An introduction to Illuminated weapons

What is a lightsaber?

'This is a lightsaber, it is the weapon of the Jedi Knights. An elegant weapon, reminicent of a more civilised time, not as clumsy or random as a blaster' - Sir Alex Guiness 'Obi Wan Kenobi' Star Wars Ep4 'A New Hope'

Lightsabers have been voted the most popular science fiction weapon. The lightsaber fight club is for all fans of illuminated weapons.

However, before we get all excited, 1 thing must be noted:

Lightsabers do not truly exist.

So what are we dueling with?

All the weapons discussed here are simulated weapons,

The weapons consist of a hilt, containing a high powered LED, battery pack and a switch.

Hilts can be made of several materials, typical polymer hilts are made of PVC, while a popular material for metal hilts is T6 aircraft grade aluminium. The cost of the hilt is directly tied to the material used, the complexity of the design and the electronics installed.

PVC hilts are popular for their light weight adn ease of use, while metal hilts can be worked to a higher level of detail, Metal hilts are also stronger and less likely to be damaged.

The hilt electronics package consist of a high powered LED, which is available in different colors, a battery holder to power teh unit and a switch. An optional sound package consisting of a sound board with clash and swing sensors and a speaker may be included to provide sound effects when wielding the saber.

Popular LEDs used the LED sabers come from makers like Luxeon and Seoul Semiconductor Inc. These manufacturers produce lighting class LEDs in a variety of colors. Another popular option is o use white LEDs with color discs to produce the color desired. However, the brightness of a color disc system is not as intense as that of an native LED. LEDs can be directly driven by placing an appropriate resistor in a circuit, or by wiring the LED with a driver. Most sound boards have a driver built in. A appropriate battery holder has to be installed as well.

The blades are made of a clear tube encapsulating a core of optical film which acts as a diffuser, with a round or bullet shaped tip on the end. Blades are made either of Polycarbonate or Acrylic. Thick walled polycarbonate is the default for heavy duty dueling blades, polycarbonate is 5 times stronger than steel, weight for weight, and has the optical clarity of glass. this is one of the reasons that polycarbonate is used in the manufacture of bullet proof glass.

A typical battle hilt is approximately 10 to 15 inches in length and 1.25 to 1.5 inches in diameter, with an internal diameter of 1 inch. The standard blade is 36 to 40 inches in diameter and has an outer diameter of 1 inch. The total assembled length of a light saber is approximately 46 to 48 inches in length, as the blade and hilt would overlap.

Hope that serves as an introduction to the world of illuminated weapons.

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