I know there are a lot of videos detailing the build process of blades, but I wanted to start a tread for people to exchange info and tips.
I’m not intending this to be specific to neopixel blades but to all types.
So my question is…
What glue do people use to glue the tip to the tube of the blades.
I have bought both from the saber armoury.
First of all, I can tell you what glue not to use: acetone ABS slurry
Acetone, and other similar glues (cyanoacrylate, superglue) causes polycarbonate to crack.
I think most people use E6000, and there are also a lot of glues specifically made for glueing/welding polycarbonate that works well.
I also often leave my tips entirely unglued since I don’t spar with my blades.
Thanx for the point in the right direction, looks like I will be acquiring some of this then.
I was looking at some glue that welded thermoplastics but didnt know if this included polycarbonate, so thought I’d ask the masses on what they use and know works.
So I’ve been seeing the odd neopixel blade here and there being advertised as duel worthy???
Is this a genuine thing???
If so what is the secrecy formula?
I’ve made a blade and done some light clashing and ended up breaking the solder joint so had to repair it.
I bought all components save for the pixel strips from saber armoury and the pixel strips from btf lighting.
Thin walled 1" trans tube
Parabolic tip
Foam insert
Cellophane diffuser (already had this)
dual worthy generally means using thick walled tubes and make sure the tip is welded (not glued) in place. Also, the wires and the LEDs needs to be tightly held in the tube. That doesn’t mean it won’t break, it just means it breaks less easily. 
Yes, a well made blade is duel worthy. Thick walled especially. The only issue is weight.
Personally, I prefer clear pixel blades. I use pixel strips > clear shrink > foam > diffusion tube > blade stock. Tip is bored out for a pixel.
I only wave mine about for a few minutes at a time though.
I use E6000 to secure blade tips and butt caps. I don’t hot glue my wires, unless I’m building a duel worthy thick-walled neopixel blade.
I use both clear and transwhite blades. I only use the strip diffuser tube on the clear blades. TCSS Hollow Parabolic tips are the bomb. I love the new KR Strips, especially the V2, but for dueling blades, better sticking with flexible strips, and I prefer SK6812s 3535 Strips.
I still want to try to build a blade with the new Adafruit 300/Meter Strips, but their power demand is much higher than the wires in all of my hilts.
I had a look around for these but could not find them anywhere.
Could you drop a link to these please as I’m curious about them.
These?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-kUi6ekDc&t=4s
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001319426957.html
@MegtoothSith, I think I heard him say 12A total draw on 2 meters (thinking back to back strips in blade)
Looks like the ones I bought.
Still haven’t made a blade out of it though.
I’m planning to make a quad-zigzag blade.
I don’t think 12A is right for 2 meters, these small LEDs don’t draw that much per LED. I would guess 8A.
Adafruit site lists max amps at 20A per meter, for each strip. That spec sheet was why I havent tried them yet. I realize that output is on a 5V supply, so we will have slightly less, but a 40A blade is definitely beyond the capacity of my wires.
Adafruit also lists regular strips as drawing 10A per meter, which they never do, except possibly at startup.
I’ve got a cheap set of pixels that I dont mind wrecking so will build up a blade to dual with and see how robust it is
The diffusion tube? Is this the foam tube or another polycarbonate tube that slides into the outer tube?
Not the foam, in addition to the foam, surrounding it:
https://www.thecustomsabershop.com/40-LED-blade-diffuser-for-1-thin-walled-blades-P449.aspx
thank you, i take it this is to reduce the cobbing from the pixels?
do you find this is a brighter blade over the standard way to build a blade?
pixels - foam - cellophane - thin trans poly tube.
I have never tried a diffuser tube. I do pixel strip , wrap tight in cellophane, foam, blade tube. I do have some wobble on smaller APA105 strips in a 1inch thin wall, but I would rather have a little of that than a visible line of the edge of a cellophane wrap.
I tend to like the 7/8" blade better myself, but it’s slightly harder to diffuse properly. Using a clear outer tube makes the bright part appear even thinner, and of course makes even harder to diffuse properly. This is when you absolutely need a plastic diffuser around the foam, or you will have lots of corn-cobbing.