DIY: Makotosai style blades

[Ti-el_terall]

Hey all. As technology moves forward, more techniques are being used to make sabers. The most promising of these new techniques would have to be Makotosai's blades IMHO. Since info on these blades is few, and hard to understand, I have decided to show what I believe to be his most current technique. He uses 40 degree LED's, and I'm only using 20. Any ways here we go.

What you need
LED's 40 degree
Needle nose pliers
Clippers
Breadboard
Solder iron and materials
Wire



First, you must now which side is your positive and negative. Once you have that figured out, trim the legs so they are equal size.




Next, bend the legs at a 90 degree angle



Next, spread the two metal legs apart, then place on bread board.




Repeat until you have about 5 LED's.


Next cut a length of wire as long as the LED segment. Strip the whole wire and twist it together.




Now solder each led to the wire, remember to tin the led first and make sure they are all the right way around.



Repeat on other side then remove segment from bread board.


Now cut off the excess metal legs


Enjoy

[bludragon071889]

These connections do not seem as sturdy as Makoto's cause he actually hooks each led to the next. Have you tried dueling with your new blade? Nonetheless, this seems like a much faster way to link the leds, thanks

[LANDO CALRISSIAN]

Hey ti-el_terall

I was having a hard time seeing things in my old age, so I made your pics clickable. I don't know if I'll ever go back to a ladder system, but if I do I now know how. Thanks for the tutorial.

Lando

[Ti-el_terall]

Thanks Lando,

Bludragon071889, when you link all  the led'd together imo, it is still not that sturdy. By using multi strand wire, the whole strand can easily flex back and forth. I have yet to make a full blade, in fact. i actually just burnt out the strand of 5 leds.

[Gijus Sudet]

How is this technique any better at lighting a blade? Isn't this the same way that MR uses to light its blade? I'm not saying that this is the wrong way, but I'm just confused. It just looks too fragile. Defiantly not something that could be used for dueling. If i am wrong about this please let me know. It just seems to me like moving backwards instead of forwards in light saber technology. But thats just my opinion.

[jpbeck]

It's not any better, just different. Has anyone tried wiring two or three MR LED strings a series? Basically the same thing here.

[Ti-el_terall]

It's better in a few ways.

Better LED's, but only if you buy the right ones.

More durable. The way Iv wired them is plenty strong, as long as it's soldered right. Its pretty much a flexible string of leds.

[jpbeck]

Maybe a Standardized Telephone Pole Smacking Test is in order? Not really, I don't care all that much.

Glad your enjoying yourself though.

[bludragon071889]

The thing i liked about matoko's style is that every led is physically hooked into the next led so the strand is not held only with the solder. thats why i asked

[Ti-el_terall]

Yeah Iv made both versions of his blade, but used this tutorial.
http://blog.yam.com/robberlee

Maybe a Standardized Telephone Pole Smacking Test is in order? Not really, I don't care all that much.

Glad your enjoying yourself though.

Huh? I think the blade is durable, iv bent the entire blade and it still completely intact.

Wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but it kinda sounds like some people are offended

[jpbeck]

I'm not offended-- not in the least, and I was being sincere about the "glad your having fun" bit.   I'm sure the blade is durable, I'd just like to see someone crazy enough to smack their saber against a telephone pole to prove it.

[Ti-el_terall]

Tell you what, I'll finish up a full strand and test her out

[Unseen_jedi]

Coolness, that design looks sturdy and bright! I always wondered how that guy got such bright non-Hyperdyne sabers. Sneaky.

But I have a question: Since LEDs seem to emit a brighter light from the top than from the side, would a blade actually be brighter if you angled the LEDs to point outward instead of toward the blade tip? Let me know if anyone has tried this. Thanks.

[Ti-el_terall]

Hey, you have a good point, LED's mostly shine at a 20 degree angle. That is why it is best to use ones with higher degree's. Maotosai use's 40, I'm trying out 100 degree.

Also, I have gotten a hold of some better LED's. It seems the legs on mine were quit short and on these others you can do the other method of his blade better. Comparing the two, it seems everyone was right, it does have more structural integrity.

[GRAND MOFF TARKIN]

When my buddies would use led lights behind the gauges on their cars, they would sand them to help disperse the light. I don't know if it takes away from the brightness at all but it might be worth a shot..