Silver Serpent's "Hatchling" Stunt

[Jedi_Knight_Zekk]

I'm not sure if I can wait to give it to my fiancee at Christmas, or if it'll be a wedding present this October. I believe I should take it down to the Things Remembered shop and get it engraved for her.

Definately get ingraved something like I Luv U, or May My Love Be With You. or soemthing like that, and give it to her as a wedding present.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Wow, 3/8"? There's no way it would shrink down 65% or more.

Most hardware stores that I've seen don't usually carry heat shrink. At least not in the sizes that we'd need. I don't remember if my Harbor Freight has heat shrink.

Radio Shack has assortment packages of different sizes. But I've got a great electronics store not far from me that sells many sizes in 4ft lengths. I personally prefer 3/32".

[cannibal869]

Strong work for your first saber!

And yes, building these does take some practice, but you will get better if you keep at it. Sometimes you just have to throw yourself in the deep end (so to speak) and build in order to understand what's required and the amount of jury rigging that sometimes needs to be done.

-C

[DJMoonbass]

i used to be terrible at soldering bro. terrible. but with practice i got 100% better. it doesnt help that i have shaky hands but ive gotten so good at it that having shacky hands doesnt matter anymore. you have helping hands? also i use a soldering gun not pencil iron. (its a 15 watt from radioshack guys, dont freak ) but the shape of it really helps with holding it steady.

nice first saber man. welcome to the addiction.

[Silver Serpent]

Silver Serpent has completed Research: Solder Types!
Silver Serpent has gained skill in Soldering! (+50 points)

After re-watching Erv's soldering tutorial again, I wondered why my solder didn't seem to melt as quickly as his did.

I Googled the different solders available. I learned about acid-core, rosin-core, melting points, etc. Mostly about melting points. Then I looked at my lead-free roll of solder and started swearing again. Another trip to the store, and I finally discovered how much easier soldering is with the right materials

60/40 Tin/Lead solder makes me a much happier person. It melts about 100 degrees F lower than the stuff I'd been using.

Oh, yes DJ. I do have helping hands, with the magnifying glass. It's a HUGE help for me.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

Silver Serpent has completed Research: Solder Types!
Silver Serpent has gained skill in Soldering! (+50 points)

After re-watching Erv's soldering tutorial again, I wondered why my solder didn't seem to melt as quickly as his did.

I Googled the different solders available. I learned about acid-core, rosin-core, melting points, etc. Mostly about melting points. Then I looked at my lead-free roll of solder and started swearing again. Another trip to the store, and I finally discovered how much easier soldering is with the right materials

60/40 Tin/Lead solder makes me a much happier person. It melts about 100 degrees F lower than the stuff I'd been using.

Oh, yes DJ. I do have helping hands, with the magnifying glass. It's a HUGE help for me.

Congrats on the level up

[RevengeoftheSeth]

Wow, 3/8"? There's no way it would shrink down 65% or more.

Most hardware stores that I've seen don't usually carry heat shrink. At least not in the sizes that we'd need. I don't remember if my Harbor Freight has heat shrink.

Radio Shack has assortment packages of different sizes. But I've got a great electronics store not far from me that sells many sizes in 4ft lengths. I personally prefer 3/32".

My local Lowes carries it in 3/16 and 1/4, but it's hidden really well in the electrical wiring section. Tiny boxes.

[salohcin86]

Awesome build. Hope the convention goes/went well. Look forward to seeing more stuff.

[cardcollector]

Looks good to me! Congrats! I think that even the most seasoned saber smiths feel they have room for improvement! Remember few (if any of us) are experts at everything this hobby has to offer. Once again good job!

I disagree I am an expert at failing to measure twice drill once...

I missed this saber somehow...:/

Great saber dude! Soldering does take practice, but don't worry, youll get the hang of it. I found tiny tips and thin solder make life a lot easier.

[Silver Serpent]

This saber no longer exists as shown in the photos. I'm just having a hard time finding the wife's camera so I can take pictures of the upgraded version.

I added a 2010 econo sound board, paint in the fluting, and a brushed brass overlay. Still debating on making it rechargeable, since my poor cram-fu makes it unpleasant to open the saber for battery replacement.

Soldering skills have improved a lot, though. I've redone all the electronics in this a couple times for various reasons. Usually to fix the poor soldering on the econo board.