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The S.A.B.E.R. GUILD: Saber Manufacturers => Plecter Labs => Plecter Labs Portfolio/Gallery => Topic started by: erv on June 30, 2007, 04:10:56 AM

Title: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on June 30, 2007, 04:10:56 AM
here is my graflex ANH reworked... I wanted to upgrade it with crystal focus v2.5 and... I wanted a crystal chamber (logical with "crystal focus" electronics). And I wanted the inside to look like a "real" lightsaber. Not an exact copy of the SW visual dictionnary, I had to keep thing functionnal, but I think it ended well. Blue lux III overdriven at 1.5 A, rumbling motor, transformer copper wires for a more "organic" look. PVC and plasticard for the craddle. The force crystal was recut to fit, finished with various grits of sandpaper, and polished with car paint polish to get the transparency back. The crystal is lit with a blue 5mm LED wired as a "progressive power on indicator" on the crystal focus and follow all the variation of the luxeon, including energy flickering, clash shimmering etc. I've also included the aux. button on the bottom of the hilt, thru a speaker hole.

Thanks to Yoda for sharing his graflex work in this forum, it's been really inspiring to design the look of this saber "interiors"  :)

A detailed view of the insided (with a few "invented terms")
(https://www.plecterlabs.com/images/gallery/GraflexAndCrystalChamber.jpg)

a link to a really hires pics of various views of the graflex
https://www.plecterlabs.com/images/gallery/graflex_ANH_crystal.jpg (https://www.plecterlabs.com/images/gallery/graflex_ANH_crystal.jpg)

Got the microcontrollers today, so now I got to hurry up soldering and finishing my batch of 24 crystal focus.
In the meanwhile, I've prepared for you guys to nice videos, I hope you'll enjoy it !

VIDEO !!!
Graflex ANH with crystal chamber (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWKLv0g6-2o)

Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: robiwan on June 30, 2007, 04:38:00 AM
Very nice!
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Kyp Durron on June 30, 2007, 07:48:11 AM
Lmao...I can just see Erv when he was designing this :

*If Yoda can do this...I can do this too!!* :D

Awesome work Erv, I had actually wondered if something like that could be done with your electronics, now I know! ;D

Nice to see sabersmiths taking it to the next level. 8)




-Joclad
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on June 30, 2007, 10:21:09 AM
you're definitly right Jodclad ! it's not really a "constest" idea, but it's true that :
- when I first saw that incredible saber cutaway view (sold $2100 on ebay, I think)
- when I saw the crystal chamber graflex by Meridian
I thought mmmm... I should work again on my ANH, the inside is awfull and old. Let's make something new for CE !!  ;D

let me say that I don't think my graflex is not as clean as Meridian's one. I had several problems to adjust the core. But I think I ended up not so bad for the craddle. Next time I'll try to make a more beautiful crystal chamber, this one has only two aluminium rod to maintain it cause I had no room to fit the third, with the recharge port.

Anyway, "better is the enemy of good"... you have to know where to stop or you can destroy things trying to improve it. That will be fine to chat around a beer at CE !
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: BEN KENOBI on June 30, 2007, 10:30:52 AM
 ;)Great work as always erv and I hope to meet you one day and see all the masterpices of sabers that you have!!You're one of a kind saber smith indeed!! ;D
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: SAESEE TIIN on June 30, 2007, 10:55:01 AM
Very cool indeed.  Hopefully we can see a video of this thing in action sometime in the future.
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on June 30, 2007, 11:59:27 AM
As soon as I've finished the 3 sabers I'm working on (to be shipped before CE), I'll make a video ! I also have to make a video of telum infensus to show the animated bargraph when playing music on it (iSaber).
More very soon !
Erv'
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Yoda on June 30, 2007, 02:07:22 PM
Erv.

I am Moving this into the Plecter Labs section so people do not confuse it with mine.
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on June 30, 2007, 02:36:03 PM
oups, no problem, I was not sure if it was kits you were providing, or general graflex projects / discussions !
Sorry about that.
Erv'
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Yoda on June 30, 2007, 03:05:27 PM
No problem ;)  but yes that section is supposed to be for Kits I supply or people
I'm helping as well as Graflexshop parts etc...

Actually, Yours looks much like my first concepts I did using the power from the saber battery etc...

I see it's coming along nicely :) I like your holders for the crystal ends and it looks like
You could put rubber o-rings in there as well to hold them during impacts as it puts tension on it
to keep from getting loose ;)

So... what kind of batteries you got under that board there? They look nice and small :)
What kind of power do they have?
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: ani104 on June 30, 2007, 08:05:36 PM
Nice work Erv'! I can't wait ofr that video :).

That iSaber sounds interesting too ;).
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on July 01, 2007, 12:12:47 AM
thanks for your feedback ! Good point for the o-rings : the holder for the crystal is pretty tight, but you're right, during a duel, things can get loose.
The batteries are just 4 AA, niMH, 2600 mAh. I used the holder + heatshrink kit I'm selling. Making a pack has never been so easy (I used to struggle when I was soldering cell together with copper tape). And it's very convenient in the graflex, since the ID is large compared to the hilts I usually make with a chromed tube (35mm OD / 33.80 mm ID).
What is not really displayed on the picture is the way the whole thing is tied inside the hilt. The central section of the craddle is twice thicker and matches 2 little holes in the lower part of the hilt. Then you shove the battery section + speaker holder in that section and 2 headless screw block the craddle. Since the graflex hilt is thick, the hole is also threaded, so I have two matching threads for each holes, and the cradle won't move at all.
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on July 18, 2007, 05:23:16 AM
VIDEO !!!
Graflex ANH with crystal chamber (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWKLv0g6-2o)

Enjoy,
Erv'
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Sidneyious on July 18, 2007, 07:10:31 AM
Very awsome as alwase erv.
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: erv on July 18, 2007, 07:37:51 AM
Thanks !!!!!  :) :) :)
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: SAESEE TIIN on July 18, 2007, 08:18:04 AM
I love how that crystal's led is also wired to show the effects of the clash and power up/down.
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Vincent on July 18, 2007, 08:45:13 AM
I'm not a big fun of crystal chambers, but this is realy a great saber :o
Title: Re: My Graflex ANH reworked and upgraded !
Post by: Darthmischief on July 21, 2007, 09:59:16 AM
Beautiful. Very beautiful! Tres bon!