SgtBatten's JQ Sabers Luke Hero Video Build Log

[SgtBatten]

An Introduction

Hey everyone.
Over the next few weeks i hope to complete my Luke Hero saber from Susan and Daren at JQ Sabers.
I am going to be posting a couple of times a week (i hope) with new videos showing my build step by step.

I first contacted JQ Sabers several months ago looking for a medium priced kit-style saber to be my first ever Lightsaber.
Susan and i discussed a few options but in the end i went for the Luke Hero.
I also added a few extras such as the Decor Kit (which i believe adds the nice control box and leds etc) and an accent led for the pommel.

I ordered a PC-L from TCSS before i'd even chosen my saber, a mistake as it turns out, for only a few weeks later it became unlocked, just as my hilt arrived.
So i sent it back to MH to be reflashed and in the mean time i bought a VV stunt saber and converted it to a Super-Stunt^TM with a Vader ANH fx board.

With that experience under my belt I am keen to complete my Luke Hero now that I have all the parts I need.
FYI shipping to Australia takes months, once your mail gets to our borders they strap it to a Kangaroo and send it on its way.

I'm not sure how instructional these will end up being but I will try to show everything I do so at least you will get to see some things rather than just reading about them.
I will do my best.

So it Begins here:
The Build Log
Note: red titles are click-able to view videos and all pictures are click-able to view larger versions

Part 1 - An Overview of Parts

This video will be pretty boring for most but I still think its important none-the-less. You cant do it without all the bits right?

Not everything is shown in this picture but it gives a general idea of the head explosion i had when it arrived  


Parts List

JQ Sabers

• Luke Hero Hilt
• 36" media blasted maximum brightness blade
• pommel insert
• C-clip
• control box
• brass top piece of control box
• green and red triangle led's with resistors
• pommel accent led with resistor
• control card
• 2 x decorative brass screws
• slide switch for main activation
• momentary tactile switch for aux
• 2.1mm recharge port
• triangle belt ring
• kill key
• premium speaker
• speaker holder
• ledengine 5w green
• battery holder
• 2 x 14500 lithium ion Trustfire rechargeable batteries
• copper heat sink
• thermal tape
• lens and lens holder
• blade plug
• blade retention screw (grub/set screw) and Allen Key

SaberWorks

• ribbed chassis system
• low footprint stand

TCSS

• PC v 1.5

Just going to throw it out there, we have 3 versions of the Petit Crouton, I like to refer to them as PC-L(no optional fonts) PC-U (limited to 1 extra font) and PC (new reflashed version)

Here is a few pictures of the ribbed chassis system by SaberWorks



Part 2 - Control Box

This video is of the gluing of all the switches and LEDs into the control box. I am not wiring them until the end of the build.
Again, this is probably a bit boring but i am trying to document each part so whoever wants to see it can do so.

Here are some pics of the Box after it has set overnight.



Part 3 - Wiring

This video is pretty basic. I simply solder the 3 wires required for my triangle accent LEDs to the Petit Crouton.
You will get an idea of what its like to solder to a PC for the first time. I take it nice and slow and try to do it as neatly and well planned as possible.
I colour code my wires so that I wont need to refer to the writing on the board when the time comes to wire up my control box.

Part 4 - The Y Factor

You guessed it, more wiring. This time I make a simple Y junction for use with my recharge port.

Part 5 - Recharge Port

This video is just the wiring of the recharge port, battery pack etc. I simply followed the diagram given in the PC manual.

In the end it wasn't as simple as I had hoped. I fried my recharge port, I assume by over heating it with the soldering iron.
It took a few days to get the time to go and purchase a new one from the local electronics store.
But this time I soldered it without destroying it.

My recharge port is accessed from the bottom of the saber, through the centre of the pommel insert.
Just enough wire length is left so that the pommel can be set aside to access the SD card.



Part 6 - Main LED

The main LED, a LEDengine 5w green, is wired to the LED pads on the PC.
In this video you see me just twist the wires and solder them directly between the LED and the PC.
After making the video my quick connectors FINALLY arrived and I have since changed the wiring to allow the easy connect/disconnect.



Part 7 - The Chassis

In this video I demonstrate the ingenuity of the SABERWORKS ribbed chassis system.
I try my best to describe how I have shaped the chassis to suit my components.
I was very impressed with the chassis and I must thank Ki-Adi for supplying me with one.
It was much easier than trying to make my own. For my first build, this was so useful

Part 8 - Final Assembly

Time to put the electronics inside the hilt and wire up the control box and speaker.
With that done, the control box just needed to be secured to the hilt and the decorative features glued into place.



Part 9 - Final Video

This last video is a demo/review of the completed saber. I also show how to access the SD card, thanks to LDM for the idea.



blinds closed with flash_________________________blinds open__________________________blinds closed + no flash = blurrrr


Bonus Video - Demo with Blade In


Thank you, and Good Night  

[SgtBatten]

Completed.

Thanks for watching. 

Please give feedback. Positive and negative appreciated.

[Alex Gordon]

How do you have the speaker mounted in there?  You can't just let it free float, trust me. 

[GreyJedi]

FYI shipping to Australia takes months, once your mail gets to our borders they strap it to a Kangaroo and send it on its way.

ROFL  thank you, i needed that tonight.

Your saber looks fantastic, I am sure you are very proud. Is there big sabering community down under?

[SgtBatten]

How do you have the speaker mounted in there?  You can't just let it free float, trust me. 

I wouldn't dream of it

There is a speaker holder which I cut a small section out of to allow the LED wires to run past the speaker, but apart from that, the speaker is held by the proper device.
Even without the holder it would have a hard time moving around even slightly. Its packed in there pretty tight.

@GreyJedi.

I have no idea of the community down here. I know of a few forum members I have spoken with but I am very new to the hobby so I have only been around for a few months.

And yes, i love it. 

[KI-ADI-MUNDI]

Fantastic job man... it really turned out great... Thanks for the shout I'm glad the part worked for your needs... 

[SgtBatten]

Fantastic job man... it really turned out great... Thanks for the shout I'm glad the part worked for your needs... 

Not a problem mate.
It really was an excellent little thing. I spent hours mulling over how to cut it up so my electronics could fit in my hilt.
Next time I think I will use a battery pack and not the battery holder as making room for that holder was tough.
I couldn't have done it without the chassis so cheers.

[Alex Gordon]

I would have loved one of those for my build, but having so many wires, I think it would have been too thick to allow for my huge batteries and my soundboard, and my av switches on top of my batteries, and my 18 wires that had to run on either side of the control box /rant.  Can you pm me how much that kit cost?  I'm thinking about doing a luke hero and I like the thin neck of that much better than an mhs.  Tried to get in touch with the smiths, but said email problems, I want to know if it is worth it to keep trying. 

[SgtBatten]

I will just go look up my paypal history and PM you how much I sent to JQ.

the PC was from TCSS and chassis and stand from Ki-Adi so you can see those prices elsewhere.

Oh and if you have a longer hilt section to use you could do it with the chassis. I only used half the chassis.
You can put the batteries and board on one level and have plenty of room for your switches and wires above.

Look at the videos from SaberWorks. It explains all

[Alex Gordon]

Yeah, I have a chassis (not rcs, but i'm liking the flourescent tube) and a pc I just took out of redemption.  Either going with that or one of the two other designs I have on the table. 

[Sethski]

It turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing the process of the build and the specifics of all the parts as it came - I'd not seen that before. Enjoy! 

[Caine]

Outstanding job! Kudos to you for not be afraid to ask for advice and implementing what you were taught...you did good, you did real good!

[Obi-Shane]

Nice nice! Just came across this thread Batten, I like it. It looks pretty long actually, what is the length on that baby in inches m8? Just curious

        Cheers m8
 
                  Shane

[SgtBatten]

It turned out great! Thanks so much for sharing the process of the build and the specifics of all the parts as it came - I'd not seen that before. Enjoy! 

you are most welcome. It was as much a learning experience for me as for everyone else. I thought I would try and share my first saber as completely as possible.
There's hundreds of review videos around but very few build videos and I thought I could help boost that number.

Outstanding job! Kudos to you for not be afraid to ask for advice and implementing what you were taught...you did good, you did real good!

Thank you Sir. I certainly peppered people with questions haha.

Nice nice! Just came across this thread Batten, I like it. It looks pretty long actually, what is the length on that baby in inches m8? Just curious

I think because I was only editing it with each update, the thread didn't show up in the unread list until I posted the second time :p

As for my length  its pretty big, about 14.75".

[vulcan fox]

a really nice and very useful build log, thanks for posting its much appreciated by us learners