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Thread: Belated Greetings!

  1. #1
    Jedi Padawan Starwinder's Avatar
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    Default Belated Greetings!

    Hi everyone,

    I joined this forum in late July but have mostly been skulking in the shadows, reading up on tutorials, getting inspiration from you, and learning from your successes (and occasional mistakes). Anyway, after a month and a half, I figured it was time to say hi and also thank you to all of you who have been around for awhile and contributed and laid the groundwork for n00bs like me to launch from.

    As I said, I’m a complete n00b at saber building. I’ve never done any machining or soldering or have had anything to do with wiring (if switching out DVD drives doesn’t count), so I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. But thanks to TCSS and helpful advice here, I just completed my first basic MHS saber last week! Soldering wasn’t so difficult, but definitely gotta work on my cram-fu skills hah.

    Below, I’ve posted some pics. Aside from the beautiful work Tim and crew did on the pieces, there’s not much to look at compared to some of the things you experienced Smith Masters are churning out. My first saber is basically just pommel + main body + extension + blade holder, but the idea was to keep it pretty basic for my first attempt. I was considering having no sound, but then I managed to get my hands on an entry-level Neutrino board for cheap, so I incorporated that as well with no problems. And yes, I still need to get a blade.

    Other specs:
    - Seoul P4 Green LED (beautiful bright green doesn’t show up on my camera)
    - Black Matte Tuscan PC on main body by Tim
    - Guarded silver momentary switch
    - Novasound Neutrino 1.0 soundboard
    - 1.5w premium speaker
    - Running on 4aaa NiMH rechargeable batteries (4.8v)

    Looking forward to future builds and keeping tabs on what you all create!

    http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...r/dcf102fc.jpg

    http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...r/15fe473f.jpg

    http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...r/8e4cc66c.jpg

    http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...r/55b30214.jpg

    http://i1148.photobucket.com/albums/...r/9edf7ed8.jpg
    --------------------------Cadence--------------------------

  2. #2
    Jedi Padawan
    Jedi Padawan
    Boj-Vaati Mau's Avatar
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    Default

    Hail and well met, Starwinder! The three major points with your build are: 1) Did you enjoy the build? 2) Do you like your design? 3) Does it meet the goals you were planning it for? If you have yes in all three cases then you have a sucesss. IMO there are many glorious pieces out there but they're not good. That being said, what is your main desire in your builds? Are you a film maker, a duelist, a choreo recreationist (Movie scenes), a demonstrationist, or a costumer/ display only builder? Each of these have different attrbutes to make them useful for that puropse.

    For film you just need a good looking hero prop that can hold something blade like for rotoscoping later. The design can be whatever you're trying to capture in the character and doesn't have to be comfortable in the least. In fight scenes you'll just need soomething that approximates the hero prop as you'll not really see the hilt. The duels are choreographed so as not to damage the actors.

    For dueling a good solid hilt is required to keep the piece together. Contact via blades together or against your partner are the norm. In general there only needs to be batteries, switch, and LED for electronics and the blade need to be secure in the hilt so it stays in. For the most part there isn't a need for a soundboard because, as if not tightly secured in the hilt, you'll spend some time tearing it down to repair broken wires due to shifting. The hilt itself should be fairly clean, as yours is, to prevent snagging or tearing clothes and skin. It should also be comfortable to hold.

    Choreo is fun and dropping a sound board in adds to the effect, as your audience is nearby. This is where contact is kept to the particular strikes in the movie and, with practice, that will be the only contact made. The sound board will have to be firmly secured to keep breakage to a minimum, especially in the prequel fights. . I've seen video of work done this way with Bluetooth enhanced sabers feeding into speakers that help cover that clacking of the polycarb blades. You also might be limited to the few sabers that have been used on screen which will limit the creativity put into the hilt.

    Demonstration is similar to choreo but there's no intent to contact or no opponent to begin with. Here you can start to go all out on design within the limits of the style you want to replicate. The Graflex was pretty but uncomfortable to hold and the Heiland wasn't much better. This winds up similar to a dueling saber as you may practice styles where all teh fiddly bits and projeactions will hamper the demo.

    In a costume or display (in steel sword parlayance "wall hanger") hilt you can go all out. Thease are meant to be seen, marveled at, and to show the talent and skill of the smith but, more than likely, will not be used in contact as their construction leads to weak points on the hilt. Think of the Starkillers that we see. That particular design could be engineered to withstand repeated abuse but that's not the intent behind them. They're made to replicate a design in a video game that doesn't have to do anything but look really cool.

    Food for thought any way and keep on smithin'!

    Knowledge must be balanced by Practice.
    Practice must be balanced by Experience.
    Through Knowledge, Practice, and Experience
    we gain Wisdom.

    -Boj-Vaati Mau
    Jedi Sentinel, Jar'Kai practitioner,
    and Instctor at Strafe Plains Temple


    Saber Guild: Strafe Plains Temple
    The Rebel Legion

  3. #3

    Default

    I'm just gonna go ahead and agree with everything Boj said. Your saber is simple, yet effective. Some people like lots of bling, others want a more utilitarian appearance. My advice to you: in every future build, try to do it a little bit *better* than the last. Push yourself into trying something new, even if it's stupid. Especially if it's stupid.

    I'm glad you enjoyed your first sabersmithing experience. Watch your pocketbook, this hobby is addicting.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  4. #4
    Jedi Padawan Starwinder's Avatar
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    Thanks for the welcome and the (free!) sage advice guys!

    yeah i'm definitely very happy with my "simple, yet effective" first build, and also just looking forward to learning more tricks and trying new things in the future.

    @Silver Serpent, definitely beginning to feel the addiction ... and the need to watch pocketbook drain lol

    Thanks again!
    --------------------------Cadence--------------------------

  5. #5

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    Welcome! Great saber! I trust you'll find all the knowledge you desire here. Looks like you've already got a headstart.
    ====Darth Jared

  6. #6
    Council Member
    Jedi Master
    Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie's Avatar
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    Welcome! That's a pretty nice job for a first saber! I like the design. I'm going to make a guess here. Are you left-handed?


  7. #7
    Jedi Padawan Starwinder's Avatar
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    Thanks DJ and ODKG! By the way, i'm a righty but i get called out a lot for holding things like i'm left-handed - pencils, chopsticks, you name it.
    I'm curious though, what makes my saber look left-handed... Is it the placement of the covertech knob (i think i chose the location on a whim). Any pointers for the future would be great.
    --------------------------Cadence--------------------------

  8. #8

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    It would be the covertec button. The power buttons are usually facing forward when the saber is on your belt, and the position of the button would have you wearing your saber on the left.

    I'm a lefty myself, but I tend to build my sabers ambidextrous style. That is, I have the covertec button placed such that the power buttons are facing outward instead of forward when hanging on the belt. It's helpful if I need to loan one out to a friend at a convention.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  9. #9
    Jedi Padawan Starwinder's Avatar
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    Cool, thanks for the tips SS. i've never worn a hilt on a belt using a covertech before so i wasn't exactly sure how it was supposed to work/look. That does make a ton of practical sense though!
    --------------------------Cadence--------------------------

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