My lightsaber (still in progress)

[Defton]

It's a pretty cheap hardware saber. Two pipes make up the main body, plus a sink knob pommel and some hardware greeblies as a control panel of sorts. I put the basic frame together a few years ago and have been tinkering with it ever since. It's not too fancy or anything but I'm very close to it. I built a VERY cheap hardware lightsaber to give to a friend a while back when I was still a youngling, but I consider this one to be my first real lightsaber.

Any feedback would be great: just keep in mind I built this when I was about 13. I'm 17 now and I'm a college student, so I don't have access to that many tools or that much money. The best thing I can do with metal is drill holes in it - no fancy shaping or dremeling or whatever. I also don't have my own car nor do I buy things online -- common hardware store items are my best bet.

I would especially like some thoughts on the following:

-- When using a two-handed grip, the top portion of the saber is held in the right hand, and the bottom portion in the left. Should the top part have a grip?

-- The bottom part needs a grip. Should it be the rubber strip style as seen on Anakin and Vader's lightsabers, or should I have circular rings going around? (I kind of like the idea of circular rings around both the bottom and top parts, but I'm not sure. Thoughts?)

-- I keep toying with the idea of adding more to it (greeblies and such) but I'm also pretty content with it as it is, despite how plain it is. After all, it's my Padawan saber, and I don't want to overdo it. I already have ideas for other sabers in the works and there's no need to jam one saber full of all the cool things I can possibly think of. But should I add some more? Is it too minimalistic as it is?

-- There is nothing to close up the top at the emitter - it really ruins the effect when you can stare down the saber and see that it's just a pipe. Any ideas on how to close it up? Since I don't have a fancy shiny EL blade, I just fitted it with a Hasbro plastic blade, but the design doesn't allow the blade to completely collapse in, and also, plastic saber blade = blah-looking. The saber is hollow and therefore could definitely hold electronic workings, which is my ultimate goal, but in the meantime, how should I close it up?

-- The pommel (sink handle). I like the translucent effect, but would it be better painted? If so, what kind of paint should I use?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

I think the sabre looks great. As for grips, the easiest and simplest would be the rubber "O" rings you can get from Home Depot. You slid 'em on, and if any break, they're easily repalceable. No glueing needed.:-D

As for your saber's 'barren' insides, leave that alone for when you can get an EL kit, then put THAT inside. ;-) The Kits are afforadable and can be found online with instructions of how to install, plus there's a LOT of electronically minded beings here who can help you if you get stuck. Until then, I'd not worry about it.

If you were wnating to paint your glass end cap, use a paint called "Stain glass" paint that can be found at Pearl's, Micheal's, JoAnn's, Ben Franklins or any other retail crafting store. It's a colouraed transparent paint and really looks cool. I think an opalescant colour would look neat cuz it'd keep the glass it's natural colour while having this subtle opal-like shifting of colours.



It's your saber, have FUN making it YOU.

[JediKai]

That's a very good start on a saber, especially for a 13y/o padawan!

I agree regarding the "O" rings and the painted endcap. The emitter is often a problem. I made my favorite hardware saber from instructions on Big Yellow Box but making the emitter would require a dremel. public.fotki.com/Kait/star_wars/host/byb_lightsaber.html

This is my first saber. public.fotki.com/Kait/star_wars/tutorials/props/saber1.html Even the guy in charge of hardware didn't know what the piece was called that I used for the emitter. Unfortunately, it's my favorite and I've never found another one.

I prefer a simple look so more greeblies just detracts, in my opinion.

I use sprinkler guts to make a 3/4 in blade holder inside the hardware saber. Start here and look at #2 & #3 public.fotki.com/Kait/star_wars/host/1.html

I then use 3 foot long plastic rods. They glow in sunlight and in flash photos much better than electronic blades It's on the left here public.fotki.com/Kait/star_wars/midnight_madness/6.html

www.a1acrylics.com/rodtubing.htm I use neon green. It glows the best.

[Defton]

All right, thanks so much for your advice. This is what I have now.

I decided to only put grips on the top (actually I didn't decide this so much as Lowes didn't have enough O-rings, but I like the way it turned out):



holding the grip:



better view of "button" assembly - one cool-shaped nut thingy and a brass knob



Thanks again for all your help! I'm done with this one for now - I'll probably tinker with it continually and never be truly "done," but right now I'm quite content with it and am already working on a new one - a curved, Dooku-ish saber.