fiduciary

Author Topic: Luke V2 CF-LS modification in progress - FINISHED!  (Read 10095 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Luke V2 CF-LS modification in progress - FINISHED!
« on: November 05, 2013, 08:56:19 AM »
I've been working on making a V2 for myself (a thin-necked V2 has always been one of my 'unicorns') by modifying a SF Prodigal Son V2 hilt I acquired a bit ago to make an affordable (for me) V2 that's as close to my idea of the prop as I can manage with the skills and resources I have. I've gotten to the stage of pretty much finishing the empty hilt ready for install, so wanted to share pics of progress.

This has entailed baby steps learning some basics of how to use a lathe. as I acquired the hilt cheaply, I was willing to risk botching stuff for the sake of learning lol - and there certainly have been quite a few educational botches along the way, which a shiny, unweathered hilt would have been far less forgiving of ;)

Modifications I've done, from emitter to pommel, are:

1. Shortened the centre/internal blade holder piece to allow for a static blade plug in the style of the prop.
2. Created a custom blade plug.
3. Added a second, heftier (10-32) retention screw (at 120 degrees to the included retention screw) where the prop has a small hole in the emitter to mimic the prop and compensate for the shortened central emitter piece.
4. Added a shallow, cosmetic groove to the neck.
5. Modified the ribs to be slightly thinner and adding uneveness to try and match the prop (although I think I slightly overdid the uneveness haha - but not too badly).
6. Added a replica graflex clamp, Pastor Jedi lever I had from a while ago (tempted to replace with one of the recent run levers if I can acquire one) and a Slothfurnace card with solder added to 'silver' the thin traces.
7. Made a sleeve to go behind the clamp.
8. Modified cone knob to make pointier/shorter and drilled and tapped a hole for this to secure the sleeve and to allow for orientation of the D-ring, cone knob and clamp.
9. Turned down the hilt by the pommel to allow for the small 'step' visible on the prop.
10. Added a fillister screw behind/next to and just offset from the cone knob between the sleeve and the pommel.
11. Made a custom, solid pommel piece to slide in behind the pommel cubes (the cubes are part of the main hilt). Plan is to have sound come through discrete holes under the clamp (still to do), thus avoiding the need to add sound holes to the pommel.
12. Painting/weathering with (baked) gloss black enamel.

I hope you like it  - I'm pleased with progress so far and looking forward to getting onto the install...





« Last Edit: January 16, 2014, 07:48:19 AM by Sethski »

Offline Greebles

  • Formerly known as Codeweasel
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 773
  • “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2013, 09:02:35 AM »
Nice!

Offline LUMINARA UNDULI

  • Master of the purple blade
  • Administrator
  • Master Force User
  • *
  • Posts: 10749
  • Formerly Known As Allaerra
    • Vader's Vault
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2013, 09:58:12 AM »
Excellent job, my friend.  I like the touch of trying to duplicated the uneven lathing.  I've always found that feature of the movie prop endearing, yet everyone eliminates it in reproductions :-\.  It is looking awesome, look forward to seeing it lit up! 8)



Website: Vader's vault
Facebook: VVFB

Offline Caine

  • Kwai Chang Caine master of duel-fu
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 5454
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2013, 11:22:16 AM »
You took a *meh* hilt at best and made it into a VERY NICE one, indeed! As the V2 guy around these parts, I must say I am rather impressed.  :)

Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2013, 12:26:14 PM »
Cheers folks! Honoured to have the Caine seal of approval  ;) ...and re the ribs - I wanted to thin the silver/outer bits anyway and I like the slight unevenness of them on the prop, too (also easier fbeing a newb to lathes to do that rather than get them dead even - but don't tell anyone haha...).

It will be jolly grin-inducing to have it lit up, as it's been a while since I've had a working saber of my own to swing around  :))

Offline Khal

  • Formerly known as Khal1993
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1719
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2013, 01:17:45 PM »
looking sweet Sethski...lovely little saber you got there. Might have to look into making one me self.

Offline Vercify

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • rawr
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2013, 02:31:08 PM »
That looks awesome! The weathering is spot on, and i especially love the copper ton on the neck! You can hardly tell that it used to be a SF hilt!





Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2013, 02:31:05 AM »
Cheers Vercify! Although I didn't have the patience to try and mimic the patterning on the LE directly, I was pleased with the how 'general look' for the weathering came out :D

...and cheers Khal - do it! Something lovely to have a thin-necked saber - I think, for me, from previously owning the Force FX Luke and Obi with their HUGE necks lol ;)
« Last Edit: November 06, 2013, 02:55:10 AM by Sethski »

Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2013, 04:44:11 PM »
I hadn't had or made time to progress with this until last few days and have decided to go with a string blade for it, so got myself a CF-LS and some bright little LEDs.

It really is pleasingly bright - 96 LEDs (so 6 x 16) and I actually made it a little bit too dense, so it'll be a slightly short blade...

Here're some pics....

Drilling the domes off the LEDs - so this times 96...




All the 'legs' bent to make ladder sections...




My high-tech blu-tack solution to keep them in place for soldering...




Testing the first soldered bank of LEDs - yup, nice 'n' bright...




...and all six banks soldered and put into one string...




A bit of head-scratching on how to get it onto the heatshrink tube - attached to this long, thin stick, put that through, then pulled and fed the string through carefully...




Ready for some heating and shrinking. You can see the wires here, too...




...and testing in a foam diffuser tube - that's a converted Maul behind it (can't remember what LED's in it), which is not particularly bright at all by single LED standards - it does give some idea of how very glowy the string blade's gonna be, though  8)




Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress - FINISHED!
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2014, 05:25:09 AM »
So, after some trials and tribulations and all that, it's finished - actually on the last day of 2013...

...it's been a real challenge for me - lots of new stuff to learn and not mess up - and I'm absolutely loving the string blade - nice and bright at just over half power, which allows for a very noticeably bright flash for clash/lockup/blaster blocks, and allows a bit more battery life...

Heavily modified SF Prodigal Son hilt - including reversed speaker with hidden sound holes and recharge port under clamp and custom blade plug and activation/aux via buttons under the circuit card
CF-LS 6.5 with 3.7V hack
96 LED string blade
Single li-ion 18650 3.7V 3400mAh battery

...and pics - more in progress and finished:

Finished hilt




Emitter plug




Emitter plug removed




Kill key/recharge port




Chassis in progress




Hilt part-disassembled to show construction




Finished and lit up




Lovely bright string blade - yay!



Lit up in the dark

« Last Edit: January 15, 2014, 05:28:49 AM by Sethski »

Offline Khal

  • Formerly known as Khal1993
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1719
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2014, 05:41:13 AM »
amazing work Setski! looks fantastic!

Offline Greebles

  • Formerly known as Codeweasel
  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 773
  • “You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2014, 05:48:12 AM »
This turned out great. Nicely done!

Really liked how you managed the grip to rear transition under the clamp where all the internals are housed.

Offline Boxster

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 621
  • I like my lightsabers too bright, too loud!
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2014, 05:54:39 AM »
Amazing work!!! Bravo!!!

Offline Sethski

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 1202
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2014, 05:58:53 AM »
Cheers dudes! I'm really happy with it! It's been worth the work! And defo up for more string blade goodness in future - waiting/hoping to see if the CF 7 DS new stuff makes its way over to the CF-LS in due course before next build :)

Re the under clamp bit - it would have been ideal in my mind to keep as a single piece, but it's solid in hand and pretty accessible for getting to stuff if I need to (hopefully won't for the time being) - plus it's nice and loud with the hidden sound slots under the clamp (one of the main reasons I went for the single battery hack - so it wasn't packed/muffled and there's some space for the sound to resonate). You can't see in the pics, but I also soldered on a 7 pin socket type thing (a bit like Erv sells for the NB) so I can slide everything out without major surgery. There's lots I would have done differently starting from scratch, but I guess that means I've learnt quite a bit from the process, so it's all good!

Offline Nero Attoru

  • Master Force User
  • *****
  • Posts: 541
  • Suns of the Force
Re: Luke V2 modification in progress
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2014, 06:24:42 AM »
This is some amazing work, and it looks incredible with that bright string blade.  Very well done!



 

retrousse