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Thread: MHS Nihilus Custom Build

  1. #1

    Default MHS Nihilus Custom Build

    My inspiration:


    Parts List:
    Blade Holder Style 18
    Flat Heat Sink and MHS Module
    Red, Red, White tri-cree
    1.2 Ohm 3 watt resistors x 2
    Carclor Lens
    2 inch double female
    Switch 22
    Gender Changer
    Hilt Style 1
    TCSS Shroud Material 12"
    Chassis Disk 5 for lock in with Gender Changer into 2" section
    2 chassis Disk 2 for Crystal Chamber
    Nano Biscotte IV
    2 NBIV Chassis Disks
    2.1 mm switchcraft recharge port
    RC Port Chassis Disks
    Threaded Rods
    Various brass tubes for chassis support
    Blank kill key (cut down to fit in chassis)

    Sourced Elsewhere:
    5mm Red LED x3 (2 for RC Port Disk, one for crystal chamber
    5mm White LED for crystal chamber
    quartz crystal point
    Casey's Aluminum Black
    Testor's Metallic Gold (for accents) in shattered weathering

    Parts Arrive from TCSS!!!!!


    Hilt build and mock-up begins, lots of shroud cuts to give that Hatteras Lighthouse Handle Look (I'm from NC, had to find the tie in to my home!)



    Chassis mock-up/brainstorm


    Shattered weathering.....it pained me greatly fire up the dremel and carve up this brand new shiny hilt that I did all this work on...it was very difficult to fathom how this would work, but in the end, it did.


    Added Casey's Aluminum Black to help the shrouds/shatter stand out from hilt a bit, add contrasting layers.


    I found out that TCSS Shrouds are coated or painted with something that has to be sanded off to get the shroud to take Aluminum Black, that was a painful process as well, because TCSS Material is so perfect when it arrives, you just hate to mess it up; however, it was necessary.

    Chassis readied for wiring:


    Wiring Disaster: (it wasn't a disaster in the end, but it always looks like a mess when the wires are long)


    First Fire:



    Final Product:


    Saber In Action (Demo/Instructions, full build vid in next post)


    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  2. #2

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    Full vid, its long, but if you're curious about my sanity, this will confirm any suspicions you may possess!



    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  3. #3

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    Damn fine build man! Excellent job!

  4. #4
    Sith Warrior darth_chasm's Avatar
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    Nicely done Tom. You put some work into this and it shows.
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  5. #5

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    Thanks guys, that means a great deal coming from you two. I want to do another one to get better resonance in the aft end. I was trying to get the layered rear swallow tail, and left the pommel open. I think if I put a normal pommel on (that the shroud can go over), leave the lower hilt in tact, and cut both sides of the swallow tail out of TCSS shroud, I could get a better resonance chamber to make the saber louder. Its loud, just not loud enough, it could be better. I have to do another of these, and I'm putting a better board in it. S2R3 probably. I'm going to the scrap metal place next week to see if I can find some AL tubing that can fit over the TCSS shroud material. I gotta get more Kylo chassis tube anyway. Then maybe I can maintain the layered swallow tail look, and add some thicker shrouds in on places to give the saber a bit more depth/dimension. I like the general design, but I think it can be better. This one goes to its owner on Saturday.

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  6. #6

  7. #7

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    Well executed. Outstanding damage/weathering. Nice Tom.


  8. #8

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    This is an amazing build. I am going to source these parts and see what the cost comes out to. I want make one similar to this with a Prizm board.

    Is there a 3D printed chassis for this style of saber or a file that I could use so I can print it myself? I don't need the crystals chamber stuff. Just a solid Prizm chassis that holds a 28mm speaker.

    Thanks
    Last edited by G3-R6; 04-16-2018 at 09:29 PM.

  9. #9

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    I am creating another Nihilus saber as we speak. The shrouds are being cut as we speak. I plan on making tons of improvements, including refined crystal chamber. I plan on spending a great deal of time on the crystal chamber on this next one.

    Yes there are 3D Print options, but we cannot speak of them here. I do think that a scratch built chassis with TCSS disks is more rewarding, and you can be far more creative/artistic in your styling once you learn how to build them.

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  10. #10

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    I look forward to seeing your Nihilus II and how you choose to enclose the speaker that you were unable to cover in your first iteration of the Nihilus. That was your major self-criticism of that build that weren't quite satisfied with, I gather. Instead of dremeling all of the details and "cracks" that you did on that saber, are you going to try to electroetch or chemically etch some of the damage onto the saber exterior? You might be able to achieve finer "hairline" cracks that way instead of bolder lines.

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