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View Full Version : Crystal Chamber, you know you want it!!!



dgdve
08-09-2009, 04:27 PM
ok im sure you've all seen some designs of sabers (*cough.. yoda, grayven) where the saber has a cut out section revealing.. "omg is that a crystal chamber". now for the average saber constructor id say this is the part where you say "omg is that my wallet" knowing these sabers are among the top tier of custom sabers and DEMAND the top time as the detail isnt just outside its within and i do respect these guys and the time they put into innovations but i think its time to put everything we know about crystal chambers into one place.. kindof a "how to" section on designing your own as well as possible look into one of these fine sabersmiths eventually selling it as a kit i mean it seems to be relativly straight forward but lets get a look at what i mean then talk about parts, idea's, size's dimensions.. here take a look at grayvens and you'll see why this is the future of sabers...

as i see it they are usually 2 disc's..maybe 1.245"od(made to fit 1.25" id sabers) with 2, 3, or 4 posts ( about 1" aluminum i think) then the crystal is held in place between the 2 discs and either lit on both sides or simply from the bottom by an independant led.. now enjoy grayvens work and feed me back guys
~dave

btw if i need a bump please do.. and now on to the video so check out the chamber and lets get this as a kit or parts lists please.. BIG UPS to grayven or lando or whatever they call him

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLX9SVlkNg&feature=channel_page[/URL]

dgdve
08-09-2009, 04:32 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLX9SVlkNg

lets hope that worked

Barmic Rin
08-09-2009, 04:35 PM
Since custom sabers are infact CUSTOM, a kit would certainly be a tricky thing to do as a generic kit certainly wouldn't fit in a majority of hilts.
That's why each saber with a crystal chamber has to have it uniquely done for that hilt.
There has been talk previously of a Modular Chassis system, but it's gone quiet in regards to that.
There are 'how-to' guides on making a crystal chamber, though you naturally need to adapt the theory to your own hilt requirements.

Remember, the search bar is your friend.

dgdve
08-09-2009, 05:05 PM
i do agree with what you say as the custom saber is indeed "custom" but being around the scene for sooooo long id say more then 90% of sabers use a similar hilt (id), but i may be wrong and the kit could easily be made in different variations.. to fit 1", 1.25", even 1.5" saber designs.. its all in the discs really thats it.. so im sorry and if i need a bump please do or its ok to lock and close it out as well, but ty for your feedback
~dave

Lord Dottore Matto
08-09-2009, 09:01 PM
Check my post on Artiglio. It will show you how to make a nice simple Crystal chamber with the MHS system...;)

dgdve
08-10-2009, 02:12 PM
tyvm for your comment and the link im not really into the modular hilt system thing as ive kindof gotten into the t6061 lathed pieces they are nice and super sturdy. you can cut/modify or otherwise customize them to great effect adding or subtracting grips, external led's, activation boxes, and different switches. I have seen some great sabers being turned(lathed) these days and you can use that as a decent base to build nearly anything imaginable. your saber "Artiglio" is very very nice and im sure quite affordable (not cheap but atleast mid-range im guessing) with endless options from the use of different mhs parts but it just isnt my thing.. the crystal chamber is definatly a nice touch and you should start selling kits for the mhs pieces.. hell make 100 and sell em to tim :P, allowing the builder to supply the led gives them color choice and removes some cost from your end.. just maybe some spacers to hold it together more like a framework or something. I bet you can make em dirt cheap but im more interested in a smaller cage using one of tims acrylic crystals.. if it looks to cheap its only a $2 investment then ill start over...

p.s. if someone doest start doing this soon they will be offered by competitors.. (to me) it seems to be the wave of the future and if 33% of saber customizers want it.. its as if there are dollars floating around with noone to grab them.. "if its cheap they will come"
~dave

acerocket
08-10-2009, 03:00 PM
First off, this forum is connected to a store that sells parts for customers to build their own saber through the MHS system of parts. I would think that if the owner of TCSS wanted to carry a chassis setup, he would carry one that was useable within the MHS part system. I don't think he would stock a generic version that wouldn't fit the MSH parts.

Second, your idea, while sounding great, has been brought up many times here before. The trouble is that with a nearly endless variety of part combinations, battery configurarions, switch placements, speaker placements, LED driver options (driver/sound boards, buckpuck, resistor, etc), etc. Making a 'generic' chassis/crystal chamber is darn near impossible. There are just too many variables to play with. That's not to say your idea is without merit. I am just saying it is a lot harder to pull of than you might think (trust me, some of us have spent considerable time trying to figure this idea out already).

"...p.s. if someone doest start doing this soon they will be offered by competitors.. (to me) it seems to be the wave of the future and if 33% of saber customizers want it.. its as if there are dollars floating around with noone to grab them.. "if its cheap they will come" ..."

That's a pretty rude way to ask Tim to stock a product. If you feel so strongly about this idea, perhaps you should post in the store wish list thread and/or contact Tim directly. But it is in poor taste to insinuate Tim will lose sales becasue he doesn't add a particular item to the store.

FenderBender
08-10-2009, 10:30 PM
I agree with Ace. Tim provides here the ULTIMATE canvas for the artiste. These parts are so versitile and fun to work with it is up to the individual builder to come up with cool and innovative ways to complete THEIR saber. Tim provides damn near everything to do just this, he can't however account for the bajillion ways that you can put these things together and therefore cant offer a cookie cutter style internals system for crystal chambers and chassis. I have made MANY sabers with crystal chambers. I DO have cut and dry system for doing it when it is in the choke like I favor sometimes. I am also working on a piece for the new windowed crystal chamber part that Tim sells, I have used it once already, I WONT be offering it for sale. Its just one of those things that individual builders have to do to make these things truly unique. Its ingnorant posts like the one Ace quoted that remind me of those people that say all MHS sabers look the same.......pssshhhh. Poop on that. No one would ever say that to MY face.

galen marek
08-11-2009, 05:36 AM
i think tim could do some cages for crystals that just connect to the mhs and they would have the necessary holes for lights and wires, but maybe its just something that you have to add yourself as a nice touch. it might just be a little too complicated for a simple mhs, and i think tim made this shop to make saber building simpler.

cardcollector
08-11-2009, 05:44 AM
He has already made cages for crystals...
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Double-male-with-slots-P397.aspx

put some washers in either end an you're good to go...

dgdve
08-11-2009, 07:41 AM
First off "ace" were not going to turn this into a flame-fest and if you think Tim is insulted then let Tim say so... I'm fairly certain that its not up to you to fight his battles.. and btw im stating fact alone i never asked him to stock an item or i wouldve put it in the wish list.. im asking others for speculation on the idea of making a kit and yes ITs FOR THE MHS system which just so happens to be the most popular ID(inner diameter) of custom sabers and yes it would be very easy to "swap" out the washers to fit your own custom saber.. please im not trying to piss you off im simply saying that competitors exist.. lets beat them to the punch... together.. and contrary to what you may believe, just because i joined the forum a few days ago has no bearing on the fact that (go on and ask tim yourself) i personally built and sold over 100 sabers with ALL parts from this site when led was a forethought and EL was king during "the phantom menace" days.. please dont flame me or think for one second im trying to insult anyone.. i want discussion only and with an open forum things will be said you may not agree with but its for the better of us all to discuss the future of our hobby and yes if we dont do it competitors will.. enough said "its not a threat, its a statement" so calm down.. please :)... friends?... well now lets get onto this discusson.

dgdve
08-11-2009, 07:56 AM
ty "cardcollector" for the link.. Im simply asking for some idea's and i do know that the idea of a mhs crystal chamber has been brought up before and didnt happen.. but today is not yesterday maybe its time we bring it up again.. and if not today... maybe tomorrow.. Since it is actually so simple.. washers, led's, -squeeze crystal between-.. shouldnt it be at the very least talked about being introduced into the mhs line-up?

please guys keep comments on topic and any non constructive comments keep to private chats lets not fight over an obviously true statement and simple logic of all business that if theres a need and you dont fill it, others will.. just if you dont like what im saying message me.. dont destroy my thread this idea and proposal has value to others

B5813
08-11-2009, 09:55 AM
I tend to use a chamber to house the driver board as well as a small section of eye candy. I agree too that it's something that you have to customize to fit your hilt, how you want any part of it for external display, what you want it contain. There are quite a few variables that make each build very unique. Perhaps just a general housing for the "crystal" itself but just consider the labor involved in producing these for TCSS consumption in addition to providing all of the hilt pieces available to us. It would be a second job unto itself.

Barmic Rin
08-11-2009, 11:14 AM
These have been discussed many times before, and at present there is no universally practical way to do it. There would have to be several different ones to accomodate all the hilts.
As there would have to be several variants, each made of many smaller parts, they would be considerably more expensive than most 'casual builders' would be willing to spend.

Strydur
08-11-2009, 11:39 AM
Since the MHS system is designed to screw together it is not as easy to have flashy insides as say a Graflex style saber that can easily pull apart to reveal the guts.

So any MHS based saber with a crystal chamber generally if not always has slots/windows cut into the tubes to reveal the crystal inside. We already offer a way to do this with the Schamber and will offer other options in the future.

I can see how it would help if we offered a way to mount the crystal inside those pieces (which have a smaller ID than most MHS sections). Is that what you are asking for? Or do you want one that will fit inside most MHS sections and if so how do you plan to show it off?

That said...

For the most part adding a viewable crystal to a MHS based saber is done by people with good fabrication skills and for them coming up with a mounting solution has not been a issue. I rarely have recieved a request for these to be made and have a lot of other parts in the works currently that people ask for almost on a daily basis which is why we probably will not offer anything like this anytime soon..sorry.

dgdve
08-11-2009, 11:44 AM
ty for your feedback guys, one thing i will say is you are definatly correct in saying that its great idea on paper but less practical to implement and probably also in assuming that the "casual" customizer isnt really willing to deal with wiring the extra led's or risk ruin and despair if they mess something up inside (measure thrice not twice, cut once) soo maybe this is still a... tomorrow idea as far as for the practical application process. but im here and tomorrow will come.. they say conflict is the mother of invention.. well i say "todays preparation determines tomorrows achievement" ;)
~dave

cardcollector
08-11-2009, 07:37 PM
dgdve, I think what you want is not quite acheivable.

There is no "set way" a chrystal chamber kit could , or would be made.

Lightsaber are so unique, you would almost have to build a "kit" for every possible design. 1.25" sinktube, 1.5" sinktube, Gaflex, Heiland, TCSS... That doesn't even count the other "harware" sabers that are/could be in exsistance.

A crystal chamber is unique to EVERY build- no two are alike. That's what makes them so great!

I think it would be a great thing to have a end all be all "kit" for every saber but its just not possible...

On to constructive things...

What I can tell you about chrystal chambers is this-

1. They take LOTS of planning
2. They are relativly cheap. $5-$20 Depending on the saber materials etc.
3. Usually comprise of...
- two washers (or any flat disks) to act as a LED and chrystal chamber
- A mounting structure of some sort, whether it be a bladeholder ar attached to the hilt itself.
-uses a Bezel LED holder for stregnth(sp)

I hope this gives you the answer/info you were looking for.

FenderBender
08-11-2009, 08:15 PM
This is the method that we use when using the chamber in the choke:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q169/AJFenderBender/012-33.jpg

I measured it and it would also work for the MHS piece Tim offers though It doesn't show 360 deg. of the crystal off.

It is 1/2" Copper pipe milled out for the windows and sweated on to the Heatsink Lug.

Jedi-Loreen
08-11-2009, 08:18 PM
That's slick, Fender. :cool:

cardcollector
08-11-2009, 08:31 PM
Very nice fender... I'll have to use that design if you don't mind... I'll give you full credit though!!!!

dgdve
08-11-2009, 08:55 PM
Great work guys, keep em comming.. because very soon im not sure youd need a "kit" if everyone pooled there idea's. one thing this forum is not short on is skilled artisans with a flashes of ingenuity
~dave

btw i love the spot weld onto the heatsink.. thats what i call "thinking outside the box" grats, so you actually got away with 0 washers... very trick indeed

FenderBender
08-11-2009, 09:12 PM
I share sometimes;). Ive made it my own now, so......

Count Malik
08-12-2009, 10:52 AM
I share sometimes;). Ive made it my own now, so......

Copyright Fender Bender 2009 All rights reserved....:mrgreen:jk

Anyways imo I would use the chamber peace in the shop come up with something awsome!!! But me I always struggled mounting boards or crystal chambers,etc... my .02;)

dgdve
08-12-2009, 11:42 AM
ohh god if fender's got the copyright now hasbro will start making them... :P