new led saber dude

[djbordie]

hello, quick couple of quesitons/comments...

I am building 2 sabers (vader/luke) from graflex/mpp parts...
and might i say what a pain in the ass...
Should have bought a hilt from this forum lol...

Is a 2 inch blade holder really going to stand up to rigerous dueling?
2 inch blade holder sold here and at graflex shop...

Also, because im a genious, i bought 1"PolyC without a core...thinkin i was smart and that it would withstand more beatings...will this even look good with led? Also i have some solid 1" acrylic which is more translucent...any suggestions? luxeon 3, k2, v? help help hah
or do i just buy a corbin style blade? do they stand up to the punishment?

Also for drivers, can you buy the ramp up/ ramp down driver with sound and clash?
or do i need to wire both boards together?

ALSO!
I noticed you guys have a serious following down there in the states...
Anyone here from Canada like meself? I need to find like minded people who want to duel it out...I have been in Kendo for a real long time and I love it and all, just cant find anyone who is into saber dueling.
Maybe you guys know some forums/groups/websites for canadian saber dueling fans?

Appreciate the help!

[supertrogdor]

There are several Canadians here, although i am not one of them. you can check the map link on the top of the screen to see who your closest constituants are, and there general proximity to your location.
Yes you should buy from here, this forum is attatched to a store, and we prefer to drum up business for the owner... that is just good manners, not to mention, the products here are second to none, and EVERYTHING you need can be found here... All you lightsaber building needs in one convenient stop (plug for MiGinGon). 2 inch blade holders are dandy and keen. I am not a kendo Practitioner, but i have studied Korean Military TaeKwonDo for about 7 years now and we do a bit of weapons, so i am comfortable in saying i really know how to use a saber like a real weapon and i am yet to be worried about the integrity of the holder. Odds are the 1inch solid polyC will take a grand beating indeed, however the core allows us to make a diffusor, which evenly disperses the light and allows it to look like a saber, not a rod with some light at the base. Further discussion on what to buy as far as what kind of LED is a matter of personal preference, how you want to set it up, what kind of batteries you want to use, and how many, and how long you want them to last, blah blah blah you have to pick one and go with it, if you are new to this game get one of the may kits available, it makes life much easier when putting it together. There are lots of options on drivers, and your best options are what is available here in the store, there are also lots of diagrams and threads discussing the best way to work all of the above right here in these forums. So Take some time reading, and searching, and reading, and reading and then give Tim all your money, because this is a grand hobby.
cheers

[LAN-ED-TUL]

well i have built a few real heiland and graflex handles with tims parts, and used a hasbro sound board to run the led in tims holders.

yes, tims holders will stand up to dueling, theyre metal afterall, ya know.

since the hasbro boards that we used before are all gone, theyre still a few of them that can be used, not many tho.

most now, will use a MR gutted board. and for effects, Corbin has a board that will do all the cool stuff, and can be hooked into a MR board too.

you name it, theres some way to do most of it.

do some reading around here and you might find the exact answers you seek.

[Novastar]

2 inch blade holders:

Yup. They work perfectly.

Solid Polycarb?

I've never tried that, but I doubt the light will be able to diffuse properly. Will also be heavy. Use 1" OD and 3/4" ID with some kind of diffusion film. Tim sells it.

LED to choose.

Just start with Lux III for now. Get used to their forward voltage and experiment. THEN try other stuff.

Driver boards.

FX boards will be your best option (for now) for sound, unless you have a giant budget. Erv's card would be stellar for a big budget.

For light only, Corbin's board (available through TCSS) is fantastic for the ramp up/down factor. It CAN be wired in with the FX for sound, but that would really complicate things for a new dude.