Finally...
I've had the vintage Graflex for about 6 months. It was a bit of a challenge to gut it and get it ready for conversion. Then I got Erv's CF in November. All I needed was a chassis. I was contemplating making one but then Yoda busted out the ones he had for sale and here I am.
I must say that putting it together was not that bad. I never got really frustrated (like with the USB 2.0) and I just did a little bit here and there in the evenings. I'd say the worst part (which really wasn't that bad) was discovering the CF is setup for a latching switch and Yoda's chassis are made for momentary. Since I have a Mac, I had to find someone with a PC so I could format the SD card and make some adjustments. Luckily, my sister lives nearby and she has a PC laptop. I was able to load some different sound fonts and make the swing more sensitive (and change to momentary power on switch). Even that went will with no glitches. I was actually surprised. The only thing I need now is a kill switch because the batteries drain pretty fast when not in use and it's a hassle taking them out.
I'm running a blue 5W LedEngin led at 1300ma which is pretty bright. The Ultrablade fits the best and looks pretty good too. I have a TCSS Corbin+cellophane that looks good too but is a tight fit. I love the flicker. No pics but the camera isn't accurate anyway. It's bright and blue.
I shimmed the blade holder with black vinyl tape so now it fits tight and solid. No more rattling.
Here are some current pics of the hilt. I still need to put the screws on the grips. I'm not planning to put chrome tape around the clamp. I like the way it looks with the GRAFLEX stamped on it. I don't need to be "movie accurate".
The little red ribbons sticking out of the batteries are what I use to pull them out to cut the power. I'm going to have to put a little kill switch in there somewhere so I don't have to do that anymore.
I'm super happy with it and just blown away by it. It feels so good in your hand. Heavy and solid - like you'd expect a "real" lightsaber to feel like.
Excellent to see it all came together for you so well Jedi-Diah
I'm glad you like the weigh of it, not to heavy but not to light and it does balance a thin walled blade properly
as I'm sure you've noticed by now 8)
I'm also glad you got the kill switch in there with out to much trouble and you got the upgraded batteries
I've been recommending.
Good work and of course if again you seek Yoda, know where to find me you do :D
MTFBWY
always
YODA
I am also working on coming out with a "battery removal tool" that will make that easier as well as
some upgrade/accessory parts (that I will hopefully be able to come out with by summer time)
that can be attached to any chassis for a little extra visual impact ;)