Saber FX installation wiring

I've installed electronics in two hilts now (graflex 2.0 and Romans mk1) and one common problem I kept running into was wire length. Obviously you can't make your wires too short, but I found it problematic when I made them too long. Just a tiny bit of extra wiring causes space issues, but cutting and stripping the wiring is risky once you're into an installation. If you mess up, the wire is too short and you're screwed. How do you guys handle wire lengths? I recently made an automated wire length cutter in hopes of avoiding problems like this, but you still need to know a pretty precise length to cut? Or is it totally normal to have to keep taking it apart and fixing things?

For a clean install you need to sodder the wires to the board in the chassis. Goth chassis have little room so the wire length is exact. I measure ahead of time and strip wires before the install. Check out my latest build. It's the mb sabers chassis which is a very complicated build and I used a mix of 30 guage and 27 guage wire lol

It's a neopixel saber as well which is a little easier to wite than a in hilt led. The only hard part is building the blade.

Hey CJ2319 ! One thing I picked up from reading/looking through slothfurnace 's builds...

(Check out the the photos towards the bottom of these two pages)
http://www.slothfurnace.com/sabers/ANHObiReveal_05.html
http://www.slothfurnace.com/sabers/ANHObi_05.html

...is that you can use connectors of all sorts to help you along while trying to route your wiring.

I've seen all sorts of connectors used in this manner, JST, Header Pins, DIN Connectors, etc., by several sabersmiths.

I'm waiting on some of these little guys to arrive...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Gold-...874571?hash=item2a1d75a0cb:g:9G8AAOSwR2RZ-yZW
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-2mm-P...981468?hash=item27c709045c:g:nGIAAOSw8UZZ9ZTr

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Gold-...682632?hash=item2a6980ea08:g:j5MAAOSw1cNZ-yW1
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-2mm-P...874450?hash=item2a1d75a052:g:5DYAAOSwI59Z9ZK8

My plan is to solder the wires onto the Sound Board with lengths of wire that will allow me install it into the Chassis with a folded-over length of wiring for both ease of install and reduction of stress on the solder joints (the way Rob Petkau does). Then I'll use the wee little header pins (you can cut them all into individual connectors or use them joined in specific numbers) where needed to make the wiring harness more modular (the way slothfurnace does). I also plan to use them to make a drop in switch/button/LED Sled/Plug that will allow me to remove the Chassis from the Hilt, and then be able to plug the Sled back into the Chassis to have the electronics be able to function outside of the Hilt for display (the way Ridire Firean does or I will soon anyway).

The other thing I've learned reading through build logs is that there's lots of assembly, disassembly, reassembly, throughout the build process to both test what you're working on, and to make certain it all fits together as your building your lightsaber.

If you're planning to solder everything together, with very little extra wire left over, I'd definitely do a dry run first of all the different compents laid within/out in the places they will be in in their final installation. Once you have all of your required wire lenghts figured out, disassemble everything one last time. Then do all of your painting/polishing/patination/weathering inside and out. Then solder as you go while doing your final assembly.

I hope this helps you somewhat or gives you ideas on how to accomplish your wiring goals!

Good Luck on your next build!