2020-03-25 (W) Electro Knife for Simulated Combat EleKSCo

I wanted to test the usability of Velostat as a conductor on the blade edges, so I cut out a paper template from the PDF I designed. You can find this template in the GitHub repository, also linked at the bottom of the post. The trick to cutting plastic was to stretch it on a stiff substrate, like cardboard, and then tape the paper to that. Paper's stiffness ensures that it will stay put, but the Velostat needs to be convinced. Using the template as a guide, I cut the long lines, and then I used a pair of scissors to cut the curves and short lines.
Trimmed blade conductors

I put glue all over a knife blade and smeared a Velostat strip all over it to coat that side. I let the glue get a bit tacky on both sides before I pressed them together.
First dab of glue

Within a minute of glue touching the Velostat, it began to curl up. The picture below has a wildly curled strip on it, but it is hard to see since it exposed the glue on the underside. Despite the distorting, I clamped the blade and plastic under a gallon (3.7L) of water and let it dry overnight.
Velostat so curled that it is hard to recognize

My results were mixed. The Velostat adhered securely, but it showed a noticeable ripple. It was challenging to keep everything aligned while clamped, so it was not centered. I may be able to create a procedure that will eliminate the distortion and alignment, but it might be easier to use aluminum tape strips instead.
Rippling effect from glue

GitHub repo for EleKSco.
The rest of the posts for this project have been arranged by date.
First time here?
Completed projects from year 1
Completed projects from year 2
Completed projects from year 3
Completed projects from year 4
Completed projects from year 5
Completed projects from year 6

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2020-03-10

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