A diffuser idea/question

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

I got this idea thinking about this, and hadn't heard it mentioned before so... you know how Corbin's film diffuser works, right, with the horizontal sanding marks? Also, I have heard it mentioned that 3/4" thickwall blades are too dim to use for LED sabers, I guess because 1/2" isn't enough to give out a lot of light. I seem to recall also some poeple discussing sanding the inside of the blade instead of using a diffuser. SO... why not sand the outside of the blade? for example: you could have a drill bit enlarged with duct tape on on the inside of one end, and have the other end on a rod held stationary in a vice or whatever. You spin the blade using the drill, and move sandpaper up and down the blade. With some practice and the right grit sandpaper, you should probably be able to get the same effect as Corbins blade film, or at least a diffuser of some kind. In that case, a 3/4" blade done in this way would be as bright as a thickwall 1" blade! And what if, on top of this, you put a diffuser on the inside of the tube? Core effect!
So, what do you think? Would it work?

-Luke

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

Well, I tried it out on an 8" long piece of 3/4" polyC. The result was very interesting. You know how you can see the polyC on the outside of the diffuser? well, obviously, its different here, because the diffuser is technically on the outside of the blade, which gives it an interesting look; I think it makes it look more "realistic"

[Hasid Lafre]

I did some lightsanding on the outside of my old blade and it turned out pritty good, mainly it was to get rid of this nice gouge I put init.

but if you duel after a while it will smooth itself out again. the only advantage of sanding the outside of the blade will make it easyer to lock up blades without having them slide around to all heck.

[xwingband]

What you are describing is a lot like a dual tube. The thing I don't like about sanding is the potential for unevenness. I prefer matte spray. I'd love to try a bead blasting too.

I don't like going about tons of ways when the base isn't that good to begin with and I just go for the thin walled 3/4".

[Er Dan Gill]

I sanded the blade for my Obi conversion using 800 grit wet or dry sand paper. In the the bathtub with a little dawn dish soap thrown in. I mainly did it to get rid of the battle scars on the blade. For looks, in my opinion without a diffuser the light is too bright bouncing off the mirror in the tip. Maybe on a blade that has no mirror it might look better though.

[Luke-SkyMarcher]

Here's some pictures I got:
This is a thickwall 3/4" blade with corbin's blade film


This is the section I sanded the outside of:

[xwingband]

Unless you really want the core of Corbin's film I'd try a film like Ultras or Gelu's and a nylon outer tube.

I tried Corbin's and nylon. I used thin nylon and only a single wrap, but it was mighty impressive. Nylon alone made the color come right to the surface and that I must say is a lot more realistic. The diffuser inside helped even it from imperfections of the tube and brightness over the blade.

[Hasid Lafre]

On my tcss style blade its 33" its got tims diffuser tube that I ran some sand paper thru in and down and light sanding on the blade it looked pritty nice, then I stuck the last 4 foot or so of ultras film I had left over and stuck it in the diffuser tube. and it looks really nice. I let my friend barrow it and it goes really nice with a 3w red.

[Lord Maul]

firebird sandblasted the outside of a thickwalled blade, and that looked awesome.