Live action Darksaber by Gus

[guabe]

How did you make the blade?

its a 3 layer design using 3mm sheets of acrylic. The middle section is cutout to reduce weight and accomodate the neopixels. Used 4mm wide neopixels from adafruit.

The outer sections I painted black and used mylar or aluminum tape internaly to reflect as much as possible. Glued the neopixels to one side and sealed it up.

 

[MMcFett]

its a 3 layer design using 3mm sheets of acrylic. The middle section is cutout to reduce weight and accomodate the neopixels. Used 4mm wide neopixels from adafruit.

The outer sections I painted black and used mylar or aluminum tape internaly to reflect as much as possible. Glued the neopixels to one side and sealed it up.

Did you have any diffuser, like the foam in a regular neopixel blade?

 

[guabe]

Did you have any diffuser, like the foam in a regular neopixel blade?

I did not. I just sanded the blade internally and externally too... It does not hide them perfectly in person but at least on pictures or video it washes them out. Im sure you can add a little more difusion.

 

[MMcFett]

its a 3 layer design using 3mm sheets of acrylic. The middle section is cutout to reduce weight and accomodate the neopixels. Used 4mm wide neopixels from adafruit.

The outer sections I painted black and used mylar or aluminum tape internaly to reflect as much as possible. Glued the neopixels to one side and sealed it up.

So did you have 2 black layers sandwiching a clear layer?

 

[guabe]

yes, thats about it... the black paint is put on about 5- 6mm from the edge. Im debating if I should paint the outer sides too... not sure yet.

 

[MMcFett]

its a 3 layer design using 3mm sheets of acrylic. The middle section is cutout to reduce weight and accomodate the neopixels. Used 4mm wide neopixels from adafruit.

The outer sections I painted black and used mylar or aluminum tape internaly to reflect as much as possible. Glued the neopixels to one side and sealed it up.

Was it this LED strip? Ultra Skinny NeoPixel 1515 LED Strip 4mm wide
Do you have heating issues?

 

[goldcylon]

Well done. I think it looks great

 

[guabe]

Was it this LED strip? Ultra Skinny NeoPixel 1515 LED Strip 4mm wide
Do you have heating issues?

yes that's the one, I used 2.5 strips, 1.5 on the back side of the blade all the way to the tip and 1 strip in the front side just short of the 1st slope change.

It does heat up quite a bit (white light uses a lot more power than individual colors) and this is where the aluminum tape works great, besides reflecting the light it dissipates heat.

 

[MMcFett]

yes that's the one, I used 2.5 strips, 1.5 on the back side of the blade all the way to the tip and 1 strip in the front side just short of the 1st slope change.

It does heat up quite a bit (white light uses a lot more power than individual colors) and this is where the aluminum tape works great, besides reflecting the light it dissipates heat.

Great! Glad you told me how many you used. I'm going to order some and get some plexiglass. Did you have to add a resistor to the LEDs?

 

[guabe]

Its always good practice to add a resistor to the data wire. I did not but if you want you can.

 

[guabe]

The guy that laser cut my blade is going to make full blades. I told him how to and Im seeing him today. Ill let you know how much is he asking for them.

 

[MMcFett]

The guy that laser cut my blade is going to make full blades. I told him how to and Im seeing him today. Ill let you know how much is he asking for them.

Oh let me know. I will definitely get one!

 

[Halliwax]

I’ll be in for one as well

 

[coolhanluked]

This is above and beyond what they did on the prop. Theirs looks pretty unfinished in person. As much as i like the guys that built it, you are showing them up. Nice work!

 

[xl97]

It does heat up quite a bit (white light uses a lot more power than individual colors) ......

They make RGBW neopixel strips now.. so you no longer have to 'mix' to get white. (also requires less current)

 

[guabe]

Thank you very much coolhanluked That means a lot to me.

 

[guabe]

They make RGBW neopixel strips now.. so you no longer have to 'mix' to get white. (also requires less current)

The problem of the skinny leds i had to use is that they are rgb only. Cant fit standard sized neopixels.

 

[xl97]

They have many different sizes of 'Neopixels' (WS281x)

Example:

https://www.adafruit.com/product/2969

I believe they are 1515 size packages.. and not the normal 5050 package

 

[guabe]

Yes, the link you sent is 7.5mm wide... I cant use that on this blade. Need the 4mm wide to be able to fit inside the hilt section. Also those are too tall and would be covered by the opposing wall as they dont have clear casings

The 1515 are clear on the sides and just about 1mm tall which leaves about 2mm before hiting the top wall.

 

[MMcFett]

The guy that laser cut my blade is going to make full blades. I told him how to and Im seeing him today. Ill let you know how much is he asking for them.

How did the meeting go?