How not to build a blade?

[Noyl Wendor]

Recently I decided that I would purchase a finished blade from a vendor online (yes my mistake) as a comparison/contrast sort of curiousity. I am not mentioning the name of said vendor in order to keep the peace.
I just want to illistrate the value of the tutorials that are placed here on the site volentarily by people who know/enjoy what they do and do such with attention to detail.

In this pic you can tell (hopefully) the blade was placed on a lathe and "scrubbed" with 80 grit paper. It left a brownish tinge to the plastic.
http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a408/noylwendor/badblade1.jpg

The tip came off with the first swing contacting another saber blade. I have a large yard, it took a while to find :).When I did find it I was hoping that at least if I had destroyed the blade, I would have an extra mirror tip. I was horribly wrong. I wish I had a camera on me to show the look on my face when I discovered the "mirror tip" was infact paint. Oddly enough I could not seem to figure out where the smell of superglue was coming from, shocked only to find it was coming from the freshly cracked off tip.
http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a408/noylwendor/badtip1.jpg
Yeah I blew $30 bucks to satisify my curiousity. Not only did I do so but I found that follwing the construction methods in the tutorials/or buying one from here that I really do get what I want. Not to mention this may be a good way to show "noobs" (even me) what not to do when constucting a blade. Use the tutorials, follow the the advice/instructions, be at one with the work.
Especially if you think that you can make a buck or two off what you are building.

[Rafalema]

Eww..

That's the worst quality blade I've ever seen.

My guess: Saberforge?

But I believe that you are allowed to say where you bought, but not maybe link us there..

If it's not allowed, then I apologize for being wrong.

[Dark Jedi]

Yeah tell us where you got it so others can avoid it. Also, why did you use 80 grit? I think 220 or 400 would be better.

[Jedi-Loreen]

I'll bet that is a Saberforge blade. He's known for diffusing his blades by sanding them on a lathe. That way he can be cheap by not having to add some kind of film or tube inside the blade. Though his method doesn't work very well, IMO.

I know he cheaps out on his blades, but it surprised me that he just paints the bottom of the blade tips for a reflective surface.

I imagine him also using cheap dollar store super glue for the tips. Some of those cheap glues can actually make different types of plastics brittle. It's even worse when you use them on a thin walled blade.

I wouldn't even want a free blade from Saberforge!

[Noyl Wendor]

Yeah tell us where you got it so others can avoid it. Also, why did you use 80 grit? I think 220 or 400 would be better.

I did'nt use 80 grit, it came that way out of the package. When I refinish a blade I use 220 and then 400, it looks cool, even if you don't use diffusser. The only thing I did with this blade was take it out of the package, and crack off the tip when swining it. :)

[Skottsaber]

I wouldn't even want a free blade from Saberforge!

I would

Something to use so I can smash stuff :lol:

[Jedi-Loreen]

Smash what? Soft things, like pillows and marshmallows?

Anything harder will apparently break or crack them. :p

[Sunrider]

Maybe id be good for that new saber effect where the blade cracks from jedi force powers.

[Jedi-Loreen]

I'm glad I wasn't drinking any liquid when I read that or it would be all over my monitor screen now.

I choked on my laugh, as it was! :lol:

[Skottsaber]

I'm glad I wasn't drinking any liquid when I read that or it would be all over my monitor screen now. :lol:

Just saying...
Because you're a grammar fan,

What else can you drink? Gas? Solid? Plasma? :confused:
:rolleyes:

[jin starkiller]

That is the worst blade that i have ever seen ....if it is made that cheaply i'd be askin for a refund .....
Tim fully constructed blades are better than that they dont come apart he dowsnt use cheap dollar store glue on them ....but there is a great tutorial on how to make one also

[Crystal Chambers]

I must say the TCSS blades are awesome. I wanted to knock off the tip so I could try something different with the mirror, so I slid a dowel through the blade and had to do this so hard I almost injured myself when the tip finally flew off. It actually broke part of the blade off with the tip and some of the tip left on the blade. I would love to know what type of glue Tim uses.

[Skottsaber]

Just while we're talking about blades and their makers,
Has anybody had an Ultrablade tip come off?

It was a stock Mid-Grade initiate blade from Ultra, and a few hits the tip popped right off. Wasn't happy, but super glue fixed it.

[Jedi-Loreen]

Just saying...
Because you're a grammar fan,

What else can you drink? Gas? Solid? Plasma? :confused:
:rolleyes:

I was afraid that if I just said, "I was drinking" that people would interpret that as drinking alcohol. I should have just said that I was drinking iced tea, which I was.


Just while we're talking about blades and their makers,
Has anybody had an Ultrablade tip come off?

It was a stock Mid-Grade initiate blade from Ultra, and a few hits the tip popped right off. Wasn't happy, but super glue fixed it.

One of the new guys in my Lightsaber Class is an Ultrasaber fan. He's been plagued by problems with his tips coming off.

At first he thought it was because his blades had the bullet tips, so he ordered some new blades with the round tips, but he still had the same problem with those, too. I think Ultra uses super glue.

I believe that Tim uses Weld-on #4, at least he used to. It's a solvent type of adhesive that partially dissolves the plastic it's used on, making the 2 pieces really bond together.

The blade I use to fight with, I've had for over 4 years, and it doesn't even have one of the shouldered tips, it has a flat cabochon on it. I think the tip must have been glued on with the Weld-on, it's the only blade I have that I didn't put together myself.

I have a tube of Weld-on #16, it's a little thicker consistency than the #4.

[Shadar Al'Niende]

...I have a tube of Weld-on #16, it's a little thicker consistency than the #4.


IIRC Jay-Gon uses #16 as well...

[Noyl Wendor]

That weld-on #16 is good stuff. I just got done doing my last blade tip. One thing use plenty of ventilation, unless you want to be seeing pink elephants :).
Wich is why I can't understand anyone using super glue, even the heavy duty variety.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

IIRC Jay-Gon uses #16 as well...

Yes he does! ;)

[Jedi-Loreen]

That weld-on #16 is good stuff. I just got done doing my last blade tip. One thing use plenty of ventilation, unless you want to be seeing pink elephants :).
Wich is why I can't understand anyone using super glue, even the heavy duty variety.
What? Because everyone should want to see pink elephants? :p

[Crystal Chambers]

I don't I wish they'd just go away..lol

Is there any notable differences between the two aside from thickness? Opacity for instance or which is more durable?

[Shadar Al'Niende]

For the record, I use the following for my tips, and my 2 yo has managed to crack the Polycarbonate before dislodging the tip :D

*Click the Image for Info*
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Super_Glue_tube.jpg (http://www.supergluecorp.com/super-glue)

[Noyl Wendor]

Little update for all who were/watching comenting on this thread. I've been talking at length with the builder of this blade.
Not only were they fair in returing what I had spent, but they were quite receptive in discussing new ideas for blade construction. So much to the point that more of the methods used here (and Pink elephant glue ;)) will be used in the very near future.
Thats all I got.....for now.

[Lord Dottore Matto]

I know exactly who made that farce. Craftics #33 is what Do-Clo and I use for our tips. It is the best I have found, by far. Superglue (cyanoacrylate is no bueno for poly-C's tensile strength)

[Shadar Al'Niende]

I know exactly who made that farce. Craftics #33 is what Do-Clo and I use for our tips. It is the best I have found, by far. Superglue (cyanoacrylate is no bueno for poly-C's tensile strength)

Then again, i guess i should be more clear and state that i do not do anything but light dueling with my two year old :D