I think the Nightsword Project is a long drawn out April fools joke
Okay I'll bite.. As you read through the thread, you'll see that improvements to the design were continual through the entire period. Sure I could have finished this project with the initial plans within the first year, but compared to the evolved plan...
1) The performance would not *remotely* compare
2) The durability would not compare
3) The weather resistance would not *remotely* compare
4) The focusing system would not compare
5) The beam adjust mechanism would not compare
6) The user operation would not compare
7) The cost would be a roughly two thousand more
Two separate paths I had to choose from...
1) Some people will be disappointed in the completion time due to refinement.
2) A lot of people will be disappointed they invested in something not nearly as good as an eventual second version that costs much less.
I really did not want the result of path #2 to happen, so I went with path #1.
So although I understand the frustration and amusement, I'm much more glad no one is disappointed to find themselves in boat #2. That means a lot to me, because this community means a whole lot to me.
Also in this time, I've had significant personal struggles which have forced me to put my own aspirations such as this project aside for extended periods of time. So far I've invested tens of thousands, while more than half my income I gladly give to child support which is the best investment a father could make.
If I could start over...
I'd still choose path #1 but would not have discussed it during the process. It's been such an exciting endeavor, I couldn't resist sharing along the way.
Also, much of the input I'd received along the way has really helped steer this ship in the best direction. So without feedback through the sharing of concepts and considerations, I honestly don't think I could say the result will have been as good.
The project has reached a point at which further discussion would not affect the final product. At this point everything about the project hinges on the completion of the power supply because the housing is built around it. The power supply is a huge milestone to tackle and will take more time and money. In my view, these are worthwhile sacrifices because the power supply *will be* what enables this to kick the crap out of anything this project had been geared for all along. But I promise, there will be more disappointment and amusement in the time it will take. So I suggest everyone enjoy the other areas of the forum in the meantime.