Xwing's clear saber

[xwingband]

Well Crap... today I was hoping to finish it. I was working with the emitter and one of the little legs broke.

GRRR... I ordered another. Last time they were pretty fast. I hope so too. I'll just make piecemeal progress on my other projects.

[987654321a]

you should make a clear vader. now that would be interesting. even though the concept of a clear saber is cooler, but now try making a vader a luke or perhaps an obi wan, because i think that its possible to make those on lathes.

[xwingband]

Yeah, yeah... excuses. I want it to be done well and I'm getting a kick in the pants to finish. If I'm going to MegaCon (90% sure) I want this there to show off. I had a dry run with another RGB... it's various stages of borked at the moment.

A few thing I've changed and learned:

Learned-
Emitters are pain, I don't like 'em
Getting pots in there is going to take longer than the rest of the saber combined.
I wanted vents for the heatsink... not needed. To much work for no benefit.
It was pretty damn long and felt like a broad sword...

Thus Changes-
Going with a Lux III Royal Blue
Screw the Pots...
Screw the vents...
No Pots means I can take 2-3" off and it'll be a nice 12". Still an amazing two hander though since to outside is smooth.

Little tidbits in my changes that will help and still look good. I needed a spacer for stuff. I was using the same PolyC from the holder and set screws... Bah, screw it. I ordered some flexible clear PVC/polyurethane Much easier the friction of the sides will be enough... and it has some give.

[xwingband]

I'm so frustrated with this right now...

It started out fine, last night I wired it all up... got to my room to charge the saber. I practically pooped a brick when I couldn't find my n-sized plug. I ran to RadioShack in the morning and all was well.

After charging I turn it on... sweet. Lights up, no sound... oh god magic smoke. It's getting hot in there.

I couldn't get the guts out fast enough the speaker and soundboard are fried. Later I find out the LED kicked the bucket too. I had without thinking decided when I was drilling out the holes for my stuff that I wanted to use Tim switch (SPST) vs. a Slide (DPDT).

I absent mindedly figured I'd just "Y" them and it wouldn't matter. WRONG! It created a dead short and fried it all.

I have another board though. I have a K2 LED to use... I just need a resistor. Another trip to the shack.

[vortextwist]

that does suck, but you do learn by destruction hope you get things goin.

[xwingband]

I'm not going to futz... this thing is getting done tomorrow. I'm going to be at the Shack when they open. To prevent the dead short again, I'm going to use a relay to seperate them.

I'm frustrated because it looked so good... now I pulled it out and I have to resolder stuff. GRRR!!!

[Lord Maul]

well, that one sucks xwing
oh well, now you'll feel all the better when the thing is actually done :P

[xwingband]

I decided to pay for some extra shipping and I'll get a buckpuck to drive this. A resistor is kind of lame... I didn't want to drive to radio shack, again. I'll get constant current and the "y-ing" will work. It'll look nicer, that what I need to tell myself.

This thing has been a pain in the rear. It was pretty when it lit up though. to

[xwingband]

Found out that power flows through the MR switch leads. Made my buckpuck do weird things. So I ended up just wiring it like a conversion. Oh well...

Pics (not gallery worthy yet):

In a lighted room with "beach settings" (quick exposure) AND flash. Dual tube blade also... my corbin film blade lost it's tip finally.

Guts...


Whole Saber

I really like the optics. They are the Prolight ones I ordered with my RGB. They are like the high efficiancy ones out there. You can see the diode through it, but no amazing side spill like the collumnators.

What I would like to do: Switch out the blade holder to aluminum. I think the gap of the diode as a prick and then out the emitter will enhance it's look.

Also the board is just floating. The wire is stiff enough and the hilt being plastic I'm not worried though. I found my clear PVC had too much cling when cut and didn't want to slide. My PolyC scraps wouldn't work too well either. I'm going to make a "shelf" and screw the board down anyway. That'll give me room to mount a PLI behind it easily. Since whoever posted the LED holder over the RS momentary I've been itching to try it.

[Ryma Mara]

That hilt is bomb bad right there.

Awsome work and Iam glad you finally got it running.