FX-Sabers.com
FX-Sabers Discussion - Including a Gallery of custom sabers. => Saber Modifications & Customs => Topic started by: Nemezis on November 08, 2020, 06:44:01 AM
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Actually, it's a lie.. it's not my first build but this is the first one that will probably go to completion.
Aim:
- Graflex ESB based.
- Presentation hilt essentially based on showing the inner functioning of a lightsaber.
- Rigid enough to "play a bit" with it.
- All metal (ok.. mostly metal) in order to have some weight in hand.
- 18650 3400mah Li Re-chargeable battery.
- Veco 28mm 2w 8ohm Bass Speaker.
- CFX driven.
- RGB High Power Led.
- Stay on a budget.... Wait.. Did I really meant it at first?.. Ok, Stay on an acceptable budget.. Hmm.. well.. forget about that point. :cheesy:
Providers: (I hope it's ok to list them without a direct link to their site.)
- TGS for the Graflex. (Version 1.9)
- Shapeways for most of the chassis parts.
- MBSaber for the blade plug + some details. (see remarks about design)
- JQSabers UK for connectors, speaker and other small stuff.
- Amazon (nuts, bolds, rods, and so on).
- Different parts recovery or taken appart from.. nearly everything. (Have you noticed that when looking for lightsaber parts, EVERYTHING looks like a lightsaber?)
Design:
Let's face it, I'm not an artist. I searched all over the net to find ideas.. And god, some ppl have wonderful ideas.
Unfortunately, I'm not of that kind. So I had to base my design on some other guys' work.
..
In this case, I can't hide it, Martin Beyer has been my muse.
But since I had already design some parts of my saber, I wanted to adapt his work to mine.. First mistake.
Moreover, MBSabers metal parts on Shapeways are quite expensive (at least I thought so initially) and I wanted to stay on a budget.. Second mistake.
Since I'm pretty good at CAO/CAD drawing, I redesigned parts to connect to my initial work
But let's face it.. Designing parts where tolerances are around 0,05mm is quite more challenging than what I was used to.
It's a long and fastidious iterative process where you draw, let it print, wait for delivery, correct it.. and do it again..
After a while, you understand that, after all, designers are NOT asking that much for their designed parts.
At that point I had 3 options left:
- Stop everything... Again.
- Drop my processes, accept my losses and go to Martin parts on Shapeways.
- Forget about the budget and continue the iterations while gaining knowledge about designing metal parts.
I took option 3.
Well in that process, I actually dropped nearly all my initial design and let Martin's work guide my project.
His chassis was mature, he had already answer all problems I encountered in a clever and elegant manner.
So yes, my saber will definitely look like his.
Xtal
(https://i.ibb.co/9HRYqgP/Xtal-Chamber-00.jpg)
Xtal Chamber
(https://i.ibb.co/6H1yjbJ/Xtal-Chamber-01.jpg)
Xtal Chamber detail
(https://i.ibb.co/g3vw0Fz/Xtal-Chamber-detail-05.jpg)
Plasma Gate after some weathering
(https://i.ibb.co/DzxZj34/Plasma-Gate-05.jpg)
Plasma Gate first led test
(https://i.ibb.co/k45FLqR/Plasma-Gate-06.jpg)
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Some work on covers
Straight print Bronzed Steel, then after polishing, added some epoxy for the leds and after some wiring
(https://i.ibb.co/0q8DxQf/Covers-01.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/PQHPqmv/Covers-02.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/ZgKrD1k/Covers-03.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/HCTgZ4D/Covers-04.jpg)
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Very nice!
Parts look very high end
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Very nice!
Parts look very high end
Thanks EXAR..
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Blade plug
Parts from MB Sabers and a test assembly before weathering.
Black screws won't stay.. just used them for a fast check.
(https://i.ibb.co/SxrTDtm/Blade-Plug-1.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/3WzRPdm/Blade-Plug-2.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/rbVxsw5/Blade-Plug-10.jpg)
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Time for some electronics
After a short brainstorming I came to that:
(https://i.ibb.co/mymHVYN/CFX01.jpg)
Let's heat up things.. Ok no epic pics on that one.. Just a little story:
First electronics testing.. seemed ok for 2 min.. but I underestimated the heat the HPL would generate and .. of course, didn't mount HPL on an heatsink.
Result: solder failed.. expensive noise and then.. the sad sound of silence.. Total cost: 1 HPL and 1 brand new CFX.
Second try: and when integrated in frame it gives that:
(https://i.ibb.co/9tWcZ2f/Electronics-02.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/7VRMnKk/Electronics-05.jpg)
Now the "headache" part.. I have 5x26AWG + 4x28AWG + 2x30AWG wires and only 2x3mm inner dia. tubes to let them go to the upper part of the saber.
Could make the trick but my 26AWG are silicon coated.. :rolleyes:
Well.. with some patience it works. (no pic yet)
Let's try to close the main frame:
(https://i.ibb.co/n7LtVYd/Electronics-08.jpg)
(No, it's not the final speaker.. just a small one for tests.)
.. To be continued..
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Quality work so far. Very impressive- looking forward to seeing the final piece!
Bit of feedback on wiring, if you'd be interested, is usually wire leads are soldered on top of the board to the pad, rather than poking the wire through the hole. lends itself to have a stronger connection and protects from shorts as well!
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Quality work so far. Very impressive- looking forward to seeing the final piece!
Bit of feedback on wiring, if you'd be interested, is usually wire leads are soldered on top of the board to the pad, rather than poking the wire through the hole. lends itself to have a stronger connection and protects from shorts as well!
Thanks a lot.
Inner frame should be done by this WE I hope. For the rest of the hilt, I'm still waiting for some parts unfortunately.
I'm always interested by feedbacks and knowledge.
I'm used to traditional soldering where you have plenty of space around. Micro space is quite new for me and I'm definitely out of my comfort zone.
So of course I'll do that for my next build. It makes full sense.
Thanks for the tip.
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Some rethinking today..
I had cut my fins in 0,5mm steel but since I modded the fin separators (initially in steel as well) into brass, I cut some new fins out of 0,4mm brass plates I had in stock.
(https://i.ibb.co/nDZcr7t/Fins-01.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/M94N1HQ/Fins-02.jpg)
So, I may start the final mounting..
(https://i.ibb.co/MsvFfZj/Final-build-02.jpg)
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Mounted and pre-weathered
Wanted it to be ready this WE. It's not final yet but there will only be some minor weathering details to be added.(Some dust and rust around)
Also went for some shopping on Saberfont to pick some smooth swing fonts up. Really nice and pro packages there.
(https://i.ibb.co/XkBwJJ8/Final-01.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/DzbvHsg/Final-02.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/G3y4Gq7/Final-05.jpg) (https://i.ibb.co/0XRNhrZ/Final-04.jpg)
(https://i.ibb.co/5MtPk7t/Final-03.jpg)
Now it's time to build the graflex that goes around.
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Looks great, hope it slides into the graflex without to much work. Mind if I ask what the ballpark shaleways cost was for the chassis parts you chose?
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Actually, it fits without any mod on a TGS 1.9.. But it has been designed for it so it's rather a relief that it fits :D
(https://i.ibb.co/PGDWgrt/Graf01.jpg)
For the chassis, even if it was not the aim initially, it's a redesign I made from MB Sabers model.
If I take only the "final" parts and forget about the multiple "fails/proto", Shapeways costs are around 550$.
Plus the MBSaber emitter (blade plug) + its decorations, you add another 200$. (100$ Shapeways, 100$ directly on MB Sabers)