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plagues neighbor
01-22-2006, 03:58 PM
I was wondering what the best way to attach a home made heat sink to a home made blade holder would be.

screw the inocent

xwingband
01-22-2006, 04:13 PM
Cute username...[;)]

If both are homemade we don't know much about it do we?[;)] Pics would help. Otherwise I can just say use a nut and washer, and thermal paste wouldn't be a bad idea to help transfer heat from the holder to the heatsink.

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Protein5000
01-22-2006, 06:33 PM
Has anyone made a successful homemade LED holder? Could someone post a list of parts/instructions. A lot of people would be very interested to know how to do it - with proper heatsinking and such.

Strydur
01-22-2006, 07:21 PM
Hey does anyone know how to build sabers without using any of the parts that the owner of these forums sell?

/sigh

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

Jedi Ranger
01-22-2006, 07:28 PM
LOL - apparently not many of us.

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suit_man
01-22-2006, 07:49 PM
sorry tim, but i think some people (like myself) have to be hard headed and make things for themselves...just so they can say that they made it. i love the satifaction of showing people a saber that doesn't have any parts made by someone else. [8D]

i am a nerd, if you don't like it, i will cut you with my lightsaber

Strydur
01-22-2006, 08:04 PM
A saber that doesnt have any parts made by somebody else?
Are people making their own led's, switchs, battery holders, etc..?

My comment was not meant to hinder people building their own sabers. The post just came across the wrong way to me I guess.

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

xwingband
01-22-2006, 08:06 PM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Strydur

Hey does anyone know how to build sabers without using any of the parts that the owner of these forums sell?

/sigh

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

[:I]

In some cases it's probably just because the parts won't work in the design. Others I think don't realize all that you sell.

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suit_man
01-22-2006, 09:43 PM
i didn't mean no electronic parts. i meant no cosmetic parts that were crafted by someone else, of coarse i can't make steel and el wire, but i can use steel to make my own blade holders and hilts, no offense to tim or anyone who uses his parts, they just aren't for me (except things like LEDs, because it is not possible for someone with my resources to make one).

i am a nerd, if you don't like it, i will cut you with my lightsaber

UltraSWG
01-23-2006, 09:28 AM
I would hardly call a bladeholder/LED mount/heatsink a "cosmetic" part. That assembly is the core of the entire saber, it is THE most important part of the machine. Sure, you could use an aluminum bolt with washers for a heatsink. You could use PVC for a bladeholder. And before Tim came along, that's what I used. But now that there are purpose made parts for LED sabers, why use sub-standard parts?

Anyway, no matter what you use to build your saber, it's all being made by someone else. You don't make the sink pipe, you don't make the grips, you don't make the bolts, and you certainly don't make the metal tubes. You make two things, Jack and ****, and Jack just left town.

We're builders/fabricators/assemblers, that's it. The only real "maker" here would be Tim who actually starts with a hunk of metal on a lathe and "makes" parts.

http://www.ultrasabers.com
Corbin|Strydur|Ultra
The Holy Luxeon Trinity

GeluKhanGharr
01-23-2006, 03:15 PM
I am with Ultra on this one - the holder is the CORE of the saber. Sure you could make it with other parts(e.g. PVC, bolts and other sub-standards) - but when you finish it, don't provoke any of us to a duel. Skils aside, our Tim-holder-powered sabers will win everytime.
If I may paraphrase Luminara Unduli:

The <font color="green">Holder </font id="green"> is the Heart of the Blade.
The Heart is the <font color="green">Holder </font id="green"> of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the <font color="green">Holder </font id="green"> of the Force.
The Force is the Blade of the Heart.
All are intertwined: The <font color="green">Holder</font id="green">, The blade,The Jedi.

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.
http://www.saloncatalina.com/images/signature.jpg

Protein5000
01-24-2006, 02:33 AM
Yeah, I was really interested to know how poeple make blade holders to convert MR's without any special blade holder from Tim. I'm dying to get my hands on some of these - but I'm sure everyone else is too!

suit_man
01-24-2006, 03:48 PM
that's awesome ultra, i had no idea that the blade holder was important, i also had no idea that you had to either use tim's or pvc, i always thought that making my own by using some steel, a welder and a heatsink from a pc was ok, but i could be wrong. and if you would read my post before, i already said that i don't make things like steel and electronics. i don't want to be a jerk or sound like a jerk, but please don't criticize my work just because you consider it to be "sub-standard".

i am a nerd, if you don't like it, i will cut you with my lightsaber

The Plague
01-25-2006, 09:43 AM
I would like to appologize for my neighbor. He's only thirteen and doesn't realize that some people are trying to make some money. He's been wanting to build a lightsaber too and the wait for parts is probably getting the best of him. [V]

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

archammer2
01-25-2006, 10:05 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Strydur

Hey does anyone know how to build sabers without using any of the parts that the owner of these forums sell?

/sigh
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Duct tape. Lots of it. [;)]

Eh, maybe I'm a pessimist, but I tell myyself that until I know what the **** I'm doing, I should probably follow the directions of the guys that have done this dozens (if not hundreds) of times.

The Plague
01-25-2006, 03:22 PM
That is true you can do almost anything with duct tape.
Anything to make Tim lose some money right.[^]

just kidding[:D]

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

GeluKhanGharr
01-26-2006, 01:11 PM
Unrelated to the thread, but I think funny, and some of you might not know it:
When you are fixing something all you need are 2 things: Duct tape and WD40. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape.

one more-
Corporate slogan: "DUCT TAPE - It's what holds America together"

and another read somewhere on these threads:
Duct tape is like the force - it has a light side and a dark side and it binds everything together (or something along these lines)

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.
http://www.saloncatalina.com/images/signature.jpg

JadedMonk
01-26-2006, 01:39 PM
Along the same lines. I've always preferred:

"There are two forces at work in the Universe. WD40 which permits movement and Duck Tape, which restricts all motion."

suit_man
01-29-2006, 06:39 PM
tim, why does the heat sink you sell have to be used with the mhs blade holder? does it have to be used with it for the led to be properly heatsinked? i am wondering because your heat sink would work perfectly for a special vader conversion i am doing.

i am a nerd, if you don't like it, i will cut you with my lightsaber

Madcow
02-06-2006, 05:32 PM
I've scanned to see if anyone's asked this but haven't seen it so...

What can you use between the Luxeon star and the heat sink to help heat transfer?
I know there are certain greases out there for that purpose. Does anyone use them? I have a basic silicone grease - will that work?

MC

You want to go home and re-think your life

vadeblade
02-06-2006, 09:45 PM
thermal paste. Radio shack has generic thermal paste or you can go real expensive and buy Artic Silver

http://www.arcticsilver.com/

Silicon grease would be a bad idea. I would also recommend lapping the heatsink. http://www.overclockersclub.com/guides/heatsinklappingguide.php

I'm experimenting with lapping the Luxeon Star. I would NOT, I repeat NOT recommend you lap the Luxeon star unless you are experienced in lapping computer components.

Hey Tim, store wish list thermal paste and thermal adhesive.
Thanks

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

The Plague
02-13-2006, 04:09 PM
I have a question, are you guys using thermal paste for attaching the heatsink to the led or as a heat conductor? also would super glue work to hold a LED to a heat sink?


"If you can't duct it f*** it"
sorry if this offends anyone.I thought it was funny

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

scaarmor
02-13-2006, 04:24 PM
There are little plastic screws meant to hold down the LED to the heatsink. But I suppose if you really wanted to you could glue it down...What they are discussing here is the use of thermal paste as an added thermal conductor.

Cain


***A man is known by the enemies he carries, so make the best ones you can.***

***Give me a decent foothold and I will move the world.***

***It is now that we battle.When you die, await my arrival in the afterlife where we will battle again.Perhaps there you may have the ability to defeat me,but not here,not now,not this day.So let us part with words and embrace the blade.***

xwingband
02-13-2006, 04:27 PM
I would not use superglue. Use a flexible glue (Elmers makes a decent one) if you must use glue at all. The best on a homemade one I'd say is to come up with some type of notch to slip the LED into or use the little screws that scaarmor mentioned.

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LAN-ED-TUL
02-13-2006, 04:42 PM
i think the best way, is do it like tim does his. have the heatsink plate and drill and tap small holes for two small nylon bolts. so far, to me thats the best solution, and tims already got that one nailed down.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

The Plague
02-13-2006, 05:25 PM
well what i am using is a couple of washers for a heat sink and was wonderingthe best way to atatch the star led to the washers

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

Madcow
02-13-2006, 07:39 PM
Tim's seems like a great system. I'm making my own but I have been using metal screws.
Where can one get these nylon screws?

(Do you sell them Tim? or are they an easy electronics store thing?)

MC



You want to go home and re-think your life

The Plague
02-13-2006, 07:49 PM
thanx madcow, by the way I think you can get nylon screws at either home depot or radio shack, but i would ask tim if he'll sell them first

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

headwound
02-13-2006, 10:21 PM
madcow; I know home depot sells nylon screws, it's in those sliding bin things, but check lowes first HD is teh suck.

I'm using a 1.25" tube for my saber, which from what I can tell tim doesnt have in stock/ isnt planning to make them anytime soon, so Im pretty much forced to make my own. Right now Im going to try brass tubing, we'll see how it works out.

vadeblade
02-14-2006, 11:26 AM
There is such a thing as Thermal Adhesive. It comes in many forms - paste, epoxy and tape. Artic Silver has an epoxy type that is supposed to be real strong.

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/temp/adhesivec.jpg


Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

The Plague
02-14-2006, 02:08 PM
How much heat sinking is actualy required for these lights anyway?

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

GrimaOllak
02-14-2006, 03:18 PM
From what I understand, by using Tim's holders, heatsinking is technically not needed, though it seems most people do it anyway "just in case". Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

xhypnauticx
02-14-2006, 03:31 PM
you do not have to use tim's led holder, but it is the best heat sink there is that is compatible with many hilts.

The Plague
02-14-2006, 04:04 PM
so from what you guys say is that heat sinking is not needed ,but it is recomended. well it sounds like i'm going to be buying some stuff from tim

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

xhypnauticx
02-14-2006, 04:20 PM
yes heatsinking is needed.

xwingband
02-14-2006, 04:33 PM
With Tim's holder extra heatsinking is not needed because the holder itself acts with the heatsink portion of it to dispate heat. The heatsink alone that Tim has is not enough.

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The Plague
02-14-2006, 05:22 PM
I am converting an fx saber and until tim gets his holders in I am going to use the stock blade holder. now with that in mind how much heatsinking will I need?


i'm not buying tim's heat sink until he gets his holders in because I want to save shipping ,so for a while I need to improvise. any suggestions?

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

LAN-ED-TUL
02-14-2006, 08:20 PM
heatsinkig is required unless you wanna see your led go smoke. we were talking bout the added use of thermal paste. some do, like me, and others dont. tims holder is well designed to produce the heatsinking needed by itself whether you use a lil dab of paste or not.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

The Plague
02-15-2006, 04:09 PM
Would using a couple of washers as heat sink work? until i get tims conversion kit that is.

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

LAN-ED-TUL
02-16-2006, 02:15 AM
you could i suppose if you have the bottom center threaded for a bolt, use a aluminum bolt, with a couple small washers then a big washer, then a couple more smalls, you get the idea. build it up so its ribbed to give heat dissapation. and tighten it up . that would suffice i believe, but remember, you will need at least 2 or 3 of the larger washers. use aluminum washers too. better heat transfer.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

The Plague
02-18-2006, 03:02 PM
Thanks lan,
I used the design as you described and some thermal paste, it works great!

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

NooB1Kenobi
02-18-2006, 09:13 PM
Copper works goof for heat sinking too.. You can find all kinds of copper stuff out there.. Easy to drill too.. Just a suggestion.. I've used copper several times and used thermal paste.. Works beautiful.. I'd love some of Tim's holders when he gets them in..

The Plague
02-18-2006, 09:18 PM
Copper is also cheap too. you canget it for pennies.
no pun intended.[:D]

Those who live by the sword, will die by the sword

NooB1Kenobi
02-19-2006, 04:07 AM
I only tried copper cause my heatsink in my computer is copper and works better than the aluminum one I had just like it.. I cut the temp down by about 4c going from aluminum to copper on my cpu.. I tested it to see if it got to hot and all was good so I went ahead and assembled it.. I figured for 2 Quarters, and 4 Pennies it was worth a try..

LAN-ED-TUL
02-20-2006, 05:17 PM
glad it worked. yeah, copper will work good too. havent tried it myself. since i use tims holders i havent had to worry bout a heatsink. i just use a dot of thermal paste under led to help with heat x-fer.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

adersondasilva
02-22-2006, 06:27 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Strydur

Hey does anyone know how to build sabers without using any of the parts that the owner of these forums sell?

/sigh

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The only thing I used was a L3W... All the rest was my imagination...

The Plague
02-22-2006, 08:31 AM
do these lights get hot enough to melt the plastic on the wires, I noticed in the MR conversion topic that there was some silicon looking substance on the wires and I was woundering if it was being used as a heat shield or just to hold the wires in place.


Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

xwingband
02-22-2006, 08:34 AM
Yup, I have heard of it happening, but I suspect that it will burn out first. You are right that the glue used in the conversion guide is just there to hold the wires together.

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The Plague
02-22-2006, 08:47 AM
Thanks X-wing, by the way do you have a job? you are allways here answering peoples questions.

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

xwingband
02-22-2006, 08:50 AM
I'm a student. I almost always have a computer around. In between classes I can sit just about anywhere and use wifi.

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The Plague
02-22-2006, 10:23 AM
I stacked 6 steel washers and used heat sinking compound to hold them together, I also drilled 4 holes in the stack of washers, Does anyone know if this will provide enough heat sinking? I plan to by a sink from Tim when I build my next saber so until then I need to improvise.

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

vadeblade
03-06-2006, 04:17 PM
I just wanted to show off some really neat heatsinking I am doing.

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/Lightsabers/hilts/Picture127.jpg

That's a Lux III Star red mounted on an aluminum heatsink I crafted. The unique heatsink shape is to accomodate a special design element of the lightsaber I am building. How well does it work?

Well, running the LED on 4 AA batteries with a 2.2 ohm resistor and no heatsink, the LED gets too hot to touch in about 1 to 1.5 minutes.

When mounted to the heatsink above (including a thin layer of thermal paste) I ran it for 30 minutes continuously and the LED was barely warm. The resistor and the battery pack was significantly warmer then the LED/heatsink assembly. I would have ran it longer but I had two Luxeons hooked up to the battery and the battery was dieing.

It's amazing what one can do when one has a hacksaw and a wherehouse like this http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/temp/capture.jpg
to rummage through.

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

supertrogdor
03-07-2006, 03:50 PM
a double edged sword, large warehouse to root through, but what it takes to find usable parts is sometimes a fruitless journey. Then again when you finally find that part you have been looking for... satisfaction like that is hard to come by

vadeblade
03-07-2006, 05:28 PM
I've been lucky. I know what the wherehouse has and I go with an open mind, so I often come out with something useful. I have come out with nice delrin pieces, odd aluminum bits, screws, switches cabless, wires and heatsinks. They don't call it Weirdstuff Wherehouse for nothing. My journeys to Home Despot has been more fruitless.

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

Do-Clo
03-07-2006, 06:31 PM
We have store in Orlando, FL called Skycraft they have evrything from military surplus to industrial surplus and everything in between, to bad it is an hour drive away but a run to stock up on parts is well worth the trip and no one looks at you funny when you are standing there fitting things together because everyone else is doing the same, thinking what can I do with this??

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

xwingband
03-07-2006, 06:50 PM
An hour which direction? I'm in Gainesville.

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Do-Clo
03-07-2006, 07:01 PM
Xwing, Skycraft is in downtown Orlando for you it would be east, I am in Plant City near Tampa, they have a website but the really cool stuff is not on the site, check it out: www.skycraftsurplus.com

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

xwingband
03-07-2006, 09:23 PM
Cool, I'll definatly have to check that out sometime. I just did I little check picked the first catagory that caught my eye: soldering aids $6.95 for the helping hands?!?! Normally those little things are $20. [8D]

(700 posts... dang. I probably spend an unhealthy amount of time here.)

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james3
03-07-2006, 09:33 PM
Congrats dude...I'm bettin' ya hit 1000 before April 1st.[;)]

Do-Clo
03-07-2006, 10:57 PM
xwing the trip to Skycraft is well worth it just be prepared to spend some time because they have a little bit of everything. I have bought stuff there for a long time for many other projects and they have become a good source for stuff that can be used in saber making. I used to build two way radio setups for race cars and pit crew headsets and the bulk of the parts all came from Skycraft.

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

LAN-ED-TUL
03-08-2006, 10:40 AM
thats one wicked lookin heatsink vadeblade.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

vadeblade
03-08-2006, 12:02 PM
Thanks LAN-ED-TUL. Ohh the picture of the wherehouse I frequent shows about 15-20% of the public showroom and about 5-10% of the whole wherehouse. Weirdstuff has a website too. http://www.weirdstuff.com/

I purchased 4 different CPU heatsinks for a $1.08 (sales tax).

I found that heatsinks made for CPUs are made of a really soft aluminum alloy. It also seems to be better at conducting and dissipating heat than T6061 aluminum alloy. It's easy to cut them with a hacksaw and sand them down to the proper shape.



Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

LAN-ED-TUL
03-08-2006, 11:26 PM
that is a cool idea. heck i happen to have my old heatsink from my computer around someplace. i swapped it out for a 3 times larger one with copper and its filled with a liquid stuff for heat dissapation. fan was 5 times bigger on it too. im talkin goin from a fan, 1 1/2 inches to a fan nearly 3 inches, and the heatsink from a small 2 inches to 3 1/2 inches. made a huge diff in cooling.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

supertrogdor
03-09-2006, 10:02 AM
getting a little off topic i know, but what was the drop in your cpu operating temperature? and what processor is it?

The Plague
03-09-2006, 02:07 PM
I need some help. I stacked washers 3/4 of an inch high and they are 1 inch OD,they also have a 1/8 inch ID with 4 other holes 1/8 inch diameter. The holes are in the same formation as 5 on a dice. I only run my sabers for about 5 minutes at a time and these heatsinks seem to work fine, My question is if you guys think this will work for a longer period of time?

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

Do-Clo
03-09-2006, 03:08 PM
If your heatsink is hot or very warm to the touch after 5 minutes then your heatsink is not doing the job. You could use a digital surface temp reader but lets face it none of us have those so it is back to the good old touch test.

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

The Plague
03-09-2006, 03:20 PM
It does get warm but not very. I guess it'll do the job, did I mention that the washers are steel.

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

LAN-ED-TUL
03-10-2006, 04:30 AM
trog, i have a 2.6 intel processor. and it dropped around 10 degrees after i put in larger heatsink. and no overheat issues either. on the old one if i got a heavy prg. running or had too many things running the processor would get too hot and the computer would shutdown on me. at least it didnt blow up, thank goodness.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

supertrogdor
03-10-2006, 10:25 AM
thank goodness for failsafe precautions eh Lan?

LAN-ED-TUL
03-10-2006, 05:00 PM
yep. it freaked me out when it done that too. i had a intel prg that keeps an eye on that, if i choose to run it. and at that time it was on, it goes off and bellows out a alarm out loud then computer went off. scared the crud outta me. till i figured out what was happening. since swapping the old heatsink with the larger copper core with liquid inside, i havent had any overheats.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

SaberSentinel
03-23-2006, 01:51 PM
I was wondering if Tim's LED holder would be enough heatsinking (for a 3W) if I cut its OD down to 1". It would be attached to an aluminum pipe with a 1 1/8 OD. I don't have enough money to order one and just check [:(] so I was wondering, has anyone had tried that?

Also, because of my small pipe size I can't use Tim's blade holder so I won't have the heatsinking that it provides. I certainly don't want to fry an LED so I thought I'd ask for help.

Speak softly and carry a big lightsaber.

The Plague
03-23-2006, 01:59 PM
either tim's led holder or his blade holder provide enough heatsinking individualy for a 3 watt

You may start the fight, but I will finish it.http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/starwars/star-wars-smiley-026.gifhttp://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/aktion/action-smiley-043.gif
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/starwars/star-wars-smiley-023.gif

xwingband
03-23-2006, 03:40 PM
The holder would work alone but cutting it down that far there is no way too mount the LED holder section. You might as well just buy some 1 1/8" OD tube and cut it to a blade holder and find a seperate heatsink.

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GeluKhanGharr
03-23-2006, 04:38 PM
Hey Sentinel, I know your signature is a paraphrase of "speak softly and cary a big stick" but I can't remember where it comes from. Help?

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.
http://www.saloncatalina.com/images/signature.jpg

Do-Clo
03-23-2006, 04:39 PM
Gelu, that was Teddy Rosevelt

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

LAN-ED-TUL
03-23-2006, 07:45 PM
like in walkin tall, speaking of which, anyone seen the rocky version of it? i thought it was fairly good.

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

SaberSentinel
03-23-2006, 10:27 PM
X-wing, that was my plan but with Tim's LED holder/heatsink, mostly to hold the LED. Though with so little material to tap I was going to use a small piece of spring steel and mount a pin on the end to hold the blade in (like a vacuum cleaner hose). Thoughts?

Speak softly and carry a big lightsaber.

GeluKhanGharr
03-24-2006, 12:30 PM
Yes, yes, you're right. Thanks!

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.
http://www.saloncatalina.com/images/signature.jpg

Onlyone
09-29-2009, 07:43 AM
hmm...if a blade is 1" OD then wouldn't the heat sink be the same size?

...unless your hilt has an even smaller ID at the point you need to mount a heat sink.

also...if you are using pvc as a blade holder you don't need a heat sink? For any LED?

The reason I ask is I have a sink tube saber with pvc lining brass sink tube, I'm planning on putting a P4 in it and it sounds like I won't need a heatsink. Not to be cheap I already have a list of parts well over $200

cardcollector
09-29-2009, 11:35 AM
You'd better find some water beause some Serious Flaming may occur...

Jedi-Loreen
09-29-2009, 12:13 PM
Well, at least it's a relevant question. As opposed to someone resurrecting a 2+ yr old saber thread just so they can say "Cool!" :rolleyes:

Shadar Al'Niende
09-30-2009, 05:57 AM
At least he is reading?













;)

FenderBender
09-30-2009, 12:50 PM
hmm...if a blade is 1" OD then wouldn't the heat sink be the same size?

...unless your hilt has an even smaller ID at the point you need to mount a heat sink.

also...if you are using pvc as a blade holder you don't need a heat sink? For any LED?

The reason I ask is I have a sink tube saber with pvc lining brass sink tube, I'm planning on putting a P4 in it and it sounds like I won't need a heatsink. Not to be cheap I already have a list of parts well over $200

Yes you need a heatsink. Especially for a PVC saber cause the PVC is more of an insulator and doesn't transfer heat to cooler air like an aluminum hilt would.

Onlyone
10-01-2009, 08:30 AM
Shadar Al'Niende...At least he is reading?

Who's "he"? There's alot people commenting here.

I'm all over it Fenderbender, should have mentioned I came to that conclusion but thanks for additional reasoning. Having a better understanding of all these parts/materials is key.

Invisas1979
10-01-2009, 09:29 AM
hmm...if a blade is 1" OD then wouldn't the heat sink be the same size?

...unless your hilt has an even smaller ID at the point you need to mount a heat sink.

also...if you are using pvc as a blade holder you don't need a heat sink? For any LED?

The reason I ask is I have a sink tube saber with pvc lining brass sink tube, I'm planning on putting a P4 in it and it sounds like I won't need a heatsink. Not to be cheap I already have a list of parts well over $200

The id is smaller where the blade sits and the heat sink sits about a cm below the blade on a lip of the mhs piece below the blade holder so the optics and lens holder can sit on top of the LED without being crushed by the blade. You won't really be able to picture how the MHS system works without seeing it first hand.

Also the p4 IS going to get hot so you need a brass heat sink. If you're using a sink tube that has a id of 1.25 then get the mhs adaptor set which comes with a larger heatsink. Plastic won't do I'm afraid.

PVC blade holder is going to be far less sturdy that the above option, so I personally wouldn't go with a pvc blade holder solution.

Spend a bit more and you'll have something far more reliable.

These are the parts you're looking for, you will pay more, now move along....

Jedi-Loreen
10-01-2009, 09:41 AM
Shadar Al'Niende...At least he is reading?

Who's "he"? There's alot people commenting here.

I'm all over it Fenderbender, should have mentioned I came to that conclusion but thanks for additional reasoning. Having a better understanding of all these parts/materials is key.

I think he meant you? Since you're the one that resurrected this old thread.

Onlyone
10-01-2009, 10:13 AM
Nice that he acknowledged I've been doing some reading but funny that someone would assume I'm a guy.

Unless I get an obvious indication,
I stick to user names.

Invisas1979...

I can picture it actually good description but my hilt isn't that simple and i would need several mhs parts to do this.

My outer layer of sink tube is 1.5 so I'd need a blade holder to fit that and a choke and then well most of my hilt is pvc inside so I'd have to almost start from scatch. I am looking at doing this later but can't afford it all.

Inside the 1.5" sinktube is a vacuum adapter with a piece of pvc with 1" ID. The vacuum adapter changes ID and OD and is connected to 1.5 sink tube with pvc spacers on each end. Then another vacuum adapter and repeats and another section or sinktube.

Pics below...I'm making alterations to the pummel as shown in the upper right hand version. a style/function thing.

I'm ordering parts to complete it and either I'm upgading it later. It would be nice to be able to finish it for now though.

Onlyone
10-01-2009, 10:18 AM
PS ..I'm not weak minded so those mind tricks don't work on me...

And its heat sinks are copper not brass....hehe

Shadar Al'Niende
10-01-2009, 12:35 PM
Nice that he acknowledged I've been doing some reading but funny that someone would assume I'm a guy.

Unless I get an obvious indication,
I stick to user names.

My apologies, i just figured guys are more apt to put out crude usernames? :rolleyes:

Jedi-Loreen
10-01-2009, 01:03 PM
Especially with the one he used. :rolleyes:

It's also a safe assumption that you are male, because probably 99% of the people posting here are.

I am the only female who posts here regularly and has over a few hundred posts.

davidg1904
10-20-2009, 03:47 PM
Has anyone made a successful homemade LED holder? Could someone post a list of parts/instructions. A lot of people would be very interested to know how to do it - with proper heatsinking and such.
I get a 1" washer with a 1/4 hole in it (hole doesent matter) then lined up the LED on the washer and drew a dot where i needed to put the screw holes. then i Used a #6/32 drill/die to drill/thread the holes. I then put in two #6/32 nylon screws (you could find at fry's) and used a grinder to make space for the wires.
like so:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v280/davidg1703/LED%20mount/
ps sorry the steps are all mixed up just look at the tital number

Jedi-Loreen
10-20-2009, 05:36 PM
Does it sit right up against a metal hilt? Then it will turn the hilt into a giant heat sink, like with the MHS hilts.

If it's insulated, or in a PVC hilt, then you really need a thicker heat sink. A single washer isn't really thick enough to pull much heat away from the LED by itself.

davidg1904
10-21-2009, 08:03 AM
Does it sit right up against a metal hilt? Then it will turn the hilt into a giant heat sink, like with the MHS hilts.

If it's insulated, or in a PVC hilt, then you really need a thicker heat sink. A single washer isn't really thick enough to pull much heat away from the LED by itself.

Well I used that setup in a pvc blade holder AKA 1/2 non-matalic flex connector (not actually 1/2 inch). Or a couple of washers (4 or 5) with longer screws holding them together. :idea:

Ranma 1-2
08-26-2010, 11:15 AM
Hi guys, first post so.. First I need to thank all the people here who have posted tutorials and helpful info for beginners like me. Thank you so much!

Ok.. I am trying to install light up blades into a Hasbro Darth Maul lightsaber hilt. Yes the plastic toy one!!
WHY? I hear some of you cry..Because I can't afford the MR FX one that's why. :-?

Anywho I have gutted the hilt and made some tube holders which I can slide my clear tubes into. By luck or good judgement the tubes I bought are 1" od and so I am hoping to buy two of the Luxeon III kits from here.

Question - Is it possible for me to make some kind of mother of a heatsink and thereby be able to run the 2 Luxeons inside? Or will I have to make/replace at least part of the hilt out of metal tube?

Skottsaber
08-26-2010, 12:21 PM
You should be able to heatsink the LED's properly by putting them on top of copper pipe endcaps. This is a commonly used and cheap way of heatsinking inside plastic based sabers.

Ranma 1-2
08-26-2010, 03:08 PM
You should be able to heatsink the LED's properly by putting them on top of copper pipe endcaps. This is a commonly used and cheap way of heatsinking inside plastic based sabers. Ok copper heatsinks, it's re-assuring to hear ..I can go order my Luxeons now. :)

FenderBender
08-26-2010, 03:57 PM
Put the LED/optics INSIDE of the copper pipe cap. A 3/4" copper pipe cap with two holes drilled for wires will hold and sink the LED and the optics.

Ranma 1-2
08-26-2010, 04:22 PM
Ok, Cheers, will do that.
When it's all installed and working I will post some pics of the finished lightsaber. You guys on this forum and the store are such a relief to hungry apprentices like me. I just know my yearning for a decent light up saber is very close to being satisfied now.. :cool:

sev95
11-09-2010, 09:28 AM
I know this is an older thread but, from what I gathered, (since I am going with a rebel star) I am going to need this http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Heat-Sink-shim-for-Rebel-stars-P550.aspx This http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Copper-MHS-LED-MountHeatsink-P234.aspx and this http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Star-thermal-tape-pad-P483.aspx ? I am going to build my saber out of PVC and I just wanted to know what I needed to get. BTW can I use a copper end cap that has a 1" OD? Thanks!!

lightjedi

Novastar
11-10-2010, 03:46 PM
@sev95... yup, those will be right for your needs. The shim for the Rebel is simply because the height of things won't match properly when the optics are overlaid if you DON'T use the shim. You know... things would be loose + jiggling around, and that wouldn't be good now, would it? :)

As to the copper end cap... what do you mean? For what? The "pommel" of your PVC saber? Sure... why not. :) It all depends on how you wish to affix that cap--by retention screw, by threading or what have you.

sev95
11-11-2010, 11:04 AM
The copper end cap would be for the heat sink. I didn't know if it would work or not. Just looking for other options.

Jedi-Loreen
11-12-2010, 07:58 AM
A 1" copper end cap would be too big to use as a heat sink. It would defeat the purpose of holding the LED and optics, and acting like a blade stop.

sev95
11-12-2010, 09:07 AM
What would be a good optional item that I could use as a heat sink besides the heat sinks sold on TCSS?


lightjedi

Jay-gon Jinn
11-12-2010, 10:49 AM
You need a 3/4" copper end cap to do what you are looking to do, depending on the size of pvc you plan to use. Darth Midian has a good tutorial on using a copper cap for a heatsink here:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=11890
If you use the end cap method, you won't need the heatsink shim....that is only for use with an MHS saber. The 3/4" copper cap will indeed have about a 1" O.D.