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AndroiDad75
01-15-2019, 09:10 AM
Hey everyone!

I was hoping that you could help me find resources, or a build video, for building a graflex with a neopixel blade.

I have watched the "Let's build a graflex" series a ton, even using it as a guide for my first non-graflex build. The thing I am worried about is the wire size needed for neopixel. In the video series he keeps talking about how little room there is and that we need to use a really small wire size, but I believe the neopixel builds require a larger wire size. This is leaving me scratching my head as to how people are building these with much larger wires than what was shown as being able to fit in the channel of the battery holder.

I have been checking build posts but most don't show/describe how they are getting around this...or at least not the ones I have found so far.

Are there any video guides for building a neopixel graflex? If not, are there any resources out there I can check out on what the best procedure is?

Thanks!

jbkuma
01-15-2019, 06:04 PM
Your blade will have the potential of drawing something like 6-12 amps depending on the color, brightness, and length. This has been heavily discussed here, you want at at a minimum 24awg. Ideally you should use 22 or heavier. There is no way around it that will require less space. The blade will draw several amps and the risk of using thinner wire is melted sleeving which can lead to all sorts of bad things. The shorter the wires are the less of an issue it will be.

You also must use a battery capable of delivering at least 10A continuous.

AndroiDad75
01-16-2019, 08:27 AM
So are people modifying the chassis to make the thicker wires work? The let's build a graflex series makes it sound like larger wires don't work in the channel where the battery is.

jbkuma
01-16-2019, 09:02 AM
Hopefully someone else who has worked on this will comment with specific. I mostly build custom sabers and I 3D print most of my chassis parts as custom one offs. What you can get to fit depends on how much time and work you want to put into it, and how pretty you want the final result to be more than it depends on the saber. I am currently building an 8" saber with 11 accent LEDs, a pixel blade, and a crystal. There are design challenges, tradeoffs, and some blood involved, but it will be done soon.

AndroiDad75
01-17-2019, 07:24 PM
Thanks jbkuma. You're new project sounds like a labor of love man. That's fantastic. I can't wait to start my graflex, but before I do I plan on knowing (or at least very very comfortable) with what the procedure should be for me to be successful. Those let's build a graflex episodes are great.

Tom Tilmon
01-22-2019, 04:36 AM
So are people modifying the chassis to make the thicker wires work? The let's build a graflex series makes it sound like larger wires don't work in the channel where the battery is.

I have used the Goth3D Knight Chassis. 22 ga wires for power and return worked fine. I did use PTFE Wire though, which 22 Ga PTFE is as thin as 28 ga normal, because the jacket is thinner. Now, just remember that you are using the larger wire (22 ga) for power and return to neopixels only. The data line, switch wires can all be 30 ga. So, you should only have 2 22 ga wires coming into that wire channel. There is plenty of room for 2 22 ga. wires, and 4 30 gauge wires in that channel. Particularly if you put the data line resistor on the blade, so you can keep it out of the equation as well. In the "lets build a graflex series", remember that he was building in-hilt LEDs there, and had room to cram in his resistors in that same wire channel on the Knight chassis.

On my Proffie Graflex, I was able to cram: 2 22 ga. wires (neopixel power) 4 30 ga. wires (switch wires 2 from switch, one common ground, neopixel data), 2 additional 22 ga. wires for my kill switch in the clamp. THey all fit into the Knight channel.

Good luck on your build. I can't say enough about PTFE Wire, it makes life easy, even when using larger 22 ga wire.

jbkuma
01-22-2019, 03:39 PM
I agree on PTFE wire, it's the only thing I use. Another nice feature is that the jacket won't melt back when you are tinning your wires. Sometimes I use salvaged network wire which is nice and thin, but the jacket melts if you look at it too hard.

AndroiDad75
01-23-2019, 05:17 PM
Good luck on your build. I can't say enough about PTFE Wire, it makes life easy, even when using larger 22 ga wire.

Tom, thanks for the information. I will definitely look for PTFE wire; expecially if it helps with keeping size down.

I will go looking for your graflex build if you have it posted here somewhere. I'm interested in your kill switch in the clamp.

Kooky Mawnster
01-25-2019, 05:52 PM
In my entry to the most recent contest I used 20 ga for the mains to and from the neopixel strips, and 26 ga wire everywhere else. It's tricky using 20 ga, especially connecting the PCB connector to the strips - 1" length 20 ga wire between PCB and strip becomes very stiff when soldered and the version 1 PCBs were not robust enough (pads from 2 PCBs were torn off by sparring 8 year-olds).

AndroiDad75
01-26-2019, 05:12 PM
I have used the Goth3D Knight Chassis. 22 ga wires for power and return worked fine. I did use PTFE Wire though, which 22 Ga PTFE is as thin as 28 ga normal, because the jacket is thinner. Now, just remember that you are using the larger wire (22 ga) for power and return to neopixels only. The data line, switch wires can all be 30 ga. So, you should only have 2 22 ga wires coming into that wire channel. There is plenty of room for 2 22 ga. wires, and 4 30 gauge wires in that channel. Particularly if you put the data line resistor on the blade, so you can keep it out of the equation as well. In the "lets build a graflex series", remember that he was building in-hilt LEDs there, and had room to cram in his resistors in that same wire channel on the Knight chassis.

On my Proffie Graflex, I was able to cram: 2 22 ga. wires (neopixel power) 4 30 ga. wires (switch wires 2 from switch, one common ground, neopixel data), 2 additional 22 ga. wires for my kill switch in the clamp. THey all fit into the Knight channel.

Good luck on your build. I can't say enough about PTFE Wire, it makes life easy, even when using larger 22 ga wire.

@tom Tilmon,

I wondered if you could tell me a little more about this from your graflex build:

Skinny strips used for accents, blade plug guts, and chamber illumination

I can't find anything else about skinny strips when I do a search. I need to use a neopixel for my crystal led and wondered where/what these were.

jbkuma
01-26-2019, 09:43 PM
Skinny strips use 3535 LEDs instead of 5050. They are a bit thinner because of this. There is more space between more intense points of light due to their smaller size, but there is less PCB to cause a shadow on the edge. In my experience the shadow is easier to deal with than "cobbing," which is seeing the individual pixels through the blade.

AndroiDad75
01-27-2019, 10:59 AM
Skinny strips use 3535 LEDs instead of 5050. They are a bit thinner because of this. There is more space between more intense points of light due to their smaller size, but there is less PCB to cause a shadow on the edge. In my experience the shadow is easier to deal with than "cobbing," which is seeing the individual pixels through the blade.

Thank you so much or the explanation. So using the skinny strips is what I'd want to use for the crystal chamber led and then for a blade plug I'd need to make?


I have another question. The goth 3d knight looks like it is made specifically for wired batteries. If I want to do removable batteries, I'll need a different chassis, correct? If so, any suggestions?