Hello everyone

[Pestilence]

Just found this site a day ago, and I'm completely amazed at the work a lot of you are doing. I used to make some replicas and props for low bugdet student films back in the day, and was awe struck when the Master Replicas stuff came out, but these new sabers just blow those out of the water hands down. So with all that said and done, here is a twenty year old saber that I'm thinking of updating. I would like any and all critisisms and ideas that you guys might think could help bring this relic into the 21st century.

http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/picture.php?albumid=186&pictureid=1443
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/picture.php?albumid=186&pictureid=1444
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/picture.php?albumid=186&pictureid=1445
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/picture.php?albumid=186&pictureid=1446

[Jedi-Loreen]

Greetings, and Welcome.

If you wish to recreate your original saber in MHS parts, you might try starting with something like this:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Lightsabers/Pestsaber-1.jpg

And then add some powder coating to it.

[cannibal869]

Welcome to the forums!

That's a pretty good looking hilt, a bit reminiscent of Anakin / Vader.
Lots of knobs though. I like the sort of naturally worn/weathered appearance it has. Obviously, if you want to put electronics in it, you will have to figure out if you can fit stuff inside or if you need to completely rebuild it. If you decide to go the rebuild route, then JL's link to the store's MHS system would be the easiest way to go.

As for other updating - maybe update the control box with a graflex or something similar? Maybe a few accent LEDs?

Good luck with it and post up some pics!
-C

[Pestilence]

Thanks for the advice, but I'm not sure that I actually want to rebuild from scratch. I did take a look at the blade holders, and there are a couple that look like they would do the job nicely. I was wondering though, what you would suggest for a grip material? Right now the grip plates are made of styrene strips painted black, though much of the paint has worn off over the years. Any other suggestions on design or materials would be of great help.

[Pestilence]

Thanks Cannibal. I like the idea of some LEDs in it. Perhaps a power lvl indicator built in to a new clamp. As for the weathering, thats what twenty years gives you, this saber has been through a lot. It even had a metal fencing blade installed at one point for sparring.

[cannibal869]

Huh.... did you by any chance have the entire fencing blade stick out the backside secured outside the pommel through that hole?

And what kind of styrene?
Also, the choke and emitter look like they're metal / brass but is that the same for the rest of the hilt?

As for the grips, it really just depends on you. I kinda like the way you have it organized right now in terms of grip location and distribution along the hilt. I could easily see those being replaced with either metal strips, leather strips, or any number of rubber like strips.

Just a general question cause I'm still not quite sure I understand what you want to do with this hilt - it sounds like you want to convert it into the luxeon type saber with sound? What's your ultimate goal for this hilt?

[Pestilence]

To answer your first question:
I mounted the tang of the fencing blade through the bore of the emmitter, using the emmitter/choke set screws to lock it in place. As for the materials used, the emmitter, choke, and pommel cap are alluminium, emmitter shroud and body of hilt are brass tubing, the clamp is a combination of formed sheet steel and steel blocks with alluminium screen encasing the blocks. The styrene for the grips is standard model store variety. I like your idea of metal grips, perhaps someting in stainless steel. My over all plan is to make a Luxeon blade for it with sound and rechargeable battery pack. The only reservation I have is that I'm not sure that the blade and LED components will work with the current configuration of the emmitter/choke assembly. As far as comments that I have solicited, I'm just seeing what other poeple might try with a hilt of this type.