Trying to make CC cover

[Raktus]

Hey everyone,

I’m moving along in my build and am ready to create the crystal chamber “reveal” section. I’m basically cutting a window into a section of the hilt so you can see the crystal chamber. However, I want some sort of mechanism so that I can close or cover up the window for dueling. I’ve seen people create hinged doors, but that leaves the door hanging off, so you can’t duel with it open. Others create a collar with an opening that they put around the section and rotate the collar to reveal or cover up the chamber. Great idea, but it won’t work for me since I’ll have an activation box in the way I can’t rotate anything around it.

Does anyone know of a good solution? Perhaps like a sliding door mechanism? How can it be built? I’ve been googling forever on clasping, hinge, hasp mechanisms to no avail...

Thanks so much!
MTFBWY

[PCModulus]

While i would think this would weaken the structure for dueling, you could simply use magnets to secure it and put it in your pocket when you want to reveal.

[darth_chasm]

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Sleeve/cover slides or rotated for reveal. Originally secured with reverse set screw. Then modified with cap screw for dueling. Nothing fancy but works great.

[darth_chasm]

Doh. I missed the activation box part. But I think this could still work. Got a rough sketch or mock up to look at?

[Forgetful Jedi Knight]

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Sleeve/cover slides or rotated for reveal. Originally secured with reverse set screw. Then modified with cap screw for dueling. Nothing fancy but works great.

Yeah, I’ve done hilts with methods similar to what DC has described in the past.

[Raktus]

Doh. I missed the activation box part. But I think this could still work. Got a rough sketch or mock up to look at?

Hey Darth Chasm,

Thanks for the help. Here is all I have on me right now. I can try to gather sketches later if necessary.

https://imgur.com/gallery/xoOVG
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[Greenie]

Hey Raktus.
The sliding switch cover I made moves on the outside of the hilt, secured between two layers of shroud material. The lower piece has a channel cut out for the cover plate to slide back and forth, the upper piece holds it in place. It's simple enough but it requires layers which may not suit your design with an activation box in proximity. If you are willing/ready to show or explain your design it may help with the brainstorming. :)

[darth_chasm]

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Almost graflex-like. Done right you may be able to make the sleeve and box look like one unit.

The potential problem I see is spacing with switch and crystal.

Also with a sliding sleeve like this you risk marring the hilt. I solved that with anodizing.

[Raktus]

16287

Almost graflex-like. Done right you may be able to make the sleeve and box look like one unit.

The potential problem I see is spacing with switch and crystal.

Also with a sliding sleeve like this you risk marring the hilt. I solved that with anodizing.

Thanks Darth Chasm and Greenie,

I was thinking it was done something like that Greenje, but I’m not sure how to create a recessed area inside the shroud material to seat the sliding tab.

Darth Chasm, that is definitely an idea I’ve been floating in my head. Simple, but effective. I’ll sketch out something in mind and upload it here in a bit.

[Raktus]

Here are some quick rough sketches:

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Harp implemented one of the ideas here:
https://youtu.be/-pf-2B-1bDk

[Jediseth]

Here are some quick rough sketches:

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Harp implemented one of the ideas here:
https://youtu.be/-pf-2B-1bDk

That looks like it would need a hinge and a magnet to hold the door close. Probably not a good idea to use a magnet or hinge for dueling though. :confused: I have seen hinges that are small enough to work in a hobby store before. They use them on tiny doll houses.

[Greenie]

Ok. So here's what I've come up with.
It involves two layers wrapped around the hilt from one edge of the activation box to the other edge so it resembles a graflex clamp. The reveal 'door' would slide around the hilt, stopping where it meets the activation box. You could use thin gauge tube around the size of MHSv1 or may be TCSS shroud material and chrome sink tube on top. I knocked up a quick proof of concept with PVC tube. :)

16295 16296 < activation box would be here.

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[darth_chasm]

^nice!

[Jediseth]

Ok. So here's what I've come up with.
It involves two layers wrapped around the hilt from one edge of the activation box to the other edge so it resembles a graflex clamp. The reveal 'door' would slide around the hilt, stopping where it meets the activation box. You could use thin gauge tube around the size of MHSv1 or may be TCSS shroud material and chrome sink tube on top. I knocked up a quick proof of concept with PVC tube. :)

16295 16296 < activation box would be here.

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Oh ya Greenie just did you a mock-up. Or as my wife and step son would say “ he did you a solid” . 8-)

[Raktus]

Wooaaahh. I feel honored! Thanks so much!

Sorry for being MIA. Work had a hold of me for a while. Greenie, that is exactly what I was thinking. Well done! I just need to find a way to bore out some of my shroud material just enough so that I can fit the thinner “sliding door” piece under it. Just like you have. There would be this door that wraps partially around the body and is itself wrapped by the outer “clamp”.

[Greenie]

No worries Raktus.
I assume you don't want the 'clamp' to be too thick and bulky. If I were making this, I would use the TCSS sleeve to make the piece on the left of my first pic. The bit that you cut out can be used for the sliding door. The piece on the right of the pic that has the reveal window, I would make from a bit of chrome sink tube, as it is pretty thin and it would have a contrasting patina to the MHS hilt, similar to the look of the Graflex clamp. That would wrap around over the first sleeve piece and hopefully not be too thick overall.
I reckon it can be done with a hacksaw, a cut off wheel (dremmel) and bit of filing and I hope this can work out for you.

Greenie:mrgreen:

[Raktus]

No worries Raktus.
I assume you don't want the 'clamp' to be too thick and bulky. If I were making this, I would use the TCSS sleeve to make the piece on the left of my first pic. The bit that you cut out can be used for the sliding door. The piece on the right of the pic that has the reveal window, I would make from a bit of chrome sink tube, as it is pretty thin and it would have a contrasting patina to the MHS hilt, similar to the look of the Graflex clamp. That would wrap around over the first sleeve piece and hopefully not be too thick overall.
I reckon it can be done with a hacksaw, a cut off wheel (dremmel) and bit of filing and I hope this can work out for you.

Greenie:mrgreen:

Yus! You have no idea how happy this makes me! I have all those things already. I’ll take pictures to show for my build log!

[Greenie]

I look forward to seeing it. MTFBWY.