TOPIC: Katana - ASP dual wield build update

♫ ♪ "I'm so Happy... I'm so Happy!" ♫ ♪
Christmas in July

Update on my ASP order of a Katana style saber for my Samurai Kylo Ren... (yes i am.)
After much deliberation I pulled the trigger on ordering my dual Warrior-Tier sabers off of the IndiGoGo site (prior to the ASP website going live.)

Ordered: July 11, 2016 (Monday)
Confirmation email received: July 12 (Tuesday)
Follow-up email (to check on status) sent on: July 22 (+11 days)
SF Reply : July 26- (4 days later) with standard 1-line reply: "Hello! ASP orders have a 7-14 business day lead time through Indiegogo. - India" (I found this slightly humorous because while it was a response, it didn't actually answer my question!)
Package received: July 29 (Friday) - {Happy Dance ensues}. (Again with the humor as i did not receive an 'It has shipped' email. LOL "Su-prise, Su-prise, Su-prise" - Pvt. Gomer Pyle
TOTAL: 14 business days (nic weekends).

Coincidentally, I ALSO recieved the same day my package from China with my Eelskin and Silk Ito that I will be applying to the flat parts of the Hilt and wrapping in the traditional Samurai Style (Tsuka-Maki). Double Woot.

My Parts
ASP . Relic Pommel . Weathered
ASP . Male 3 . Weathered (Staff coupler)
ASP . Katana Body 4 . Weathered
ASP . Exile Switch . Weathered
ASP . Katana Emitter 4C . Weathered
ASP . Led 12W+ . Red
ASP . Blade Plug 1 . Black
ASP . Blade 37'' . null

I opened the package, laid out all the parts and had to take in how beautiful they are. Grandpa would be proud. The finish is pretty consistent, but varied enough to give each saber its own personality. I did a dry fit outside the saber body and WOW... that LED is B R I G H T ! It's just... Perfect! I was a little concerned about the batter and holder as it seems the Battery is a WEE bit big for the holder. Perhaps this is on purpose, perhaps not. Thank goodness for the Velcro wrap otherwise I'd be a nervous nelly. I'd prefer a few more MM on the holder so that the battery would 'snap' into the holder.

I added the switch to the body and it slid nicely in. They have a pre-added quick connector on it, which i was a little worried for clearance of the nut, but it did just slide over it. However.. the age old problem: Square nut + round inside diameter = problem with tight connection. Looks like I'll need to obtain an O-ring or something to allow it to cinch tighter against the inside of the tube.

LED module slid in like a glove to it's position in the emitter body and tightened with the set screw. Again, this comes with a pre-added quick connector, which makes attachment a breeze.

The 18650 Battery and holder sits in the lower body section, friction fit due to the Velcro wrapping around it. I was a little worried, but it seems pretty tight. I wondered how this would be with a soundboard and it appears to not be a lot of room here - especially with the battery & holder physical issue mentioned earlier. I extended the wires up and through the switch section to make the final attachments and... yup - everything works! Awesome.

Oops. Forgot the timing shims.
NOTE: do this on the body PRIOR to adding anything else as the wires kind of get in the way. A Lot! LOL
This was a *fun* job as i could not see any markings to help me understand what sizes i was dealing with on the shims. other than the 'floppy ones' are the really thin ones. For this Saber, it IS very important to have the flat sections align. A bit of trial and error was necessary to determine which shims were needed. I ended up using 3 shims per section of varying thickness to achieve this. UGH. SUCCESS.

Put it all together and what do you have?
{Evil Sith Laugh}.... "Everything coming together precisely according to plan."

Cons?
Two main observations on my build.
1) The machining on some of the edges is DAMN SHARP. I did end up cutting myself on one edge. I will have to take some sandpaper or my dremmel with a sanding bit to soften those edges. Some will be taken care of with the Tsukamaki wrapping on the hilt, but... ouch.

2) The second switch section is made of two independent pieces that are screwed together. The holes for the switches did NOT line up causing the switch to not fit in the hole. Really? UGH. There is no method for unscrewing these and slightly adjusting. Wll, not a BIG problem - easily solved with my drill press and a couple of passes to take off some of the extra material. This is covered by the switch anyway, so.... there goes the warranty for the switch section. LOL. {Note: This section shouldn't have passed Q/A before leaving the shop - popping a plug into the section holes would have indicated this easily.

I'm not done with my armor, but I put on my under outfit and fired these baby's up... and WOW.
They are BRIGHT ! The photos are untouched - no filters applied. Dayum.

TO DO LIST:
I am adding the following because I'm a Saber-Masochist on my first build. Would LOVE some guidance and insight:

1) Sound - Looking at adding a simpler sound card (i.e. Spark). I'm not interested in this build needing all the changing light colors and such. His is Red. Simple as that. While I like the Crimson font, I wanted custom Sound Fonts. I anticipate that I'll need a specialty sled to hold the battery and sound card - as the standard one does not appear to have a 'holder' on the back.

2) Speaker. There is a place in the pommel for this. Via a prior post, I believe this is to be 28 mm style - what do people use to hold this in place. (I see on their site they have it 'adhered' to the bottom of the battery pack via liquid electrical tape ?

3) Recharge Port/Kill key: While not necessary yet, this could be added now or later as there is a second hole in the Switch section.

4) Switch Change - to a Momentary from the Latching style. Still deciding on a non-lighted red anodized (per a prior post) or the lighted segmented one they have on the new ASP site. Hmmmmm. I believe i'll need a resistor for this too.

5) LED - Question: This comes with the 12w Cree (it said Quad Cree in the Perk Description), but when asked for color I indicated RED. Are these a simple RED LED or are they capable of multitude of colors? You can see this has 3 wires going to it - 1-red and 2-black after the resistor. I wouldn't mind the Flash on Clash effects, etc. Can this be done with a single color LED, or does it require a multi-color LED? As mentioned, I believe i purchased a QUAD Cree, so.. i just don't know.

6) Blades- I've commissioned Ripper Blades for two custom acrylic Katana/ninja style blades to complete the look. Obviously these are not for dueling and are for show. I'll post pictures at the end of the month when they arrive. Baby, these are gonna look gooooooooood.

Here are the photos - enjoy! If I run out of room, I'll reply to the post with the others!
May the Force be with you!
-KPax10
(Kylo -Pax-Ren)

All The Parts:


The Body parts


Battery in the holder.. it .. .might.. fit... if.. i... squeeeeeeeeze.


Brightness. Perfect.


Switch inserted and its clearances. not too shabby. Will be interesting with a charge port.


LED inserted.


Parts inserted for a dry fit run.


the Blade Plug - still bright!

More pics:
Blade Plug - end view. muah ha ha ha ha - perfect.


The offending Switch section. Notice the offset at the switch holes. Doctor, Scalpel please....


On and Off... waiting to add the Swooooosh.


Ripper Blades. The top one is similar to what i will end up with. disregard the hue - it won't be like mine.


Another Ripper blade....


Testing the look. Photos are untouched. That GLOW.... (Love)


OK - could resist.. This one IS edited with the Prisma App:

The size limit for attaching photos using the forum is 1 MB. I just using imgur and insert the links to the via the button that looks like a picture with a hyperlink symbol on it.

I like the design of these sabers! They have that katana feel without being too on the nose about it.

Also, did you mean warrior their? Hero isn't currently available for ASP.

For speakers, 28mm is what is used when they are housed in the body, but if you want it in the pommel you'll need something smaller like a 20mm.

It is possible to get a soundboard on the other side of the battery holder (they use the same battery holder for the ASP champion kits). If you're set on using a Spark 2, Darth Ryo on Shapeways.com has a multitude of 3D print chassises that will work with NEC boards. Just make sure to pick one that is the right size to fit inside your hilt and will work with the battery solution you are using (removable with holder or wired battery pack).

For your quad cree LED, there are 4 red dies. It looks like they have 2 dies each share one resistor. In theory you could use it for FoC, but since all the dies are the same color the effect won't really be noticable. Instead, NEC boards will still "flicker/shimmer" on clash/blaster/lock up if all the dies are turned on for the main blade.

Jaden,
Thanks for the comments! Yes, I love 'em. I did mean Warrior, thanks - and I have edited the post.

Yup, the Pommel is 25mm in diameter, so 3mm shy. Dang it. I do hear the 28mm's are slightly better than the smaller ones.
The body is actually ever so larger than 28mm. This is where the Speaker wants to be, however, I'm not sure there is room. I've pushed the battery as far up as i dare, but there doesn't appear to be much room left over for the threads of the pommel to go into.

As to adding a card on the top of this sled - OMG. Not really a confidence builder as it is snug as a bug in a rug in there. I would have to remove all of the velcro, which is both holding the battery within the holder AND holding it in place through friction. Certainly would have to look into using a tube protector - or getting the sled that you mention Darth Ryo has.

I can certainly leave the LED as-is, perhaps a little rewiring as required by the sound board, and change it out later when I have more time.

Thanks again - I'm sure I'll have more questions!
Kpax10


The Pommel:


The Body:


Battery Sled:

Looking at your battery holder, the Champion kits don't have the extra velcro 'pull tab' so to speak, since the extra weight of the board and speaker allow for a few quick shakes to get the whole thing out, and that frees up enough space for the board.

Looking at Darth Ryo's designs, it looks like this one might work for you: http://www.shapeways.com/product/766ZD7K43/all-in-1-igniter2-removable-battery-1-11-quot-od?optionId=56348384

Made for an NEC board, batter holder, and 28mm TCSS bass speaker. Its 1.106" wide (28.1mm) by 3.738" long. It should work with your battery holder (your'll probably need to remove all the velcro), but if not the TCSS one works too: http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/18650-Single-Cell-Holder-P886.aspx

Darth Ryo has plenty of other options too. They're separated by OD (though the "All in One" category has stuff in all different sizes, so it worth a look too). If space is still an issue, you could still use a smaller speaker in the pommel, keep the battery holder in the body, and then use a smaller OD chassis like this one to hold the soundboard up near the LED (its OD is small enough you could push it back bit into the switch section if needed.

Definitely be sure to post any updates, as well as your finished cosplay!

Jaden,
Will do (for the updates). I figured as much for the battery holder, which is why i might lean towards the Sled idea. Question - What kind of turn around time do we see from Shapeways?
Was also looking at those red anodized switches (from the Vape shop thread) - Was also thinking of the switches from the new ASP website. Does anyone know of the turn around time for the small add-on parts (switches, batteries, holders, speakers, etc.) ? Is it the same as if you ordered a full saber (i.e. 2 weeks)? I would think it could be rather quick - i.e. Pick, Pull & Ship.

So the link you provided to the holder is interesting - do think it better than this one? I can't tell, but this one doesn't look like it supports holding the speaker on the end. Or is that just a spot of glue? LOL
[url=http://]http://www.shapeways.com/product/BG6XZS3WU/gcm110-01-ig2-igniter-2-spark-2-18650-cell?optionId=55537838[/url]

Thanks again,
KPax10

KPax10 wrote: The inside of the body is just barely wide enough to fit a battery sled with a speaker and driver glued onto it. That's how the ASP kits with sound are built. It's likely that you have just enough room to make this work, unless the rear handle section is too short. I'm guessing you might also have a bit of space left between the switch and emitter too, to hold wiring and quick-connect adapters.

Another option is to use a 20mm speaker in an all-in-one chassis. This won't be as loud but provides the option to route wires past the speaker, in case you wanted to put a speaker kill switch or charge port or driver config port in the pommel itself. Some of the fancier drivers require two switches in order to access all functions, so you'd then need three holes total -- two switches and one charge port. The NEC ones offer a single-switch mode though, if you don't mind doing the config on a computer instead of realtime on the saber.

I'm guessing you have a latching switch if it's able to turn the blade on and off without a driver. You'll need a momentary switch (or two) instead for most drivers. Probably without a quick-connect mounted directly on the switch, since that tends to interfere with putting something in both switch holes.

If you want three holes, dripp3d.com sells low-profile momentary switches which are short enough to fit two on opposite sides of the hilt without interfering with each other. It might even be short enough to put a switch and a charge port on opposite sides, but I haven't tried that.

Anyway, I did a thread about how to install a charge port and lighted switch on an ASP saber, in case it helps.

Now I'm trying to put the parts together for a fancier install, Spark Color 2 with two blade colors and two switches and a charge port and speaker, from scratch. My partner wants custom sound fonts and an onboard config menu, so I've got my work cut out for me.

KPax10 wrote: It depends on how much you pay. The cheapest option seems to take about a week to print and then it has normal USPS shipping. If you pay extra, they'll print it sooner. I'm still waiting on some twisty kill keys I ordered 11 days ago, but they should be here Monday.

KPax10 wrote: Both are good, but for different needs; The first one for a removable battery, and this one for a wired battery pack. As for using a speaker with the one you posted, the holes in the side are meant for 4-40 threaded rods to go through, which can be used to attach the chassis to separate speaker holders he sells with the same holes and 3/16' nuts.

And now that I think about it, Naigon (of NEC), with a bit of extra machine work, got a 28mm speaker to fit in the Relic pommel by putting in from the back, and then gluing a speaker grill on the outside. Here's a video of the Relic install he did it in.
ToyKeeper wrote:
Unlike the Igniter 2 and Spark Color 2, the Spark 2 doesn't have an in hilt color/motion editing menu, which is what allows for the 1 button mode. Really the only difference between using one switch or two on that board is how lockup is activated and how sound fonts are switched idle mode. The in hilt menus on the Igniter 2 and SC2 require two switches, and therefore don't have a 1 button mode.

Very nice ASP Katana inspired saber! The weathering makes it look even more married together.

How did you insert the switch into the Exile Switch Section?

Nice pickup of beautiful Twins KPax10. Great use of configured Parts with selected finish too and is there any other colour besides Red that is ideal with it?

I initially thought your configured Exile Switch was done intentionally by you with the helmet-esque noseguard pointing downwards towards the Pommel.



Similarly, have always preferred this specific orientation over how it appears on a default Exile.



A quick revisit to shopsaberparts shows that what you have is 'standard'.



Are the Red and Black knobs/greeblies just screwed-in allowing position interchange or are they fixed? Do you have any plans to colour the Silver Emitter Band above the Tsuba to (idk) Red to accent the Red greeblie and brilliance of the blades? Awesome idea going with a Ripper Commission, will be exciting to see the end result at end of Month when you receive them.



How 'user-friendly' are the Pommel flared edges. Do they nibble at your forearms?
Thank you for sharing and with such a detailed writeup. Now, just an awesome pic of the Twins coupled.

Execute66 wrote:
Thank you! As I mentioned, the switch comes with a quick connect attached and secured at the base. There is a hex nut already attached. This needs to be removed (tedious) and then slid over the connector. I was worried, but it had just enough clearance around it. Once removed, the switch body is inserted from the outside in - connector first - through the switch hole. Then you have to put the nut back on, over the connector (fun times!), then thread it back up against the inside of the body. This is where an O-ring or something would come in handy. Flat object against a round body type of thing. The switch section is very accommodating and the heads of the switches fit rather nicely.

OvrcAHst wrote: I'm not sure. You mean the blade color? Hmmm.. I suppose that depends on the character that you're channeling and what he stands for! For me? Red is the choice!

OvrcAHst wrote: Well, it IS what I had intended.. but you're correct - this is the standard switch piece - however you are allowed to 'flip' segments in the interface - so I guess someone could get this facing the other way, albiet with the switches in a slightly different position!

OvrcAHst wrote: They are indeed screwed in - and are to be permanent/help, but they are removable. This element is made of two sections inner & outer- and the hole & screw section go all the way through. I believe this is to help hold the two pieces together, along with the two set screws at the top.



OvrcAHst wrote: Above the Tsuba? No. I believe the colorations that I have already, along with what I'm planning on doing will be just what I want to see! this is an intensely quick mockup of the Eelskin and the Tsukamaki wrap I'll be doing. I'll do it in such a way that it will be removable so as not to harm the saber.





OvrcAHst wrote: I'll be happy to share once they're in!!

OvrcAHst wrote: Well, I haven't dueled or been able to get outside to spin these babies... I will say they are machined aluminum and have abrupt edges. On a bare forearm, with repeated contact, they might leave a mark. However I think that will full length sleeves (medium to heavy weight) someone ought to be fine. Normal wear and tear mind you.

OvrcAHst wrote: No problem!! I was excited to finally pull the trigger and order these... as well as get them! As far as coupling - yes, they are able to do that as the Perk came with a nice coupler. This beast is almost 8' long from tip to tip. Perhaps a bit long for dueling - might need to change to the shorter blades - these are the long boys.

Here's a couple of shots of me wielding it. Yes, I know Kylo is not Maul.. however, he IS a collector. Who isn't to say this is not in his collection? Please pardon the mess - we Dog Sit at home and we're busy on the weekend. Apparently they're not phased by the sabers, although a couple do bark at me because of the mask. Must be Han Solo Fans.... And also the shorts. I live it Florida... it's a wee bit hot n humid here today.

Jaden (or anyone),

Do you know what the turn-around time would be for either ordering an NEC board directly from Naigon OR sound board from the ASP site?

Thanks!
KPax

KPax10 wrote:
For me, it's pretty quick. One day or so of processing, and then USPS Priority 2-3 days. It's pretty fast.

I've never ordered a board from ShopSaberParts.com but I have to say I've been impressed in their turn-around with custom LEDs (about a week and a half).