece is 1.25” as opposed to the 1” of the blade. If you want a design that makes more sense, maybe lose the crystal chamber piece, and have Tim mill a couple of custom slots into a blade holder.

[BaronBlackaby]

I did have concerns about the space so thank you for clarifying that. I think I understand what you mean about the windowed piece: so you would suggest custom milling the same style of window into a blade holder? That sounds great, but is there a blade holder that can be attached below the current one or would I have to drill it into the current blade holder? I would be happy to move things around like this (adding a longer female threaded connector if required):
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[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

If Tim is willing to mill slots, they may not be as big or as long, unless you want to pick a different blade holder to give him “more to work with. You can also use a main body section, and remove the smaller pieces.

[BaronBlackaby]

So, we could possibly make something like this (I added the extra decals again just to help me picture it):
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My concern is it keeps getting a bit less exciting with each adjustment. It still looks pretty good but what do you think?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

It looks ok. I don’t know if Tim can make the windows as long as you have them though. That is something you will have to work out with him.

[BaronBlackaby]

Well, if I have that as a basis, there may be some more things I could do to spice it up. Any suggestions would be great but you have been very helpful already.

So, the next question is, how do I make contact with the mysterious Tim? Do I contact him through the forums or do I need to place an order first?

[bigkevin61]

Well, if I have that as a basis, there may be some more things I could do to spice it up. Any suggestions would be great but you have been very helpful already.

So, the next question is, how do I make contact with the mysterious Tony? Do I contact him through the forums or do I need to place an order first?

Tim is the owner of The Custom Saber Shop.

You can message him through the Contact Us (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/ContactUs.aspx) page of the store (I just did last month to see if custom work was possible).
That, or you can e-mail the Shop at "sales@thecustomsabershop.com".
You may get a reply from another associate (besides Tim), as I received my response from Josh Finehout, who is a/the manager at the shop.

They are pretty good at getting back in a timely manner, and what you are asking isn't that complicated (though they may need to give feedback to the actual extent they can modify parts, as FJK had mentioned).

[BaronBlackaby]

Thank you very much; that sounds good. I shall do that. It may be good to buy and sort out all the non-electronic components first as it may be complex enough just getting this bit sorted!

[BaronBlackaby]

Another alteration to my concept. This time, the intention is to create a custom hilt piece:
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[BaronBlackaby]

So, I am happy with the design of the hilt without electronics now. I think that is very workable and still looks great. I am now starting to worry over the electronics; every time I think I have the right idea, I find something else that throws me off.

So, I would appreciate the support from you guys on the following idea:
I want to try wiring up a "Green/Green/White Cree XP-E2 CopperNova" with a "Nano Biscotte Sound Module V4" (to get the flash on clash thing), a momentary switch and a "MHS speaker and 2x AA battery holder".
However, I am worried about what this will mean for wiring it up and what parts to order. I see they do a pre-wired Nano Biscotte, which sounds helpful, but there is no pre-made heatsink module that includes the tri-colour LEDs. I also realise that resistors as important - looking over the calculations, it seemed that I would need 4.7 and 5.6 ohm resisters to go with the 7.4W battery pack but this seems quite high. I also wonder when or why you would need the buckplug.

As I have said, I am more than happy to read instructions and so some soldering but I need to be clear on what parts I actually need, or else I will not feel comfortable ordering anything!

I appreciate the advice.

[minorhero]

In the end you are better off doing all the wiring and soldering yourself in my opinion. I looked at the pre-done parts but for my first saber I eventually decided to just wire it all up on my own because it allowed for greater flexibility in design. Now is a good time to download the nano biscotte manual and start figuring out your wiring diagram, or look through the forums for someone who did an identical setup that worked. This will tell you what resistors you will need so you don't have to order more down the road.

I would also seriously reconsider the AA battery route. Wiring up a recharge port and a lithium ion battery is pretty easy and SIGNIFICANTLY more convenient then taking apart your lightsaber every time your battery runs down.

As for a complete list of hardware you will need.... well you can start posting your list and ask for feedback. Also you may want to check the forum as a lot of people have made similar sabers and have posted a hardware list already. This will get you pretty much everything you need.

[bigkevin61]

I also realise that resistors as important - looking over the calculations, it seemed that I would need 4.7 and 5.6 ohm resisters to go with the 7.4W battery pack but this seems quite high. I also wonder when or why you would need the buckpluck.

For ANY setup (With a Sound Card, or without, commonly referred to as a “Stunt” saber), it is recommended to have SOME sort of current regulation on the LED circuit. LED’s will work (light up) when the voltage supply matches (or exceeds) the forward voltage of the LED. From there, the LED will draw current, and depending on the voltage differential, (and changes in operating temperature) could end up drawing more and more current than it can handle (outside the listed operating range), until the LED breaks (POP!). This is why it is recommended to use even a small Ohm resistor if the calculations made may indicate none needed in most setups (the listed specs of an LED may have tolerance variations, and batteries can hold a charge greater than listed, and you wouldn’t want to find out you needed some resistor because of the LED running just a bit off spec, and blows your LED). Rather be safe than sorry, right?
Now, in stunt setups, you can use a resistor, OR a BuckPuck, which with it’s own electronics, regulate Current at a set value.
With the sound cards sold here, some DO NOT have any included current regulation, AND would need a resistor added (recommended, but in specific instances listed in the boards manual, other options may be used).
Other higher end boards DO include current regulation, and would NOT NEED a resistor added.

The BuckPuck has minimum Input Voltage to work correctly, so in those stunt setups, where the LED needs say, 3.4 Volts, and should operate at 1,000 milliamp, you could use a 1,000 milliamp Buck Puck (in lieu of a resistor) that would NEED at least 2 Volts more than the LED (or in this example, 5.4 Volts) to work, and you could use a 7.4 Volt Batery Pack. The “excess voltage” isn’t an issue.

The Sound Cards sold here are designed to operate within specific input voltage ranges, and typically (using an li-ion battery), either one 3.7 volt battery or a 7.4 volt battery pack.

In your choice of a Nano Biscotte v4, there is NO included current regulator, so in MOST cases you would use a resistor to safely light your LED from your board. The NBv4 has a max input voltage of 5.5 Volts, and CANNOT be wired with a 7.4 volt battery pack!

The NBv4, a 3.7 volt li-ion battery, and the LED you listed, the GGW tri-cree, would for GREEN, calculate out to need “no” resistor. But as stated before, there is an possible option listed in then NBv4 manual, OR, just place a small, say 1 ohm resistor, in the led circuit, just to make sure you are safe. For WHITE, it would calculate out to need 0.6 ohm resistance (you could use a 0.62 ohm resistor, or just a use an 1 ohm as well). Having a slightly larger resistor will have a minimal impact in brightness.

[BaronBlackaby]

Thank you for both your replies. It has been making me feel more confident again about doing this (although I am still not fully there!).

I have now made some modifications to my parts list:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/ViewWishlist.aspx?ViewCode=d670d71f-fe60-4ad8-88c6-715379ec7fd2

Now, I understand that I can wire up the two green LEDs to one resister and then to the NBv4. As for the white LED, that can have its own resister but will only be activated anyway by the "flash on clash" feature if I wire it up that way. So, I am also wondering whether the speaker needs a resister or whether I need any more electronic components for this to work safely.

I decided to stick with the removable battery concept (obviously still using a 3.7V li-ion battery) as I quite like the idea of taking it apart (at least a little) when it needs more power. I will need to get a li-ion battery over here as they will not ship those internationally, which is another reason for keeping this as a separate piece.

I apologise if I have misunderstood anything you have said but I feel I am making some progress here.

[bigkevin61]

Hey, no problem!
Part of the fun of this hobby is working through the whole process, including planning!

The only thing I’d suggest to change in your wishlist, is the 1ohm 5watt resistor. The wattage is the rating (how much power the resistor can safely handle). So you can go to low (and risk the part failing), but too high doesn’t harm anything. In the case a 5 watt resistor is HUGE. It is actually thicker than the JST connectors are wide. You may be able to use the 1ohm 2watt resistor (which is significantly smaller). Online led resistor calculators will often give you the safe wastage needed.

The speaker does not need a resistor (that would harm performance).
You are not using a AV switch with an internal led, so no need for a resistor for that led. (No resistor on the switch wiring).

As for your li-ion battery, there are European saber shops (online) that you can get the battery from. Their names escape me at the moment, but you can search the forum archives, I know they have been mentioned.

[BaronBlackaby]

Ah, yes. Checking the calculations again, the 1ohm, 2W resistor seems like a better option. As for the other resistor, I simply chose the lowest resistance and wattage as the calculation would suggest that resistors were not required at all. I presume this will not restrict the power too much, even if the two green LEDs are connected by the same wire to the NBv4.

As for the battery pack, I will look at the other options in more local shops but it will still work with the single cell holder, won't it? Assuming I get a protected 3.7V li-ion cell from the UK?

[BaronBlackaby]

I am uploading a couple of (hopefully) final concepts for the lightsaber.

First one is the base hilt without any bells and whistles to show where drilling and custom work should be done:
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The next one is with all accessories added for a more complete look:
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[PCModulus]

Rule of thumb is also, for FoC, you dont need a resistor as its not ON as much, but if you already have it, by all means go ahead and use it.

[BaronBlackaby]

165911659216593165941659516596

So, it has been a while since I have updated this as I wanted to get it all in a good state before posting anything but I have attached pictures of the constructed lightsaber here.

Unfortunately, I damaged the screw I initially ordered to hold the blade so I have used a replacement and hope to get another button-head copper/bronze screw to replace it. However, everything else is really good.

I decided that the initial lighting configuration was too green as I wanted more of a paler green like the Knights of the Old Republic Viridian green. To that end, I swapped one of the green LEDs to be the flash-on-clash LED and made the white one one of the two main LEDs. Yes, I did change the resisters to reflect this as well. I have tried new sound fonts too, which is pretty "wizard".

What do the people here think?

[PCModulus]

Your attachments dont work.

[BaronBlackaby]

Your attachments don't work.

Sorry. Not sure why that was as they seemed to work initially. They should work now.

[WhillB]

165911659216593165941659516596

So, it has been a while since I have updated this as I wanted to get it all in a good state before posting anything but I have attached pictures of the constructed lightsaber here.

Unfortunately, I damaged the screw I initially ordered to hold the blade so I have used a replacement and hope to get another button-head copper/bronze screw to replace it. However, everything else is really good.

I decided that the initial lighting configuration was too green as I wanted more of a paler green like the Knights of the Old Republic Viridian green. To that end, I swapped one of the green LEDs to be the flash-on-clash LED and made the white one one of the two main LEDs. Yes, I did change the resisters to reflect this as well. I have tried new sound fonts too, which is pretty "wizard".

What do the people here think?

The first image is interesting. It looks like something is blocking the light from traveling up the blade tube.

Maybe it's just the photo?

Regardless, well done!

[BaronBlackaby]

The first image is interesting. It looks like something is blocking the light from traveling up the blade tube.

Maybe it's just the photo?

Regardless, well done!

Yes, it depends on the angle the blade is inserted. I just threw it back on to take the photo but I can get it to light up all the way.