Part Check (Getting ready for purchase)

[crobemeister]

oh yeah my bad haha. The Buck Puck will need at least 5v so will need 2 of those 3.7V batteries giving you a total of 7.4V. It will be taking the place of the resistor you would use for the main LED. With the 4 wire Buck Puck you have a voltage in, a voltage out and a + and a - to the main LED. In the case of the 6 wire Buck Puck the extra two wires can either not be used, or used with some other electronics to adjust brightness. Basically what the Buck Puck is doing is providing a constant regulated current to the LED, where as with a resistor the current being supplied the LED diminishes as the batteries die.

Of course bringing the voltage up to 7.4v you will need the 5v regulator so that you dont fry the econo sound board. So if you're just looking to keep it simple you can go with just the 3.7V battery and one resistor for the main LED and one for the switch LED. Or you can go with the 7.4V setup, use a Buck Puck to give a more constant current to the main LED, and still have the one resistor for the switch LED (This resistors value will change because of the higher voltage to it), and use a 5v regulator to keep the econo sound board safe. And yes the 7.4v setup will give you longer run time between charges, and with the combination of the Buck Puck the blade will stay bright.

There are two different mA rated Buck Pucks in the store, a 700mA and a 1000mA (1Amp). The Rebel LED is rated to run at 700mA. You could overdrive it by using the 1000mA Buck Puck, this would increase brightness, but if ive read correctly it will lower the LED's lifespan for sure and/or possible fry it. Not too sure on the second part, alot of people successfully overdrive their LED's.

Im still pretty new at this myself, aside from some college electical engineering classes and alot of reading haha, but im pretty sure thats all right. If anyone sees anything i messed up please correct me haha. The choice is yours now, i hope that helps clear some things up.
PS. i didnt suggest the 9" body X)

[whenbearsreign]

Ah, thanks for pointing that out, meant to write amwolf. I'll probably end up doing the 7.4v and a the buck puck which means I'll need to get a 5v regulator along with the PNP Transistor. I probably won't need to 1Amp buck puck 'cause I'd rather not risk losing the LED.

I think I'm satisfied with my list now! If there's ANYTHING else you guys might see that is missing or that I might not need, let me know. Thanks!

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

Wow you've come a long way very quickly...congratulations.

I quite like the new design with the custom 9" and shrouds. Strydur's custom work is top-notch, I had some done recently and was AMAZED, and I'm sure you will be happy with the choice to go custom on this build.

Everyone has given you great advice and the only thing I can think to add is that I noticed you don't have any Covertec wheel or D-ring for hanging it on a Jedi belt...imo the bottom of the rear shroud would be a great place to put a Covertec wheel [and I see the screen-accurate Covertec belt clip is back in stock in the store too] if you wanted one.

Yes its possible to overdrive LEDs and the shortening of their life is not really a concern i.e cutting a rated operating life of 70 years in normal use to 30 years by overdriving probably won't be a problem eh? but I can understand wanting to play it safe with a first build and on a deadline and the good news is the Rebels rated brightness is at 700mA anyway and it performs pretty well at that mild current...166 lumens green is pretty bright even @ 700mA. So a 700 mA puck is a good choice.

Its great to see how nicely this is coming together for you. Don't be surprised if you find yourself coming back more than once either...this hobby is surprisingly addictive. lol

[Wong Yoon Wei]

I might be a little late in but I would like to point out that you don't really need an MPS clip to secure your pommel insert. An O-ring or a drop of glue or double sided tape works so much better (and easier to remove should you need to)

I did my first build with the clip and it's basically impossible to install it without the right tools (which TCSS doesn't carry and I don't remember the name for it). Trying to force it in using improvised tools only marred the inside of the pommel. In the end, I gave up and made an improvised clip using an old film container.

[whenbearsreign]

Sadly I won't be able to create this saber for quite some time. I corresponded with Tim and we both decided that due to his current work load it would be best to wait for a slower season, such as November. I will, however, still be frequenting the forums to watch for new changes and developments and to see all of the creations you guys make.

Even with my article on hold, I still really want to do a saber. Sadly I don't have the funds at this immediate moment in time (maybe in a few weeks, we'll see). If I get the funds then, I can start my article and just hold off on posting it until November. I'm honestly excited to share my creation with everyone who has given me their advice and help! Also, anyone know if Tim does engraving? Don't see it on the shop.

[Silver Serpent]

He can indeed do some engraving. It'll fall under custom work. See the bottom of this thread for an example of Aurebesh(sp?) engraving. http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...37-Custom-work