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Author Topic: I need help with your Yun hilt...  (Read 5381 times)

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Offline thebigdb

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I need help with your Yun hilt...
« on: June 15, 2015, 08:17:50 PM »
Hey guys…

I just popped off a similar email to a few people, but I wanted to leave something here to see if I can pick your brains a little bit. I don’t have that much experience with this hilt, & even if you never owned this hilt, maybe someone here could throw me a bone & give me a pointer or 2.

Roughly 2 months back, I bought an used Yun lightsaber hilt that was made by Ace Rocket & LDM sabers. The irony of this was that I designed & made a similar hilt via Shapeways based off someone’s conceptual art for 1 of the JKO/A games, & engineered it as an actual hilt. Maybe a few weeks later, somebody put up an Ace Rocket hilt that they had up on eBay, & I bought it since it was pre-wired.

Being honest with you, I was going to make this hilt the 1 that I was going to troop with because of the fact that it had wear from usage. The 1 that I made is still pristine, & I wanted to keep it that way. That & I also noticed that there was an issue with the electronics, & I had a feeling that I would be working on it soon enough even though it was still working at the time.

I was at a convention in April, & all that I was doing was that I was wearing it on my hip… & the dang thing fell apart. What had happened was that I guess that I was giving off enough body heat where the hot glue that they used to glue everything together started to soften up, & that was enough for it to come apart.

At this point… it won’t even turn over. Either what the problem is that (1) the main switch gave out. I say that because of the fact that it is pretty chewed up. (2) The main board died. It’s either a FX or MR board… so that is very likely. (3) Or there is something up with the batteries. Or that there is a broken link in the circuit somewhere.

Since I have a spare CF LS, I was just going to gut everything, & just do a fresh install. I plan on doing a recharge in the front, & put in a removable blade with FOC. With the details that I gave, what do you guys think that I should do with this? I would like to have it working for Halloween, & this would be a fun little project that I can dittle with up to that point. Since there is 1 way to skin a cat, I just thought that I would ask you guys. It’s going to be a tight install. So that is why I ask. Any thoughts?

Thanks guys!

Offline JANGO FETT

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2015, 08:25:57 PM »
Are you saying the OM Yun fell apart due to hot glue melting? That's odd, as black band has two custom screws holding it on and the black top bar is held on from the inside, IIRC with a 4-40, socket cap.

Here's one I rebuilt recently. Yun lightsaber with PCv3

I did a few mods to it. You may want to incorporate the added Blade retention screw & sdded 8-32 screw to lock black cowl


Have you heard the tragedy of Mark Hamill the Wise?

My thoughts and prayers to the padawans of Coruscant - Master Jeselnik

Offline thebigdb

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2015, 09:01:23 PM »
Are you saying the OM Yun fell apart due to hot glue melting? That's odd, as black band has two custom screws holding it on and the black top bar is held on from the inside, IIRC with a 4-40, socket cap.

Here's one I rebuilt recently. Yun lightsaber with PCv3

I did a few mods to it. You may want to incorporate the added Blade retention screw & sdded 8-32 screw to lock black cowl

Well either I am just a hot tamale… or I would just have that kind of luck. The screw pretty much kept the core from falling out… but everything that was not attached to the d-ring hit the floor. So I was kind of surprised when that happened! It looks like everything was glued together… & end of that story. Apart from the bar & the end cap... nothing stayed attached to my hip.

What would you suggest for parts inside the hilt? Because with a 8 pin 16mm plug… I don’t know if there is enough room for all the wires for the string blade with the core that it comes with. So I don’t know if I need to put something else in. I was able to fit 2 5mm & 1 3mm strings into a 7/8 blade… & the joint is strong enough to hold it in place with a 1 inch ring at the base. So that works for me.

My concern is that I haven’t worked on anything that is this tight before. Those switches are a pain in the butt! I will most likely be using this for posing, but because the dang thing fell apart on me to begin with… I just want to make sure that I put it back together correctly so that I don’t have to do it again.

Offline JANGO FETT

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2015, 10:07:43 PM »
It sounds like the internal screw sheared off/came loose. You may want to add a black anodized button head 8-32 screw though the top bar to hold the bar on. It will help hold the saber together.


Have you heard the tragedy of Mark Hamill the Wise?

My thoughts and prayers to the padawans of Coruscant - Master Jeselnik

Offline Acerocket

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2015, 06:38:43 AM »
Sorry to hear that.  But as a point of information, I have never used glue to hold any of my sabers together.  The Yun was designed with screws retaining all the pieces into a single unit.  Granted, on this particular design, the main screw that holds most of the saber together is a royal PITA to install.  Also, I believe LDM did all the installs on them (as the run was commissioned for him), but I think Jango may have helped.  I don't think LDM or Jango would have used glue either.  The run was done 6 years ago - my guess, sometime in the past 6 years, someone has redone the saber and decided the screw was too much trouble so they glued it back together.  That is no fault of mine - just a lazy installer.  I screwed every single hilt together before I shipped them and, trust me - I heard about it from LDM when he had to disassemble them before installs, they are not an easy assembly.  I still have drawings and specs for the Yun - if you need help send me a PM or email and I will see what I can tell you to get it back together.  But at this point, I have zero spare parts left for these sabers so replacement parts are most likely out of the equation.

Offline thebigdb

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2015, 10:15:12 AM »
Hey guys…

Thanks for the help.

It sounds like the internal screw sheared off/came loose. You may want to add a black anodized button head 8-32 screw though the top bar to hold the bar on. It will help hold the saber together.

Okay… any ideas of how I may do that? I don’t have a press… that is why I ask that.

And I watched your video… what type of top screws did you use for replacement buttons? I am just asking because I might swap out the switches & do something like that incase I lose something. I like that idea.

Sorry to hear that.  But as a point of information, I have never used glue to hold any of my sabers together.  The Yun was designed with screws retaining all the pieces into a single unit.  Granted, on this particular design, the main screw that holds most of the saber together is a royal PITA to install.  Also, I believe LDM did all the installs on them (as the run was commissioned for him), but I think Jango may have helped.  I don't think LDM or Jango would have used glue either.  The run was done 6 years ago - my guess, sometime in the past 6 years, someone has redone the saber and decided the screw was too much trouble so they glued it back together.  That is no fault of mine - just a lazy installer.  I screwed every single hilt together before I shipped them and, trust me - I heard about it from LDM when he had to disassemble them before installs, they are not an easy assembly.  I still have drawings and specs for the Yun - if you need help send me a PM or email and I will see what I can tell you to get it back together.  But at this point, I have zero spare parts left for these sabers so replacement parts are most likely out of the equation.

Well… like I said… that would just be the luck… right?! I would like to be able to jump out of a plane without a parachute & land safely in the Playboy pool… but I would most likely land awkwardly on the front gate. That’s just the luck that I would have! I know that other people have done hot glue before… but I haven’t heard of anything falling apart like this. Which is what surprised me. I have a # of things that you have produced, so I don’t blame this snap-foo on you because of the fact that I’ve been happy with everything that I have gotten from you … it’s the fact that it is an unusual hilt… I just wanted to get some info to get it back together.

When it came apart I was standing, & it dropped about 3 feet to the concrete. But the joke of the being is there wasn’t that much damage done to it. And I don’t know if it was because of the fact that of the way that it landed, or the shape of the hilt… but it was very minor. Fact is when it landed, it vibrated & ‘danced’ before it stopped. Made a lasting impression on me because of the fact I have never seen anything like that before. It almost looked like a tuning fork if you can visualize that.  The way that I look at it is that if this hilt were real, it wouldn’t be ‘pretty’ because of the fact that it went through a # of owners before the tale’s end. It belonged to another Jedi before Yoda gave it to Qu. Then Yun when Rahn was killed. And then Kyle when Yun died. In some ways it’s kind of like the Skywalker Graflex in the sense that the same saber had a # of owners to it’s history. So a minor ding or scratch adds to its character I think. So I don’t need replacement parts because of the fact that I have all the vital stuff.

But I would like to know more about the install. You made me laugh when you mentioned that it was going to be a PITA to install it. Just because of the fact that I can see that 1 coming down the pike… but with the fact that I am planning on installing a CF LS & a recharge port into this… are there alternative parts that I could use for the install other than what I have? The reason I ask is that you have an open section where the speaker goes in, but you don’t have that much room in the front. I am using a 16mm 8 pin for a detachable LS blade, & it fits with the LED sink that came with it. I haven’t had a chance to make any yellow LED strings yet, but I already have a blue blade made… & it works with the 7/8 blade with a 1 inch stopper setup. It’s tight enough where the blade doesn’t go anywhere.

But with the core, there isn’t a lot of room up front for a bunch of wires. So what would I do? Put in everything backwards where the LED & recharge wires are coming out of the speaker port, mount the speaker in a different bracket, & put the core in backwards? I am just thinking of how I can do it so that I can fit everything in. it is doable… but just figuring out how to do it. I think that there are a couple things that I can use on Shapeways that can fit into this hilt, but I am just trying to figure out what I can do.

Could you send me instructions about the install because I did get a hold of LDM, but I don’t know if I am going to hear from him anytime soon? I love the hilt, & I would like to get it working again.

Thanks guys…

Offline JANGO FETT

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2015, 10:49:56 AM »
It sounds like the internal screw sheared off/came loose. You may want to add a black anodized button head 8-32 screw though the top bar to hold the bar on. It will help hold the saber together.

Okay… any ideas of how I may do that? I don’t have a press… that is why I ask that.

And I watched your video… what type of top screws did you use for replacement buttons? I am just asking because I might swap out the switches & do something like that incase I lose something. I like that idea.

If you don't have a drill or the taps needed, you should contact a sabersmith or perhaps a someone local with the tools to help you. I would seriously recommend a sabersmith as they will know the care that is needed for aluminum hilts

I used 4-40 button head screws and standoffs for the switches.


Have you heard the tragedy of Mark Hamill the Wise?

My thoughts and prayers to the padawans of Coruscant - Master Jeselnik

Offline EXAR KUN

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2015, 12:34:02 PM »
Derrick you definitely need a drill press to tap those holes. If you have a Harbor Freight near you I think you can get a very sturdy one for between 60 and 90 dollars. I got a really beefy one from there and it was half price at only 80 dollars on sale one day. Since you like to work on sabers from time to time a drill press would really come in handy for true, straight holes.



Offline COUNT DOOKU

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2015, 06:49:53 AM »
Here is the comprehensive build thread to help you out in addition to what other advice people are giving you.
Yun Saber "BUILD THREAD" - ALL DONE-TUTORIAL IN FINAL POST




Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is. We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters. ~Master Yoda~

Offline thebigdb

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Re: I need help with your Yun hilt...
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2015, 02:55:42 PM »
Thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it. I haven’t had a chance to respond to this thread the last few days because of the fact that I have been busy running around. Either just busy, or just doing some homework regarding this build. I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of it, but Wat just sent me some pictures of the core, & what is interesting is that it looks like someone shaved down & modified the original design. I have a few ideas that might work… but I have to wait until things get in & see how they play out. Apart from the switches, it’s it a pretty straightforward build. But just looking at the build log here, it looks like the left parts out, changed some minor things. But I can still install everything the default way if I wanted to. So thanks for the help that you guys have been giving me!

I’m still on a lookout for a press. You & I have had a # of discussions about this before Mace, but I haven’t found anything that people have been talking about. I get what they are saying, but I just haven’t found it online or the stores. My problem is I can’t drive, don’t have someone that I can rely on to get it from the store to the house, or the stores in the area don’t have a delivery service. The models that they have online usually run $200-300+… depending on the model… & they haven’t been on sale. I’ve gone to garage sells. Got a few bits for my dremel… & a few power tools… but nothing like a press being sold though.

My problem is that I am living with my mom at the moment, & getting anything done with her is like pulling teeth. I joke around with her that she is the kind of person that would try to organize her own funeral if she could. I moved back in with her when I was having my medical issues, & have stayed with her largely because of the fact that I am now more her caretaker. We’re in a single family home, & she has too many issues where she can take care of it on her own. I am doing better than what I was, but I still have my issues that I am getting over, & I don’t have the strength to go running back & forth with an apartment & trying to take care of her at the same time. Though I respect her having her own space. It’s just what she wants is not manageable with me. I should take pictures to show… but the garage looks like a storage locker. When I am out there, I feel like I am reliving scenes from The Silence of the Lambs. My mom wants me to inherent the house from her, but she won’t let me do anything to help out. At some point in the next 10 years I know that I am going to be paying the bills. I am kind of doing it now, but it is going to hit me full tilt in the next few years. I would like to be doing something on the side now so that I can put something away… but it’s like she is fighting me tooth & nail on anything that I am doing. Though I know that it would probably tick her off, I am thinking of just going off & doing what I want because if I do what she insists… everyone would get screwed over in the end.

I am on SSI right now… & I don’t know how anybody can live off it. I make barely $900 a month… & the reason why I am getting that much is the fact that I am paying my mom & the apartment that I can’t live in rent. Otherwise I would get $200 less. It’s a section 8 complex, & I have been fighting with them to give me a downstairs floor. Which they don’t want to do. In the last year… they have had 7 lawsuits & 1 BBB complaint launched against them, & I am a witness to 1 of those lawsuits. 2 years ago… someone broke into my apartment, & made a mess of it. I haven’t been in it for almost 4 years… & I have a feeling that it was somebody that works there that did it in hopes that they could kick me out. I am still paying rent because of the fact that I am still part of that lawsuit, & I could get kicked out & lose my place in line if I am stop paying my rent. Frankly there aren’t other places in the area that I can move to, & this is why I am putting up with this. Housing is a real issue where I live. That’s the problem. My friend’s father passed away this last Thanksgiving, & I was taking to 1 of his other relatives that works in a section 8 building up in Washington state. I was telling her some of the problems that I have been having, & it looks like part of the problem that I am having with them is that they (the apartment) declare me on their taxes because it is a section 8 apartment, & because of red tape… that could cause some issues with things getting resolved with the lawyers. Just 1 big mess.

But if I were to move back into my apartment & live off my SSI… I wouldn’t get anywhere. And that is what she wants me to do. There’s too much in the garage right now to work safely, but what I am thinking of doing since the side fence needs to be repaired at some point, is put the fence to the sidewalk, open that section of the backyard up since it’s space is no 1 is using, & put an outside locker out there where I can do my work. Because I am planning on buying a plastic injection machine, maybe a CNC machine or 3D lathe… but I don’t want to leave any of that outside unprotected. I’ve made a # of custom hilts via Shapeways, & the last 2 empty hilts that I made went for $400 each. I want to do more than just hilts… but if I start selling the stuff that I have been working on, I’d do pretty good. It’s just getting everything lined up & done.

Long story short (Because I didn’t want to ramble. I am talking to ya guys like I would if we were just hanging out), I need to get some space to put some stuff into the house, & figuring how to get the press into the house. I’ve even thinking of getting a better machine than what I need just to have it on hand because I might need it to do things around the house. As long as it cuts wood, metal, stone… I am happy.

 

retrousse