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Author Topic: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Jedi_Ranger_007  883 posts
Registered: Mar '04
6408_Jedi Outcast
Date Posted: 3/29/05 1:59am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Jedi-Loreen:

I have a few questions regarding the inverters. The one you recommend (coolight 12v #IFW-5681-2k) is rated to power 20-50 feet. The inverter I used (coolight 9v #CL-ISC-9v) is rated for 10-20 feet. Both are listed as producing 2khz output frequency.

Will your recommendation make the same 10 foot length HB wire brighter, when both are powered by a single 9v battery?

Will connecting a length shorter than the minimum spec damage the inverter by not creating enough "load"?

I am placing another order later this week, for parts for several lightsabers I have been "contracted" to build, for friends, so advice on this would be "hot"!!!

Thanks.

 

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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 3/29/05 3:42am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Wow, I don't even see that one inverter that I had recommended on the website anymore, they have changed a lot of the inverters since I last checked there. Haven't been there in a couple months.

If it's still there, then they changed the specs on it. I wouldn't have used an inverter rated to start at 20 ft, if I was only using 10. I don't think I would recommend trying that one with only 10 ft. But now I'm sort of curious to see what would happen. tongue

I would say that the inverter you are using would be the optimum one to use, for a 9V inverter.

Now I'm also curious about the performance of the CL-IPTC-9v-3-7FT inverter, if someone only wanted to use 2 strands of EL wire. It sure is cheap!

I have several different inverters that I play with and often run only short lengths of EL wire on them, shorter than the rated amount, and while I have not run them continuously for a long time, I haven't noticed any detrimental effect on the inverters. (Though I did once burn out a 5V inverter by running it on 9V, just to see what would happen. I didn't care, because the guys at elwirecheap.com gave it to me to play with and see what would happen if I did run it at that voltage)

I'm not that much of an electronics expert, so I don't really know if continuous operation of that other inverter, with a smaller load will make the wire brighter, or if it will damage the inverter. Or, it could even burn out the wire faster. (Yes, EL wire will eventually dim and burn out, after a couple thousand hours, the phosphorus coating the wires will only last so long)

But I would stick with what I know and tell you to keep using the inverter that you have already used before.

 

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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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Jedi_Ranger_007  883 posts
Registered: Mar '04
6408_Jedi Outcast
Date Posted: 4/1/05 3:44am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Holy cow!!! Holy cow!!! HOLY COW!!!!!!

While I was out shopping for parts for a lightsaber I was "contracted" to build, I came across an AMAZING product.

Jedi-Loreen, remember I mentioned above that I'd eventually like to try a window "frosting" sticker?

Well, I found a spray-on product!!!!!!

And the results are freaking AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

The diffusing glow is perfect, when used with the polyE diffuser inside.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures yet, as I just got home from a 2 hour drive, and an 8 hour lightsaber construction stint right before that, and a 2 hour drive before that (it's been a LONG day).

Now, using this frosting spray MAY dim the look EL wire a bit, but it gives the blades a PERFECT glow to them. grin grin grin

I HIGHLY recommend finding this stuff and trying it out. I got mine at Home Depot.

Oh yeah, and it dries really fast.

 

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BescinPrix  203 posts
Registered: Oct '04
40001_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/1/05 4:26am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
What's the name of the product?

 

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If you Fall, you must Fight;
If you Fight, you must Triumph;
If you Triumph you must avoid Falling again.
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BescinPrix  203 posts
Registered: Oct '04
40001_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/5/05 9:26am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Sponger,
You said that you used different sized PolyC and PolyE from what Jedi-Loreen suggested. Based on your messages, I bought the same sized materials that you used.

However, I am having a big problem. I cannot put the PolyE (diffuser) inside the PolyC. I have tried to push it in as hard as I can, and I only got it in about a fourth of the way in; less really, since I only got about 10 inches in, and my blade is 42 inches long.

I am assuming that you had a similar issue with yours, since we are both using the same sized tubes, so how did you deal with this? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

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If you Fall, you must Fight;
If you Fight, you must Triumph;
If you Triumph you must avoid Falling again.
Mes compaingnons cui j'amoie et cui j'aim, . . . Me di, chanson
Companions whom I have loved and still do love... tell them my song
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Spongerd82 
Registered: Jan '05
23746_Duel
Date Posted: 4/7/05 6:33pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
I am sorry for not posting this earlier but the polyE that I used was 3/16" Id, 5/16" Od. (Part # 50375K45 at mcmaster.com). The polyC was right. I ment to correct this but I have had a rather bad month or so. I am sorry BescinPrix that you bought the wrong size. I am just glad it is rather inexpensive. I have a problem now..I can not find a suffecient driver for my short length wire that does not have a 3 phase switch. By that I mean on-blinking-off. I can't find one with on-off or no switch at all. The only one I have is an old one and I burnt it out tring to see if I could use 12v instead of 9v. I am no electrition! Help Anyone?

 
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 4/8/05 3:56am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Hmmm 4 feet is not an easy length of EL wire to find a driver for, is it?

You might try looking at this page at coolneon.com:

Cool Neon Drivers

Or maybe this one from elwirecheap.com:

1-15ft driver

 

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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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BescinPrix  203 posts
Registered: Oct '04
40001_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/8/05 5:27am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Hmm... While it is relativelly inexpensive, I don't think I have enough time to get a replacement now...

DO you guys think that if I coat the PolyE with a lubricant (I was thinking KYJelly, which is clear), it would work? Or will it leave the inside of the PolyC all stained?

 

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If you Fall, you must Fight;
If you Fight, you must Triumph;
If you Triumph you must avoid Falling again.
Mes compaingnons cui j'amoie et cui j'aim, . . . Me di, chanson
Companions whom I have loved and still do love... tell them my song
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Antilles01  901 posts
Registered: Nov '01
7367_Captain Antilles
Date Posted: 4/8/05 4:06pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial - Date Edited: 4/8/05 4:09pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Antilles01
I just wanted to say that this is an exciting project to undertake, I have a self-built hardware saber at home that I would love to add an EL blade to.

My hilt is chromed brass, about 1 3/8" ID and has 3 to 4 inches of free space at the top of the hilt (the bottom interior has 16 protruding screws for the grip so nothing can really fit in there that well). I was wondering if this is enough space for the inverter and female jack and all associated electronics. In other words, how much space do you need in the hilt using your process and method?

Also any chance of diagrams or drawings or photos to accompany this wonderful tutorial?

 

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"Surely you can do better!"
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 4/9/05 1:08am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial - Date Edited: 4/9/05 1:19am (1 edits total) Edited By: Jedi-Loreen
Drawings or diagrams? I hadn't really thought about it. The blade construction is pretty straight forward, I'd always thought. But then, maybe that's just me. tongue Though hopefully someone will take some photos sometime when they make their own blade. I may try to remember to take a few with my webcam, the next time I make one, since I didn't have a digital camera.

As far as lightsaber construction, and mounting the electronics goes, every lightsaber is different, so I don't really see how it would be possible to make diagrams for that. There is no one "best way" to mount the electronics inside. It depends on what you have to work with, and what you you want to put into your design (like where you want to mount your switch, for example).

I'm afraid 4 inches is not enough space for all the electronics you will need to put inside your saber.

I suggest no less than a minimum of 3" just for the blade holder, to keep a 40" blade stable. Then you need about an inch for the female connector to stick out of the bottom of that, then about another inch or so for the inverter, depending on what you use, then some space for the back end of a switch to stick into the hilt, unless you build some kind of box for it on the outside.

Lastly, you will also need a couple inches for the battery. So we are already up to about 8". And you don't want to cram everything together too tightly, or you are going to start breaking your solder connections. Crimp on type connectors will probably take up a bit more space.

The smallest EL bladed saber I have so far managed to build (which I call my "light dagger" since it was made to hold 5/8" diameter, 20" long blade, it purposely won't hold "regular" blades) was from a 1 1/4" tube and is 9" long. I didn't see how I could have built it any shorter while not damaging my solder connections.

It's my opinion that it is generally easier to design a hardware saber around an EL kit, than to try to outfit a previously made one, unless it's completely hollow.

EDIT:
I forgot I have a blurry picture of the parts that go into one of my EL blades here: EL Blade Ingredients
(the other pics in that album are of my original blades, before they came out with the High Brightness wire. I have since redone all my personal blades)


 

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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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Spongerd82 
Registered: Jan '05
23746_Duel
Date Posted: 4/12/05 5:02pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Antilles01, I suggest you take the screws out of the grips and replace them with small rivets if you could. That is what I use and I have plenty of room for the blade electronics. Just make sure the driver is not to big for the tube!

 
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 4/13/05 2:18am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Yes, that is a good point, I actually meant to ask about something like that, if he could replace the long screws with some shorter ones, as least, but I forgot. That's what happens sometimes when I post late at night. tongue

Rivets are a good idea. I picked up an inexpensive pop rivet gun at Walmart for about $6, and found a couple of lengths of rivets at one of those close out stores at $1 for 100 1/8" rivets.

I used rivets to hold on the grips of my own first EL saber I built way back in Dec. of '02. I have learned a lot since then, after helping some of my friends build their sabers.

 

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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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RedHeadKevin  313 posts
Registered: May '04
6982_Chewie<br>Galactic Heroes
Date Posted: 4/13/05 8:18am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
This is just a question, which may be dumb. If I was to make a couple lightsabers with these EL blades, just how much light would they throw off? My thought on how I'd display the sabers would be to hang them on the walls, much like a display (metal) sword. Would the blades be bright enough to say, act as a night-light in the room? Do the blades glow fairly bright inside a darkened room?

 
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Jedi-Loreen  2749 posts
Title: OCSWS Secretary
& Master of the Blades
 Registered: Dec '02
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 4/13/05 11:47am Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
Then newer High Brightness wire is faily bright, lime green and aqua are the 2 brightest colors of EL wire. They won't light up a dark room real brightly, but they will glow pretty well in a dark room.

I have sometimes been known to take a saber or two into the bathroom with me at night and prop them up against the wall to provide me with light while I'm doing my business (probably Too Much Information tongue I know, I'm strange. laugh ), they light up my bathroom pretty brightly. Of course the bigger the room, the more diffuse the light is going to be, though some should reflect off the wall you have it mounted on, if the paint or wall paper is light enough.

I don't know why you would want to use one as a night light though. Depending on what inverter you use, a 9V battery will only last a few hours. I think they only last about 2 hrs, if that, in a Parks Saber, for example. One nine volt battery isn't going to last the night. I suppose you could hook up an A/C adapter to it and plug it into a wall outlet. I have never tried that, because my sabers are for wearing and dueling with.

And also keep in mind that EL wire will eventually dim and burn out, after a few thousand hours. People don't necessarily know that. I have so many blades, that it would take more than my life time to burn out all my blades just using them at events and playing with them.

Hope that answers your questions.

 

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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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RedHeadKevin  313 posts
Registered: May '04
6982_Chewie<br>Galactic Heroes
Date Posted: 4/13/05 1:38pm Subject: RE: Jedi-Loreen's EL Lightsaber Blade Tutorial
AHh... thanks. I hadn't thought of the battery-death thing. Like I said, it was kinda a dumb idea. Thanks though.

 
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