Arryck Corso presents --- AETHON

[Ty_Bomber]

Haha. Like they say, measure twice, cut once. Really solid work so far. Can't wait to see more.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

I'm liking the shroud work on this so fr, keep it up, and you'll get that look you're going for.

[Arryck Corso]

I've finally finished my mock up. Well....about 99% finished. I still need to drill and tap the hole for my auxillary switch but I don't have the right drill bit and tap at the moment so I'll get to that later this week. But for now I thought I'd share what I've got done up to this point.





Here's a good shot of my modified BH #19




























Well that's about all for now. This is really coming along beautifully. Some of you may have noticed I don't yet have the 4 holes drilled for the LED's I had in my render. At this point I'm not sure if I'm going to include them or not. That's something I'll probably decide on later this week. But at this point I'm just not sure. It's mainly due to the fact that I have yet to come up with a good idea for mounting them properly.

Up next is prepping for powdercoat and polishing. I'll be back

[Ty_Bomber]

looks really great so far. Have you considered placing your aux switch in the window below your activation switch? I noticed the folks at the vault like to "hide" them among the black PC, and you could then use a recharge port to help secure your upper shroud to the hilt without the need for screws... which i think would keep it clean looking.

[Arryck Corso]

I had thought about that. Seeing as how I'm using a black aux switch. I decided however to mount it on the bottom so that it can be activated with my index finger. The best part is, if I measured it correctly, the switch itself only sticks out about a 1mm or so and it's just enought to depress it and maintain the function.

The main shroud is bolted from the bottom. I've got 2 - 8-32 screws holding it on. I'm going with black screws for the contrast against the polished aluminum of the shroud.

[Noyl Wendor]

Very cool, and very original (MO) I really like the shroud. Nice work

[dustunite]

this thing is coming along great, keep it up cant wait to see it finished.

[FenderBender]

For the accent LEDs, an 1/8" hole will hold a 3mm accent LED quite nice, just dab teensy tiny drop of Gorilla glue on the top while holding it from the inside. I solder them into a chain while letting them sit in a jig that is spaced the same as what I drill in the hilt (you can just put them in the top side of the hilt and solder them together). Let it cure for about a minute, done. Its tough, trust me. I have had to use a punch to get them back out.

[Arryck Corso]

Thanks everybody.

Thanks for the advice on the LED's Fenderbender. I had a hunch that was how you did it. I will definitely give that a try. Of course I'll probably take a bit of scrap tube and do a test piece first. That way I can get a good feel for how I want them spaced. And maybe I can use my test piece as a jig like you suggested. It'll be a bit of work but I really do want to include the LED's.

More to come!!!!

[Arryck Corso]

I call this post - SHINY....part 1!!!

I've begun the tedious and time consuming process of polishing all the aluminum. It's been slow going so far. I started with a 320 grit and then worked my way up to 600, 1000, and finally 1500 before taking it to my buffer.

I also have ordered a aluminum polish/sealer that should be here tomorrow. The polish claims to be 100% non-abrasive and is the perfect final step to bringing out a mirror like finish with no visible swirls or scratches. As far as the sealer goes, it's a chemically based sealer that is applied like a wax. The manufacturer claims that it bonds with the metal and will help maintain the shine for up to one year and prevents oxidation.

Here's what I've got done up to this point. I'm currently working on the blade holder so I don't have pics of that yet.





Got a few finger prints on it still......




Here's my custom coupler. This thing was a beast to get done just right. But I know the extra time will be well worth it once I get the translucent gold pc on it.




Also managed to get the pommel done as well....it came out real well.





So that's where I'm at thus far. Still got a lot more polishing to do.





For those of you that have been following this build I've got another (little) announcment. Earlier last week my brother came over and was checking out my work and the parts I picked up from Tim. Needless to say he was very impressed with the quality of Tim's work. Anyways, he starting assembling the pieces together to get feel of what the whole saber looks like. Well he inadvertently put my 3" df on backwards with the rear shroud facing the opposite direction that I had originally intended. I liked it so much I drew it up in MS paint and have since decided to go with this new design. So for your viewing pleasure....here it is!!!



Not much has really changed. I really loved the look of the rear shroud flowing in the same direction as the main shroud. But seeing as how I had my 3" df all ready drilled and tapped I had to order a new one otherwise my covertec clip wouldn't be in the correct location. I also decided against the extra trim ring near the pommel (at this point at least). I really feel like the saber has a more balanced aesthetic this way. The other little tweek was I disassembled the chrome LED housing and have decided to powdercoat that translucent gold as well.

Well that's all for now. Should have more soon later this weekend. Thanks for looking!!