Second, The Emitter. But first, practice!
Next comes the emitter section. I chose to make this one next because the internals/wiring cannot be completed without the switches in place.
The design idea:
https://i.imgur.com/V8PXQBR.jpg
Inspired by the short lightsabers in KotOR. Since I have 3 layers of material, I chose to use these in an interesting fashion. You'll see.
I used my blade-building test rig MHS parts as method-testing pieces. I want to get some practice with technique before I start cutting on the shiny stuff.
Remember, safety first as Madcow always reminds us:
https://i.imgur.com/KNmr8qB.jpg?1
(DISCLAIMER: N95 mask is a few years old, and did not contribute to current shortages)
Anywho, here's my practice pieces:
https://i.imgur.com/3aGPgM0.jpg?1
I used a dremel for rough cutting (mostly cutting wheels and sanding drums) followed by various hand-files for the finer work.
I love drilling holes in precious things!
https://i.imgur.com/pCacdeE.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/ODMZW8V.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/3rZr90Z.jpg?1
Whew! That was tense.
I drilled holes in each layer separately so I could debur/sand the edges of the holes before sliding the sleeves on the inner pieces. This helped me avoid scratching the daylights out of them.
Next step, endmilling. I don't have a mill, and my drill press can't take a 5/8" or 11/16" endmill (the chuck only goes to 1/2"), so I found the next best thing: a counterbore bit with a pilot (3rd pic). I don't have pictures of using that one, but it did the job well. The drill press can have some wiggle, and the pilot in the counterbore worked well. I drilled these holes with a 3/8" bit, then I used the ideal counterbore with a 3/8" pilot insert to keep it perfectly in the hole.
Through some reading, I found it's acceptable to use an endmill in a drill press if you only use it in the single, up/down axis. Any X/Y axis, sideways motion puts force on the endmill bit and can loosen the drill press chuck enough for it to come loose and send a sharp object spinning at 1000 RPMs flying across the room. A drill press also has room for some wiggle compared to a mill. In a drill press, the piloted bit gives more accuracy compared to a non-piloted endmill bit. But for me this is all hearsay and loose conjecture. I only have a drill press.