FX-Sabers.com
FX-Sabers Discussion - Including a Gallery of custom sabers. => Saber Modifications & Customs => Topic started by: Shadeslinger on August 02, 2007, 02:38:00 PM
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An excellent topic Lord Tyranus! 8) I have yet to fully delve into building any custom sabers although I do have a few empty hilts lying around. The biggest questions I would have is not so much the soldering and electronics, but how to successfully mount and keep the electronics inside the hilt securely.
I'll keep an eye on this thread with great interest! ;D
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Actually Erv has a really nifty way of installing modules. ;)
https://www.plecterlabs.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=19 (https://www.plecterlabs.com/catalog/article_info.php?articles_id=19)
I'll add this when I get to the actual electronics section. As I will be using erv's soldering tutorial link as well.
I have a few items to add from JudgeSaberSmith, because he has been posting some very helpful hints in other threads as well.
I'll have to hit Do-Clo, Ultra, and Yoda's Topics for quotes as well.
Anyone can add there knowledge or experiences in THIS thread so I can sort through and add things, as I write. :)
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;D
Great job dt and i know how hot that solder can be lol :D :Dsafety shoes are a must lol :D ;)
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Hey DT...
My recommendation is to erase all the comments you have on here, and make it so that it is stickied and locked.
This way you can continue topics as you see fit, without people bogging down the thread.
Will make things easier for people to search for topics inside the thread.
Just my thoughts.
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I'll do just that! Perhaps I can add a suggestion thread for those who would like to contribute and just split the topic. That way I can have the guide as a WIP and still take suggestions!
Thanks for the input Vader! I'm working on it now...
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Hello everyone. At Vader's recommendation I have locked the Guide topic and moved all the posts not pertaining to the main body of it here.
This is the thread to add your suggestions, comments, and questions. I plan on working on this in my spare time, So it will be sticky for ease of use.
It is going to take some time for me to scour through the boards for sources for my guide, but i the end I hope it helps some of those padawan saber builders out there to get a grasp on the basics!
Thanks for looking, and any suggestions will be considered. :)
May you be Powerful!
~Lord Tyrannus
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DT - this is a great idea and a helpful and appreciated resource - I'm sure it'll be appreciated by other keen newbs to modding like myself. I'm fairly artistic but quite spontaneous and manic and chaotic when I'm doing creative stuff, so I'll be mindful of your safety tips and the other practical considerations for sure. Thanks for putting the time in to this ;)
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Thanks for the comment Sethski! It may not look like wuch right now, but rest assured I have a BIG update coming soon! ;)
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Saber Chassis like seen in the Graflex Sneak Peak will eventually be available for other hilts like the MHS etc...
It will take some time until they are ready but they are in the plans ;)
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Thank you for the info Master Yoda. :) I will make sure to include this in my updated listing as soon as I finish touching a few things up before posting.
I plan on re-formatting the guide a little, so it has taken me longer than I first planned to get things "just right" to allow for an easy read, and searchability. :)
Update coming soon!
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A couple of things that I thought might be helpful:
One is a list of established suppliers of part and components that aren't specific to sabers ( I appreciate that the S.A.B.E.R. guild is there for those that do deal in saber-specific stuff and is a very useful resource) e.g. www.batteryspace.com. Also having suppliers in different parts of the world might be helpful e.g. for myself in the UK it would probably work out cheaper to order within Europe if there's a supplier for something that I'd otherwise have to order from the U.S.
Also on an international theme, a multi-region/multi-language glossary might be helpful for technical terms. I would think that this could be helpful for members who's first language isn't English (although not knocking anyone's English as when this is the case people still seem very articulate writing in English) and I've noticed that some stuff is just called different things in different parts of the world. e.g. I'm pretty ignorant about technical stuff but am beginning to learn - I remember getting blank stares from guys in local DIY shops when I was asking if they sold set screws, but when I did a bit of homework and found out that they're known as grub screws in the UK I got what I was after. I'm sure there must be other things that are named differently depending where you are.
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Here something I'm learning right now:
Don't panic.
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Very true, if you panic, and get frustrated, stop everything... Take a walk, grab a soda, play a game, do whatever you need to calm yourself.
You would be quite surprised that typically the simplest solution to an issue while building you saber is normally the best.
Don't overthink, be practical. Thinking outside the box is great, but if you get too involved you can overcomplicate things. I learned that the hard way!
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I have a suggestion: Dont get crazy trying to fabricate unecessary things for your saber, i.e. saber sleds/chassis. A lot of people start off with MR/Hasbro FX boards cause they're plentiful, inexpensive and sound pretty good. If you're making an MHS based saber, the little cradle that most of the sound boards come in, when you take off the top half, will slide nicely right in the MHS hilts, BAM! No need to make crazy PVC sleds or some elaborate chassis, especially if you're new at this. I can post pics if necessary DT. ;D
Also, a Dremel Fu Kata: As much as possible, when using the cut off wheel on your Dremel to cut sink tube, go AGAINST the rotation of the wheel. This will give you more control and not let the wheel control you resulting in gouges and run offs. It will also cut faster.
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i have a suggestion. anytime you want to fabricate something totally custom, you should see if anyone else has ever done and fi they can recommend to you the proper way or the proper people to get to do it. I have had to do it on many things, not just on the saber I am building.
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If you haven't done it already in your next big update a section about MR FX / Hasbro FX L.E.D.'s would be very helpful for those of us that are still Saber smith Padawan's. I bought a cheap MR FX saber used and have black spot to repair. I have no clue what type of L.E.D. to look for. ???
BTW: Soldering, I can do. But I'm sure theres a ton of people out there that have never tried it.
A TUT on proper soldering technique would help a lot of people to get started ((safely)). ;D
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Usually, repairing a single LED on a ladder is more trouble then it's worth, which is why most people choose to convert them with a removable blade and a 3W LED. I'm sure that thought has crossed your mind and obviously, some people don't want to loose the ramping effect from a stock MR.
If you plan on doing that, I would say try to find an LED ladder from the same type of saber so that it matches the color and intensity of the other LEDs. If your trying to repair an Anakin ROTS, find an Anakin ROTS saber. And honestly, it would be easier to replace the whole ladder. A lot of people sell the ladders when they're done stripping out the soundboard. Maybe put a wanted in the Trade Federation. Warning though... it's not easy to do (replacing single LED's on a ladder)... I've done it twice... and would care not to do it a third time.
Good luck.
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I would love to see a complete step by step video of wiring a US 2.5 .... it would be very handy ...... and what about a vid on cutting out overlays
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Usually, repairing a single LED on a ladder is more trouble then it's worth, which is why most people choose to convert them with a removable blade and a 3W LED. I'm sure that thought has crossed your mind and obviously, some people don't want to loose the ramping effect from a stock MR.
If you plan on doing that, I would say try to find an LED ladder from the same type of saber so that it matches the color and intensity of the other LEDs. If your trying to repair an Anakin ROTS, find an Anakin ROTS saber. And honestly, it would be easier to replace the whole ladder. A lot of people sell the ladders when they're done stripping out the soundboard. Maybe put a wanted in the Trade Federation. Warning though... it's not easy to do (replacing single LED's on a ladder)... I've done it twice... and would care not to do it a third time.
Good luck.
I'm very interested in what you posted.
Why is it so difficult to repair these LED ladders?
Is it more than just 2 solder joints?
Are single LED's like these not sold unless they are from some secret stash only found on these LED saber ladders?
If you want to take this to a new thread we can, I can move this.
Thanks
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So with all of that being said. I'm very interested in what you posted.
Why is it so difficult to repair these LED ladders?
Is it more than just 2 solder joints?
No.
very small solder points.
If you're used to soldering on tiny PCB points.... then this should be a breeze for you. But probably not for a novice.
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So with all of that being said. I'm very interested in what you posted.
Why is it so difficult to repair these LED ladders?
Is it more than just 2 solder joints?
No.
very small solder points.
If you're used to soldering on tiny PCB points.... then this should be a breeze for you. But probably not for a novice.
Oh ok, great. If you or anyone knows the spec on these LED's so I can search for an exact replacement.
Or a good place to get them that already deals with saber parts I would really be grateful! ;D
TCSS said they do not deal with those.
I imagine I will need to try and find one with a bin # that will be very close to the rest in the ladder to avoid a bright or dark spot.
I have considered buying another used (3 cell AA) Vader tree and just replacing the whole thing. So far that cost is around $15-$20.00 shipped.
If that is the only way to avoid a mis-matached LED in the chain, then that may be my best option.
Oh and yes I have considered converting this saber. But I really like the Power up / down effect.
So I may end up taking Chewbacca's offer on a used Vader blade complete with the LED ladder.
Thanks again.
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I really like erv's tutorial on mounting electronics in you hilt i think i will be doing my
hilt this way.
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So with all of that being said. I'm very interested in what you posted.
Why is it so difficult to repair these LED ladders?
Is it more than just 2 solder joints?
No.
very small solder points.
If you're used to soldering on tiny PCB points.... then this should be a breeze for you. But probably not for a novice.
Good call there.
I would also like to mention that each LED has a small resistor on the ladder. These are surface mount, and if you use too much heat near them, they can come off or be damaged in the process. Great care and precision must be implemented, and for the untrained, it can be quite a daunting, and even frustrating expense in futility.
One thing I do recommend: Depending on the model of FX, some LEDs are actually not visible in the chain. Anakin ROTS, Darth maul, and the Luke ANH come to mind here. If you have an LED that goes out higher in the chain; Mid blade for example, you can easily remove one to four LEDs from the base of the ladder, replace them with an LED that may be a bit off color, and use the transplanted LED higher in the chain.
I have done this on a couple of Darth Maul Strings that had a couple of dead LEDs and it worked pretty well.
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How about this one....
Make it work OUTSIDE the hilt first! I know it's a simple suggestion, but I have certainly learned the lesson over and over again that it is wise to check all of your components out and make sure they work (And work together) before you commit them to a hilt.
This means to wire the items together on the bench first and give them a fuctionalality check before you permenantly wire them together and insert them in to a hilt. It not only makes sure that things work, but it also is a good test to make sure you have a good handle on how things are wired and that your wiring is correct.
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Only if I had the money to try out some of these good ideas!
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unlocked and bumped:
This is not a topic to solicit your sales/wares/and personal agenda. This is an informative topic. Discussions, chit-chat and postwhoring will be deleted.
If u have a tutorial, post it.
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Darth my reply had a small tutorial in it and it was about building custom hilts from brass and copper. so I guess well see if this gets replaced with off topicc flame/ranting again.
I make custom brass and copper hilts and am willing to share my designs and tricks with any one who wants them.
I had posted a little guide on making heat sinks and led holder but darth vader here deleted it. it involves using copper sheet. you cut a circle to the size of your hilt with four legs coming off each edge, you then bend the legs all up at about a 75 degree angle so that when you push it into your saber the legs have to be squeezed in. this acts as a spring and and will hold your led or transistor perfectly in the middle of your tube..really easy to build to and has worked a charm for me..ive got two sabers using this method to hold and heat sink the leds and to do the same for the transistors. this method means you dont need to drill holes or glue things in..it can be slid out and then pushed back in easy as.
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(free help darth vader I never mentioned selling or solictating anything only how they could contact me for FREE help...I dont sell anything....)
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If you have a tutorial, post a new thread in data sheets. http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0 (http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0)
No one will find it here, when they need it.
Darth Vader will deal with you himself.