Poor and unhappy results help please?

[MetalHeadXi158]

Well tonight me and my friend went out to test the new saber and no offense but wow...I could of used my money alot wiser. The saber began to have problems within the first few minutes of practicing for the video. First the tip of the blade went flying off about 3 times than one of the parts ( sorry don't know parts to well ) above the hilt began to slide off! This would make the saber fall apart into 2 pieces! Also the blade became very unsturdy and to top it off the cap came off at a horrible momement when we were filming and I got 4 of my fingers cut because the top part of the blade detached and went across my fingers leaving me my Vader hilt in a bloody mess [:(!] Lets just say I was not satisfied at all and rather angry because there seemed to be alot of hype over this saber and the dealer had 100 percent postive feedback! Has anyone else encountered these problems because all I know is I'm worried as hell about sending my Vader out now [:(]

Matt

[MetalHeadXi158]

Oh btw this wouldn't off pissed me off so bad if it wasn't for the fact I have a big show of 4,000 people at my school and now my hands are not in the greatest condition for guitar playing [:(!]

Matt

[StrangeWings]

Umm..who did you get it from?

[Jedi Ranger]

You do know that all lightsabers are props, and NOT weapons, right?

As in, full-force contact is just being stupid.

Regarding the blade tips: I think we all have that problem, at one point or another.

Did you tighten your blade retention screw? Or are you saying that the blade sleeve/emitter housing was damaged/loose?

As for the rest, sorry, can't help you there.

[Jedi Ranger]

Whoa, what happened to my signature?

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[xwingband]

Yes, despite howstrudy luxeons are full force dueling will eventually break the saber. That doesn't sound like the issue though. It sounds more like some of your screws are loose. Also the tip coming off is normal. As long as you let it sit it should stay for a bit but a few good wacks and it'll fly.

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[Do-Clo]

The best idea that has been mentioned is to put some clear tape on the end of the blade to help secure the tip when dueling to prevent it from flying off, not that it won't still break it is just that you will not have to hunt it down when it does. If you are planing full contact dueling then maybe you should get a mhs saber kit, being all metal they will hold up well, if this isn't strong enough then I would suggest a couple of aluminum baseball bats.[:p]

Do-Clo
Sith Lord
Brotherhood of the Sith
Give yourself to the Dark Side!!!

[MetalHeadXi158]

I know that full force doesn't work well on anything and we weren't going that hard because the scene is really quick so the contact wasn't that bad (so we could keep speed up) but come on your lightsaber hilt falling in 2 is just pertty bad [:p] I'll try that tape idea though [:D]!

Matt

[WeirdoTransvestite]

If you use the wrong glue onthe tip, it will come apart. Superglue isn't enough.

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[xwingband]

Well, coming from the other thread I'm assuming this is Ultra's stunt (you said it doesn't have sound) which is the MHS. Something must not be tight if it's falling apart. Solid aluminum just doesn't do that... or perhaps I'm not getting what's coming off.[?]

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[MetalHeadXi158]

I really don't understand it either but, don't think I'm not trying to cast blame here either or write harsh cristism because sometimes these things just don't go right for one reason or another so who really knows I just hope the Vader thats being sent out has better results [:D]

Matt

[LAN-ED-TUL]

you never said for sure where you got it from. but if its a MR converted saber it should hold up to moderate dueling as long as you dont go tryin to kill your opponent with the blade. lol




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The Brotherhood Of The Sith

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

[UltraSWG]

You know, I have an email address and phone number for things like this. Making a negative post like this is rather bad form, so now I feel like I have to defend not only myself, but Tim as well since it's his hilt you're talking about.

Your saber was made with the MHS and Tim's thick walled blades, which everyone on this site knows are the strongest sabers available. The only "top part" is the emitter/blade holder. It can't "slide off", it's threaded and screws into the hilt body. The entire saber unscrews into 3 parts, the pommel, the body, and the emitter, all made of solid aluminum. Perhaps you should have made sure the saber was secure and tight before fighting? Is this not common sense? The blade is thick walled polycarb, how does that become "unsturdy"? Did you make sure the blade was fully seated and the set screw was tight before fighting? And blade tips can come off if you hit hard enough, that just comes with the territory.

I have 100% postitive feedback for a reason. People use my Stunt sabers against Shinai and bokens, they are sturdy as hell. Strydur's hilts are second to none, they don't fall apart. I don't mean to be rude, but it sounds like operator error, not a problem with the MHS.

Still, if you don't want it anymore, I have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you can send it back for a refund.

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

And now you know why he has a 100% rating, stands behind everything he does.[8D]

Do-Clo
Darth Technous Sith Lord
Brotherhood of the Sith
Give yourself to the Dark Side!!!

[shiky]

i super man-love you ultra.

A Jedi feels the Force flowing through him..

[Jedi Ranger]

Well, at least twice, he called it a "Vader". Does he just not know what he is talking about?

Pictures would help us help you solve the problem, or prevent something similiar in the future.

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[Strydur]

MetalHeadXi158,

Would you mind taking some time to explain exactly what you are talking about??


Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

[LDS_Trooper]

I have to agree, pictures would help and there is plenty of skill and talent on this forum to help solve the problem. I'll back up Ultra 100%, his word is his bond. Tim as well! These two men are men of their word and I know that if you had problems they stand ready to help you, or if the need arises Ultra has already stated he has a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Did you try e-mailing to get some suggestion before attempting to smear someone? Ultra and Tim are extremely busy, and yet, I've never waited for very long to get a response for even the most simple of questions.

If you can post some images and detail what happened, I am certain that this issue will be resolved.

"Do you know how to use that thing?"
"Yes. The pointy end goes into the other man."

[Zhi-don]

Well I have to take a shot at this one.

After dueling with EL blades for about 2 years now, I have come to the conclusion that only one thing keeps the blades in, a hole in the blade where the thumbscrew/machinescrew goes. Yeah, I know that sounds bad [drill a hole in the blade?] but it works. I actually don't drill it all the way through. I use a cutting ball dremel tool [its from my old dremel kit from the 70's] to dish out a pocket. This allows the thumbscrew something to bite into and if it gets loose [I prefer thumbscrews to machinescrews cause I don't want to carry a hex wrench around] it WILL NOT fly out. It can't. It does not in any way weaken the blade. I have never had one crack or break at that point. Its inside the hilt emitter after all and supported on all sides.

I don't understand cut fingers though, I always wear gloves when dueling except for coreography. I had a friend cut his finger when dueling with my Parks Arcwave. Those emitter sections can have sharp edges because they are machined. I cut someone with a blade once. I had removed the funky rubber tip from a Parks blade. We filled the end with industrial silicone, but didn't smooth down the edges of the polycarb end. I accidently sliced open the cheek of one of my students. He had ducked into a hit. After that we ground down the edges at the top to round them and thereby elimated this problem. The round half-ball tips are good, but fly off too easily. Tim is making polycarb ones soon with a lip that goes into the blade. This should eliminate flying tips.

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[Mi Gin Gonn]

man, i keep saying this but no one wants to listen. flying blade tips are easily solved with a few wraps of clear scotch tape. i always make sure to do that before a spirited saber duel, along with securing the battery packs and making sure the pommels don't come off. you've spent the money and time, why not protect your investment?

"Nothing's over until we decide it is...was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!!!!"

[james3]

Preachin' to the choir on that Mi Gin. I learned the tip trick the hard way. Even when Tim receives the new tips they are not completely bulletproof from flying off. As long as we are attaching one piece to another it is a stress point, not a dang thing you can do about that so clear packing tape became my band-aid of choice. The last thing ya want in a good duel is something coming off or the batteries popping out of the holder.


MetalHead, you ever going to show us what exactly you had go wrong?
I have a real hard time with a MHS coming apart. My family is pretty tough on them.

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[Zhi-don]

I for one AIN'T gonna hold my tip on with tape. That's tacky! I might as well use baleing wire to hold my saber together instead of machine screws. Maybe I should use chewing gum instead of epoxy or hot glue. Just kidding, if it works good for you, then so be it. I will find a glue yet that stops this from happening. Never say DIE!

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[the_steve]

Well then i hope you enjoy the flying tips zhi-don, 'cause you are gonna be seeing alot of those. He is not holding the saber together with freakin tape! It is still glued on, but the <u>perfectly clear packing tape that you would never even notice</u> would hold the tip in place if the glue broke. It is just extra reinforcement.

[Zhi-don]

Yo Steve;

Tim [the Man] sayeth new polycarb lipped tips arriveth soonest. Ye old tip flying problem will soon meet it's demise. 'Crap Diem' [and no...I didn't mispell it] [;)]

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[james3]

When you are finnished berating people for their ideas maybe you will see that what is being suggested is not for anything other then keeping a glued tip in place while enguaged heavy dualing. For someone who is my senior and a teacher I find it quite disturbing that you feel the need to make derogatory comments when someone makes a suggestion that you do not agree with. As a soccer and Tee-ball coach I have learned more from my kids then I could have ever imagined.
While I hope this comment has not angered you I do hope it has upset you enough to realize that someone was just trying to help by offering you a solution they found to a problem that we all share.
As for the glue, I truely pray that we find a soultion but for now we are already using some of the best bonding glues offered.

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[Zhi-don]

James;

Please note that I said I was just kidding and that if it worked for them that was fine. We are allowed to express our opinions here and so I expressed mine. I personally wouldn't use tape, but if you can't tell I was joking with all the funny comments I made about gum and baleing wire, I give up. There have been many times that I made due with what I had. In fact until I get my extension, to duel with my HMS saber, I went to our engineering department and got a very large bolt and nut to put in the hilt behind the batteries to make the it more balanced. Makeshift I admit, but it worked. Take my word for it, when I say that I am very sorry if anyone was offended. I was just joking....REALLY! [:I]

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[shiky]

anyone try gorilla glue? heard its supposed to be really good.

A Jedi feels the Force flowing through him..

[Ambo]

Dosnt dry clear...and it expands while it dryies...works great on things like fusing two hilt pieces together liek i did with the Twinz....but it would be a messy mistake with clear Polyc....it would "goosh" out of the tip....and into the tip....all over the diffuser and the mirror...and that would just be with a super thin application of the Gorilla glue....like i said...it is great for anything that isnt clear and able to be cleaned up afterward.

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"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
Albert Einstein

[UltraSWG]

The entire tip problems stems from the fact that the tip is made of acrylic while the blade is made of polycarbonate. Therefore, the solvent we use (it's not really a glue) doesn't make a true chemical bond between the two different plastics.

Polycarbonate tips will allow for a pure chemical bond, a true "weld" between the polycarb blade and the polycarb tip, which hopefully will end the problem.

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Corbin|Strydur|Ultra
The Holy Luxeon Trinity
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[james3]

And that is why I think you have found some respect on this board Zhi-don. Very well said and I am glad we can move forward from this and continue with the wonderful "obsession" we all share here.

Nuts and bolts, great idea! I have been buying fishing weights and either wrapping them in electrical tape or duct tape and loading them into the bottom of the hilt. You saved me a trip to Tackle Express in the morning, now I can just dig through my job box. Do you just keep adding nuts untill you find the weight your looking for? I am guessing you wrap it as well?

Ultra good explanation, I gave up trying to explain adhesives years ago but that was with home and business owners. We have a much cooler group here[8D] I still have a concern even with the new poly tips but you are totally right that it should be a million times better.
I love the new web site as well.

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[Zhi-don]

Good guess James....that is exactly what I did! I put in piece of foam first to keep the battery pack from being crunched. Once I had the balance right, I wrapped the bolt/nut combo in duct tape. Bingo....back in balance. Of course I ordered an extension piece this week and that will fix the problem too.

Oh...just thought I would announce here that Alex [ULTRASABER] has sound kits for the MHS sabers. If you would like one, then ship him your saber and he will install it for $60. Talk about a deal!

Oh....THE LUKE EMITTERS ARE IN! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[xwingband]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Zhi-don

Good guess James....that is exactly what I did! I put in piece of foam first to keep the battery pack from being crunched. Once I had the balance right, I wrapped the bolt/nut combo in duct tape. Bingo....back in balance. Of course I ordered an extension piece this week and that will fix the problem too.

Oh...just thought I would announce here that Alex [ULTRASABER] has sound kits for the MHS sabers. If you would like one, then ship him your saber and he will install it for $60. Talk about a deal!

Oh....THE LUKE EMITTERS ARE IN! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I think most of us knew that. I'm not sure how many here would want send it off to him. We like to build them ourselves.[:D] The $45 for the unit itself is a fair deal. Some of the time broken sabers can't be had for that much.[xx(]

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[Zhi-don]

I know that most of you like to 'roll' your own.

Unfortunately some of us can't. In my case its due to medical problems. So I was just letting those people who wanted sound in thier MHS saber that they could.

No offense meant. [:I]

Zhi-don Aquintas
XO RL Sunrider Base
Treasurer/Head Instructor
Lightsaber training OCSWS

[arlaman]

I used something called plastic weld on my tip. Seems sturdy enough and it's desighned to bond two plastics together. It doesn't dry clear though so that might not be for some people, but you honestly can't tell. Especially once the light is on and it's dark outside.

[james3]

Have you put it to the test and smacked tips together? The big problem is that you don't really get a bond with the poly tube and the acrylic tip. Tim has some poly tips coming and we are very hopeful that will cut down the problem considerably.

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[LAN-ED-TUL]

yeah, we are all waitin for the poly c tips to come in. im gonna get some myself and next one pops off, its goin on in its place.

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Lan-Ed-Tul
The Brotherhood Of The Sith

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