A flat Blade idea...

[FenderBender]

I say give it a shot anyway, ya never know what you're going to get. It may not be the best looking thing, but it'll damn sure come out better than any of the "black blade" ideas

Some people have also lit up flat acrylic sheet that has been frosted to achieve sword like shape blades.

[Crystal Chambers]

Would EL wire be any kind of solution? In theory you could outline the edges of the blade from inside. I don't know much at all about EL but it seems like a reasonable idea.

[TimeRender]

Yeah CC, I think EL might be better for this idea, but that's just a hunch. The only way to really do a brightness comparison between the two would be to build it both ways and find out.

[darkkhild]

Could you point me in the right direction of what I need to know about EL? I know somewhat about LEDs but EL's .....???

Thanks

[Jedi-Loreen]

There's a whole forum right above this one about EL sabers. Lots of info about Electroluminescent wire in there.

Much of it written by me.

[Enolmano]

Or you could just go with a makoto style blade. That way you will not have any problem with the tip (if you do bend the pc) being dim or dark. Problem with this should be diffusion.

<b>Idea:</b> Say that you have bent and flattened out the pc so it looks more like a katana blade. And you use (partially) sanding (or blasting) as diffusion, what if you sand the "edge" of the blade in another way? To similate the effect the katana blade has due to its hardening process.

IE to similate this effect:
http://www.paul-chen-swords.com/cont...nite-blade.jpg


Btw, this sounds cool. And as usual there is only one way to find out if it works or not.

TRY!

[TimeRender]

How would makoto style lighting fit in a flattened blade? Creating a hamon line on your blade might be interesting though.

[darkkhild]

I will be putting an order in after the first for parts and to get a few ideas underway. Thanks for all the ideas and info.
I will keep you all posted as I make progress into this plan.

[Blade-Rave]

I had a similar idea to this, though instead of relying on something like a Luxeon, it involves the use of makoto style LEDs, like TimeRender mentioned. though, if it was possible and if I were you, I'd make it a clear blade and have at least 2 or 3 LEDs that light up/turn off in sequence (like how the sabers from MR have the extending effect, but instead of retracting, they shut off in the same order they power on.

Though, to implement something like that WOULD be difficult, I have a similar goal for a future project, so I'd say at least explore your options.

[TimeRender]

Don't misrepresent me BR. I never suggested using Makoto style LEDs in a flat blade. In fact, I don't see how it is at all possible, and I hinted at that in an earlier response. I haven't built a Makoto yet, but it's my understanding that it takes up most of the space in an ordinary blade, so I can't see how it could fit inside one that has been squished flat. The only option I do see working is EL, either in wire or sheet form.