Adding exposed crystal chamber to MR FX saber? Advice? Thoughts?

[ghost_a*]

I'm sure it's been done before or at least brought up before...

I have a Master Replicas Anakin ROTS FX lightsaber. (original, not removable blade version)
I would love to modify this hilt to to include an exposed crystal chamber between the emitter and the power switch as shown (see attachment)
The exposed crystal chamber style is obviously modeled after Galen Marek "StarKiller"'s lightsaber.

What do you guys think?
Is this something a novice could do with basic tools such as a dremel, etc.
And some low level knowledge of LEDs?

I'd like to leverage any and all existing power sources/parts/etc. from my hilt and leave the rest of it as untouched or visibly untouched as possible.
Could I basically follow this tutorial, but instead of using the LED for the blade, use the LED for the crystal itself?

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...kits-available

I would like to remove the blade completely, and the switch would instead power the LED to the crystal. This would be on display next to my MR LE anakin ROTS hilt.

*Forgive the crudeness of the photoshop. it's actually done in paint.NET which i'm not too familiar with.
**And the chamber itself would be exposed to the underside of the saber, as it is in the Galen Marek saber.

DSC04710.jpg

[Rafalema]

The stock bladeholder goes deep, nearly to the forwardmost edge of the clamp.

And also, that kinda cutout would REALLY weaken the hilt, it could snap in a half even if you'd swing it little harder than normal.

You might have the impression that it really has a lot of room inside it. I've made this mistake with all of my sabers. Always I think that I'll have a plenty of room, and then I end up screwing something.

[ghost_a*]

i wouldn't be dueling with this, so i wouldn't worry about it snapping in half.
i'm thinking of the galen marek style and it's done in his, so i would think it could work in the same or similar style here on the anakin ROTS hilt. no?

Galen Marek I.lightsaber5.jpg

[Skottsaber]

It would be relatively easy to do.
If you were to completely redesign the internal electronics.

First you remove everything, battery pack, soundboard, blade.
Then you make your cuts, build the chamber and secure it in the hilt.
You will obviously keep the stock switch, so just cut the wires for it off from the soundboard. Add an LED underneath the crystal and wire it to say a 4 AAA battery pack with appropriate resistor.
You now have a saber with a crystal chamber that lights with the switch. That is what I gather from your post you are trying to do, not keep the sound and illuminated blade. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Silver Serpent]

If you're planning on removing the blade and just having the hilt as a display piece, then this shouldn't be terribly difficult with a little basic electronics knowledge. A typical LED for a crystal chamber has very low power requirements compared to what we normally use for illuminating blades. I'd also consider having a second accent LED to light up the emitter where the blade used to be. The existing battery pack in that saber should run low power LEDs and the sound for quite a long time.

Edit: Skott beat me to the punch. Listen to his advice

[ghost_a*]

It would be relatively easy to do.
If you were to completely redesign the internal electronics.

First you remove everything, battery pack, soundboard, blade.
Then you make your cuts, build the chamber and secure it in the hilt.
You will obviously keep the stock switch, so just cut the wires for it off from the soundboard. Add an LED underneath the crystal and wire it to say a 4 AAA battery pack with appropriate resistor.
You now have a saber with a crystal chamber that lights with the switch. That is what I gather from your post you are trying to do, not keep the sound and illuminated blade. Correct me if I'm wrong.

this is almost EXACTLY what i'm talking about.
i'd love to still have the sound FX though, or would that take up way too much internal space?

i'll have to disassemble it this weekend when i have some time and see what i'm working with.
then i can draw up a design for a crystal chamber, the recess in the hilt, get some parts and get to work.

these are ideally what i'd love to have it still do:

1. light the crystal LED
2. make ignite woosh sound when switch turned on
3. make power down woosh sound when switch turned off

what would i have to do to get the crystal LED light to pulse?

[ghost_a*]

oh another quick question/thought.
it was mentioned that i should use another battery pack, but also that the existing MR battery pack would be enough to run lower power LEDs and sound for a long time.
can i use the existing batter pack?

i'm trying to do as little modification electronically as possible.
so can i simply follow the tutorial that i linked to, but instead of putting the new LED at the emitter, place it beneath the crystal?

[ghost_a*]

is there something inside here other than the blade?
this would be the real estate i'd be using for the crystal chamber.
i was hoping the soundboard and majority of the electronics were inside that piece on the right of the picture.

11.jpg

[Rafalema]

I would DEFINITELY not go with a P4 on a crystal chamber, yes, it'd be VERY bright, but it's kinda overkill, just get a bright 5mm LED, maybe 3 of 5mm LEDs if you really want it bright?

To do this you'd just splice the wires going to the main blade, connect all the negatives together, add a resistor between the board and the LEDs.

[Skottsaber]

And to do with the sound, without a pretty decent workaround and a new battery pack you will have trouble fitting it in.
And you can't use the original pack because it is not designed to be soldered to.