Saber idea - tight fit!

[BhujangiJedi]

I'm pondering a design like so:

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=151&d=1206578496

There's two approaches pictured, but either way I go it'll be tight. I'd prefer the bottom design if I can get Tim to machine an MHS section not much more than an inch in length that's threaded male on one end and female on the other.

I'd put the LED in the holder, a puck in the middle, and battery pack and switch in the base. Does anyone happen to have the dimensions of the 4xAAA battery holder? I'm wondering what's the minimum space you could fit the battery holder and a switch into.

[Klaatu]

Thats kinda groovy (pun intended) How long would it be over all?

[eastern57]

Looking at the butt of the 4AAA pack, it's 7/8" per side, and 1 1/4" from corner to corner

[BhujangiJedi]

Thanks for the info on the battery pack... I'm thinking this could work.

Total length would be about 11 inches - it depends on how short you can get the thick sections. The grip, the middle thick section, would be a minimum of 1 inch (the thin neck sections have .5" threaded) and the thick section at the base would have to be long enough to house the power source - I'm thinking of a 4xAAA battery holder, so about 1.75" - 2".

[eastern57]

I'm sorry, I gave you wrong information:

The battery pack is 15/16" per side - not 7/8"

It is 2 1/16" long. I just checked, it fits just about right inside an MPS pommel (with all 4 batteries), but not inside a double ended male threaded connector. hope this helps :)

[BhujangiJedi]

Thanks, that is helpful info - the ID of the MPS pommels and the double-male are so close I hadn't noticed the double-male is smaller. The fact that the battery holder won't fit inside the double-male piece makes my top design much less appealing... I'd need a longer hilt section to make it work. I prefer the bottom approach anyway... I would only consider the top one if it was significantly cheaper.

Hrmmm... now I'm wondering if the ID of the male threaded end of the thin neck piece is big enough for the AAA battery holder.


Edit: I noticed the nifty "More Images" link in the store... that settles the question of fitting the battery holder inside the neck piece. So dang... any way I slice it, 1/2" of the hilt will be unusable for anything but a very small battery source, but I'm more inclined to go with the cheapo battery holders.
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Assets/ProductImages/146.jpg

[eastern57]

If I may be so bold... Li-ion 18650s fit perfectly inside the choke, and you'd only need one - so you'll have more room for other things... driver, sound etc.

[jpbeck]

You have to take into account for the heat sink (sticking down .25" or so into the choke) and the the fact the it rides inside about .5" down (I'm totally guessing that measurement by the way). I couldn't fit the package (the sled and heat sink and resister) the into a 3" double female (I had to go with a 4")-- so if your able to pull this off let me how you do it.

[BhujangiJedi]

Well, ever since conceiving this design I grow to like it more and more, but the more I learn about the dimensions of MHS parts (small inside!) and the parts I want to put in (too big!), the more it becomes clear this will be expensive, or bulky, or less than ideal (resistor!).

I suspect when I get around to it, I may just go with a resistor and a 4xAAA battery holder. I think that would allow me to do it with a blade holder, two thin neck pieces, a 2" MHS section, and a pommel. I think between the space inside the 2" MHS section and the pommel, I should be able to get the battery holder in there. Relatively cheap and simple.

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=155&d=1206747205


Unfortunately, I'd have to add another half an inch somewhere to fit a puck in.

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=156&d=1206747211


If I go with Li-Ion batteries, I could have a nice compact hilt, even with a puck:

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=157&d=1206747218