MHS Nihilus Custom Build

[Tom Tilmon]

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

[Tom Tilmon]

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



Tom

[Warlock]

Damn fine build man! Excellent job!

[darth_chasm]

Nicely done Tom. You put some work into this and it shows.

[Tom Tilmon]

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

[unclescary]

Wow! Awesome!