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Author Topic: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
0-SithLord-0 
Registered: May '05
24210_Darth Sidious
Date Posted: 5/22/05 3:55am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Where did you get the 1/2" 6x32 clear polycarbonate screw from?

 
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 5/22/05 7:44am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Hey guys, I'm getting ready to go out to film the final battle scene for a Fan Film my local group is doing. When I get home tonight, I'll post the part # of those polycarbonate screws. Other people have also been having trouble finding them.

 

-----signature-----
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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Jedi_Exterminator 
Registered: May '05
19230_Obi-Wan Kenobi
Date Posted: 5/22/05 10:30am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Hi Guys, Im a new member here and i've decided to sign up because i saw many cool ligthsabers u guys made happy , i see u guys are having trouble with blade happy ,I have a pic of my own built lightsaber and my special made blades, its not photoshoped happy

And it looks very much like the ones in the movies, but i dont know how to post a pic here sad

 
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hphoenix  61 posts
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/22/05 1:48pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Darth_Roadkill,

The inverter outputs AC....you don't drive LEDs with AC. (well, you can, but it can damage them. Most are NOT designed with zener characteristics so the reverse voltage on the AC wave will get blocked by the diode.)

What you would want to do is power both the inverter and any LEDs (or other circuits) from the batteries directly (in parallel.) So the red wire from the battery pack should go to BOTH the inverter input, and the positive input to your LED's. And the black wire (ground) should go to BOTH the inverter ground AND the LED circuit ground.

Don't hook up the LED directly across the batteries. It will burn it out (drawing too much current.) LEDs are rated by their current draw and their voltage drop (usually around 0.7v-1.2v drop). Most only need about 2-4mA of current to light pretty nicely. 10mA is more than enough.

So use Ohms law (Volts = Amps * Ohms) and work out a resistor to put in series with the LED, to make it draw the right current. As an example: 12v battery pack, LED with 0.8v drop, and 5mA current desired....

(voltage source - LED voltage drop) = voltage across resistor = (current through resistor)(resistance)
(12v - 0.8v) = (0.005 Amps)(R Ohms)
(11.2v / 0.005 Amps) = R Ohms
R = 2240 Ohms.

So around a 2.2KOhm resistor would do the trick. The connection would be:

+========+=======>to inverter +
B. . . . . . . .|
A. . . . . . . .+
T. . . . . . . LED
T. . . . . . . .-
E. . . . . . . .|
R. . . . . . . RES
Y. . . . . . . .|
-========|=======>to inverter -

Where RES is the 2.2KOhm resistor. Remember that LEDs have positive and negative terminals (they are diodes) so you have to hook them up correctly or they won't light.

 
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tormentedjedi 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/22/05 3:15pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Jed-Loreen "Master of Blades" , what measurments do you use for your hilts? I know this is in the wrong thread, but I'm new and can't find the saber hilt thread! Plz Reply

 
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Darth_Roadkill  92 posts
Registered: May '05
7976_Lowbacca
Date Posted: 5/22/05 8:34pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
hphoenix thankyou, so If I run from batteries to power switch, then from the power switch to the driver, and from the power switch to the leds across a resistor it would work. The guy at radio shack was pulling my leg then? He sold me a 100Ohm Resistor to do the trick, I asusme it will work just not as bright as it might be otherwise? Too bad I cant light the LEDs off the same switch as the driver without burning out the driver. You know, for those times when the blade isnt in but I want to show it off. I suppose as long as I dont leave it on too long it shouldnt be too bad though right?

DRK

 

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"But you have no arms"
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"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?"
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Stamen0083 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/22/05 9:24pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Hello, all.

Thank you, Loreen, for posting the blade howto. It helped immensely in constructing my first saber. For those who are interested, you can see it here:

http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~stamen0083/progs/050520/

I used a single 5mm EL wire in clear polycarb tubing. It has not worked out well. I'm going to get the white diffuser materials and thinner EL wire that I will triple up to see if I can get a better effect. I'm also looking into EL strips to see if I can get the Master Replica look. I may even get LED strips for a cosmetic only power up/down effect.

Thanks again.

 
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Jedi_Exterminator 
Registered: May '05
19230_Obi-Wan Kenobi
Date Posted: 5/22/05 10:48pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Is anyone going to tell me how to post pictures? sad

 
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 5/23/05 12:22am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Jedi_Exterminator, I always seem to have problems posting pics here, I hate the way it is described for how to do it when you click on "Markup Codes". This it the most difficult forum I use in which to post pictures. For me, at least. tongue So I'm not the one to answer that question.

I just post links to my photo albums. wink

tormentedjedi, since when people make hardware sabers, they usually buy a 1/1/2" diamter 12" long chromed sink tail piece for that, most of the sabers I've made, or helped make from those have been about 11"-13" long, depending on of you add and extended emitter or pommel. You need about 10" for all the EL "guts" and blade holder, adapter, whataever you want to call it, that the blade will seat into for a few inches.

Depending on the size of your inverter, you might be able to use a 1 1/4" diameter tube if you want something more slender.

The part number for those 6-32, 1/2" polycarbonate screws I use is #93140A148. I get those from mcmaster.com.

 

-----signature-----
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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Darth_Roadkill  92 posts
Registered: May '05
7976_Lowbacca
Date Posted: 5/23/05 11:35am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Perhaps with his indepth knowledge and teachings, hpopheonix should be "Master of the Circuits" Thankyou, it is ALIVE! Picture soon.

 

-----signature-----
"Have at Thee!"
"But you have no arms"
"Tis but a scratch!"
"What are you going to do? Bleed on me?"
"Right then, well call this a draw"
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 5/23/05 1:59pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
If he knows one of the Moderators, he can probably get a special title.

That's how I got mine, from one who had seen my blades and was impressed with them. wink

 

-----signature-----
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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Lord_Brainsss 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/23/05 5:02pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
what happens if one tries to run EL without an inverter?

 
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Stamen0083 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/23/05 5:09pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Nothing.

 
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tormentedjedi 
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/23/05 6:48pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Thanks Jed-Loreen! In was wondering if you could tell me how to put the blade power parts into my hilt, it wasn't in the tutorial, if its in anither thread, just tell me where! Thanks Again!

 
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hphoenix  61 posts
Registered: May '05
Date Posted: 5/23/05 8:59pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Darth_Roadkill:

Thanks. Actually, it's just a large portion of Electrical Engineering classwork from my college days come back to haunt me. happy

I'm glad I can help out.



Jedi-Loreen: Nope. Don't know any of them. I haven't been her long enough yet.....but I'd still enjoy the title....



All:

Well, After much research, I'm going to start building and testing some prototype voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), and some wave-shaping circuits, to try to find a passable (if not ideal) lightsaber motion 'hum', and maybe the 'power-up', 'power-down', and 'clash' sounds as well. If I can find good frequency/shape/etc. that sounds right, making the sound board to go in a saber will be simple. Any of you synthesizer people out there know any good starting points?

Also, as another potential source for clear polycarbonate screws, check out Craftech @ AboveBoardElectronics, specifically the pages from 35-39. A lot of the fasteners and items can be gotten from them in all sizes and shapes, in material code "-3" which is their term for "clear polycarbonate" (ie, Lexan). They are B2B, so they may want a shipping Acct number or tax number before they'll sell to you. The ones mcmaster.com carries are kind of limited in selection, but....C'est la Vie.


 
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