O.C, CA Lightsaber class: Progress Report

Amy, !

Actually, Don, the inverter you have is 1"x1"x.75".

Don wants to get some different colored switches, so the blade kit is really only temporarily wired up, so he could take it home and play with it. When he gets the switches he wants, I'll re-do it and properly insulate the solder connections with heat shrink tubing (which I ran out of that day 'cuz I didn't bring enough and somehow lost the last bit of ) instead of electrical tape.

 

lightsaber class on 4/27 update;

due to the fact that i wasnt online saturday night late or sunday at all i miss the pm's from several people. we will try to reschedule the class at the meeting on sunday. lori and i worked with dustin to help him decide what he wanted for his saber. no actual work was done because he needed to get more parts and decide whether or not to cut his handle and insert grips of use a smaller pipe and cut sections out of the larger one and space it will ribbed grip sections. lori and i decided to use the emiter shroud i had picked up at the hardware store. we need to order switches aand then we will be ready for final contruction. i spent the evening showing members of the jedi knights how to build lightsabers. they were impress and several expressed interest in joining our next class. they would also like to join us at other events. i will discuss this at the meeting as well.

 

Cool deal. SOunds like it was fun even though a small turn out. Thats really good though.

 

oooh i have an idea for my hilt that i dont think has been done yet, i'm still sketching it out and tweaking it. it will keep the tubing covered dowl as part of the design(like don's), but the opening will be a little different and easier to cut out. this will keep my dremmel(sp?) use to a minimum since i'm a novice at it. still figuring out a nice rounded end for the gas cap pommel.

this class was really great, and i can't wait till the next one. the yellow box designs are neat, BUT, once don and lori start throwing out all these ideas, the old plans go right out the door, in a good way of course! the hardest part for me is getting the one side done, with the shower heads. i dont want a flashlight thats for sure.

see ya sunday

 

More ideas for your saber Dustin? Cool! I like to see people add their own customization to a basic saber design.

There's just something about carrying a saber that you built yourself that doesn't look exactly like anyone else's because you added your own personal touch to it .

Isn't that kind of what lightsaber building is all about? It is to me.

Dustin, the simplest cuts to make with a Dremel, in my opinion, are straight and not real long.

When I do cut outs in a sink tube, or PVC, I first draw out a template, then draw it right onto the tube with a fine point Sharpie marker. The ink comes off with alcohol.

On a sink tube, I then put several layers of masking tape on the outside of the cut out right along the cutting lines to protect the chrome finish if the dremel slips. And it gives you a more 3 dimensional sort of line to follow with the cutting disk, if that makes any sense.

Just be careful and take your time. I've gotten a bit over-enthusiastic with some of my cuts in the past, and ended up with a "practice piece" and have started over. Fortunately, sink tubes are only a few bucks, and I always learn something when I mess up.

Anyway, enough of a lecture. I enjoy seeing self-built, custom sabers. And now I have enough experience and ideas to help people build them.

 

EL lightsaber 6/8 update:

the emmiter section is finally complete except for a small section of inner sleeve and paint. lori and i did have a few problems with our glue. do not use silicone cement on smooth plastic parts. after a rebuild we were ok again. i was working on the sound section and had to totally rebuild due to problems. the darn thing wouldnt fit into the main section. fixed it and will attach it outside rather than inside. problems with finding o-rings and plastic bevel washers. there aint none to be had. checked 3 hardware stores. i am having my padawan check a few more. i will also check on this saturday at fullerton hardware when i pick up my new boots. i will be holding a watch only lightsaber class this coming saturday the 14th. reason: i have to get this thing done by the cancer relay. anybody who wants to come and watch and offer constructive comments is welcome.

 

so you ended up scrapping the maul end speaker housing? i would come to your watch-only class don, but im going to be breaking my back moving us into a new apt.

good luck finishing up, it will be so cool when you fire it up saturday night at the relay!!!

it amazes me that you guys are putting 5 batteries, sound board, speaker and electronics for the blade in only 12" of space and doing it all from plumbing parts for a sink bought at home depot!!!!!! thats why i leave totally stumped and whizzing with ideas each time

 

Sorry, Dustin, but I feel like we kind of ignored you Sunday, Don and I were so focused on working on his saber.

I think Billy (Don's padawan) spent more time with you than we did.

Once we get Don's saber finished, we can concentrate better on other people's sabers.

I hope you found the class interesting, none-the-less.

 

i had a good time at the class, i like to watch you guys work on your sabers actually the wheels are turning in my head for my design the whole time i'm there. no worries, i'm gonna take my time and try out different things

 

saturday light saber class time has been moved to later in the day or early evening. ive got to go san diego and get fitted for my new tunic. SDFF is having a costume workshop and im sure that they would welcome anyone who comes. contact mara jade fan for directions and times.

 

Don't forget that we have an officers only Comic-Con planning meeting at 4:30 pm on Saturday.

 

hi shawn;

i didnt forget, but was unable to get back in time due to circumstances beyond my control. linda will vouch for me. i wont miss another one. PM me with details.

thanks

 

workshop on 6/15: not much was done as i hurt my knee on saturday. tried the new fusion paint for my saber sound pommel. seems to work ok. i need to find some copper tape. tried to drill a larger hole for the main hilt section and damaged it beyond repair. made a new one and then when trying to drill the hole for the sound power button, the drill skipped a sratched it badly. need a new pipe for the main section now. front section and emitter will be finished once lori brings back the inverter and switch. found rubber washers for the grip section. finished the top for the sound pommel. saber still should be finished by relay for cancer.

 

saber still should be finished by relay for cancer.

Relay for LIFE. We don't need a relay for cancer.

 

Maybe we should make sure the switch holes get drilled okay before I retap the hole for the blade retaining thumb screw. I know, that's an awful damn big hole for that one switch.

Shawn said we're going to have another meeting this Sunday, though he hasn't posted it yet, like he told me he was going to do on Monday, when I talked to him Sunday night. ? So we'll have to work on your saber after that. So much for my one day off! Boy, will I be glad when we get that thing finished!

I'll have your blade done by this weekend, but I can't promise you I'll have an acrylic one to go with it yet. I'll see what my plastic supplier has in stock this week, but I'm pretty busy, it seems. I'll have to find the time to get down there if they have the right color. I'm also just about broke till I get paid on Thursday. Maybe that's what I get for not asking for payment for my blades until I complete them! Nobody else who makes blades does business like that. You pay up front. (Okay, I'll stop whining now.)

I just got 2 more blade orders today, well, one is for a whole kit. I hope noone else wants to order one for a while. I'm getting burned out on making those, and I have a lot of my own projects I need to get done.

 

lightsaber class progress report correction;

relay for life...[thanks barry]

lori;

i intend to have those holes finished before sunday. i will do this on saturday. i have an idea how to keep the red switch from getting loose. i will put a piece of pvc pipe in there under it and glue them both down. thanks for getting my blade ready. i will have the money ready for it and the other parts on sunday. did brandon of the SDFF get hold of you about a red blade for his vader? he is also working on a jedi costume as well. see you on sunday.

 

Yes, Don. Brandon emailed me about it last night and I have already responded.

Darth Vader will have a new red blade for Comic-Con.

 

june 23 update;

despite 10 grueling hours on saturday, lori and i were unable to complete my EL saber. however, we did complete the EL portion of the blade. the sound system needs to be reworked and we are going to dismantle an anakin saber for the sound card. i will be using the saber at relay for life as it looks pretty good and the EL blade is working fine except for a short somewhere, so i dont plan on banging it against anything. i know the entire saber will be ready by comcicon.

 

last lightsaber update report before comicon;

despite enourmous efforts by lori and myself we were unable to get the sound working. the EL part works pretty well, there is a short somewhere and when we rebuild after comicon we will fix that and the sound too. im ordering a sound box from a company that lori knows. this should make it a lot easier to work with. i will post the next time and date for further lightsaber classes.