TrooperTrent Holiday Special Lightsaber Series
- Thread starter Halliwax
- Start date
sbeall
Active Member
I have a couple left over. I got them on Amazon, and there’s a link in this thread somewhere. PM me and I can hook you up. If you want to see the lamp I got on a HS it’s in my thread, and maybe here, too.
-S
uglyguitarguy
Active Member
Well, it's come time for me to join the fray of the Holiday Saber builds! My best friend's father supplied me with a Graflex 2773 that had been sitting in a box in his garage for "years." When he first told me that he had a Graflex that I could trade whiskey for I was beside myself hoping to make an Ep IV replica, and was mildly disappointed when I found out what it actually was. BUT! After some very quick research about the HS, I have fallen in love with this monstrosity, and plan to take this build to all new heights!
I watched all of Halliwax's videos about the build (dude, THANK YOU SO MUCH for those), and contacted Trooper_trent on etsy to get my very own kit for this project. It showed up fast, looks amazing, and I can't wait to get started on it this weekend. I'm working on some slight modifications to the saber though... Here's what I'm going to be doing:
1st - My endcap is going to be removable. I'm currently designing a threaded insert that will slide inside the end of the Graflex, and a second "bolt" of sorts that the Trooper_trent end cap will get epoxied to so that the end can be screwed/unscrewed at will. Fortunately, I work with a lot of brilliant mechanical engineers that are hot on helping me make the happen because I can't design threads in sketchup to save my life...
2nd - Why do I need a removable endcap?? Well, because it will make it easier to access the electronics of course! I have purchased an entry-level dueling RGB saber with sound effects that I have gutted for the electronics and blade (a little preview of that can be seen above). I will figure out how to incorporate the circuit board, LED, speaker, battery, switch, and charging port into this beasty. I used to design and hand-build micro guitar pedals as a hobby-business, so this project is right up my alley. I'm very excited to figure it out and pack it in!
3rd - I'm NOT cutting the threads off. After thinking about the whole debauchery this saber was, and how it really does appear that the end was just gaff-taped before adding the T track, I think that they actually used 4" gaff tape to just cover the entire end of the saber (quick and easy), which would mean that 4" T track was used on the original (purely theory-based). When I did a scaling exercise, it actually feels more correct to me than the versions with the end cut off. The benefit is that the Graflex retains the full length and the gaff covers the threads. That just "feels" accurate to me and doesn't change any of the positioning (just the track length), so I'm running with it.
4th - Electronics details. This is where it gets dicey. I have to fit the LED bulb into the emitter end of the saber. That's gonna require A LOT of mods to the endpiece for space and wiring, BUT Im pretty sure it's doable. I have to fabricate a holding ring for the LED and the saber blade without it protruding. It also has to sit under the tab in emitter end. The red side bulb will also glow (that will be my "on" indicater), with power rerouted for that from the LED ring in the switch in the picture above. The ON switch will be a gold, round 10mm momentary switch in the control box (not screen accurate, but that's fine by me) that's on it's way to me from a friend of mine at Tesi Switches. That will require me to epoxy fill the center square of Trent's kit and redrill for the 10mm switch. No biggie. The charging port location is still way up for grabs. I've no idea where to hide that yet, but I'll figure it out. There's only so many discrete locations...
All, in all, this is going to be a boat load of fun, and I intend to have it done in time to dazzle friends and family for Life Day!
Cheers!
I watched all of Halliwax's videos about the build (dude, THANK YOU SO MUCH for those), and contacted Trooper_trent on etsy to get my very own kit for this project. It showed up fast, looks amazing, and I can't wait to get started on it this weekend. I'm working on some slight modifications to the saber though... Here's what I'm going to be doing:
1st - My endcap is going to be removable. I'm currently designing a threaded insert that will slide inside the end of the Graflex, and a second "bolt" of sorts that the Trooper_trent end cap will get epoxied to so that the end can be screwed/unscrewed at will. Fortunately, I work with a lot of brilliant mechanical engineers that are hot on helping me make the happen because I can't design threads in sketchup to save my life...
2nd - Why do I need a removable endcap?? Well, because it will make it easier to access the electronics of course! I have purchased an entry-level dueling RGB saber with sound effects that I have gutted for the electronics and blade (a little preview of that can be seen above). I will figure out how to incorporate the circuit board, LED, speaker, battery, switch, and charging port into this beasty. I used to design and hand-build micro guitar pedals as a hobby-business, so this project is right up my alley. I'm very excited to figure it out and pack it in!
3rd - I'm NOT cutting the threads off. After thinking about the whole debauchery this saber was, and how it really does appear that the end was just gaff-taped before adding the T track, I think that they actually used 4" gaff tape to just cover the entire end of the saber (quick and easy), which would mean that 4" T track was used on the original (purely theory-based). When I did a scaling exercise, it actually feels more correct to me than the versions with the end cut off. The benefit is that the Graflex retains the full length and the gaff covers the threads. That just "feels" accurate to me and doesn't change any of the positioning (just the track length), so I'm running with it.
4th - Electronics details. This is where it gets dicey. I have to fit the LED bulb into the emitter end of the saber. That's gonna require A LOT of mods to the endpiece for space and wiring, BUT Im pretty sure it's doable. I have to fabricate a holding ring for the LED and the saber blade without it protruding. It also has to sit under the tab in emitter end. The red side bulb will also glow (that will be my "on" indicater), with power rerouted for that from the LED ring in the switch in the picture above. The ON switch will be a gold, round 10mm momentary switch in the control box (not screen accurate, but that's fine by me) that's on it's way to me from a friend of mine at Tesi Switches. That will require me to epoxy fill the center square of Trent's kit and redrill for the 10mm switch. No biggie. The charging port location is still way up for grabs. I've no idea where to hide that yet, but I'll figure it out. There's only so many discrete locations...
All, in all, this is going to be a boat load of fun, and I intend to have it done in time to dazzle friends and family for Life Day!
Cheers!
Yes a FX-ed Holiday special!!!!
Can’t wait!!
uglyguitarguy
Active Member
Howdy everyone,
Had a productive weekend! A good chunk of my time was spent removing the DC charging jack, and activation switch from the FX PCB. My momentary gold switch showed up SUPER fast, so I got that wired on and it fires up happily. The emitter LED is now on quick-connectors that will be properly shortened once I get to final assembly, but for now, the proof of concept works. I'm still unsure how the red side bulb will get mounted and wired up because of the lack of internal space around the Graflex bulb connector assembly, but I'll figure it out when that arrives in the mail (I picked up the smaller version off amazon instead of using the one that comes in Trent's kit). Also, still unsure about charging jack location. It would be great if I could fit it discretely into the control box, but I haven't quite figured that out yet.
I used a dremel to cut a channel to run the RGB LED wiring down the inside of the existing hardware assembly. I also had to chop the aluminum mounting heat sink in half with my dremel in order to get the bulb to sit low enough in the hilt because as-is it sat flush with the emitter end.
From there, I went after the emitter tab. After reading through the thread, I decided to use the thinner tab end with the bump. I'm going to file it down a little bit to get the appropriate look, but the great news is that I can cleanly fit the bulb under the tab, and there's exactly enough room for a 1/16" wall 1" OD saber blade this is currently on it's way to me (see the bulb height? that's why the heat sink had to be chopped). This was MUCH easier to accomplish than expected! The blade will just need to be notched to be received. A discrete set screw will hold it in place nicely once I get to the complete assembly point. As you can see, I also painted the black square at the top of the emitter end.
Next up, the control box. Because I'm putting a gold momentary switch in place of the knurled switch, I didn't need the large square area that is in the middle of the control box. I drilled the center hole through (for easier locating of center later), and filled it with 5 min epoxy. After it's painted black I'll be drilling a hole through the center again for mounting the gold switch. (Not pictured: I primed and painted the control box).
Next up, the aluminum shroud. The TT templates were a massive help, and made this super easy. I sat and watched Rogue One while doing this part of the project.
One thing that I didn't get a picture of was removing the black paint from the recessed Graflex lettering. Acetone did not work. Goof Off did not work. Industrial grade paint remover did not work. What DID work was a combination of the industrial grade remover and elbow grease. I sprayed the remover on, waited a few minutes, and used a xacto blade tip to scratch through each of the letters (yes, even the tiny ones). This I think breaks the surface layer of paint and allows the remover to get into it and do it's job. Then I sprayed a little more and let it sit again. After about 5 minutes I attacked it with a stiff-bristle tooth brush, and voila, the lettering cleaned right out. It's time consuming, but looks WAY better now, imho.
Lastly, I filled the inside of the endcap from TT's kit with epoxy as well. I finally decided how I'm going to mount the speaker to the endcap. I also decided that the endcap will be held on with discrete black set screws in the base. Easy peasy. Still waiting for my T Track to show up too, but I have plenty to get done in the meantime!
Cheers, and happy monday!
Had a productive weekend! A good chunk of my time was spent removing the DC charging jack, and activation switch from the FX PCB. My momentary gold switch showed up SUPER fast, so I got that wired on and it fires up happily. The emitter LED is now on quick-connectors that will be properly shortened once I get to final assembly, but for now, the proof of concept works. I'm still unsure how the red side bulb will get mounted and wired up because of the lack of internal space around the Graflex bulb connector assembly, but I'll figure it out when that arrives in the mail (I picked up the smaller version off amazon instead of using the one that comes in Trent's kit). Also, still unsure about charging jack location. It would be great if I could fit it discretely into the control box, but I haven't quite figured that out yet.
I used a dremel to cut a channel to run the RGB LED wiring down the inside of the existing hardware assembly. I also had to chop the aluminum mounting heat sink in half with my dremel in order to get the bulb to sit low enough in the hilt because as-is it sat flush with the emitter end.
From there, I went after the emitter tab. After reading through the thread, I decided to use the thinner tab end with the bump. I'm going to file it down a little bit to get the appropriate look, but the great news is that I can cleanly fit the bulb under the tab, and there's exactly enough room for a 1/16" wall 1" OD saber blade this is currently on it's way to me (see the bulb height? that's why the heat sink had to be chopped). This was MUCH easier to accomplish than expected! The blade will just need to be notched to be received. A discrete set screw will hold it in place nicely once I get to the complete assembly point. As you can see, I also painted the black square at the top of the emitter end.
Next up, the control box. Because I'm putting a gold momentary switch in place of the knurled switch, I didn't need the large square area that is in the middle of the control box. I drilled the center hole through (for easier locating of center later), and filled it with 5 min epoxy. After it's painted black I'll be drilling a hole through the center again for mounting the gold switch. (Not pictured: I primed and painted the control box).
Next up, the aluminum shroud. The TT templates were a massive help, and made this super easy. I sat and watched Rogue One while doing this part of the project.
One thing that I didn't get a picture of was removing the black paint from the recessed Graflex lettering. Acetone did not work. Goof Off did not work. Industrial grade paint remover did not work. What DID work was a combination of the industrial grade remover and elbow grease. I sprayed the remover on, waited a few minutes, and used a xacto blade tip to scratch through each of the letters (yes, even the tiny ones). This I think breaks the surface layer of paint and allows the remover to get into it and do it's job. Then I sprayed a little more and let it sit again. After about 5 minutes I attacked it with a stiff-bristle tooth brush, and voila, the lettering cleaned right out. It's time consuming, but looks WAY better now, imho.
Lastly, I filled the inside of the endcap from TT's kit with epoxy as well. I finally decided how I'm going to mount the speaker to the endcap. I also decided that the endcap will be held on with discrete black set screws in the base. Easy peasy. Still waiting for my T Track to show up too, but I have plenty to get done in the meantime!
Cheers, and happy monday!
Pretty sweet! I was thinking this would be a relatively easy hilt to add electronics to, as well!
Maybe you can figure a way to use one of the two-prong extension receptacles as the recharge port? I realize there's not much space up there, already, especially once you add the red bulb. Or maybe you could put it in one of the four corners of the control box, under a "false" screw?
Why not just use a small tactile momentary switch in the same location as your gold switch, but with the "knurled part" attached to the switch hat?
Also, the simplest way I've found to get rid of the black in the lettering, is not to remove it, but simply paint over it with a silver paint pen. Just wipe away any excess.
Maybe you can figure a way to use one of the two-prong extension receptacles as the recharge port? I realize there's not much space up there, already, especially once you add the red bulb. Or maybe you could put it in one of the four corners of the control box, under a "false" screw?
Why not just use a small tactile momentary switch in the same location as your gold switch, but with the "knurled part" attached to the switch hat?
Also, the simplest way I've found to get rid of the black in the lettering, is not to remove it, but simply paint over it with a silver paint pen. Just wipe away any excess.
uglyguitarguy
Active Member
Gregatron - If I can figure out how to hack the board I'll have a go at changing sounds! Definitely not my forte though, so I'm not entirely sure how possible that is...
Dann - Actually, that's a brilliant idea. a standard two prong AC plug fits the connectors, and there is a +/- plug pair, so I'm gonna have a go at figuring out how to make that the DC charging port (safely). It could be a little iffy if the power cable is plugged in and both prongs make contact with the aluminum casing... We'll see how that flushes out.
I thought about doing that with the switch, but I think that ship has sailed at this point since I epoxied the square block in where the switch sits recessed. I can't work on the project this week because I'm flying out of town tomorrow until Sunday, but I'm briandstorm on it and see how I want to proceed...
And where were you before I spent all that time digging out the paint in the letters!
Halliwax: Thanks for being along for the ride. Your tutorial gave me the confidence to tackle this project!
Dann - Actually, that's a brilliant idea. a standard two prong AC plug fits the connectors, and there is a +/- plug pair, so I'm gonna have a go at figuring out how to make that the DC charging port (safely). It could be a little iffy if the power cable is plugged in and both prongs make contact with the aluminum casing... We'll see how that flushes out.
I thought about doing that with the switch, but I think that ship has sailed at this point since I epoxied the square block in where the switch sits recessed. I can't work on the project this week because I'm flying out of town tomorrow until Sunday, but I'm briandstorm on it and see how I want to proceed...
And where were you before I spent all that time digging out the paint in the letters!
Halliwax: Thanks for being along for the ride. Your tutorial gave me the confidence to tackle this project!
uglyguitarguy
Active Member
Hey guys, I'm back at it. Sorry for the delay since the last update, but my time post-wedding a few weeks ago has been pretty stretched, but now we're getting back to normal again. Here's what I've done since the last update:
I've taken a lot of this very slowly, because of accounting for the electronics that need to be installed. I find myself thinking 5 or 6 steps down the road constantly with this thing because it's starting to feel like a chess game with all the addition parts I'm putting into it and really not wanting to back myself into a corner. What I decided on was actually to tackle the remainder of the electronics on the emitter end first. I sourced the smaller 9-10mm bulbs on amazon (I have 5-6 extras now if anyone wants to PM for one). I then dremel'd one down, to the rough curve of the graflex, and sanded it the rest of the way down with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper wrapped around the handle (like how you sand down TT's kit control box). Here's the difference in the one that comes from TT's kit vs the ones I found vs my very modified/fitted bulb.
You can also see the aluminum shroud is attached, which I had to do twice because I realized after the first time that I lined the tip of the "arrow" on the bottom shroud piece without the black plastic end cap in when i glued the top on, which changes the position of the shroud once you put that circular black piece back in. I also had to file some of the circular end piece lip away to make it removable (no pic). If anyone wants to know what that means exactly, I can provide a pic later.
So, now that I have my bulb to the right shape (and is now just a red bulb that you can shine light through) I drilled a hole into the graflex so that I could inlay a red LED (I tried white, and it turned the bulb orange) into the big plug assembly using my dremel. From there, simply wired the power leads, put the assembly into the graflex, and voila! I have a "power indicator" when the saber is switched on!
I also took this opportunity to glue the emitter LED to the plug assembly (no pic). Next up for the emitter will be wiring up the charger. Thanks to Dann's previous reply, Ive figured out how to route the DC charger to the "Battery +/-" plugs on the saber, so no extra holes are needed to keep it alive! That'll be explained in the next update.
Lastly, my Wanna Wanga 4" T track arrived, as did my 4" roll of gaff tape. Personally, I just feel like the size is more accurate with the threads still attached and the gaff tape covering the threads at the bottom.
Also, decals were put on the control box. All in all, it's coming together very nicely. Not sure yet how the control box is going to attach to the graflex since I have a switch to put into it, but now that I don't have to worry about the other stuff, I can focus on figuring out that riddle next. Should have another update for you guys in a couple days!
Cheers!
I've taken a lot of this very slowly, because of accounting for the electronics that need to be installed. I find myself thinking 5 or 6 steps down the road constantly with this thing because it's starting to feel like a chess game with all the addition parts I'm putting into it and really not wanting to back myself into a corner. What I decided on was actually to tackle the remainder of the electronics on the emitter end first. I sourced the smaller 9-10mm bulbs on amazon (I have 5-6 extras now if anyone wants to PM for one). I then dremel'd one down, to the rough curve of the graflex, and sanded it the rest of the way down with a piece of 100 grit sandpaper wrapped around the handle (like how you sand down TT's kit control box). Here's the difference in the one that comes from TT's kit vs the ones I found vs my very modified/fitted bulb.
You can also see the aluminum shroud is attached, which I had to do twice because I realized after the first time that I lined the tip of the "arrow" on the bottom shroud piece without the black plastic end cap in when i glued the top on, which changes the position of the shroud once you put that circular black piece back in. I also had to file some of the circular end piece lip away to make it removable (no pic). If anyone wants to know what that means exactly, I can provide a pic later.
So, now that I have my bulb to the right shape (and is now just a red bulb that you can shine light through) I drilled a hole into the graflex so that I could inlay a red LED (I tried white, and it turned the bulb orange) into the big plug assembly using my dremel. From there, simply wired the power leads, put the assembly into the graflex, and voila! I have a "power indicator" when the saber is switched on!
I also took this opportunity to glue the emitter LED to the plug assembly (no pic). Next up for the emitter will be wiring up the charger. Thanks to Dann's previous reply, Ive figured out how to route the DC charger to the "Battery +/-" plugs on the saber, so no extra holes are needed to keep it alive! That'll be explained in the next update.
Lastly, my Wanna Wanga 4" T track arrived, as did my 4" roll of gaff tape. Personally, I just feel like the size is more accurate with the threads still attached and the gaff tape covering the threads at the bottom.
Also, decals were put on the control box. All in all, it's coming together very nicely. Not sure yet how the control box is going to attach to the graflex since I have a switch to put into it, but now that I don't have to worry about the other stuff, I can focus on figuring out that riddle next. Should have another update for you guys in a couple days!
Cheers!
This is so wicked!!
uglyguitarguy
Active Member
Ok, guys, I completed this WAY sooner than I expected!! Here's what I accomplished the last couple days in my off time that brought me to the end of this project just in time for the celebration of Life Day!
I started out by deciding it was time to finalize the electronics. I wired up the "Battery +/-" plug to the DC charging connections, and put that and the speaker on quick connects for ease of assembly. I typically wouldn't leave this much extra wire, but since I didn't know what the assembly was gonna be like on first try, I rolled with it.
Once everything was fitted, I tackled the arrows. Instead of using the decals from the TT kit, I intended to use the cutout from the kit for a stencil and Aluminum Black to darken the graflex, but it turns out that did almost nothing to the tube surface (it darkened a scrap piece of aluminum just fine. So instead I painted the arrows on in the same matte black as the control box and black square. For some reason I just liked that idea of it being paint better than doing decals. So I cut the stencil out of the vinyl piece, and masked the hell out of the saber to paint.
After that, All that was needed was to glue my speaker to the end cap, and mount in place. I decided that for future access I'd just drop in an inconspicuous set screw to hold the end cap in.
From there, it was all done!! My first prop build came to life, and I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad to have had the chance to tackle this beautiful monstrosity, and create what may very well be the first Force FX Holiday Special Lightsaber on earth!!
Special thanks to Halliwax for the tutorial, and for Trooper_trent for the amazing parts kit!!
I can't wait for my next prop-building journey; Luke's Ep IV original Graflex lightsaber!! But for now, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Life Day to everyone that enjoyed my build journey! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Cheers!
I started out by deciding it was time to finalize the electronics. I wired up the "Battery +/-" plug to the DC charging connections, and put that and the speaker on quick connects for ease of assembly. I typically wouldn't leave this much extra wire, but since I didn't know what the assembly was gonna be like on first try, I rolled with it.
Once everything was fitted, I tackled the arrows. Instead of using the decals from the TT kit, I intended to use the cutout from the kit for a stencil and Aluminum Black to darken the graflex, but it turns out that did almost nothing to the tube surface (it darkened a scrap piece of aluminum just fine. So instead I painted the arrows on in the same matte black as the control box and black square. For some reason I just liked that idea of it being paint better than doing decals. So I cut the stencil out of the vinyl piece, and masked the hell out of the saber to paint.
After that, All that was needed was to glue my speaker to the end cap, and mount in place. I decided that for future access I'd just drop in an inconspicuous set screw to hold the end cap in.
From there, it was all done!! My first prop build came to life, and I couldn't be happier. I'm so glad to have had the chance to tackle this beautiful monstrosity, and create what may very well be the first Force FX Holiday Special Lightsaber on earth!!
Special thanks to Halliwax for the tutorial, and for Trooper_trent for the amazing parts kit!!
I can't wait for my next prop-building journey; Luke's Ep IV original Graflex lightsaber!! But for now, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Life Day to everyone that enjoyed my build journey! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Cheers!
Oh man, GREAT JOB! And such a quick project, too!
That's awesome that you were able to put the recharge port up top, I really wanna do mine, now! Haha
Really great work, glad I could be of some help (however small), and thank YOU for proving the idea works!
That's awesome that you were able to put the recharge port up top, I really wanna do mine, now! Haha
Really great work, glad I could be of some help (however small), and thank YOU for proving the idea works!
BlackTie90
New Member
Wow, where was this all when I started (and quickly shelved) my build. I Started one back August of 2016 and got as far as getting the tube and compiling reference photos before we got hit with the 2016 flood here in Louisiana and I lost most everything. Just found the tube in a box looking for my copy of the Holiday Special to showcase for my family on Christmas. Let me just say wow these are some beautiful sabers and I wish I'd been around for the kit. I think I've got just about everything save for the control box or, I did before I shelved it. I'll have to find my T-track again and I'm definitely going to replace the little cherry bulb I have with one of the bigger ones.
This thread is a beautiful resource and I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone and start on showcasing my build starting with this absolutely beat to hell tube that has me planning on a pretty dingy and dinged up build. Planning on having it look like it was uncovered after spending 40 years lost in the mud on Kashyyyk.
This is going to be my first build of a more accurate prop, I'm more 3d print (FDM) oriented usually, and would love to be able to incorporate a printed control box if anyone is willing to share their files for it i'd be forever indebted. Heck I actually found this thread while questing for files for the box after stumbling across the switch files Halliwax posted to Thingiverse (Which is awesome and I've got queued up for the minute I'm done with late Christmas presents).
This thread is a beautiful resource and I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone and start on showcasing my build starting with this absolutely beat to hell tube that has me planning on a pretty dingy and dinged up build. Planning on having it look like it was uncovered after spending 40 years lost in the mud on Kashyyyk.
This is going to be my first build of a more accurate prop, I'm more 3d print (FDM) oriented usually, and would love to be able to incorporate a printed control box if anyone is willing to share their files for it i'd be forever indebted. Heck I actually found this thread while questing for files for the box after stumbling across the switch files Halliwax posted to Thingiverse (Which is awesome and I've got queued up for the minute I'm done with late Christmas presents).
I still have kits.
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