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Firebird21
03-16-2006, 12:25 PM
Well, maybe “vent” isn’t the right word… But I was looking for some ideas for some sort of pattern of holes to put in the pommle of my hilt so I can actually hear my sound!

I only have one, so I want to do it right the first time.

Here are some pics of what I have right now…

http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/hilt.jpg
http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/hilt1.jpg

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james3
03-16-2006, 12:50 PM
Soundholes could be made by drilling 1/8" holes in the cap or if the speaker was deeper around the hilt. If you have skills with a dremel you could make slots, I am in the process of doing a sink tube with holes at the grip end for sound and diagonal slits at the emitter end for "crystal" lighting. My thinking is if I drill the holes in between where I am putting the grips it won't even be noticeable.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Firebird21
03-16-2006, 01:00 PM
My question was more about design than location.

How many holes?
What size?
Placement?
What have you tried that produced the best acoustic and/or visual results

The slots kind of get me thinking though.


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Do-Clo
03-16-2006, 01:20 PM
Which ever you choose you can dress it up by hot glueing some thin black felt material to give it that blacked out look and them take some flat black paint and paint the inside edges of your slots or holes to make them blend into the felt material.

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

Jonitus
03-16-2006, 01:23 PM
I usualy go for about 12-16 holes, some 1/8", some 1/16", in a mostly circular pattern. I try to allow for 2" of echo chamber for the speaker, assuming the speaker is "sealed" from the back side.

I have not added sound to a MHS saber before, so you're kind of on your own there.

...how will you know the light unless you have seen the dark? How will you know the good unless you have flirted with the evil?

james3
03-16-2006, 01:26 PM
For best sound you will want mutiple sound holes equally spaced and ideally at least one hole behind the speaker for air movement. You don't need it tuned or anything because of the limited freq. but as I'm sure you know the more "transparent" you make the object between the speaker and the air the better sound you will have.

A quick rec on the end cap would be:
holes- 8-12
size- 1/8"
placement- through bottem of hilt in a star or "pepper shaker"pattern
whIt- I have alot of years experience of placing speakers and microphones in some strange and tight places. [:)]

If you have the right tools the slots would be most appealing.

I love your little Jedi dude and the happy dancin' banana thingy.

While I was taking my sweet time typing I think you received an awsome response.-Good call Jonitus

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Firebird21
03-16-2006, 02:26 PM
Has anyone tried to drill diagonally into the pommel? So the vents come out the side on the pommel and into the center of the inside.

I guess what I'm getting at is, is the sound dispersed better when it comes out the side, bottom, or both? Or does it make no difference at all?


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james3
03-16-2006, 02:36 PM
It really won't make a difference unless you hold your saber real low. Pretty much just aesthetics however the diagonal vents from the side do sound sweet.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

xwingband
03-16-2006, 02:39 PM
I suspect it doesn't matter because the metal would reflect it either direction. I don't think drilling at angle would work. The bit would bend, at least at any steeper angle.

I'd go for the "pepper shaker" bottom and cover it with a mesh.

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Firebird21
03-16-2006, 03:04 PM
Kind of like this...
http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/Pommel1.jpg



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bazuka
03-16-2006, 03:24 PM
Firebird: You could drill straight in and use a cone glued inside the bottom of the pommel and probably achieve the same results. That way you don't have to worry about drilling a round object at an angle.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y255/rshuck/empire1.jpg

james3
03-16-2006, 03:34 PM
That would be sweet. If you don't have the right tools to drill diagonally into the cap from the outside make sure you have your angle right and drill from the inside out and then use a reamer to clean up the exit hole.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

Firebird21
03-16-2006, 03:47 PM
Well I just drilled 5 1/8" holes in the bottom in a typical dice pattern. Boy was that a task! That stuff is thick!

I can hear it now... but it will definitely need more. But I will have to do it later.

And I definitely need an O-ring on the outside, because if I over tighten the pommel it hits the speaker and mutes it. Miner technicality though...


Edit: Oh yeah, A trick to drilling diagonally... Drill straight in for the first 1/16" or so, then turn the piece at the right angle. It prevents deflection of the bit and scratching the surface.

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Do-Clo
03-16-2006, 04:10 PM
Just a thought but you could cut slots in the side on the pommel as pictured below.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/sendcap.jpg



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

Firebird21
03-16-2006, 07:54 PM
Most of that is solid aluminum though... (see above pic)

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Do-Clo
03-16-2006, 08:11 PM
I really didn't look close enough, I can't believe that is a solid chuck of aluminum, man that makes it tought to do much with. Hard to get sound out of the hilt.

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

LAN-ED-TUL
03-16-2006, 08:17 PM
look at the pics of it in the shopping area. it does have a small area hollowed out. but it dont run far in. i think it still leaves around the last 1/4 or more solid to the end.

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

Mur-Pa DiLos
03-16-2006, 11:14 PM
I drilled out a Celtic design for the speaker holes using about 15 or so 1/8" holes. It sounds really good, but make sure that with a dremel you keep the pommell cool and the dremel speed low. I had the aluminum melt down or something and it grabbed and broke the bit. THAT was a pain! Good luck. I used a pattern I drew out on blue tape, put that on the pummell and drilled away![:D] It sounds really sweet too, louder than with the pummell off! I recomend using the freezer every now and then to let the thing cool off (the pummell not the dremel), it helped speed things up.

BTW, would the holes up above the speaker in the hilt really help, because as far as I'm concerned, the louder, the better!

Good luck,

May the Force be with you

GeluKhanGharr
03-21-2006, 06:30 PM
In my experience long narrow channels muffle the sound badly. You want to drill the material at its thinnest

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Firebird21
03-29-2006, 08:59 PM
This is what I've got so far.

It's louder than the MR Anakin and you can actually feel it.

I think a lot may have to do with the Lithium AAA's I put in it...

What ever the case, I am pleased with the acoustics of it now.
Even though I could have drilled the holes straighter...


http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/vents1.jpg

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Do-Clo
03-29-2006, 11:06 PM
Firebird that looks good, it is simple and clean. One thing to consider is maybe taking a small brush and painting the inside of the holes flat black, just a thought, this will make the holes more of a design function.

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

LAN-ED-TUL
03-30-2006, 12:06 AM
i dont think its the batteries makin the difference, it is just plain and simple, spacing of the speaker. as we have all found with the hasbros, anyplace from an inch to even up to an inch and a half works really well. all mine that have hasbros in them, completely drown out a MR board volume wise. i suppose tho, if you took a MR batt/speaker pack and set it up so speaker had around an inch of space to the end, it would sound louder too. i specualte, as i havent tried it yet.

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

Protein5000
03-30-2006, 05:31 AM
I even found with half an inch the Hasbro was really loud too. I know it's not much at all but it still worked really well - till it fried on me[:(]

Less talk, more action........

Luke-SkyMarcher
04-02-2006, 12:57 PM
I have no experience working with MHS sabers, but what I did for the one saber I have put sound in so far is cut a sort of paramecium design in the pommel cap with my dremmel, and like DiLos said, it is louder than with the pommel off.

Madcow
05-18-2006, 09:32 PM
Here's mine (in progress).
It's louder with the "grill" off, but I sacrificed the volume for looks.
http://rpetkau.photosite.com/~photos/tn/1286386_348.ts1148012540097.jpg
It's just careful work with a bad drill press, a groove carved in the inside diameter, and a spring made of copper wire to hold it in..

MC




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12-20-2006, 06:42 AM
Hi guys, first post but an old reader..........

I used a dremel to cut parallel slices in the v-grooves with a thin cutting disk. It is barley noticeable unpainted. I went back and used a thicker cutting disk and painted it. You can just barely make them out. I’m using a 4 inch chamber with the Hasbro card hidden inside and it is twice as loud as the MR. You can also feel the hum……

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o118/NCKFisto/sound-grooves-1.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o118/NCKFisto/sound-grooves-2.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o118/NCKFisto/sound-grooves-3.jpg

xwingband
12-20-2006, 07:05 AM
Yeah wow... until that last pic I couldn't see them.

james3
12-20-2006, 09:24 AM
Nice job Kit! Nice to see that someone actually did the ribbed cuts thing. I always use it as a grip but I did a similar setup with the standard extension piece. I did small cuts in line with some of the ANH grip stuff and it came out pretty decent.

Strydur
12-20-2006, 09:40 AM
Early next year the modular pommel system will come to life. Speaker grille issues will become a thing of the past :D

Firebird21
12-20-2006, 09:54 AM
Early next year the modular pommel system will come to life. Speaker grille issues will become a thing of the past :D



Sweet!

xwingband
12-20-2006, 10:02 AM
Early next year the modular pommel system will come to life. Speaker grille issues will become a thing of the past :D

mmm... MPS in my MHS. :D

Any details? Are these going to be self contained units or will we have the ability to put in our own speakers?

12-20-2006, 10:07 AM
Nice job Kit! Nice to see that someone actually did the ribbed cuts thing. I always use it as a grip but I did a similar setup with the standard extension piece. I did small cuts in line with some of the ANH grip stuff and it came out pretty decent.

Thanks James. I'll put the finished pics in the gallery.

Lord Maul
12-20-2006, 11:25 AM
dang, great job kit
even on that last shot i could barely see them. totally invisible :wink:

erv
12-21-2006, 02:39 PM
Yep, good idea to have the hilt cut, so that air from the back side of the speaker is not imprisonned in the hilt. The hilt becomes a resonator, producing more sound. I experienced also the hum feeling on my first luxeon prototype : the recharge port was on the hild (not on the pommel) and sound went thru it as well as from the pommel, 2 to 3 times louder than a MR.

Ryma Mara
05-08-2007, 04:32 PM
Old topic I know but why start a new one for speaker vents.

Ok so I have the style 5 pommel and I need to get sound to come out.

No cash to send it out to get machined out and such so...I want to drill some holes in it but I have no idea how to make sure the holes are evenly spaced.

If I could I would just take varying sized bits and just keep going at till the hole is the same size as the hole thats already in the pommel. but the bits on hand dont go that big.

any ideas?

erv
05-08-2007, 09:29 PM
first I suggest you make a simulation using some PVC pipe and a hard carton board to make a fake pommel. Use some hard material, not paper or light carton board cause it will not be representative of the final sound.
Then drill a patter, and see how it goes before drilling the real pommel.
Erv'

Ryma Mara
05-08-2007, 09:41 PM
thanks erv

Novastar
05-12-2007, 04:27 PM
Two words:

drain filter. :)


These work MAHHHHHVously, especially if you don't have a dremel or CNC machine in your bloody pocket. :)

Flange v3 uses exactly that. Actually two of them. Plus a whole lotta goddarn holes drilled all about the resonance cavity (forward of the pommel, "behind" the speaker).

Resonance is key. Holes in the pommel--ok, very nice. Holes AHEAD of the pommel, now THAT is how you'll start hearing some nice sound!