T.V.Alpha, The first custom Saber by GFJedi

[GFJedi]

T.V.Alpha

This saber reveal is essentially my entrance to the world of custom saber building. I have been a long time fan of the classic movies, enjoyed the prequels, and was thoroughly entertained by the clone wars series. Like most of you, I ran around as a kid having make-believe lightsaber battles, making those unforgettable whooshes, twangs and sizzle sounds with my pretend lightsabers over the years. Over time I have found various hobbies to occupy myself with, and most recently just so happen to stumble into this great saber building hobby and knew almost instantly my wallet was in trouble. Having already dabbled a bit in basic electronics and soldering, and quickly discovering the wonderful world of the MHS, it almost seemed too easy to have myself a fully functional imitation lightsaber, complete with its own responsive whooshes, twangs and sizzle sounds, no need to lose my voice this time around. I decided to do something a little more impressive than the most basic of starter builds like that thread we are all too familiar with said to do. I wanted the flicker, the sound, and wanted something that stood out as more than just "basic". I decided for this first build, to toss in one of these fancy little nano biscotte cards, it looked innocent enough to get my feet wet, and the modest price-tag made it much less intimidating for a first timer. In coming up with a name, since this was a Jedi's weapon, I decided to keep it simple and not give the image of "attachment" to this tool/device. Being a fan of the KoToR series, my Jedi character's name was Talin Venner. The name of this saber is meant to reflect that this was his property, T.V., and Alpha being my first build.

Specifications:
Customized 100% MHS parts hilt
Nano Biscotte w/ stock "Lightmeat"
Cyan Luxeon rebel BIN2 Blade LED
18650 2600 mAh MWS Li-Ion & recharge port
2w Bass speaker w/ V4 chassis mount
Resonance vents drilled in Brass grip screws
Yellow Ring AV Switch (parallel to main LED)
Brass painted details
Clear NB/18650 TCSS chassis discs


The Glams & Detail:

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

That is a very impressive first build. Harmonious design with smart MHS part choices and custom grooves practically located should give excellent handling. Nicely subtle use of brass accents. Solid looking chassis and electronics work. Many new builders go overboard with their first builds trying to be too dramatic but the restraint shown in this saber is very much to your credit and makes me look forward to seeing any builds you may make in the future. Excellent way to debut in this hobby. BRAVO!

[Silver Serpent]

Congrats on completing your first build! I'm just going to agree with everything OWK said above. I like a little more contrast on my sabers, but the brass accents work well with this saber. You say you drilled vents in the brass grip screws? I'm sure that was a little bit tedious (and nerve wracking). Had I tried that with my drill press at home, I'd have likely needed to buy 2x the screws to account for misdrilled holes.

Looks like good clean wiring, without a lot of extra floating around. Keep up the good work.

[GFJedi]

Thanks OWK & SS for the feedback.

@SS, the brass screws were drilled by hand without a press, the metal was soft and the bit centered itself in the hex socket. They were drilled while installed in the grip. I did however snap the first bit getting over zealous with my downward pressure about 7-8 screws into the modification. All is well thou and no other issues after that. Just a simple addition (removal perhaps?) but the effect is interesting to hear/feel with the saber on.

[amwolf]

Nice saber - clean lines but with a nice visual balance. Restrained but intentional. I like it.

[Starwinder]

Congrats on your first build and very nice job with it! I especially like your choice with the custom grooves, gives it a good balance. Nicely done!

[madmaxx]

very tasty saber! i like the overall design on this hilt...simple is better in something like this and simple in this case looks awesome.The grooves tie the hilt together nicely without over doing the theme.Well done can't wait to see more

[MrCafe]

I loved reading your intro as I did looking at your saber build. Very simple and elegant. A true Jedi build.

[Renaissance Jedi]

Oh this is beautiful. It is simple, but it still catches one's eye. Absolutely beautiful first build. With a blade holder like that, I am often afraid to put a thumb screw in it just because of how messy it can look, but you managed to make the whole thing blend perfectly. Love the custom grooves. Actually I love everything about this hilt. Great job!

[Ty_Bomber]

George. All I can say is wow. This is clearly a well designed saber. It has a timeless appeal to it, like a classic car, and your use of simple parts and decorative techniques (that brass paint it gorgeous) make for an incredibly understated weapon.

The color scheme and body work reminds me of KOTOR, but I think this saber would look like It fit in any era. Good show.