My first saber build for my sith character Darth Malefica

[Tahn Zelik]

Johannes,

Definitely some good thoughts there, thanks. Though I actually took most of this into account in my basic design.

The reason the tactile switches are mounted on the wooden ring is to prevent any interference with the heat sink and the threading at the joint there. The switches are entirely external to the choke part and do not extend inside. The reason for the two aluminum tubes below the wooden ring is to allow me to run the switch wiring into the hilt below the heat sink. And I already have all these parts installed now... The LED die, heat sink, switches and wiring for batteries, LED, and switches are all already in place now. The only parts not installed now are the batteries, the CF board, the color extender board, the speaker, and a single RGB LED to illuminate the crystal. Though it's a snug fit, there is now room for a pair of 18500 batteries in the choke. And there is plenty of room in the lower part of the hilt, below the crystal chamber to install the two PCBs and a speaker at the lower end. I should have no trouble keeping the recharge port where it is. Of course I will need to keep my wiring nice and neat but I don't anticipate any real problems. Of course now that I said that I'm sure something unexpected and very silly will crop up at the last minute.

I really do appreciate the input though and am certainly not above asking for advice if feel I need it. I'll be sure to post photos of the installation once I have all the parts. Hopefully I really have planned as well as I think I have =)

And I too agree with your comments on saber design philosophy. I think a lightsaber should be a reflection of, and complementary to, the one creating and wielding it.

[Tahn Zelik]

I just posted some photos in the stickied costume thread of me in my Sith Lord costume. My partner shot them for me today on our way back home to the bay area from the Northern reaches of California.

[Tahn Zelik]

I wanted to add a few interesting details on the chassis so I did a bit of engraving with a hammer and chisel...

[Tahn Zelik]

For those concerned about space for wiring my saber here are a couple shots of my wiring ready to install the CF and CEX boards. Leads with a yellow quick tie are for the batteries, red is the high power LEDs, and white are the two switches. The recharge port is pulled out in the photo but you can see the hole for it at the bottom of the chassis.