First build (StuntSaber), Build Check.

[Jay-mo]

I thought these were the ones you were waiting on. My bad

No worries! I looked those over and would have got them, but no holder and I despise paying for shipping from two sources. I ordered one offline with a holder in the meantime. I see some MHS sabers in the future once my buddies see even this basic one. Everyone was gun-ho for a pre-wired sparring saber, now they are just seeing basic progression pictures and subtly hinting that they would like one down the road. Linked them TCSS/MHS and they love the freedom of design.

I finished wiring & soldering my first highpower LED, and wow. 700mA was bright enough to almost fully illuminate a 4' PVC pipe.. without any diffusion or end cap. I connected my positives enough times tonight and practiced some cram-fu to ensure my build would hold up/soldering was in proper order. It does appear to be both durable and functional. Also just cut off the dimmer leads and sealed them over with electrical tape, as advised.

I cannot wait to try this setup with an 18650. I should have my blade supplies tomorrow, and hopefully will be able to share some pictures of the finished saber. I haven't done a battery life test on this one so far, but I imagine the 4 AAA's will burn out after 2-ish hours or at the very least dim substantially. 18650's should arrive in a few days.

Now, as far as 18650's go- even using a protected battery has some risks. I take its well advised to have a small "vent" hole in the extremely rare case that it malfunctions, in addition to ensuring the battery holder is snug without being airtight, right?

Thanks again for the input Miraluka! I'm enjoying the DIY aspect of this so much. I also have been playing around with a few MHS setups.. Okay, maybe its around 5-6 setups. But hey, we all start somewhere in this hobby. Hopefully I'll be able to help some new members out once I finish a few builds and pull the trigger on a MHS saber for myself down the road.

EDIT: Is it still advised to use an 18650 with a resistor over an 18650 with a 700mA driver? I do have the drivers just kind of sitting around at this point, so I figure it couldn't hurt.

[bigkevin61]

I did a mass build project recently. I had to do it on the absolute CHEAP (the two pictured are #'s 23 & 24). Some parts were TCSS (mostly in MY personal build, not pictured here), but I sourced a LOT from overseas.
With that being said, the LED's I used in these two are NOT Luxeon Rebel nor CREE (but are driven at 700ma for the royal blue, and 750ma for the green, using resistors).

I also found 3 AAA holders that fit exactly inside 1" thin walled blade material, which fits exactly inside the 1" pvc. I'm using 3 alkaline AAA's as the forward voltage on the Leds are just over 3 (3.4fv for royal blue, 3.3fv for green).

The PVC is painted with Rustoleum "Hammered" colors (Black, Silver, Copper and the dark grey is "Antique Bronze").

These are NOT combat worthy (just for show), and you will get an hour out of the batteries (if lucky, depending on brand and type), and I probably could have put a few more wraps of cellophane in the blades, but since I was providing the labor for free, I didn't give myself anymore work! The blades are 32" (plus tip), and I found that is an "OK" length (trust me, 40" is too long!)

As for Thick vs Thin walled, I have both, and the thick just IS HEAVY once you use the thin. remarkable so, especially in a PVC hilt, where the blade may weigh more that it!

IMG_3121.jpgIMG_3124.jpgIMG_3127.jpg

[Miraluka]

I also have been playing around with a few MHS setups.. Okay, maybe its around 5-6 setups. But hey

There will be a lot of that... oh yes... a very lot... I only have about 10,000 MHS combos saved. Some of them are just for fun, some of them are going to be built. I'm working on a dual blade, currently, but it was a tough choice between that and one of my single blade concepts. I ended up going with the dual blade, not because I like the design better, but because I haven't made a dual yet and I always loved them, ever since episode one.

[Generic Jedi]

The batteries that Miraluka linked to will fit inside this holder, but it's out of stoke right now.

The holder was designed to fit inside speaker mount v6, which will also hold a Nano Biscotte soundboard.

[bigkevin61]

The batteries that Miraluka linked to will fit inside this holder, but it's out of stoke right now.

The holder was designed to fit inside speaker mount v6, which will also hold a Nano Biscotte soundboard.

This would normally work, using aluminum parts, but this was going to be a PVC build, and 1" Sched 40 PVC had a 1" ID, and the "speaker mount v6" won't fit inside.

Luckily, with the MHS V2 (with 1" ID), Tim already has Chassis Parts to hold stuff, including 18650's.
Acrylic Chassis Disc for MHSV2 18500/18650
Though, I will admit, with manufacturing tolerances, a 1" Sched 40 PVC's ID is NOT exactly 1.000 Inches. In reality, it is a surprisingly significantly larger than 1.000 (I don't have my pipe & calipers on me to measure), to a point where I used these discs in a PVC build, and had to "build the discs diameter" up a bit, for a tighter fit.

[Generic Jedi]

The holder would fit without the speaker mount. You would need to find a way to secure it so it wouldn't slide around though.

[Jay-mo]

Lots of replies since last night, love it! Lets keep this helpful input coming- I really appreciate it, and I'm sure it can help some newbies like myself and lurkers who have yet to join- if your a lurker and your reading this, join. Do your research before posting, and you will learn a lot.

On batteries: I didn't expect much from 4 AAA batteries, an hour or two of sparring would be great. I did, however, order 2 18650's and a holder just for the sake of battery life and not burning a hole in my wallet with disposable batteries. 700mA is a lot of power, and I do have some regrets about not just following Jay-Gon's PVC guide by the book once hearing his opinion.

But this has been a learning experience. If you decide to make your own saber by hand and order all the parts, expect some mess ups, mild frustration, etc. Its like starting any other hobby.. Yes, you will mess up. No, it look perfect or even be valued at what you put into it.

How long should I expect from a quality protected 18650 battery?

On the Thick-Walled vs Thin Walled: I heard that thin walled had a habit of bending slightly when struck, and always figured "Well, replacing the hilt would be more fun.. so why not?". Replacing a blade is easy enough, it seems- but I've been enjoying the hilt making as a hobby, and can always save them for a younglings birthday or as a gift to a friend.

I'll probably swing by a hardware store and try the "sinktube" or some Aluminum next. However, both my heatsinks have a 1" OD- would simply using electrical tape to make up for the extra space be sufficient if I decided to use a sinktube?

@BigKevin61- You are correct, 1" ID PVC isn't exactly 1". Its slightly more, though I haven't measured. My measured 1" OD heatsink can freely slide in it, unless secured. A very small screw or the switch being behind the heatsink should solve this issue, if not a little electrical tape goes a long way. Now, on the thick-walled blades in PVC: I love your input. Are they display only because it would clearly break the PVC, even in spirited/light sparring?

EDIT: @Bigkevin61- Yes, 40" blades are far too large, and heavy after feeling them for the first time. The idea was to be able to cut a blade to a preferred length/experiment with one.

Perhaps it will be best to try making two Shoto saber's first, if the concern is of the hilt breaking in combat. Again- I don't expect us to go "Gorilla" "All out" or what have you. PVC was just a nice medium to work with, albeit disgusting when you sand it- Highly recommend a mask, or respirator if using a belt sander that could "Burn" the PVC... Bleh.

Okay, as I was typing this... My package from TCSS arrived. 2 40" blades, 2 blade caps, 2 switches, and an extra 4-cell holder to mess with.

First impressions: Im going to have to go get a sinktube or aluminum. These blades are hefty!

[Miraluka]

Thin wall vs thick wall? Just use thin.

Here's the thing... if you're hitting a thick wall with a thick wall or a thin wall with a thin wall, neither one of them is likely to break but eventually, they will. Thick wall might seem better because yes, if you beat a thin wall with a thick wall, the thin one will break first. But thin wall are lighter, brighter, and as long as everyone is using thin walls, everyone should be fine... mostly.

[bigkevin61]

"These blades are hefty!"

I'm assuming you went with the thick walled?

If weight is't an issue, I actually prefer the thick walled blades.
The 1/8" wall gives you a "thinner central core" look (if using clear tube).
And yes, you will be hard pressed to bend the thick walled tube enough to see the cellophane (difuser material) crinkle, even in aggressive sparing.
I have thin walled blades, and you can easily bend the tubes, and when you do, you see crinkles in the cellophane. The good news is I haven't permanently damaged the blade or cellophane with light/medium sparring yet.

[Jay-mo]

@Miraluka- I think ill go with thin from now on, at least if i plan to spar with a pvc hilt.

@Bigkevin61- Yeah, I went with thick walled. I think it warrants making a deeper blade hole at the minimum, at least, with PVC. In the meantime, ill keep an eye out for some sinktubes when Im out!

I am, however, proud to report that I made my first saber last night- 700mA @ 6v on 4-AAA's is bright enough to illuminate my small room! I'll try to get some pictures up today or tomorrow. Cannot wait for some 18650s.

I do need to work on rolling the diffusion film for a cleaner look, but so far, even as crude as my first job is, Its not bad! No glue yet, so i can always re-roll the film.

I haven't sparred with it yet- but the blade is about 2" deep, with the retention screw about 1" down the blade holder. It can take quite a beating though!

Next step.. Metal hilts, or, a MHS hilt!