Lightsaber II: There is Another

 As my first lightsaber project wraps to a close, I have picked back up a lightsaber project I began at least 4 years ago.  It looked very different back then, but it has since evolved into something beautiful (at least to me).  I am still working on this saber, but I have purchased almost everything I need to make it my best saber yet.  For this post, I will list out the parts I have ordered for this saber and their functions, tally the total cost, include a picture comparing it to the other lightsaber I have built.


(Speaker size for comparison)


First, the parts used to form the body of the lightsaber:

  1. 1-1/4" x 5" Metal Tailpiece with Sink Drain Stopper ($8.90): Here (Forms the upper half of the lightsaber hilt).
  2. 1-1/2" x 8" Brass Slip Joint Extension Tube ($15.99): Here (Forms the lower half of the lightsaber hilt).
  3. 1-1/2" OD Washer ($5.83 if purchased online): Here (Forms the main protector of the pommel speaker).
  4. Roll of Mesh Screen ($19.98): Here (Further protection for the speaker.  Only a 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" section is needed, so it would be better to scavenge for such a small scrap).
  5. Heavy Duty D-Ring ($14.60 if purchased online): Here (Used to attach the hilt to a belt clip.  Cheaper when purchased individually in a store).
  6. 8-32 Rivet Nut ($8.59): Here (Used to reinforce the hole for the thumb screw).
  7. 8-32 Thumb Screw ($6.80): Here (Used to secure the blade into the emitter shroud).
  8. 1.75mm Black PLA Filament for 3D Printer ($18.99): Here (Used to print all the parts that are shaped specially and cannot be bought in a store).
Next, the electronics:
  1. RGBX Eco Smoothswing Soundboard ($40.00): Here (Used to control the lights and sounds for the lightsaber).
  2. RGB XP-E2 CopperNova LED Array ($20.50): Here (The main lights of the saber.  The blue LED of this board will be replaced with an ultraviolet LED).
  3. CREE XML UV 395nm LED ($1.69): Here (The ultraviolet LED that will replace the blue LED in the array).
  4. 18deg Tri-Cree Lens ($2.25): Here (Used to focus the light from the LEDs down the blade properly).
  5. 3W 4 Ohm 40mm Speaker ($9.99): Here (The speaker that will be concealed in the pommel of the hilt).
  6. PAM8403 Amplifier Board ($6.49): Here (Used to make the saber even loader than it would be normally).
  7. 3.7v 900 mAh LiPo Battery (4 x $8.19): Here (The main power source of the saber).
  8. 12mm Momentary Push Button Switch ($11.89): Here (The activation switch for the lightsaber.  The one I am actually using came from a gasoline leaf blower that I salvaged out of the trash, but this one will work just as well).
  9. 2.54mm JST Connector Kit ($10.99): Here (Used to allow the saber to have components disconnected and replaced if necessary).
  10. 24 AWG Solid Wire Kit ($11.99): Here (Used in conjunction with the JST connectors to connect the various electronics together).

Total cost if purchasing everything online: $248.23
It was cheaper for me because many of the parts I listed I already had or could acquire much more cheaply through purchasing a single unit in a retail store.  I estimate the total cost of this for me was about $50 cheaper.

Due to the dimensions of this saber and the fact that the emitter shroud is 3D printed, this saber can accept both 1" blades and 7/8" blades.  There are a wide variety of blades available in these sizes, but I will include some links with a few options that can be used.  None of the Pixel blades are compatible, but any other blade on these pages should work just fine.
  1. The Custom Saber Shop: Here
  2. Vader's Vault: Here
The features of this saber are far superior to the older saber (not including the blaster attachment of the old saber).  The soundboard has adjustable sound fonts, which means that I can change how the saber sounds from a list of 9 different pre-configured options.  The speaker module is about 3x larger physically than the speaker in the older saber.  This saber is big enough to have one extra battery, so it should last even longer than the old saber.  The new soundboard also has far more color combinations than the older soundboard.  The old soundboard has only 15 color profiles to select from.  This is a fair number of colors to choose from, but it is absolutely dwarfed by the number of colors that are available from the new soundboard.  The new soundboard smoothly transitions between shades of colors until it is stopped at the color the wielder desires.  The new saber will have an ultraviolet mode, which should allow for some crazy color combinations.  Lastly, and most importantly, the new saber has smoothswing.  This means that the sound the saber makes when swung adapts to the length and force of the swing rather than playing a pre-recorded swing sound effect that seldom lines up with the actual motion of the saber properly.  In short, the only thing the older saber will have that is better than the new saber is the blaster attachment that I made for it.  If the new saber works out well, I might buy another soundboard of the same type and install it into my old saber. 

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