Help for a noob

[sniva]

Hey all, Im getting started on my first saber (:D), and Im fairly confident about the assembly and such, however I found that selecting correct pieces of electronics to order was quite confusing. I think I have it figured out, but I would really appreciate it if one of you smart people could look over my pieces list and make sure they are compatible and wont, say, spontaneously combust my LED the minute I turn it on :cool:

The LED: a single Cree LED on on one of those fancy boards: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Green-Cree-XP-E2-CopperNova-P1000.aspx

The lens: If I managed to get this one wrong ill mail myself to Antarctica.http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Collimator-Lens-87-deg-viewing-angle-P537.aspx Also the holder: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/CreeRebel-Lens-Holder-P999.aspx

The battery holder: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/4AAA-Battery-Holder-with-JST-connector-P724.aspx (Im a bit unclear about how to attach the wires to this, should they be soldered?)

The switch: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/SPST-Latching-Guarded-switch-with-silver-button-P255.aspx

The BuckPuck: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/BuckPuck-700mA-4-wire-P363.aspx Im hoping this is the correct MA.

Finally, the wire: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/24-gauge-wire-25-Spool-P737.aspx Like I said, im not sure how to attach it to a JST connector, Ive never done it before.



General questions: Is there a decent substitute for soldering, or should I just buy a cheap, $10 soldering iron?

If I do buy a soldering iron, what type of solder is preferred for lightsabers?

Does anyone have a picture of a tri LED compared to a single LED in brightness?

Thanks!

[Silver Serpent]

Those components should work fine. I'd have gone with the 1000mA BuckPuck, but the 700 will work. It'll be a little less bright, but not too bad with a green LED.

No substitute for soldering. I'd recommend getting a soldering iron rated at 40W or so. Anything less and you may run into issues soldering to the LED star. For around $30, you can pick up the Aoyue 469 soldering station on Amazon. It comes highly recommended on these forums for the budget-minded solderers.

I use 60/40 lead/tin rosin core solder. Something with a small diameter for ease of use. You can use lead-free solder, but it's more difficult to get it to melt properly with a cheap iron. The leaded stuff works great for beginners. Don't eat it. ;)

[sniva]

Alright, thanks a ton!

[Tom Tilmon]

Welcome to TCSS! Good luck on your build. Then, if you don't run away, there is a rabbit hole here! It just keeps getting deeper.

Tom

[sniva]

Well, I ran into an issue: The parts are wired correctly, but at least 1 of them doesn't work properly. Im trying to decide which one I need to send back. If you guys could help out, that would be great. Here are the symptoms: The battery pack was slightly deformed when I received it: The batteries still fit in, but I thought it was odd. When I turn it on, I can see very small sparks when I press the wire to the LED contact points. Finally, if I leave it on for a minute or more, both the battery pack and the LED start to get hot- very hot. I dont know what any of this means, but Im guessing its the battery pack? Sorry to bother you guys with my noob questions again :P

[Tom Tilmon]

What voltage are you reading on the contacts on the battery pack?

[Silver Serpent]

When I turn it on, I can see very small sparks when I press the wire to the LED contact points. Finally, if I leave it on for a minute or more, both the battery pack and the LED start to get hot- very hot.

I would recommend soldering your wires to the LED pads. When you touch make electrical connections with a live circuit, you're gonna get sparks. The LED will get hot to the touch, that's why we attach the LED stars to heatsinks (AFTER you solder wires to them!) to help dissipate excess heat.

Once you have properly soldered your connections, the batteries should no longer be heating up. They may get a little warm, but alkaline batteries shouldn't get terribly hot while discharging.

[sniva]

Thanks guys! I was able to finish my first saber around 10 minutes ago. I really don't want to say this, but...
Its a trap! I was originally planning to do just 1 saber, but now I want to do just 1 more...

[Silver Serpent]

Well, you can't stop at just one. You need a second one to loan out for a proper lightsaber duel.

And then a third one, because you think duel wielding sabers will look awesome.

And then a saberstaff because Darth Maul didn't get enough screen time, and his saber looked wicked.

And then your co-worker commissions one for his kid. And himself. Or herself.

And now your sabersmithing skills are increased, so your first saber looks a little plain. You know you can make a better one.

And.... Oops, we're down the rabbit hole. Watch your wallet!

[Tom Tilmon]

Ha SS! Very true.

[SFXER001]

And now your sabersmithing skills are increased, so your first saber looks a little plain. You know you can make a better one.



This is why I'm pouring so much energy into my first one so that I avoid being dissatisfied with it later. And all of my mistakes and scratches are "part of the junkyard aesthetic" and I totally meant to do that!!! :rolleyes: