Nihilus II (MHS Nihilus-esque) Lightsaber

Greetings all,

I have begun my build process on Nihilus II. This saber will different from my first version, in that I've created a design that closes off the pommel. The chassis/body of the saber will be similar, but more refined. I'd like to spend a great deal of time on crystal chamber details. I want this saber to be more refined, and I'd prefer most of my wiring to be latent. This will be a neopixel saber driven by TeensySaber V3, perhaps with Bluetooth and OLED Display. I haven't made up my mind about the OLED Display yet; however, pretty sure I'll be popping the blue tooth in on this one!

TCSS:
Parts List:
Blade Holder Style 18
MHS Module for TCSS Neopixel Hilt Adapter
2 inch double female
2 tactile switches
Gender Changer
Hilt Style 1
TCSS Shroud Material 18"
Chassis Disk 5 for lock in with Gender Changer into 2" section
2 chassis Disk 2 for Crystal Chamber
2 NBIV Chassis Disks
2.1 mm switchcraft recharge port
RC Port Chassis Disks
Threaded Rods
Various brass tubes for chassis support
Blank kill key (cut down to fit in chassis)
1" Blade blank with TCSS Strip Diffuser
Bullet Tip
extended kill key to reach through hilt
saber clip

Elsewhere:
Aluminum Pipe that fits over TCSS Shroud Material
Neopixel Strips, probably 5050 WS2812s.
TeensySaber V3 Fredrik Hubinette with Teensy 3.2 Arduino Microcontroller
Blue Tooth Transmitter paired with the Teensy on alternate RX/TX pads of Teensy 3.2
Various greeblies for crystal chamber (harvested computer parts, tools, air hose pieces, cable connectors, Darth Chasm Conduit, etc.
Hardware (various bolts/screws that hold this monstrosity together)
Brass switch hats, I'm hoping to pull of brass switches on this one.
Samsung 21700 IMR LithiumIon Battery with added 15A Protection PCB (external)
Quartz Crystal Points

Still looking for: some kind of brass mesh to camoflauge wiring areas (if anyone has any advice here, I'll take it)

Brainstorming hilt, nothing is permanent or decided on yet but this is my progress so far:
https://i.imgur.com/BuUQb99l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IKheGeBl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3M6QPadl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZklceGEl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hb3budVl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1xNnRkbl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/nEKWUril.jpg

Thanks for looking, and don't be bashful about feedback. If you dislike something I've done here, please say so. Shrouds are all still loose. I made a square cut on the forward end of the outer shroud on the pommel. I'm thinking about a mitered cut on the forward end to match the saber. That square cut seems like it doesn't fit, it doesn't look balanced. The outer shroud up top, is needed to balance out that larger piece on the aft end. Its much more 3 dimensional than my first iteration. I'm content with the progress, but not enough to bolt the shrouds into the hilt.

MTFBWY!

Tom

I think the mitered cut on the pommel end would pull it together nicely.

Brass mesh https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-12-270-M...sAAOxypNtSlEwD

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PCModulus

I think the mitered cut on the pommel end would pull it together nicely.

Brass mesh https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-12-270-M...sAAOxypNtSlEwD

---

Yeah, i'm going to miter another one so it fits in better, and feather it out. The only pipe I could find to fit over the TCSS shroud was a bit thick as you can see, not to mention heavy. So I don't want to add too much more material, but I think I can get it to blend a bit better. Thanks for the link on the mesh! Brainstorming chassis this week. Shaping all that out. I have some unique ideas that are either going to flop, or be pretty awesome.

Tom

Are you concerned that fitting another pipe over the shroud over the MHS will result in a pommel that looks extremely bottom heavy? Nihilus's saber always looked more evenly balanced, to my eyes. As PCModulus suggested, a mitered 90° angle cut, offset from the center line by 45°, would give the look without the bulk.

How do you plan to cap off the pommel? Just thread an MHS pommel on like normal hidden within the shroud material cut that you'll feather out? That's what I'd do.

I'll try to take better photos later. These pieces are very rough. I intend on doing a lot of hand filing and shaping of the larger pipe. I don't want it to look heavy. This is all VERY rough form. I'm going to try to feather out the thickness and create some smoother shapes/bulges in that thick aluminum. It will all be done by hand, so I have some work to do. I'll be trying to kill the hard delineations you see in the big pipe pieces.

This chassis will have a fixed chassis into the upper saber. The lower hilt will unscrew from there, revealing the chassis/crystal chamber. So, the main hilt with shrouds will have the pommel with insert in there underneath the shrouds. The pommel is already in these pics, just without the insert c-clipped into it.

Tom

Nice to see the progress here. I have been strongly considering a MHS build based on your original builld, but I am really trying to think up a way to get a detachable pommel so I can add in the screen that covers the speaker in the bottom. The idea of an exposed speaker kinda worries me as I have done hundreds of troops and kids can get brutal. I see that you are adding an inner pommel to your current build so that has piqued my interest. How will you attach the shroud pieces to that pommel and have it be functional? I would really like my saber to function like a basic saber, that is, blade holder > body > pommel in 3 pieces.

Also, I've never really understood what keeps the internal chassis in place. Is there a lip inside the MHS parts that grips onto the aluminum chassis disk you use at the top of the chassis?

The fixed internal chassis has a terminating disk that fits into the threaded female section, then double male fits over the chassis and onto the threads behind that metal disk to secure it in.

This hilt will have a pommel with protective cover. Shrouds go over the hilt. You could take the pommel off if needed, but the lower hilt de-threads from the upper hilt, so you can leave the pommel on almost permanently. Madcow has a good video on how to make this style of chassis. You can't fit: blade holder, body, pommel with this style of chassis. It wont work. Where the heatsink terminates in the first body piece precludes that. Then you have to have switches in there. You can get switches around the heat sink, but I really don't have the proper tools to machine all that in to look good.

NOTE: THIS IS ALL ROUGH DRAFT CUTS. I have a lot of work left to do. Just look at the general shape, and give me some feedback. Maybe I need a poll or something. I'm out of TCSS Shroud, so I can't make a working example of my last idea, but its basically to create the swallow tail on one piece of shroud with no layering. Its the last picture. But it would be long enough to reach into the other shrouds with a matching shape/gap.

Here they are:

Thick pipe with mitre cut for swallowtail over pommel, will be feathered out and shaped. Won't look like this, this is merely the rough cut shape:
https://i.imgur.com/bSLbcY7l.jpg

No swallow tail, just an angled shroud hanging out over pommel:
https://i.imgur.com/xh8UFyrl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FuYzX3gl.jpg

Last option, which is the swallow tail and handle angle mitre cut out of same piece of shroud:
https://i.imgur.com/ZSF7tGtl.jpg

Yea, first pic, evens out the shroud on the emitter end.

I'm debating first or last. Still looking at it. If I do the last one, I need more shroud material from TCSS. I'm out. Didn't have a scrap long enough for that last piece. I may shape that pipe a bit before I decide. This is all still very rough draft. I think I'm going to work on the chassis disks tonight. I'm modifying them for the 21700 batteries and TeensySaber V3. If I can get that done, I can go ahead and begin assembly of the chassis, so its ready to roll. Maybe figure out if I have room for the OLED display and blue tooth module as well. I want this saber to be off the hook on the inside, worn and nasty on the outside. That is what I'm shooting for.

Tom

Shaping has begun. I'm sticking with the pipe. I have just begun blending it in, and feathering it out, and I like the look. Its sleek. Once I feather out the top shroud, up high, it will definitely fit.
Here is the beginning of the shaping process, once its shaped, then I'll polish it smooth. Lots of filing, lots of dremel. A laithe could not do this work. I think the hand filed rounded appearance, in the end will be very reminiscent of Nihilus' hilt. I think hand-made imperfections are a bit more realistic than CNC milled sabers. I think that is why I like MHS so much, its flexible beyond just the various different pieces.

https://i.imgur.com/rUKb8rSl.jpg

Also, doing some brainstorming on the chassis. Its going to be difficult around the battery, because I also have to fit on a protection PCB in the area (nowhere else to put it). Ahhh, the joys of using extraordinary batteries, everything has to be custom fit. 18650 just doesn't have enough run time on the pixels. I think I have it figured out, although some may not like my solution. I think its viable. we'll see.

https://i.imgur.com/5npG6LWl.jpg

I do all my metal work, and mocking up out in the garage. Fine detail work in my office in the hacienda. Heat in winter, AC in summer. Summers are brutal here in NC, but we have had a gorgeous spring! I got a lot done today! Figure this saber might be done some time in June.

Tom

This is looking cool Tom!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by darth_chasm

This is looking cool Tom!

---

Thanks DC. I wish I had a lathe for some of the work I do. But, hand filing and rounding this aluminum is looking unique. This saber will not get the shattered weathering like the last one, but it will get some weathering when I'm done. I'm gonna Casey's this thing as well. I'm going to try etching after I finish this one. If I can learn to etch successfully, then I have some ideas. You all inspire me, but I am still lacking a lot of key toys, I mean tools, and some experience. Each saber is another learning process. This one is no different. I hope this one is a gazillion times louder, better, and tougher than Nihilus I. I'd love to have that saber back, even with its imperfections.

Tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tom Tilmon

Shaping has begun.

https://i.imgur.com/rUKb8rSl.jpg

---

Oh yea, thats the look.

Another brainstorm tonight, took that top trim piece, which is basically going to be my switch box and mitered it. Haven't shaped it a whole lot yet, but here it is preliminarily:
https://i.imgur.com/uc6MZ0ql.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mQ7qXb7l.jpg

I still have tons of material to shave off both pieces, but this seems to flow better in my mind's eye.

Tom

Dude, thats flipping perfect...

Love that top piece. Looks rough cut and gorgeous. Don't touch it!

Love it! Looks just like a Sith saber would. Really cool shroud work!

I still have a lot of labor and shaping to do on the thick shrouds to thin them out a bit more and shape them. I would like them to have a round appearance and blend them into the under shroud so that they are less obvious, but still have a layered appearance. Work has gotten in the way during the last 2 weeks. I have been assembling on various of the chassis components and crystal chamber work. I have my fins cut out, and I was thinking of etching both sides of each fin with some aerobesh (SP). Then polishing them to a shine. I also made my DC conduit for my wires. I have lots of greebles to add into the chamber to make it a bit more complex than my last Nihilus. I am severely lacking in some metal machining tools that I need to do some of what I'd like to do, but I think I can make it look at least decent.

I also have another project I'm constructing (a kylo sound rig) that is getting in the way of sabers. That's almost all done, so I can get back to Nihilus II. To the soldering station!

Tom

I haven't forgotten about this saber. I've had other projects sidetracking me. Mainly constructing a gazillion MiCom sound boards for 501st. That has been a pain, I'm a factory. I have a couple other builds going on, so this one is on pause for a bit. To be resumed as soon as I can!

Tom

Looking forward to that! This build is coming along very nicely.

So, after I finished the Imperial Knight, its time to finish Nihilus II, so I can get on with the LS6, and perhaps a Proffie Beta in my original Graflex II. So, I have some time to get back to work. I did some drilling and tapping this weekend to secure the shrouds all over the hilt. I am going to be countersinking all the bolts, but I used 4-40 this time in handle, so they'll be more latent when I'm done. Additionally, this thing won't look proper until I weather it, and the recesses go black. I had to finish this work, so I can get to working on the chassis, which will be a TCSS disk chassis. TeensySaber and neopixels going in here, blue tooth, maybe OLED Display, and a crystal chamber. So, I have a lot of design work to do after the outside it done. I have to countersink all the screws, then cut screws to length so they don't stick into hilt, so that chassis clears. This chassis will be fixed via disk 5 behind a double male. Switch 17s and brass caps going in angled piece near emitter. I made the switch caps tonight. So, I have to drill my RC Port and switch holes tomorrow. I'm putting an external RC Port on the underside top on this one to give me more room to work with in the chassis for bonus features.

The only thing I'm going to eventually debate is a damage hole to expose the crystal chamber. That allows more sound out, allows blue tooth signal out, plus you get to see the crystal. I haven't made up my mind yet on that. I still have a lot of smoothing and weathering to do. The recesses between the angled shrouds in the handle will weather to almost black. I'm not shattering this one, I may scratch it a bit, but no shattering. Hopefully she'll be right on the money in a few months.

https://i.imgur.com/e8JleIol.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XqUcE1el.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7IeTYDUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kHWOFpwl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/weeHt4hl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/weeHt4hl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rYkV4Hel.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UcB3SqAl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IgHNM3ml.jpg

Hopefully I can finish countersinking tomorrow, and make a run at switch holes and RC Port hole. The piece the switch holes are going into is a one off, so I'm going to measure a gazillion times before I drill. That piece has to be right.

Tom

Nice progress Tom! Absolutely love it! I got a question though. How will you be able to slide off part of the saber to reveal the crystal chamber, if you will have the recharge port secured to the outside?

Looking good brother, cant wait to see it finished.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seth Skywalker

Nice progress Tom! Absolutely love it! I got a question though. How will you be able to slide off part of the saber to reveal the crystal chamber, if you will have the recharge port secured to the outside?

---

because the RC Port and Switches will be above the fixed chassis. RC Port, Switches, Neopixel Adapter, and maybe some other stuff will all be p there. So on this hilt I have blade holder, 2" ext., double male, standard hilt. There is a double male that thread into the 2" ext. and secures Disk 5, which holds my chassis in. Then the normal hilt threads onto that double male.

Hey Tom, I got a question about your hilt setup. Are you using the same double male from Nihilus 1? (I think that's the Gender Changer, yeah?) Does that make a potential weak point in the hilt?

I understand any joint become a weak spot, but heaven forbid the saber gets dropped, would the double male adapter (the one with .25" of regular hilt http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Do...le-1-P127.aspx ) be less likely to fail than the gender changer?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vereous

Hey Tom, I got a question about your hilt setup. Are you using the same double male from Nihilus 1? (I think that's the Gender Changer, yeah?) Does that make a potential weak point in the hilt?

I understand any joint become a weak spot, but heaven forbid the saber gets dropped, would the double male adapter (the one with .25" of regular hilt http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Do...le-1-P127.aspx ) be less likely to fail than the gender changer?

---

Same double male. I need to make a video tonight to show the top coming apart for Seth, and also how I just solved the RC Port to make it "subdued" up top. I countersunk the plastic 2.1 mm rc port in the 2" double female, dremeled its surface level with the hilt so the upper shrouds slide over it, then just popped a big enough hole in the outer shroud for the charger plug to go into, so its very subdued, and subsurface. I'm very happy with it.

I don't think that double male creates a weak point. Its already taken a bad fall (added some pre-weathering), and didn't suffer any ill-effects. Madcow uses the double males. With both ends of the gender changer threaded into female hilt parts (2" double female up top, and standard hilt on the bottom), its very strong! If that is not enough, my shroud material actually covers that joint to hide it (between the main hilt and 2" double female), so that adds some exterior cantilever strengthening in the area. I'll try and video the joint tonight so you can see what I'm talking about. I think its plenty strong.

Tom

Video explanation of chassis/double male (gender changer) and switch/rc port solution in saber head.

https://youtu.be/IQpm-qt3T3k

Tom

VERY preliminary weathering:
https://i.imgur.com/bo8GtVJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jfioesX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3U5z0Tb.jpg

Still much to do, more layers, more polishing, this is a long process until it looks right. Once it looks right, I'll dishwasher it to set it, and then we'll be bout ready to begin the install!

Tom

I dig the video explanation! I'm a tactile learner, so sometimes reading it just doesn't cut it for me.

And I love the weathering. I assume Birchwood Casey, since youre setting it in the dishwasher?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vereous

I dig the video explanation! I'm a tactile learner, so sometimes reading it just doesn't cut it for me.

And I love the weathering. I assume Birchwood Casey, since youre setting it in the dishwasher?

---

Yes birchwood casey's Aluminum Black. then I polish it off where I don't want it with 2000 grit, and use the heat of the dishwasher to set it. I usually have to go through 2-3 treatments to get it where I want it. This thing looks way better in person than on video. This is possibly going to be my favorite saber ever, judging from my chassis mock up. Its going to be pretty sick if I ever get the chance to finish it!

Tom

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tom Tilmon

Yes birchwood casey's Aluminum Black. then I polish it off where I don't want it with 2000 grit, and use the heat of the dishwasher to set it. I usually have to go through 2-3 treatments to get it where I want it. This thing looks way better in person than on video. This is possibly going to be my favorite saber ever, judging from my chassis mock up. Its going to be pretty sick if I ever get the chance to finish it!

Tom

---

Thanks for the video explenation! I am assuming that the switch will also be in the top section. But isn't the weathering going to get washed off if you put it in the dishwasher?

Most of the weathering will remain and set in the dishwasher with the hot water/steam. There are 2 switches in the top section with brass hats via JediSeth's tutorial on that.

My chassis will have:

Saber Essentials 28mm Bass Speaker
21700 Samsung 4800 mAh battery with 15A PCB external
TeensySaber V3 sandwich
OLED Display
Red Bear BLE Nano II Blue Tooth Control,
Neopixel accent rings
Custom Crystal chamber with Darth Chasm conduit! and. lots of other greeblies!

I'm excited to finish this saber and get on with the LS6 install. But, getting the weathering right takes time. Its going in for second coat of Caseys's tonight. This saber is absolutely SICK in person right now, and I have much work left to do to make it better.

TOm

What? You don't run your lightsaber through your dishwasher? Get with the program!

https://i.imgur.com/mE0FIgH.jpg

Tom

Dude this is awesome! I can’t believe I missed this! I usually only looking at two of the topics on the forum, Misc topics and Gallery. I really need to look around more often. Do you have any idea what would happen to me if I tried to use the dishwasher? Lol,
Great work Tom!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jediseth

Dude this is awesome! I can’t believe I missed this! I usually only looking at two of the topics on the forum, Misc topics and Gallery. I really need to look around more often. Do you have any idea what would happen to me if I tried to use the dishwasher? Lol,
Great work Tom!

---

If you look at "what's new", you'll see all updated threads.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seth Skywalker

If you look at "what's new", you'll see all updated threads.

---

Thanks Seth, I didn’t know that.

Other 'distractions' keep me from finishing this saber. It was on my bench last night for about 5 minutes, then was once again interrupted. Its basically done, I just need to wire it up! It looks awesome. I even have a neopixel blade plug for it made. I can't wait to show it off. It has everything on it. Blue tooth, OLED, cyrstal chamber, accent ring, rc port, JediSeth switch hats. This thing is sick, definitely one of a kind. Dishwasher worked. Still have some more minor weathering to do on it.

Tom

Lots of inspirations on this saber. Shameem, Jediseth, Madcow, Darth Chasm, Zimmer, etc. I made a run at Nihilus with MHS last year, and I was really proud of my results on the first iteration. I'm really proud of this one too, and I have made some improvements. I've also made this one a tad more complex. It is running: Proffie, BLE Nano II BLue Tooth, and Neopixels. It technically has 5 neopixel blades being run independently by proffie.

Blade 1: Main Saber Blade 254 pixels in a 1" blade, 127 on each side. SMD Resistor for data line on blade adapter.
Blade 2: Crystal Chamber, 1 neopixel. Runs pulsing sequences on idle, blade matches on ignition, including effects.
Blade 3: Turbine Cycle Generator (behind crystal) 5 neopixels spool clockwise.
Blade 4: Turbine Cycle Generator (behind crystal) 5 neopixels spool counter clockwise.
Blade 5: Battery Level PLI, 5 neopixels run a battery level indicator PLI in a pulsing color coded that color is based on batter voltage. Green-Blue-Yellow-Red with Grn fully charged.


So, with the 2 switches (switch hats inspired by Jediseth), all the normal saber wires, this is a lot of wires running through the crystal chamber! Thank you Darth Chasm for the conduit tutorial, I used it. I needed it. My homemade chamber with Darth Chasm conduit:
https://i.imgur.com/uynIwsR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/PxpCi3M.jpg


Some photos of the mess of wires along the way:
Wires routed, all rough length wires now in chassis.
https://i.imgur.com/LWLXmJx.jpg
Board prepped, Fets and Gnd jumper installed on Proffie:
https://i.imgur.com/aRPWDJ4.jpg
Getting close to fully installed:
https://i.imgur.com/NEdt5z6.jpg

Done!!!!!!
https://i.imgur.com/ifVsi6c.jpg

Demonstration Video:

https://youtu.be/rtdXWAHEjjU

Its been a long journey, she is almost done. I have some final tinkering and touch-ups to do, but I'm glad she is finally running! Nihilus II was a lot of fun, and another accomplishment on my journey of learning this stuff. Of course, programming the Proffie was a chore, and my config file is very complex to say the least. But the results are lots of fun. Thanks for checking it out!

Tom