Replacement Electroluminescent Sheet

[Michael Petner]

:confused:Hello!

As a favor for a friend, I am repairing an older (i.e., non-warranty supported) Master Replicas Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Force FX Collectible (P/N SW-203S; SKU 36453 00050) that he purchased several years ago. The polypropylene blade snapped at the hilt during light handling (very light handling!) and the electroluminescent (EL) sheet became damaged. He attempted to have the Lightsaber repaired at Master Replicas when it was initially damaged, but he was informed that they no longer supported repair issues for that particular design. The product information on the EL sheet is as follows:

P/N: C5413YG
DESC: LT SBR Green
MFG: NOVATECH INC
DOM: 0703 117203

The sheet is approximately 32-5/8” long by 3-5/16” wide and is green in color. I measured the output from the inverter that energizes the EL Sheet and it measures approximately 70 VAC. I would like to obtain a replacement El sheet, since the one I currently have has multiple delaminations of the phosphor coating which show up as dark splotches when energized. Can anyone help me track down a replacement sheet? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I have re-engineered the Lightsaber so that the blade can be screwed on and off and the replacement EL sheet is the last item I need to complete the project. Please let me know. Thank you!

--Michael Petner

[Jedi-Loreen]

I probably know more about EL than anyone else here, but I've never worked with EL sheet, only wire.

I have a couple of Parks Saber blades that use it, but I have more experience removing damaged EL sheets from other people's blades so that I can reuse the polycarbonate blade tube and put EL wire and a diffuser inside it.

Have you contacted beingseen.com? They used to sell kits to make EL sheet blades, but I don't think they do anymore.

What kind of connecting system if your re-engineered blade? Is it possible that you could replace it with EL wire? You'd need a separate diffuser inside that, too.

I doubt that Jeff Parks of Park Sabers would let you buy just a piece of EL sheet from him, or tell you where he gets it, but you never know.

[cardcollector]

I did a quick google search and here's the shopping results I came up with...http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&q=Electroluminescent+Sheet&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=T6D_Sez-MYfMM6bH2OAH&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

Hope it helps:cool:

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I am looking for some EL sheet myself. If I find it before you do, I will post it here.

[Strydur]

I have fixed a few broken EL FX sabers by converting them to removeable wire blades. Wire blades tend to be a lot nicer.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I think EL wire may work in my application. I may just use it. Thanks Tim.

[Michael Petner]

Thanks Jedi-Loreen for the recommendation to contact BeingSeen.com. I contacted them over a month ago and was playing 'phone-tag' with one of the salesmen for a couple of weeks, but I never spoke to anyone in person. I am intrigued by your recommendation to use EL wire. Is it as bright as the EL sheet? Also, you asked about my re-engineering of my friend's saber: basically I machined two circular aluminum pieces for the inside of the saber and two circular aluminum pieces for the bottom of the polycarbonate tube. Each of the two pieces is separated from one another (concentrically) by a middle layer of epoxy filled with phenolic microballoons (i.e., an insulated region) which separates the two circuit paths (I hope you can follow this description). The center saber piece is tapped to accept a threaded screw and the center polycarbonate blade piece has a threaded screw. Consequently, you can screw the blade into the hilt to obtain your two (2) circuit paths. If you want, I'll supply pictures.

Do you think if I use the EL wire I'll need different circuitry in the saber? Let me know. Thanks!

-Mike
:)

[Michael Petner]

Jedi-Loreen: I posted a response to you on the Replacement Electroluminescent Sheet forum. -Mike Petner

[Strydur]

You can use the same setup to power a wire blade. It will actually be brighter than a sheet setup if you build them the way we do.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Yes, with the High Brightness wire in the Store, an EL wire blade will be brighter than the EL sheet.

[Michael Petner]

Yes, with the High Brightness wire in the Store, an EL wire blade will be brighter than the EL sheet.

Jedi-Loreen: Okay, you've convinced me to use the EL wire. Are there directions on how to build a blade using the EL wire? Please let me know. I can only access this site in the evenings. I can discuss online during the day at my work e-mail: michael.f.petner@lmco.com. Let me know. Thanks, I really appreciate all of the help you have provided! -Mike

[Thaxos]

Jedi-Loreen: Okay, you've convinced me to use the EL wire. Are there directions on how to build a blade using the EL wire? Please let me know. I can only access this site in the evenings. I can discuss online during the day at my work e-mail: michael.f.petner@lmco.com. Let me know. Thanks, I really appreciate all of the help you have provided! -Mike

There's a handy little feature called search...
And if you had scrolled to the bottom and gone to "How to Build EL Blades" and clicked on the tutorial, it would yield you this:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=12