Shortest hilt length?

[Amanita]

I have an idea for a saber in mind, where the main body of the hilt would be made using one of the chokes for the lower half, and one of the extensions (with switch hole added) for the top:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MH...Long-P525.aspx
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MH...le-1-P674.aspx

Here's what I want in the hilt, at least the major stuff:
An AV switch
Petit crouton board and speaker
battery pack
LED module

What's the shortest hilt extension that I could fit hilt electronics into? I might be able to use long wires threaded through the choke to place the speaker down closer to the pommel.

[Garrek]

A picture from the MHS builder of what your trying to end up with would be helpful for getting questions answered.
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...mhsbuilder.php

That aside.
You would need about 1.75 inch for a pair of 14500 batteries, 2.15 inches for the PC, which can be placed on top of the batteries and then the switch would have to go after them.
Keep in mind threads take up .25 on each female section, so you can't put the switches there.

So you would need a 4 inch extension for 1 switch and a 5 inch extension for 2 switches, I believe.
Alternatively , you could put a tactile switch on the opposite side of your main switch to keep a 4 inch and have 2 buttons.
Lastly, if 4500 batteries fit in the choke as a stick then you can go with a 3 inch extension, I'm fairly sure they fit.


I'm not sure if a speaker will fit in the bottom of the choke, but I believe it will.
If not you'll need to add another inch to the extension.


The shortest you can go so far is 7.5/8.5/9.5
Don't forget you still need a Pommel and a Blade Holder by the way.
So the shortest I think your going to get away with on this design is 10/11/12, optimistically.

[Amanita]

Unfortunately the MHS builder didnt seem to have the long extension or the cool new pointy pommel when I played with it last night.
I know I'll need those parts, I just left them off because the electronics won't fit in there.
Do I need two switches for a PC board/ AV switch setup, or can I get away with one?
But the diagram you whipped up comes pretty close to the hilt I was looking for- Just add the pointy cone pommel to the bottom of the choke piece, and a blade holder to the top- I'm still figuring out what I want for a blade holder, I wanted some really short claws, I'll have to do up a rendering later.

[Garrek]

The new spike pommel? It's there, last pommel in the list.
For the PC you CAN go with 1 button, but you wont be able to activate the blaster block and lockup effects without the 2nd button.

So Spike Pommel, Choke 3 Long, 3 inch extension.
Your at just short of 9 inches and the Blade holder will take you to around 11 inches.
If the speaker can't fit in the base of the choke then you will need to upgrade to a 4 inch extension.


It also occurs to me that the new heat sink will stick into the body a bit.
If you want to use a 3 inch extension/4 inch with speaker, you will probably need to cut the heat sink down for the switches and it to fit.

Here's the original thread by Tim with an internal view of how the new heat sink works.
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...design-changes


As far as spikes go... your on your own I think.

[Amanita]

I was thinking of using the longest curved choke, which adds about 4.5 inches, and the 5" extension, so the overall length of the hilt will be pretty decent, it's just that extension piece I want to stuff the electronics into that worries me- which was the shortest one I could fit two switches, a PC, and the other guts into. And I've decided to hold off on the claws/spikes, and use a slanted emitter instead. It still looks cool, and is a lot cheaper

Here's the link to an image I whipped up:
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...ta-d4qxfc8.jpg

[Garrek]

It's not my style but its interesting.
You can get away with a 4 inch extension as well as the 5 inch, its up to you.

Also, you really need to use the MHS Builder, it has powder coating as well.
Here's a builder picture of the 4 and 5 inch in two shades of copper powder coating.
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2815/astor.png

One thing to note is that you may not be able to have the groves in the threaded section.
I notice none of the premade parts do, so you'll have to check if you want them longer.
Another thing is that you can't shorten that half inch flat section at the base of the choke as that is the female threading"and your speaker"

Here's a link to the PC options in case you haven't seen it.
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/po...t/PCcolors.asp
There are 4 copper and one orange, the orange and one of the coppers don't have a picture but if you ask I'm sure Tim can send you a picture of them.


Have you decided if you want to add a covertech/dring?
Also have you decided on where you want to place a blade retention screw or what type you would like to use?

[Amanita]

For some reason, those parts weren't showing up for me in the MHS builder Don't know why.
I'm thinking the grooved extension might have to be a custom piece, with the grooves configured to go around the two AV switch holes. BTW, I'm liking the jollipop copper
I'll probably put the blade retention screw in the lower part of the emitter, the widest part. I'll use a set screw like that found in my Ultrasabers collection.
I'm cool with not being able to shorten that part at the end of the choke.
I am not sure where I would put a D-ring on this one, I may end up making a sort of holster for it, as it's gonna be used for non-SW cosplay. I'm personifying a New York City skyscraper, One Astor Plaza. If you look at its spiked crown, you can see why I want that pointy slanted emitter and pointed pommel In the case of non-SW cosplay, I use my sabers to simulate psionic-based weaponry.

[Garrek]

Try deleting your cache, should be CTRL+SHIFT+DELETE.
Otherwise I don't know.
Are you using the older one maybe?
Should be using the one in the forum.
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...mhsbuilder.php

And yes the groves will have to be custom, Tim does that though so just shoot him an email.
Tim is the stores owner...at least I hope that's his name. XD

[Amanita]

Yeah, I was using the builder on the main page, but the one on the forums works much better I'm sure this will be a wicked saber once I get it all done. Just to be sure, if I'm using a 5" extension, do I have to put the batteries into the choke, or can I use it as a resonance chamber for the soundboard?

[Garrek]

I'm not entirely sure how resonance works, you would have to ask someone else.
I think for the choke to be used as resonance you would need to put it in the extension section.

So
.5 choke threading
.5/.75 speaker
2 batteries
.15/.25 extra for PC
around 2 for buttons

I you would need to upgrade to 6 inches for that.
If the speaker in the bottom can use the choke as resonance then I think the batteries and switches will just barely fit together in 5 inches.

Maybe start a new thread asking about resonance and your options.
You could try a reverse speaker, where it points into the hilt and then have some holes drilled at the top of the choke for the sound to come out.