TOPIC: TFA Skywalker - Graflex 3-Cell

This is the completed gallery post of a Graflex saber I've been working on the past few weeks.

You can view the build thread here.

I originally received this piece as a copy of the Icons ANH saber. It's built on top of a 3-cell Graflex (unsure if authentic or replica, though my guess is an old Parks 1.0). The original clamp and grips were stripped off. LED replaced. Soundboard rewired. Damaged chassis repaired. Graflex slide switch replaced with another retention screw to help secure the blade holder for light dueling.

Modified Graflex 2.0 grips. Modified Graflex 2.0 Kobold clip. WannaWanga TFA circuit board. TCSS Graflex Clamp. One-up Cree XP-E2 Blue LED. Ultrasound 2.0 soundboard. 7.4v 14500 battery pack. FX-Sabers chassis.

Machined and painted my own stand and blade plug to display the hilt. Used a bit of black paint on the hilt to make the socket screws look more like rivets and to bring out the stamped lines on the clamp. Crystal LED runs on its own batteries and shines through the clamp holes. Also machined a custom pommel cap to cover the Graflex stamp on the 3-Cell bottom.

That is a beautiful looking hilt Kouri..

Nice work..

Wow.. that is stunning. Nice work Kouri!

Wow that is a beautiful saber Kouri! Great work!!

Fantastic job man!

Beautiful. Damn I want one!

Kouri that's is FAN-DAZZLE. Also thanks for all the electronics knowledge that you share. I appreciate that wisdom.

Thanks a bunch for all the kind words! Got a few other builds I'm wrapping up, and finally tackling my first SaberForge hilt next month.

=Ottomatix= wrote:
I might as well share the wealth. Spent months researching before building my first saber, and still picking up knowledge all over the place. Figure having everything available in one spot will help others join in the fun.

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Minor update - snapped some photos with the vintage-style clamp and without the TFA pommel cover. The extra vent holes are not at all necessary - they were just already there when I received the flashgun. I've a hidden sound vent that channels through the Kobold clip, and sound also vents through the Graflex clamp. Also, since the speaker's sealed at the pommel end of the chassis, the hilt itself vibrates when the soundboard is set to max volume. This thing really feels alive. Board has the option for pulsing blade, but it dims the LED a bit too much for my taste.

Extraordinary rebuild Kouri. A demonstration of excellence with your knowledge and internal reconfiguring. Credit to you with your ever increasing credentials. Beautiful.

Kouri, your work is phenomenal. I might be picking your brain over the summer if I can get my hands on a Graflex 2.0. Nice stand by the way. Could/would you duel with a crystal reveal like this? Or is just as fragile as SF's CR?

Thank you kindly, OvrcAHst.

Andi-Jae EL wrote:
That's~ a pretty good question, actually. I sacrificed the slide switch up front for another bladeholder retention screw specifically to eliminate any wobble in the blade and chassis. Setup's rock solid.

That said, there's no threading between the front and rear half of the shell - just a couple of tiny tabs and some friction keeping everything together.

I'd rate it for light-dueling, so long as it's wielded with a one-hand grip on the emitter-half. I'd worry that heavy dueling with two hands would put too much stress on the Graflex clamp holding the shell together. Obviously haven't tested this very thoroughly, since I didn't want to risk ruining the one 3-Cell I've been able to work with, even if it is only a replica.

On the flip side, a properly secured crystal chassis in a Graflex 2.0 kit would probably be just fine for heavy dueling.

As for the SF sabers, it's not the crystal chamber itself that's delicate, as far as I can tell, but just the way it's mounted. Jade, Descent, and Gladiator should be fine for heavy dueling. Monarch's only issue is the crystal being exposed.

The Crystal thin-necks face the same issue this Graflex does - there's no threading keeping the two halves secured - just twist and pull. Once ASP becomes public, it should be possible to come up with a duel-ready crystal chassis locked into the switch section. You'd unscrew the ribbed emitter from the body to expose the crystal and LED module. It's actually something I've been meaning to design for a future build.