I discovered the world or custom sabers a little over a year ago. I tried to talk my wife into letting me purchase the parts to build an MHS saber, but being the way she is when it comes to money (a bit of a tight wad) she made the remark, "can't you make one out of pvc?" Not thinking about what she said when she said it the challenge was on. So I did my research on economy boards that many of you awesome sabersmiths have posted. Kept watch for sales and Hasbro toy shop had the vader ultimate fx sabers for $20 each I bought 2. So then I just saved up until I had enough to buy the pvc conduit and parts I needed. I read pretty much every how- to on pvc sabers and wiring econo boards in TCSS forums. When I was ready I ordered my LED and components and the blade from the TCSS store. So while I was waiting for the package I started to take a part the vader blades and found that the board in it was one that no one had wired up. I thought to myself good thing I bought 2. I so after comparing my boards to the pics of the ultimate fx boards on the site I found the similarities and was able to start to wire it up. I started customizing a battery pack for 3 AAs since that what the Ult. fx used. So since my inside diameter of my pvc was one inch I had to make the hilt a bit on the long side. Once the LED stuff got here and I was able to measure overall length I found I still didn't have enough space and with the hilt already the same length as a bastard sword hilt I did research on what other kind of battery I could use in place of the AAs, and found that I AAAs. So I went on a search to find a compatible 3 AAA battery pack which I found in a cheap LED flash light. All I had to do to was solder the wires to it and a fix it so it didn't slide around in the hilt. The only other real snag I hit was when I realized I ordered the wrong switch. I needed a momentary switch not a latching like I ordered. I was checking out local electronic stores and having no luck. That is until i was replacing the button for doorbell. I got looking at it and thought this might work. So I went to wal-mart the next day and bought a cheap door bell button without a light. When I got home I wired it up and it worked. I just needed to mod my design to work with the new button. That's more or less how it came about. I don't really have a name for it though I kind of call it "big bastard" because its equal to a bastard sword. The LED I ordered was a rb, rb, w tri- lux, because I was going try and keep an LED on when the FOC flickered the the LED off, but because it required a momentary switch my idea didn't work. so I wired all 3 LEDs to different pads +pads it doesn't have the same effect as the string does for power up and down but you can see the tones change on power up and down which I think is cool. Now that its finished my wife is totally impressed and is all for me making more. So I am going to use up some more of the pvc and use that other soundboard and then I will make me a MHS with a nano board. Before I forget a big thank you to all you sabersmiths who posted the wiring pics and made the TCSS Youtube vids they were a big help to this noob.
So here is my first saber
Here is the board wired up
Bookmarks