Double Bladed Undertaking

[SpexSkywalker]

Ok, so my wife wants me to build her a double bladed saber that can detach into two separate sabers. not too difficult right? Here's where it gets complicated...

She wants a switch in or near the middle of the hilt to control both sides at once when it's in double-blade form. Plus she wants one end purple and the other pink. How on earth am i gonna pull that off? Just the fact that she's interested enough in what i've been doing to want one of her own is a miracle. What am I Jesus? Help plz!

[Darth Enab]

...she wants one end purple and the other pink. How on earth am i gonna pull that off?

For the best result, try and RGB LED and play with the resistance on the red. The easiest method would be to use a white P4 with filters, either the ones sold in the store or Lee filters. I wish you good luck trying to satisfy your wife.

[Sunrider]

This is not going to be cheap or easy. But it is doable. Search for quick disconnect & RGB on the forums.

[cardcollector]

Okay, here's I would do this...

For the led you can just get a white p4 and use filters to get different colors... Or rgb if you know how.

For the center switch, I would get the double male chambered cutout piece, and say "hey how about a crystal chamber in the dead center instead of a master switch, then mount said switches in the lower portion of each hilt...

[SpexSkywalker]

This is not going to be cheap or easy. But it is doable. Search for quick disconnect & RGB on the forums.

Well the Hilt is going to be PVC, So that'll save me quite a bit of money. Reason being is she wanted to paint her own designs and i found PVC to be the most reliable for the paint she'll be using. Quick disconnects yes, they are a must... but how and where is what i'm looking for. I'll do a bit more searching and see what turns up.

Okay, here's I would do this...

For the led you can just get a white p4 and use filters to get different colors... Or rgb if you know how.

For the center switch, I would get the double male chambered cutout piece, and say "hey how about a crystal chamber in the dead center instead of a master switch, then mount said switches in the lower portion of each hilt...

That would work if i knew the first thing about how to wire and/or create a crystal chamber. I've been doing alot of research into it but having only made around 5 Sabers of my own, all of which were the simplest wiring schemes, i feel it better to take baby steps and do things right. i'm going to make a crystal chamber one day, but i want it to be done right and i just don't think i could do it yet... on that note can a crystal chamber be any color?

[SpexSkywalker]

Would this wiring work?
Wiring Diagram.jpg

[Azmaria Dei]

in double blade form your batteries would be wired in series, doubling your voltage, and blowing out all your LEDs. that is, unless you use a DPDT switch and keep both sides completely isolated still. yeah that would work. use a latching DPDT AV switch in the center.

[SpexSkywalker]

Yeah... that would work great. Thanks! I didn't even think of the double voltage input problem though until you mentioned it. I'm thinking for the LEDs she'll be satisfied with white rebels or P4s with filters on them. Now to order the parts and let her go nuts on painting the hilt while i put it all together.

Ok... New diagram, from what i understand this should work and light the switch LED up as well. Let me know what you think... and one other thing. Would the switch LED stay lit even though the saber is off when in Double hilt configuration? If so, how would i change the wiring to light the switch LED simultaneously with the Saber LEDs and turn off as well when the saber is turned off?

Wiring Diagram.jpg

[Azmaria Dei]

first off, don't double post - edit your last post.

second off, you're cross wiring your switch LED. that'll invite more issues that you do NOT want to deal with. especially since both wires going to the switch from either end are going to be the same polarity.

wire your LED pos to the switched power, and run the negative into the hilt that it's getting the power from. personally, i would use this one switch as a permanent fixture in one hilt and leave a JST connector free with a simple endcap to cover it in single saber mode. then on the other one, have a section that removes the switch/endcap with another JST so that you can plug the 2 JST connector ends together and connect the 2 sabers together that way. if you want, i could try and draw a picture of that later. in essence this will simplify your wiring to just 2 switches, 1 being dual purpose, AND you only have 2 spare parts instead of 3.

[SpexSkywalker]

Other than the switch LED is everything wired correctly? I would love to only have 2 switches, but she wanted one in the middle and one for each side so it was nearly symmetrical, hence my problem. Figuring out how the switch would sit in the middle of both hilts was hard enough.

So to light the switch in sync with the blade i simply connect Led terminal + on the switch to C2? Then the LED terminal - to the battery pack in hilt 2? Or maybe i'm just not understanding very much. Sometimes i feel pretty smart but other times i just don't get it.