First Lightsabers

[tanzanlinnear]

Not a gallery for your latest (unless it is your first) lightsaber, but a gallery for the very first lightsaber you made (if you still have it or pictures of it)
Behold, my first lightsaber:

It was made during the run up to the release of TPM, and was inspired by both Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's sabers. It is almost entirely made of plastic parts (other than the ridged upper grip, which is metal) It comprises (from emitter to pommel) a tableleg end-piece, two .35mm film pot lids, a section of metal piping, a pill bottle cut and shaped to form the long s-shroud, a .35 mm film pot (bottom cut off), the lid from the pot, and a spinning top from a christmas cracker. A plastic relay baton was used as the base tube. It also features a red screw and an allen-key screw as controll knobs. I'm considering re-working it to add an LED bubble activator (at 90 degrees to the current controls, which would be removed and filled) a covertech knob, and a re-spray with better quality paint. That said, I'm tempted to keep it just as it is for sentimental value ;D
It was used in a college film project, and was rotoscoped with a purple blade (long before Master Windu's purple blade hit the screens ;D )

[Seda Navilli]

You always have the best saber designs Tanzan - just the right mix of original concepts and influence from other sabers. I really like the emitter section on that one.

[tanzanlinnear]

Thanks, Seda, that's a great compliment I have to admit, the emitter section is my favorite part of the design as well. I think I put more effort into 'that end' as I knew that on film, it would be the most visible part of the saber (other than the blade) as it was only used as a hand-held prop.

[Starkindler (The Naked Jedi)]

My first was the Obi-Lego Kenobi saber I posted in another thread.
My first Hardware saber was for my son (also posted) and the second, very similar, is posted in the tutorial I put up.
I have one for my daughter that is nearly done. I need to paint it and glue some parts together. It is made entirely from sprinkler system pieces I found in the $.50 bin at Wal-Mart (cost me all of $3.00 to build).
I'm currently working on my first full sized hardware saber for my brother (pics as soon as I'm done)

My sabers to date:
And in order of “assembly”

Obi-Lego Kenobi saber


Padawan saber (for my son)


Yoda/Padawan saber (for tutorial and by request of a fellow Jedi)


After Christmas I should have two more to add………………

My first Adult sized hardware saber
(made for my brother as a Christmas present)
BYB style VIII with MODs.

[LoreenShadowchaser]

Here's my first cruddy saber that I made back in 2000, before I knew what I was doing, or had discovered message boards.

It's made from a dead Maglite. I used rubber stair tread for the grip, and a piece of ABS plastic for the emitter shroud. I've always had sort of a thing for slanted emitter shrouds, as evidenced by my collection as of 2003. All built by me except for the Parks M2 in the middle:



I drilled 3 holes in the side, took 3 clear round furniture bumpers stuck them on a thick piece of clear pastic and colored under them with a green, yellow and red Sharpie. Then I drilled 3 holes in the side, not so easy in that hard aluminum with the cheapy drill bits I had at the time and glued this part on. These are my "Power Indicator" lights.

I drilled out the switch and put in one of those threaded nipples for lamp finials and put in a knurled nut to become my "Blade Adjustment" knob.

I drilled out the area where the bulb went and put another round furniture bumper on a piece of plastic and colored this one blue and stuck in inside the "blade emitter"

I drilled one more hole in the side for the switch, then wired up a lamp and 2AAA battery holder to put inside.

This makes the Power Indicators and Blade emitter glow. I had the idea of trying to put a thin acrylic rod in it but couldn't figure out how to secure it.

This was before I knew about EL sabers or LED sabers.

I put a D-ring on the end, because I didn't know what a Covertec was, back then, or what they were actually using in TPM to hold the lightsabers in their belts.

Anyway, here's my humble first saber:





My first belt, and first pouch, which I still use (the pouch, not the belt) and have had since 1980, after ESB came out.

[Starkindler (The Naked Jedi)]

I wouldn't call your first one cruddy.
Its a nice looking saber consiering what you used to make it with.

[tanzanlinnear]

I have to admit, I like your first saber over some of the others in your collection, even the Parks saber and the other one to the left of it, I think it looks fantastic
[Edit to add]
I've just noticed, the activator is the same button as on Xana's saber

[LoreenShadowchaser]

Thanks. The one to the left of my first saber is my first home-made EL saber. The one to the far right is my EL "lightdagger". So I suppose they are also "firsts". From a certain point of view.

[tanzanlinnear]

You're welcome Your el hilt is really nice, although there's something about the design, that although I can't put my finger on, doesn't quite 'sit right', which is why I prefer your first saber

[Anaka Skywalker]

Wow! I wish my first lightsaber had looked as nice as these. After joining The Jedi Assembly and getting ideas, I took a tour through the plumbing department at Menard's and bought a collection of random parts. What I came up with was OK, but nothing as nice as these. I have since taken it apart and used the parts to build another lightsaber for myself and a friend. My last couple of lightsabers look a lot better. ;D

[Olos Nay]

I cannot post *only* my very first saber, as it wasn't all custom made - I did some sabers with conversion kits before actually working on my first hardware-creation.

the very first one was a Luke Skywalker replica made from an original Graflex flashgun, and I got conversion parts from Blast-Tech. I intend to put a lighted blade in it some day

The second one is my custom representation of a Vader saber - I used grips I got from GraflexShop (Ordered by error thinking it was the ones for my luke) and a PVC pipe over a King Sol flashgun. It is my first custom saber, but made from a flashgun using tricks from the BYB.

The third is my actual saber and my first creation. It is completely handmade from found parts, and I added a luxeon led blade. It was long to design, but very rewarding. I really enjoy it.

here's the pics:



and my lighted luxeon blade

[DavicFopor]

Hey, I'm new...
Yeah um... this was my first attempt at a lightsaber... and it's the one I'm still faithful too. I guess I really like what it was meant to be over what it tuned out to be.

This is the same one with the blade attached.

[LoreenShadowchaser]

Hmm, doesn't look much like a saber, to me. Kind of short and plain. Needs more dressing up.

Have you made any others?

[DavicFopor]

Yeah I have... they're all PVC though... here...

Same three different angle...

PVC is just the cheapest way for me to do it. Plus it's easy and not time consuming, plus I can attach a blade.
Here's the double bladed one in two parts (they screw together).

And it with the blades attached.

I only use PVC really so I can attach the blade (which is a fluorescent light bulb cover, with the inside painted with acrylic neon paint). If anybody has any cheap alternatives to which I can attach the same blade I wouldn't mind suggestions (I've kind of already started this thread; Cheap Sabers?). Thanks!

[LoreenShadowchaser]

I see.

They all look rather short though. Are you a small person? Or do you have small hands?