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Author Topic: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Strydur  259 posts
Registered: May '05
39869_Aragon
Date Posted: 5/16/05 6:16pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
parks are 3/4" OD..so ya need 3/4" ones..

I think i have a lead on buying some 3/4OD 1/2ID polyc but it would be a big bulk order. I would like to know how many of you would be willing to buy some at $5.50 per 48" piece plus shipping, Because i have to buy 140 pieces to get this price. Let me know.

Strydur

 

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sporty  146 posts
Registered: May '05
6537_Green Lightsaber
Date Posted: 5/16/05 9:18pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
wow,

thats a price for the polycarbonate, where you going thru, is it the 1/8th or 1/16th ?

i went thru us plastics

sporty

 

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vamphunterx 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/16/05 9:42pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Could using one of these color transparent acrylic rods from http://rlsasabers.com/blades.htm for the outer tubing and white EL wire with the diffuser possibly make a blade that has the "white core" like the sabers in the movies.

 
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sporty  146 posts
Registered: May '05
6537_Green Lightsaber
Date Posted: 5/17/05 12:07am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
hmm,

pretty kewl, I took a look, $25 bucks tho.

You are asking if you will have a white core look to the side with a glow of the color from the tube with using a defusser.

I wish i could give you a answer, being new to building lightsabers and not tried it yet. Have you contacted the website with that questions, they very well may know.

I think you would have a white core glow, the question i would have would the glow give off enough past the defusser and the tint of the tube to give a good glowing color of the tube.

I will guess and say no, to not getting enough glow of the color of the tube, with a defusser.

you could buy and try also and get some colored el wire or film, it may inhance the glow of the same color.

sorry cant be of more help

sporty

 

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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 5/17/05 1:35am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
High-tech Magic has a blade turtorial? Hmm, I must have missed that when I was perusing the site.

I don't think it's possible making a "white core" for a blade using standard EL materials, otherwise it would already have been done. It would probably take something more high tech, like LEDs or something to achieve that.

Stay away from acrylic rods to make blades out of. It's just for looking pretty, not for dueling with. Polycarbonate is a much stronger plastic, acrylic is too brittle.

 

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In order to see the Light, you must sometimes risk the Darkness.
"The Force is my Ally"
Builder of EL Sabre Blades
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thalor42 
Registered: Apr '05
Date Posted: 5/17/05 8:07am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
How long are your blades? I have about 40 inches and it seems when I'm dueling the blade has a lot of play in it. Is this normal? What are some of the standard lengths?

 
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vamphunterx 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/17/05 9:23am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Thank you for your reply. I never said I wanted to "duel" with the saber. I don't think you would get a WHITE core but at least a significantly brighter, lighter colored core.

 
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sporty  146 posts
Registered: May '05
6537_Green Lightsaber
Date Posted: 5/17/05 10:49am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial - Date Edited: 5/17/05 10:50am (1 edits total) Edited By: sporty
here is the link for the page of the el tutorial book.

http://www.high-techmagic.com/ebook/viport050104.html

its called lost jedi secrets, i believe. the image has a picture of yoda


sporty

 

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JayNobELblade 
Registered: May '05
20252_Obi-Wan Kenobi
Date Posted: 5/17/05 12:37pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Long time lurker 1st time poster. I'm working on my 1st hardware sabre and I have decided to try my luck with one of these blades. Big thanks to Jedi Loreen and all for this awesome post. With everything I have so far this project is costing me right around $70 and will be pretty cool. Any extra tips before I start putting it all together. I got my tubing from McMaster yesterday (ordered Friday). I'm still waiting on my coolneon order (also Friday). I found another source for the 3/4" acrylic half balls for the tip http://www.delviesplastics.com/acrylic_balls.htm I called and she sent me a free sample. A pack of 100 is $17. I went with the original recommended tubing 3/4" OD, 5/8" ID Poly C and 1/2" OD, 3/8" ID. Now I see why people are experimenting. Does the EL wire do anything to stiffen it up? The Poly C may be strong, but it seems a little too flexy. Maybe the thicker walled stuff would be stiffer and also give less play with the diffuser tube. I figured the recommended 10' of the 2.5 HB (blue) for do three strands of 39 inches would do nicely for my first blade. I had some thoughts on power supplies. The pipsqueak is stated to handle 13.8 volts. What if you some how rigged up a 9v and three AAAs. Has anybody considered a rechargeable solution? Maybe something rigged from a cell phone battery and charger. Anyway thanks again for the post. I should be finishing up my hilt tonight. Maybe my EL and driver came so I can work on the blade as well. I'd love to have this ready by weds night for the premier.

 
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Strydur  259 posts
Registered: May '05
39869_Aragon
Date Posted: 5/17/05 2:04pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
so far my source for the 3/4od 1/2id polyc isnt comming through..

as far as how many strands to use, I like 4 strands much better than 3 and yes the 1/8" wall polyc even though costs allot more is allot stiffer.

Strydur

 

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Lord_Brainsss 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/17/05 3:27pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Well this is most intreasting, i had first thought of remaking a hilt i made to hold 1 LED and send light up into a normal acrylic tube but this seems far better. however theres 2 things i wonder

can i use 3x 3V batteries instead of a 9v battery to power it?
and secondly, what does the inverter do? do i need it? or can i somehow do without?

 
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sporty  146 posts
Registered: May '05
6537_Green Lightsaber
Date Posted: 5/17/05 3:58pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial - Date Edited: 5/17/05 4:08pm (1 edits total) Edited By: sporty
Here is a link to understand about inverters and how they work, It may not be the best link, But I did find the information to of use.

http://www.magnumenergy.com/faq%20answers.htm

my thoughts on a inverter that it does a couple of things, change dc current to a/c current. some of them also amplify the output. Also wave length.

Examples. 900 hz, compared to 2.4 hz. (cordless phones)

the 900 hz phone will not work as far as the 2.4 hz phone.

basically, if you can imagine a 1 inch square box with lines going up and down inside the box /\/\/\. However its more a wave in reality ~~~~~

The more wave length inside that box the greater chance of innerference. So if you made the wave length just as long but in a 1/2 square box, it has a less of a chance for innerfence.

Now this is just a simple mention and example of how frequency works.

NOW WHEN I WAS PLAYING AROUND WITH THE EL WIRE. BASICALLY PUTTING IT INTO THE POLYETHENE TUBE. I GOT A IDEA THAT I MAY TRY. I THOUGHT I WOULD HOLD THE EL WIRE AS STRAIT AS I COULD INSIDE THE TUBE WITH FISHING LINE ON EACH END AND USE CLEAR 5 MINUTE EPOXY TO TRY AND KEEP THE WIRE STRAIT AND EVEN AS POSSIBLE.

PERHAPS SOME OTHERS HAVE SOME TIPS ON THIS ONE.

SPORTY

 

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Lord_Brainsss 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/18/05 12:28am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
hmmm because one of the problems i am having is that i live in sweden, and for some wierd reason i cant find a good inverter around here, all that i find that is availble in sweden are big boxes.

 
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sporty  146 posts
Registered: May '05
6537_Green Lightsaber
Date Posted: 5/18/05 4:34am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial - Date Edited: 5/18/05 4:42am (2 edits total) Edited By: sporty
9 volt battery is still a 9 volt battery correct there ? or the do not have 9 volt dc battereies there ? only your a/c current is different correct ?

those inverters pretty easy to come buy, e-bay, coolight.com, and so forth with just doing search, You cold also contact the makers to ensure thats gonna work for you.

I would think that even if sweden dont use 9 vold dc batteries, easy to buy and order over here. along with the inverter, Btw the inverter I use was only $5.oo american. not including shipping tho

sporty

 

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Strydur  259 posts
Registered: May '05
39869_Aragon
Date Posted: 5/18/05 6:54am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
As far as i can tell you can only find the type of inverters you need for EL online, no local stores carry that i could find.

Loreen you should check out that link from high-tech they dont tell how they make thier blades but they give an example of how to make them and its exactly the way you make them lol.

Acrylic is not as strong as polyc thats why i never tried using colored tubes. If you want a blade just for looks dont bother with EL, But if you want one you can smack your friends upside the head with then use polyC.

As far as power sources go you can use any batteries that give you a output of 9-12v on most inverters. One of my sabers i use just a 9v other i use 8 AAA batteries for 12v. Parks's new deuce system uses 2 9v which would be 18v but i have not seen a inverter rated for 18v so dunno if he stepping down the voltage somehow or what.

Strydur

 

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