Hi. Please feel free to move this if it belongs in another forum.

I'm part of a transient community of jugglers and staff/poi/fire spinners. Last night I was chatting to one of the other staff spinners about getting into hilt building because I use my double Maul FX for staff spinning. I realised that there is a market for glow staffs built with luxeon technology (basically a double ended saber) which would not need any sound or fancy ignition effect so should be reasonably cheap and straightforward to build.

I'd really like to sound the idea out with those of you who have experience of double staff construction (or even just have any ideas).

My design criteria are as follows:
- Double ended removeable blades.
- Does NOT need to be split into two sabers.
- Varying lengths to be constructed, from about 3'6" to 7'
- Hilt must be as plain and unobstructive as possible.
- Ignition switch must NOT be easy to hit accidently (possibly with "safety" dual switch)
- hilt should be as thin as I can reasonably make it.
- Rechargeable battery pack to feed BOTH luxeons simultaneously.
- Would like to use at least a LuxIII and maybe a K2 where it's going to be appropriate (i.e. brighter but not significant battery drain)


I have a good idea on how to start this but have a few questions:

1) Can anyone point me towards a guide to wiring up a rechargeable battery pack to two LEDs? Searching "double" and "double saber" doesn't bring up very specific results!

2) Would it be possible to run 2 LEDs off the same circuit board/driver? (Sorry if the answer is obvious. I'm new!)

3) Practical consideration: I don't need the hilt to separate into two, but I DO need to be able to access the guts to construct and (inevitably) repair it. I could use a double male threaded part and two female sink tubes. However as things stand I'm having real trouble getting hold of chrome sink tubes in the UK and I want to avoid ordering too much from the US as I get charged 17.5% by customs and about £18 by the courier for processing through customs! I could always look into non chrome sink tubes and see if I can get the connectors. Is it easy enough to manufacture the whole thing inside one solid piece of pipe and just remove the remove one LED assembly to access the guts?

4) I need to look into switches properly yet but does anyone have a suggestion of a good recessed switch or to low profile oses that I could wire up as a safety?

5) Is there any reason I shouldn't use K2s as they seem to be brighter (although people say a Lux III is brighter in red?), need less keatsinking and I will have enough room in the hilt for all the batteries I need! Will it be too much driving 2 K2s of the same electronics? Where should I look for wiring guidance of K2s in this arrangement?


Thanks for any help you can offer. I've checked out the main tutorials (inc Corbin's Site) so I have seen how to wire up standard arrangements. I just can't find the answers to my other questions.