mylar strip

[xwingband]

Hearing this from Corbin and Photon and the logic making sense I wanted to try it, a strip of mylar at the base. I took a 1 foot strip and cut it to the length of the holder. I rolled it up and put it in the bottom of a blade with Tim's diffuser. Top is stock, bottom is with the mylar.

Here's the comparison:

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6769/stockvsmylar9gb.th.jpg (http://img502.imageshack.us/my.php?image=stockvsmylar9gb.jpg)

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6769/stockvsmylar9gb.jpg

Same camera and saber (run on a Hasbro sound board), I just merged the two images. The mylar appears to help a little. Not noticable trying one after another, but in side by side pics it indeed seems to even out the blade even more.


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[james3]

Thanks for that man, I have been seeing this popping up a bit and I was wondering what difference it made.
So, where do ya get that stuff?

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/James3sig.jpg</center>

[xwingband]

I got it from the member Tiberius. He sent me a roll. Otherwise you could try any plastics dealer. I imagine that other clear film would probably work very similar, so if you could get acetate (what transperencies usually are made of) or Gelu's polyp (flower/gift wrap) that would probably help too. I don't think it's too much so even the tiny boost isn't a bad deal.

I'll be getting other things to try this with too. Different types of plastic and I saw some stuff at McMasters I want to try for this and tips.

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[james3]

I have been sniffing around a bit and hoping to get something here soon. I do agree for what little it cost, it is a nice little boost. Thanks again for the other suggestions as well, I have been thinking about trying a few of the different things posted and I reckon it's time to go for it.


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[UltraSWG]

I don't see any difference at all in that pic. Can you do something fancy with photoshop or something to bring it out?

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

xwing, I am sorry bro, but until Ultra mentioned it I thought I was crazy for not seeing the difference. To me they do look exactly the same as well. Now, if I read it right, Photon was saying something about reflective film, like the static bags. Have you tried those?

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.
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[Strydur]

If top is stock and bottom is with the mylar then putting mylar at the base makes a bigger flare at the base? Thats all I can tell from the picture.

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

[Do-Clo]

I thought is was the settings on my screen but the difference is very little. The bottom blade could be a little brighter towards the tip with a brighter flare at the bottom if that is the blade with the film?

Do-Clo
Brotherhood of the Sith

Don't make me destroy you...

[xwingband]

It is very slight. I'll invert the color and compare them. I used the eye dropper at the same area and the colors were different.

Gelu, I will be trying other stuff too. I want to order this reflective film McMasters has for LCD screens too.

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[xwingband]

I didn't want to change it to make the difference more than it is. It is slight. It's more the point that something there DOES help. A reflective film might do even more. So I just inverted the color and took color samples. One at the edges of the box in the lightest area and the other where the lines are falling. There indeed is a difference being made down the blade and as Tim said the flare is brighter for sure. Maybe Tim should try some of that new tip material in the bottom. I know I'm going the investigate this more.[:)]

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4196/stockvsmylarcompare8fu.th.jpg (http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4196/stockvsmylarcompare8fu.jpg)

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[Jonitus]

Couldn't we achieve the same results, or perhaps better, with polishing the inside of the emitter?

I usually have to sand the inside of the emitter slightly to get Tim's PC blades to fit well, and it wouldn't be that much more work to sand up to about 2200 grit and then break out the polishing rouge on the Dremel and get that sucker shined up.

Thoughts?

...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?

[jedijohnson]

Okay,

Im going to think backwards here for a minute.

So dont go all crazy on me.

Would you not want to have less light on the sides and less reflective ness ? to have a more even level of brightness. Whith the goal to get the light up the blade ? or block out/ reduce the brighter light at the hilt/insert area ?

I am gathering that to polish or adding the mylar is the try and get it brighter, to go farther up the light ? correct ?

See I would think, adjusting the lens / beam might help or reduce the light at the beginning of the blade, to get a more uniform look at the top of the blade.


Where on my thoughts, on this is flawed ? or is that what the polishing and mylar actually do ? and Im just seing it wrong ?

Another look at it, if you super polish in the hilt/ insert.

How are you directing or affecting the light ? since any light hitting the sides in that area, is very possible a reflected light, being bounced back from farther up ???

Or are you also trying to angle / shape that light to shoot farther up the blade ? and if so, than I would think, that just polishing would not be enough to get that affect.

But would you have to almost not have a raised surface and angled to shoot the beam of light in the direction you are wanting. ??

Jedi Johnson



http://home.insightbb.com/~jedijohnson/wsb/html/view.cgi-home.html-.html

[xwingband]

The diffuser is in the way which is why putting it inside the diffuser or as a replacement at those last few inches would be what you would want. Otherwise I don't know how you'd keep Tim's diffuser up in there.[:p]

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[jedijohnson]

X,

Ahh, Thats a good thing to know.

Yes silly me, I didnt know this. It would create a issue.

Thanks for mentioning this.



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[xwingband]

The point is that without anything there it's an extra two inches we are lighting up without actually seeing it. If we put something reflective there it will help "throw" more light up the blade. Otherwise the light is already starting to fade in those 2 inches and by logic puting something reflective will help it retain that full brightness a little longer.

It's not as simple as adjusting the lens angle. The lens is naturally angled so it won't produce an evenly wide beam no matter what angle you use.

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[jedijohnson]

it's pretty hard to get the light directed up, when its already bouncing and reflecting on the side.

I certainly understand th create a reflective surface in attempt to throw that beam up. But to really achieve this. you almost need to angle that side surface to really achieve a good result.



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[xwingband]

I get what you mean. Basically it'd be another lens. The problem I see is that we are already using a lens and there isn't room there to make drastic enough of a difference. This is just to help it along a little. I'll be trying more out later with another reflective surface.

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[jedijohnson]

Is it possible at all to a angle the hilt insert enough ? or at all versus a strait up and down ?

did not know if tapering the outside of the blade some in this area, to adjust for that possability of angling the inside of the insert some along with the polish, would further overcome that ?

keep in the works on what you are working on, its very interesting and so forth.

The (x) is on it !




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[xwingband]

I'm not going to get to test this stuff fully because I'm packing my stuff up.[:(] Going home in a week though.[:D]

I found some really cool stuff though in Michael's I will be trying. It's call Strathmore Chromolux Silver.

http://www.c2f.com/photos/category/STR452XX.JPG

It is a "decrative" paper. It about posterboard thickness. The thing that attracted my attention is it's like chrome tape.[:0] It's not quite a mirror like finish, it's actually a bit textured, but good enought that it reflects REALLY well. For a 19.5" x 26" sheet for a few bucks I'll be messing around with it quite a bit.

If you want to look for it yourself it will be by the brushes and other large sheet of paper. If you need to, ask where they have the large bristol and watercolor sheets, it will be right next to them.

Tip material... reflector... mmm, the uses.[:)]

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[Do-Clo]

Hey xwing going home for the summer?

Do-Clo
Brotherhood of the Sith

Don't make me destroy you...

[xwingband]

Yup, my one and only final is Saturday so I'm leaving Sunday.

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[LAN-ED-TUL]

well i hope you will stay in touch here on the forum x-wing.




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The Brotherhood Of The Sith

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

[Do-Clo]

Are you kidding xwing ot around here he couldn't do it[:D]

Do-Clo
Brotherhood of the Sith

Don't make me destroy you...

[xwingband]

It's only a 5 hour trip (if I don't break the speed limit[:D]), and it's not like I don't have internet access at home.[:p]

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[GFORCE13]

Well have a good trip and keep it under light speed[:D]. We will miss your guidance.

" I am a Jedi like my Father before me"
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[Do-Clo]

We will hardly know that xwing is off the air as he will post right up to the time he leaves campus and start posting the minute he arrives home[:D]

Do-Clo
Brotherhood of the Sith

Don't make me destroy you...

[xwingband]

Probably...[:p] My most important stuff says with me until I sign out. The stuff goes right in the passanger seat beside me too. Packing all my stuff will be fun.[xx(]

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[WeirdoTransvestite]

Plan your trip really carefully. Otherwise you'll end up in a fence or house, and that'd end your trip real quick now wouldn't it?

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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[LAN-ED-TUL]

thats a relief. i thought he was leavin the forum. shew. im all set for my lil trip in july too. goin to cancun for 2 days and 3 nights. takin a camcorder and a digital camera. gonna take lots of shots. i almost thought of takin the suit with me and dressing up and loungin around the beach, lol scare some lil mexican kids to death, lol


edit: now i gotta get a court order to get my name changed on the birth certificate. my first name is wrong on it. i have to have this with me when i go to cancun. so i hope it will get done before the trip.

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The Brotherhood Of The Sith

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[xwingband]

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/2681/threecompare0aa.th.jpg (http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/2681/threecompare0aa.jpg)
http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/5894/threecomparereverse4fk.th.jpg (http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/5894/threecomparereverse4fk.jpg)

Okay, I tried that mirrored paper I found. Take the pictures as you will. I think it's doing something. Is it helping the light get down the tube... maybe, it's very little. It's definatly doing something the flare at the base is progressivly less for sure and is most apparent in the reversal. Is it worth it... it is rather cheap and I think there is so many uses for the paper outside of this so it's not hurting.


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[the_steve]

Did you use it as a tip reflector or did you roll it up and put it in the base of the blade as a focuser?

[xwingband]

I used it as at the base. I intend to try it as a tip next.

I noticed when pulling it out that the light came through scratches so it would probably work as a decent tip if you scratched off some of the material.

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[the_steve]

I just tried something like what you did. I used a piece of foil tape on computer paper. The paper is to make sure it tries to unroll itself in the blade so it stays more secure, and also it keeps if from crinkling. I must say it worked very well. Now my blade looks brighter.

[Usernames suck]

Post some pics!!

The opression of the Sith will never return, you have lost - mace windu

[the_steve]

I will get them later... when it is darker so i can do a before and after.

Alright. Here's the comparison. Hard to tell, but one easy way, is that the bright yellow core at the bottom extends further in the bottom pic.

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/sabers/forum/photo_album_view.asp?cname=Sabers&mid=1033&cid=1176&page=1&pic=Comparison.jpg