Design XII: Custom Graflex

This was my attempt at a custom Graflex. The pictures don't do it much justice. I wanted this to be as close as possible to a real Graflex without actually buying and modifying one (they average around $200 these days for a replica--I remember when they were $100. Dang, I must be gettin' old). I built the whole saber, from grips to emitter prongs, all from scratch. The only parts on this I did not actually fabricate myself were the electronic parts: switch, LEDs, etc.

I think I accomplished everything I had planned when I made the concept design. I started out wanting some kind of vents or cutouts that blue light would shine out through from the inside, and it spun off from there. I also wanted the Luke ESB-style "chip" look in the clamp but I wanted it to light up, so I put some bargraphs inside the modified clamp, which doesn't really "clamp" but still holds the top and bottom sections together (yes, there's really two sections in this, as with a real Graflex). I also wanted an LED where the "glass eye" would be, and concluded on Yoda-style grips, since you don't see grips like that used much on a Graflex lately.

Electronics-wise, I ended up using some bargraphs in the clamp section, two blue LEDs inside, and a red, with a modified switch to turn it all on and off, which doubles as a Graflex-style button behind the emitter prongs (rabit ears at the top).

In choosing the LEDs, I made one mistake: I used a 5v LED where the Glass Eye is. That thing shines like a freakin' flashlight. Go figure. To sufficiently power my three 5v LEDs and the bargraphs, it takes two 9v batteries. *sighs and shakes head* I can plead the fifth on the blue LEDs since all I could get were blue LEDs in 5v, but as for the red, I could have used a lower voltage LED, I admit. Power supply aside, the electronics look awesome.

The next custom Graflex-style saber I build for myself I'd like to make Luxeon. We'll see how that goes.