Tri-Rebel Alternative Heat Sink?

[Robust Stardust]

I must consult the wisdom of the saber council! I have a bit of a design challenge. Pardon me if this question has already been addressed.

Long story short, the blade holder design of my saber is too small to fit any MHS heat sink module. I'm planning to use a 1" ID PVC pipe segment for the blade holder, so real estate is at a premium.

I do, however, have a salvaged heat sink--from a recently malfunctioning washing machine of all things!--that could be cut down and machined to fit nicely in the 1" ID PVC. This salvaged heat sink is made of aluminum, so it's not as efficient at conducting away heat as the MHS copper heat sinks are. On the other hand, many of the Luxeon made heat sinks are made of aluminum.

This saber will be using a Tri-Rebel R/G/rB with a Color Extender and a PC 3.5, so the LED could be generating some significant heat, depending on the color mixing and color profiles. I am pretty new to this saber-craft, and I'm not sure what to expect in terms of heat from this set up.

Main questions: Could this heat sink provide enough cooling? If so, should some vents in the PVC be made to allow further air-cooling? Or if this idea is completely outrageous, could only the "New Style" short copper heat sink be used alone, without the rest of the MHS heat sink/LED module, and still provide adequate heat management? Or other possibilities...?

Sorry for all the questions! And thanks for any and all advice in advance! Below are some pics of the salvaged washing machine heat sink.

-Robust Stardust

Heat Sink, Context.jpg
Heat Sink, Side.jpg
Heat Sink, Top.jpg

[Silver Serpent]

Assuming you have the tools (or patience) to machine that down to the right size, that should make an acceptable heatsink. Aluminum does work well, though not as well as copper. It's still sufficient for Tri-Rebels.

Since you're doing a PVC hilt, a few air vents could be placed near the heatsink to allow some airflow.

You've certainly chosen a more difficult path. For PVC, I usually use copper end caps as heatsinks.

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...-for-PVC-hilts has the tutorial for using the copper end caps.

[Robust Stardust]

Thanks for the quick response, Silver Serpent!

Yep, tools are aplenty, hack saws, dremel. But patience... could be questionable. Good to know that this aluminum heat sink could work, with some help from vents too.

Wow, copper end caps, that's a brilliant idea! A perfect fit in 1" PVC. If machining down this salvaged heat sink proves to be too difficult, I'll go with the end caps. Thanks for passing that info and tutorial along, very instructive.

Indeed, it seems I have chosen the difficult path. Ah well, this is where the fun begins!

Thanks again!