Suggestion Box/Wishlist: what do we want from Ultrasabers?

[Vervidian]

Here's my thought, see how on Dooku's saber on the butt side the bend is at that joint piece there? couldn't you just have a threaded connector piece where the threading was angled slightly. It's hard to describe. Here's a doodle I did to try to explain it but it doesn't help much http://sta.sh/0hu06ipkedd

Basically the "bend" is created by angling a slanted cut ring of aluminum. If done the way I'm trying to describe, there wouldn't be any "bending" of a tube. The only downside is that it becomes multi piece. Though, it could just be presented as a large pommel.

Hey Lovetadraw,

As I understand your sketch, having an angled 'slice' (akin to the Prophecy emitter) threaded joint would not accomplish any space savings, as the act of screwing it onto the connector would cause the tall end to knock into the corner.  It's entirely possible that I misunderstand your concept, but if the goal of an angled threaded joint is to save space in the cutout region, I have trouble making this work in my mind.

Master Vervidian
Jedi Sentinel and Amateur Geometrist

[Thanamira]

My wild guess (I wouldn't really know) is that an elbow joint at the pommel end wouldn't be too hard to either find a source of or to make.  It's the gentle emitter curve that would be 100% custom, and given the low numbers being produced, that additional cost would be too large to be distributed over many units of production.  (As in, if the target price is $150, with $25 of that budgeted to the emitter bend, if the capital outlay to make the emitter bend is $25,000, then US would have to sell 1,000 of these sabers to recoup that cost in a year.)

Now, if in the new movies coming out, another curved-handle user appears who is wildly popular, then that probably becomes worth it.  Right now?  Enh.

(I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade -- I cosplay as Dooku.  I would fling a lot of money at US for a Nobility hilt.    )

This is where I repeat that I wouldn't really know, though. 

[Duskheart]

The only thing I can really see working is if, perhaps, a thicker piece of aluminum is milled with a "curve" in it

I'm having a hard time explaining it, but basically the internal space is perfectly straight, it's the size of the walls around it that change to create that curve.

[Thanamira]

Yeah, I've mused about a 3D-printed sleeve that goes around a straight tube.  The tricky thing is all the incremental thickness -- part of what makes the Mantis such a beast is that it's an additive design like you described.  (I find it difficult to use one-handed.)

Insofar as copyright infringement, that might be an excellent way for US to sidestep it: they offer a smaller OD straight emitter, and someone independently comes up with a 3D print design to attach to make a screen-accurate Dooku saber.  But if the emitter is a smaller OD, that would require a new LED module to stock, which I can see being very unappealing to US.

[Darth Logos]

I think that's the problem: I think with steel, you can just heat it up a bit, bend it, let it cool, and bam, good to go.

With aluminum, I think if you heat up a tube of it and try to bend it, it'll shatter or at least develop catastrophic cracks.  But I'm not sure.  Anyone with metallurgy experience? 

Quite. You actually don't have to heat it at all. You can just do a cold bend on either material. Industries do it all the time. The problem would arise from getting the details machined once it's bent. Because pre-bend machining would yield much scrap.



Now it might be possible to produce solid cast parts, like this, with a lost-foam technique. But it would significantly raise the cost. And casting sacrifices strength compared to machined extrusion.

[Vervidian]

Quite. You actually don't have to heat it at all. You can just do a cold bend on either material. Industries do it all the time. The problem would arise from getting the details machined once it's bent. Because pre-bend machining would yield much scrap.

Now it might be possible to produce solid cast parts, like this, with a lost-foam technique. But it would significantly raise the cost. And casting sacrifices strength compared to machined extrusion.

-1 Logos, have a point.  Good explanation.

IMHO, a Count Dooku saber which has the exact same bend profile as the production Mantis would be well-received!  No emitter bend really necessary!  (Besides, what was Dooku thinking with that banana hilt, anyways?  Doubles as a walking stick?)

[Rapine]

(Besides, what was Dooku thinking with that banana hilt, anyways?  Doubles as a walking stick?)

LMAO!

I always thought to myself that Count Dooku's saber could have used a little blue pill.    

+1

[For Tyeth]

Hi all,

I know Tera Sinube had a walking stick saber, not sure if he's still canon or not though!
I have a link for a YouTube video of Christopher Lee discussing his sword fights in the movies and gives an interesting demonstration. If you want I can post it here if allowed (I'm not sure if it's the right thread).

[FrontierBrainRobby]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this stuff yet, but if there was a way to get true Yellow, Purple, Indigo, and Cyan LEDs that would be awesome, so the mixing of the LEDs isn't obvious.
Also, GOLD ANODIZING FOR MORE THAN JUST ACCENTS!!! Would really be an awesome selection to add, and we know its possible since the azure and crimson models of some hilts are sold, plus the LE versions have it

If you couldn't tell, I kinda wanna make myself a Jedi Temple Guard saber

[lovetadraw]

Non mixed LEDs would be great, not sure if it's possible for some colors but one can dream. Heck, imagine an Emerald option of RGBY or RWBY! Lets get funky, MCY/W (don't think that'd work)

[BlindJedi]

Don't know if this has been mensioned before, but we need a new electronics package.
A combination of the Emerald driver and the Obsidian sound board.  This is so when we connect it to the computer we only need one USB cable.
I'd also like to see the sound fonts linked to a certain color, pulse pattern, and flash on clash pattern.

[lovetadraw]

Ideas for V5 sabers,

Be able to set a clash sound to play at the start of a lockup. Sometimes the lockup sounds have no real "start" sound which loops better, but sounds odd since there isn't always a clash at the start.

A volume nob/switch.

multi-phase pulse. Better "unstable" settings, rainbow sabers if you want.

"Emerald Lite" for Tri Cree and single color LED sabers to adjust pulse/flicker. Heck, for Tri Cree, what if (by choice) you could set the base brightness at say 80% and on clash it could go 100% to give FoC (of sorts) and Pulse for TriCree sabers.

[Darth Logos]

-1 Logos, have a point.  Good explanation.

IMHO, a Count Dooku saber which has the exact same bend profile as the production Mantis would be well-received!  No emitter bend really necessary!  (Besides, what was Dooku thinking with that banana hilt, anyways?  Doubles as a walking stick?)

Thanks. But with your further response, it became clear that you haven't wielded a curved hilt yet.

Curved hilts are actually more ergonomic and comfortable. They've even made tennis rackets with a similar styling.


As explained in Path of Destruction, curved hilts are a trade off. Some maneuvers are made easier to execute, while others are more difficult.

[Vervidian]

Thanks. But with your further response, it became clear that you haven't wielded a curved hilt yet.

Curved hilts are actually more ergonomic and comfortable. They've even made tennis rackets with a similar styling.

As explained in Path of Destruction, curved hilts are a trade off. Some maneuvers are made easier to execute, while others are more difficult.

Interesting points made, and you are correct that I have not tried out any curved hilts.  It seems to me that most lockup situations would require greater force (physical force, little 'f') to hold it steady, since some force will inherently be lost in the axis parallel to the blade.  But maybe textbook free body diagrams are an over-simplification when muscles are involved.

Suffice it to say, I prefer a standard hilt!

Master Vervidian
Jedi Sentinel

[Iram]

Yes, I know we've all heard it a million times, but...

LIGHT WHIPS!!! COMBAT READY LIGHT WHIPS!!