Any concerns running 1.14" chassis in wider section?

[adacey]

Hi,

I'm planning out my first build and am starting to pre-plan the chassis. The hilt is going to be pommel, 4" fluted, a 0.75" male to male coupler (1.15" ID), then a 3" plain section with 2 AV switches in a switch box, then blade holder.

For the electronics, I'm planning to do a Neopixel blade with a Prizm 5.1 board. I get this is a bit ambitious on the electronics side, but my girlfriend's brother in law is a PhD electrical engineer who used to solder up PCBs for the experimental lab and has offered to help with the soldering.

I'd like to try to swing mounting the recharge port in the pommel if I can squeeze the wires past the speaker mount, if not I'll add it internaly in the chassis. Now my concern is fitting the speaker mount and battery in the 4" fluted section, my research is suggesting it's not going to fit as I'm assuming/estimating that I'll lose about an inch to the threads on both ends of that section, is that correct?

I was thinking of solving this by using a 3D printed 1.14" chassis to hold the battery and sound card. I'd screw a chassis disk 4 into the 3" section, then run this chassis piece through the 0.75" section and into the 4" fluted, before attaching it to the speaker mount. The only concern I can see with that is that the chassis is "hanging" in the 4" fluted section. I figured a chasis disk 2 could help add some support before the speaker mount to help beef it up. Is it safe to just rely on that disk and the rods to support the chassis or does it really need to be more tight with the ID of the hilt in order to be supported?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

This is another of those “A picture (or sketches) are worth a 1000 words” situations.

[jbkuma]

I agree with FJK, I can see what you are getting at, but a picture is worth 1,000 words as they say.

You could always put in a piece of 1.25 PVC sink drain to make up the gap. You'll definitely want the loose ends secured at least.

[Warlock]

IF I'm following you right, (as FJK said a pic would help a ton,....sketches do wonders here) you'll have the chassis locked down to a disk on one end and speaker mount on the other your fine. Yes it'll have room around it but as long as you're able to run threaded rods though that are stabilized on both ends it can't actually move..

Now your recharge port, that brother is cake. Did it on my first saber. Take your speaker mount and a Dremel or file and me a small channel one the outside. Doesn't take much for 3 conductors. Just make sure your pommel has enough room for the port without it hitting the speaker.

[adacey]

Okay, trying to get some rough drawings here.

First up, internal view on the saber builder. The 0.75" Male to Male I'm talking about is a custom piece I've been talking with Tim about making so I've just gone for a rough equivalent with another 1.14" ID piece and guestimated the width.

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2nd image is my extremely rough mockup with some guesses on lengths. So I have a chassis disk 4 threaded into the female thread on the far right. Then I'd run rods from it through the 3D printed chassis that holds the battery and sound card and has a 1.14" ID (looking at the Goth-3Designs 1.14" Prizm and Battery holder chassis). For strength and support, I figured I'd put a chassis disk 2 immediately after that so there's something metal in the full 1.25" section supporting the chassis, then connect the speaker mount to that. Does this help?

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[adacey]

Okay, trying this again when I'm sober. Drunk Illustrator is not recommended.

Red is representing the hilt parts to show the OD and ID in a cross-section view. I've labeled the other pieces except for the chassis disks, which were too thin, which are the gray blobs. I've used real dimensions for all of the pieces except for the chassis disks, where I guessed their thickness. I've also put a little bit of space around the pieces for clarity, but they'd be butted together in the build. I think this shows my concern about the unsupported section of the 3D printed chassis better. Each end is directly mounted to a chassis disk so I think that's enough support.

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[jbkuma]

I'm sure it will be fine

[adacey]

That's what I figured, but just wanted to double check. I think the biggest pain is just going to be sorting out some shielding material for the smaller diameter pieces, but I'm thinking the simplest option will be to just cut down the bigger diameter material.