Hi! Just set up my first MHS.

[Mercuttio]

Figured I'd wait until I actually completed something before I'd post.

Well, firstly, let me say how much I've enjoyed gathering information from around this forum. It's all here! Everything I ever needed to know about putting something together that I'd like.

I've also got to hand it to the MHS system. Until I had the pieces in my hands and started messing with them, I simply had no idea how well planned out it is. Plan it out, and results are so easy to get. I apologize in advance for the flash in this picture... it's not great.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/flashsaber.jpg?t=1257990329

Right now, I've got a K2 Royal Blue in there. Yep, as described, the K2 is intensely difficult to solder to properly. Did manage to get it after a bit though, and I'm incredibly happy with the results! This thing is a torch even in daylight, and with the blade off it's more powerful than any flashlight I've ever owned.


http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/saber1.jpg?t=1257990203



So what's next? I don't see myself as building a lot of sabers, simply improving this one over time. First on my agenda is painting the inset areas black, and I've ordered a choke that I think is necessary for this particular design to be what I'd like. Here it is: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-choke-style-2-P296.aspx

In the future? I'm probably going to get an Ultra Sound 2.5 module set up later on, and I'd really like to find a way to integrate a little bit of leather and weathering into my saber to some degree. I'd also like to get a few other types of LED... so I can swap colors when need be.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Nice work. We like seeing a completed saber in people's first posts. :cool:

Swapping LED colors is fun. :)

One suggestion though. Take off the bezel nut and the plastic nut from the outside of the switch, take out the switch and put the plastic nut on, all the way down to the base of the switch stem, to use as a spacer. Then put the switch stem back through the hole and screw on the bezel nut, then you've got a lower profile switch and the nut fits properly. That's the way that was designed to work. ;)

[Mercuttio]

Right you are! Thanks, it's all fixed up now. Looks much better! I kind of figured this was how it was supposed to look, but wasn't sure if I had threaded the nut properly.

I've got to say, nothing really prepared me for how solid this thing feels in the hand. I had the Vader FX saber for a bit, and while it had some metal parts, it just didn't balance right or feel very stable.

[Invisas1979]

Nice work. We like seeing a completed saber in people's first posts. :cool:

Swapping LED colors is fun. :)

One suggestion though. Take off the bezel nut and the plastic nut from the outside of the switch, take out the switch and put the plastic nut on, all the way down to the base of the switch stem, to use as a spacer. Then put the switch stem back through the hole and screw on the bezel nut, then you've got a lower profile switch and the nut fits properly. That's the way that was designed to work. ;)

What a great idea.

How long have I been here and not known about a plactic spacer and just dealt with the switch being a bit......odd. Ha ha. Think the fella that sold me my first saber lost the spacer.

This just goes to show how much collective knowledge there is that isn't always posted.

Great first build dude, I like the ideas of improving over time. Your first built saber I feel is a little more special and so should be improved at some point.

Love seeing someone who has done almost everything in a basic build before even posting.

Well done.

Oh and before anyone goes nuts I brought my first parts from a guy on ebay. Not Tim, who is just plain awesome in his creation/s.

[Mercuttio]

And lo, I have begun the part of this process I've really been looking forward to: weathering and personalizing my saber.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a really huge fan of camera equipment or anything from the 70s or 80s that was originally painted black but because it was intensely worn or loved, the underlying surfaces have begun to show through.

I really like the process of thinking... how would this have been used? Which part of it would be worn down based on that usage?

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/PommelWorn.jpg?t=1258102022

I figured the pommel would have taken quite a bit of scuffing, resting on things and generally knocking into stuff often.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/Button.jpg?t=1258102330

The button bezel I hadn't initially thought about painting black, but the after doing the neck and the pommel it seemed like a necessary route for the overall balance. Thanks again for the heads up on the bezel positioning again, Jedi-Loreen!

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/ButtonWorn.jpg?t=1258102423

The neck is loosely based on the weathering I've seen on a lot of the Luke ROTJ sabers. I'd figure an initial paintjob would be pretty marred by the sparks / slag / whatever shot off of the stuff the blade cut through. I lined the cuts in the grip with black as well.

So I'm still waiting on the choke, but I think that'll really do the trick to finish off this design... I'll weather it in a very similar way to the emitter.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Nice. I really like the way the weathering looks on the bezel nut. ;)

[Shadar Al'Niende]

You have my respect sir.... very nice! :cool:

[annon]

Good work.
I'm a big fan of weathering too. You seem to have a good eye for it.:grin:

[Mercuttio]

Thanks all!

It's actually pretty easy to do if you time the paint that I use carefully from application. The trick is to sand it within an hour of application; it's really difficult to remove or scratch after that hour though I'm sure some additional wear will occur.

I'm using Warhammer Chaos Black primer. The stupid stuff is nearly $15 a can now, but it's just absolutely incredible compared to standard spray paint. It always applies evenly even if you go a little heavy, and it is made specifically to seep into every nook and cranny of a model or thing. HUGE fan of the stuff.

Again, after application (and taping off anything you don't wanna have that color) just wait about 30-40 minutes for it to initially dry and not be wet, then sand down with 600 grit sandpaper.

[Lan-Ja Hamil]

Nice saber. The weathering looks fantastic.

[Darth Securis]

I like the weathering you did on the saber. I've always been hesitant to do weathering on props for fear it wouldn't look right.

Good job!

[Mercuttio]

Both sorrow and joy today.

Joy: The neck came, it looks like I got the last one in stock for the time being as it's out now. I'll do pictures of it tonight after I weather it... it's amazing looking and really completes the design of this saber. It sort of makes everything beyond it feel like a powerful emitter.

Sorrow: I cut down my retention screw and started a chain reaction that destroyed both the emitter and the blade. The cut down screw screwed in properly but cut outward strangely and made a little bit of metal push into the emitter... these burrs in turn caught on the blade when I popped it in, became embedded in the plastic, and then cut up the inside of the emitter while in the plastic.

I was probably going to get a thinner blade to see what it was like anyway, so this one will be cut down as sanding it will make it fit very poorly in the emitter. The emitter I'm more bummed about... I shouldn't have messed with any metal parts with limited metal working tools. Oh well. I'll get a replacement emitter, and that'll be that.

Still, the design really works for me. I'm pretty pleased with that aspect, and looking forward to improving and adding on to it.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Wow. What did you cut down the screw with? I use a Dremel and make sure to smooth off the end of the screw nicely.

Did you screw it into the blade holder first, to check if it went in smoothly? I'm wondering if you had a sharp leading edge on the screw thread, which caught and tried to re-cut the thread in the blade holder.

I'll bet you won't do that again. ;)

[Barmic Rin]

Sorry to here about the sscrew dude!!

Was just going to say what a fantastic first saber! Still, a small setback to a great first saber.

Reminds me of the apprentice sabers in the Legacy comics:

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/99/CadeShado.jpg

If you can post a full hilt pic once you have the new emitter & the weathering, that'd be great!

[Jedi-Loreen]

Even more so, if it were hilt style 2, instead of 3. ;)

[Barmic Rin]

Even more so, if it were hilt style 2, instead of 3. ;)

Well, i'm sure we can allow some artistic license (miss Duursema does in every issue ;-) )

[Jedi-Loreen]

lol

Yeah, what's up with those comic book artists? Do they just love driving costumers and saber builders crazy with their inconsistencies?

[Mercuttio]

Wow. What did you cut down the screw with? I use a Dremel and make sure to smooth off the end of the screw nicely.

Did you screw it into the blade holder first, to check if it went in smoothly? I'm wondering if you had a sharp leading edge on the screw thread, which caught and tried to re-cut the thread in the blade holder.

I'll bet you won't do that again. ;)

That's exactly what happened. I screwed it in but didn't realize that it hadn't been perfectly smooth... I had cut the screw down with a small hack saw and I thought I'd filed it pretty well, but looking at it again after showed that one of the threads had become razer sharp. So sharp in fact that it cut a really nice burr and spit that out the other end.

Honestly, I should have paid more attention, so when I slid in the blade I didn't even really notice until I had more resistance than I'd expected with it coming back out. When it came out, the burr had been embedded in the plastic and the damage was done to the inside of the emitter.

A-yup, won't do that again. Oh well, mistakes do happen, especially with new hobbies. At least the blade can be cut down and salvaged.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i271/dapietri/saberfinish.jpg?t=1258262862

It really looks like I wanted it to look like. Once the new emitter is on, it'll look identical but with a red thumbscrew instead (in the right size this time).

[Kant Lavar]

I love that choke, I really do. Great first job.

[Invisas1979]

Hey man good job on the weathering.

Bit of a set back. You shouldn't need to get a new emmiter though, if the inside of the blade holder has a burr just take a bit of sand paper to the inside. Cut the blade down a tounch and it'll all fit back again.

Get a couple diff grades of paper one fine on rough.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Unless he actually messed up the threads in the blade holder.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Unless he actually messed up the threads in the blade holder.

Which it sounds like he did, the only option there is to drill and tap a larger hole. 10-32 for instance if he originally used an 8-32. Otherwise its time for a new BH...

[Mercuttio]

Which it sounds like he did, the only option there is to drill and tap a larger hole. 10-32 for instance if he originally used an 8-32. Otherwise its time for a new BH...

Yup. That's the problem. Also, if I was to sand down the inside of the emitter any more (I already have a bit to try and help the issue) it won't hold blades very well at all. Le sigh.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Le sigh.

Haha...

[Invisas1979]

Yup. That's the problem. Also, if I was to sand down the inside of the emitter any more (I already have a bit to try and help the issue) it won't hold blades very well at all. Le sigh.

I thought you'd say that. How about drilling another hole and re tapping on the opposite side and have a set screw in the original hole to fill it. Or drill holes equidistant all the way around and have the thumb screw on the other side?

Seem a waste to get a new one when you could just be creative.

Sanding the inside wont increace the id of the blade holder, it'll just deburr the thread in side. I did this with my maul conversion and it looks quite cool IMO

[Darth Securis]

I agree there shouldn't be enough change on the id of the emitter to cause the blades to be loose. Although, it kind of depends on what exactly happened to the emitter...did the burr leave some scratches on the inside of the emitter or are they more like gouges?

[Mercuttio]

I agree there shouldn't be enough change on the id of the emitter to cause the blades to be loose. Although, it kind of depends on what exactly happened to the emitter...did the burr leave some scratches on the inside of the emitter or are they more like gouges?

Like... gouges. It's not pretty. And I'd really rather not have two holes, I might screw in the wrong one.

[Darth Securis]

ouch...sorry to hear that.

[samurai_rob]

Looks good! Keep it up!:D

[Darth Vane]

Word of Advice man. LUBE YOUR THREADS! they can get stuck pretty easily, just use some WD-40 or any type of thread oil. trust me you will thank me later. :rolleyes: i had a bad experiance to were i ALMOSt had to buy a new V-grip and Number Six Blade Holder beacuse they would not come apart. luckily i was able to get them apart cleaned up the threads and applied some lubricating oil and Bingo! Never got stuck again.

other than the warning Great Saber man keep up the good work. And i know what you mean about upgrading the look and stuff over time. i allready have plans for mine.

[Mercuttio]

I've gotten everything back together, and I'm very pleased with the results. The large red thumbscrew fits perfectly and is the ideal length... and I actually think that the weathering job on my new emitter looks even better than the old one!

I've sawed down my blade a little bit but that seems to make it brighter and more even which is a bonus and I can safely swing it around in the house without hitting any ceilings. Not all bad!