film wraps

[Mobius]

Im sorry if this is covered I've looked and I keep finding things like 4 feet and this is confusing me...

Im planning on getting a roll of clear gift wrap and lining a basic polycarb saber blade with it and was wondering if I use 40 inch long how many inches WIDE should it be?

I want good diffusion and even color.

Thanks in advance

[Shadar Al'Niende]

40" should BE the width...usually it will be 40" by so many feet like

40" X 15'

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

It depends on the color of your LED and your blade diameter and thickness. Six feet is often recommended, but if you put that much in (for example) a 3/4" thickwall blade, it will be horribly dim. The best thing to do is play around with it, since you have to buy a whole roll anyway. Try different lengths to find what works best with your particular blade and LED; after all, none are exactly the same, so the perfect amount of film will not the same for every saber either.
Remember that 6" can make a difference.

[Rhyen Skytracker]

It should be 4 to 6 feet wide to get good diffusion. I know it sounds like a lot but you really do need that much.

[Mobius]

forgive my naivety here but Im going to roll up 40 inches of gift wrap and shove it all inside my blade? I was under the impression it was only 2 or 3 wraps.

that just seems like a lot of material to cram in there.

BTW, Im using a RED seoul P4 with a 5 deg collimator. Its currently using a stock MR polycarb blade that is sanded on the outside but Im going to build a new one soon from materials from TAP plastics

[Rhyen Skytracker]

It is only 2 or 3 wraps of the Corbin film. The gift wrap is completely different. When you roll it up it really doesn't take up that much room. You need to roll it real tight.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Have you read Jay-Gon's blade tutorial (http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=7274)? It would answer a lot of your questions...

[Mobius]

Yeah thats kinda where my questions originated, that combined with what I have read about the corbin film just kinda threw me...

Im a bit slow on the uptake sometimes :lol:

[cardcollector]

Let's see if I can help...

Cellophane/Prolpopelyne
- Comes in 40"x100'(this one is variable rolls)
- uses around (2) 40"x3' sheets that you cut out.

Corbin film
- Use with the cello wrap
- only need 3 feet or so
- TCSS exclusive
- creates a "coring" effect

In short, if you do exaclty what is in Jay-gonn's tutorial you will be fine!:cool:

[Matt Thorn]

Living in a small Japanese apartment, I have no space where I could spread out 6 feet of film and roll it up without it picking up plenty of dust and hair. Also, the widest rolls I can find here in Japan are just 90cm. So what I do is buy the 50cm-wide rolls, cut four or five pieces of it to the length of my blade, stack them on top of each other, and roll the whole thing up on a dowel. You might think you would see plenty of edges that way, but the film is so thin the edges don't show up. (And yet, frustratingly enough, a single speck of dust will shine like a beacon. Keeping dust and hair off the film is the biggest challenge for me, but anti-static spray helps a lot.)

Jay-Gonn's tutorial is thorough and definitive. Some of it may seem odd to you, but if you read it carefully and follow his directions, you will get great results.

[Mobius]

Okay, so one last question and Ill stop making a pest out of myself...

how will this react with using a polycarb blade that I have sanded to an even finish? should I use less wraps because of the extra light diffusion?

I really like the look of the outer blade sanded because the light seems to come all the way out to the edge.

thanks again

[Matt Thorn]

how will this react with using a polycarb blade that I have sanded to an even finish? should I use less wraps because of the extra light diffusion?

I really like the look of the outer blade sanded because the light seems to come all the way out to the edge.
I would think a bit of the polypropylene film would help make the diffusion more even, but that you wouldn't need nearly as much. I've never used a sanded blade, so I can't say for sure.

[Mobius]

Well here's how it looks currently. The outside of the blade is sanded but it retains the MR white internal diffuser and aside from not liking the white, it has flaws (blemishes) that I am not really happy with so I am seeking this method.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x121/krhurrl/IMG_0942.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x121/krhurrl/IMG_0945.jpg

and one with a flash
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x121/krhurrl/IMG_0939.jpg

Now as we all know they look so much better in the photos than they do in person. its definitely not without its flaws.

I also want to get a reflective disc for the top so it doesn't glow like a beacon.

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

The best way to find out how much polyP to use is to just experiment with different lengths. But yes, you may end up needing less

[FenderBender]

For red, I usually use around 3-4 ft. I hang my roll on a dowel, then just roll it off onto another dowel in the air. No dust, hair or anything else to get in the way.

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Do you have a long-haired cat? Because I doubt even that trick would work here; fur seems to get everywhere even places she's never been in so I suspect its airborne lol...but 'tis worth a try...thanks Fender

[Rhyen Skytracker]

I have 3 cats so I know what you are talking about. lol That is why I started using the special white colored polyC blades. They look great with out any diffusion.

[Darth Zion]

Living in a small Japanese apartment, I have no space where I could spread out 6 feet of film and roll it up without it picking up plenty of dust and hair. Also, the widest rolls I can find here in Japan are just 90cm. So what I do is buy the 50cm-wide rolls, cut four or five pieces of it to the length of my blade, stack them on top of each other, and roll the whole thing up on a dowel. You might think you would see plenty of edges that way, but the film is so thin the edges don't show up. (And yet, frustratingly enough, a single speck of dust will shine like a beacon. Keeping dust and hair off the film is the biggest challenge for me, but anti-static spray helps a lot.)

Jay-Gonn's tutorial is thorough and definitive. Some of it may seem odd to you, but if you read it carefully and follow his directions, you will get great results.

how much overlap do you have when rolling diff peices up to make the entire length of the blade?

[Jedi-Loreen]

You don't piece it for the length of the blade, that's what you seem to be asking, only for how long of a wrap it is around the diameter inside.

My roll I have is only 30", I think (the label's been gone for a while now), so it's not long enough to roll right from the roll and onto my dowel. So what I do is unroll 38", or how ever long the blade I'm making is, and cut it to that length, so I have a longer piece that's not as wide as the length is. I roll it onto the dowel "long-wise" and insert that, then roll another piece onto the dowel and insert that.

You never want to have a line horizontally around the diameter, because you'll see the lines. You want the lines along the length and you won't see then once you have a few feet of the wrap inside the blade tube.

[Darth Zion]

Thanks j-lo you are always on top of these boards with a quick answer.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

These boards too :rolleyes:

[Jedi-Loreen]

I'm glad he didn't type "broads". :lol:

[Matt Thorn]

how much overlap do you have when rolling diff peices up to make the entire length of the blade?
What J-Lo said. ;)

I'm glad he didn't type "broads". :lol:
Zing! Although I suspect J-Lo sometimes finds herself on top of broads as well. ;) (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

[Jedi-Loreen]

Now now, I wasn't going to say that myself. :p

;)






I did think it though.

[Matt Thorn]

I did think it though.
<snicker>

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Now now, I wasn't going to say that myself. :p

;)






I did think it though.

:shock:




:D

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

*in Bogey voice*

Nothing wrong with a good broad...sometimes the best broads can be ladies and the best ladies can be broads...dames on the other hand...

[I have no idea what I meant by that either...just couldnt resist channelling Bogey]

*goes to watch "Gilda" with Rita Hayworth...now there was a broad...hums "Put The Blame On Mame"* lol

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