how to disasssemble hasbro toy lightsaber?

[kiwijedi]

Hi, I have spent hours searching the forums trying to find help on how to disassemble a toy lightsaber but very surprisingly I have come up empty handed. I have a hasbro vader force action lightsaber that I want to remove the soundboard from but after removing all the screws I am stuck as the top part of the saber hilt will not come apart. I would like to know how best to take this apart with minimal or preferably no damage as i want to be able to continue using the toy without the sounds if I can. This is one area where you can't beat experience, I don't want to ruin the saber to learn how to take it apart so if i can benefit from somebody elses experience it would be much appreciated.

[jjshumpert]

i cut the saber emitter on either side, pretty much no other way to get the saber apart otherwise. you can still put it back together and play with it.

[equinox13]

they really went overboard on the glue - you'll have to cut or dremel it apart.

[kiwijedi]

Thanks, I thought if I had to cut i might be able to cut just one 1/2. So where is the best place to cut to avoid damaging the internals?

[kiwijedi]

I have extended the blade so I don't cut through that when i use my hacksaw, now i just need to sort out where to cut, I'm thinking maybe just above the bottom black part of the hilt, just as the silver plastic starts?

[equinox13]

a hacksaw? O.o the board is right in there... try and cut along the seams of the main body parts, but only as deep as that outer ring.

[Tahm]

General rule of thumb is to go along the seam (like equinox13 said), go slow start shallow and cut deeper if needed. I use the cutting wheel on my dremel, a small hammer and screw driver to help pry the 2 halves apart.

[kiwijedi]

Thanks guys, I couldn't wait any longer and just went ahead and did it, I cut just where I mentioned before and had no problems, hacksaw and all.

[kiwijedi]

I cut across the width of the saber rather than the length as it sounds like you guys are suggesting, I don't have access to a dremel, just the basic tools so no fancy metal hilt for me.

[equinox13]

i recommend making the dremel a basic tool in your arsenal... it takes the place of so many things and can do so much...

Tahm - hammer? O.o

[kiwijedi]

One day I will get one, it would be nice that's for sure, they are expensive though but worth it no doubt.

[equinox13]

you know you can get the small battery powered ones for $35-$40 now?

[Jedi-Loreen]

I guess that's better than nothing, but I, personally, don't like the battery powered ones, especially the Dremel knock-offs. They don't have enough torque for some projects, and the batteries often run out too fast. I've only used ones belonging to friends when I was at their house helping them with projects.

Sometimes having a cord can be a pain, but I never have to worry about running out of power in the middle of a project and have to stop to recharge my battery.

[jjshumpert]

dont get one of the grand rapids international products ones in the orange casing, they die in a matter of months

[Skottsaber]

@J-Lo QFT!

[Tahm]

I got mine at "wally-world". Black & Decker brand for about $40, came with standard attachments. It's chorded and I've been very pleased. If that's still too expensive you can try pawn shops. I've been going to pawn shops to get some less vital tools that I won't be using too often like C clip pliers, $1 vs the stores $16 and tin snips $2 vs $15. Just be sure of the quality before purchasing. But if it were me I'd still buy a new dremel.

[equinox13]

there are people that make fake dremels? O.o

[jin starkiller]

stay away from the cordless ones very little battery life had one for a full 24 hours charged overnite and still only got about a hour of charge not very good battery life....brought back to wally world and exchanged for corded version

[Ronan]

you know you can get the small battery powered ones for $35-$40 now?

Ouch those usually cost $15-$20... the big (good) one's are around $60...

[equinox13]

Ouch those usually cost $15-$20... the big (good) one's are around $60...

the exchange is overpriced...i'm just glad i got my new one for under $100 with a general purpose kit...

[RevengeoftheSeth]

the exchange is overpriced...

QFT!!!! I never shop at the Exchange. Their products are always way 6-12 months behind the latest items, and their prices are always MSRP, and never a penny less.

[equinox13]

you need to see japanese prices... the exchange is actually cheaper most of the time and i don't happen to have a convenient wal-mart or anything like tht to go get stuff at.

[kiwijedi]

Thanks for all the advice on the dremel options, I will keep this in mind if I ever locate some metal for my lightsaber hilt. You see I can't even buy a chrome sinktube in New Zealand, this type of stuff has all gone plastic here. I will take a look at buying one from the sabershop but shipping cost maybe a problem.

[Canister]

Hi Kiwijedi
I live in NZ too and have been learing about making a saber myself. I live in Wellington, have done some research into what you can get here in the way of lasers etc seems like TCSS have far better prices than what we can get here eg jaycar. Just a mater of price of shipping from there to here.

I have brought a hasbro obi wan to dismantle and plan to make a force unleashed 2 look a like.

[kiwijedi]

Hi Canister, by lasers I presume you mean led's unless you are doing something really advanced and exotic. Like you I have also just bought a hasbro obi and I got a vader as well, both are 2006 force action type, I think the toy itself sucks, there are better ones than this model, although for parts like we need it sounds like it is one of the best of the toy ones. I have only taken the vader apart so far.

[Canister]

haha yeah I mean star Led's 3w and 1w, its worth checking out but they dont have the 5' lens.

I have been playing with the MHS builder for almost a 2 weeks and getting close to ordering. Reading the posts its a bit of an unknown for shipping costs, have you got any further with that?

[Tuffskull]

is it possible to take a 1995 Lightsaber from Qui Gon Jinn apart without dremeling it to pieces? I have the Vader-Version as well, but in the moment I don't feel like dremeling it to small pieces...;)

[dgdve]

most if not all the cheaper "toy" sabers are impossible to fully disassemble and reassemble 100%.. but it can be done... that being said without your model in hand I couldnt begin to advise you... they are usually press fit and have a few exposed screws under the battery tray and such..

also in 95'(when I graduated) I dont think it was a Qui-gon yet? atleast I never heard of him at that point... very interesting

[Tuffskull]

Oh...I am wrong with the year...bought it 99 I guess. It was the year when phantom menace came out.

[Halcyon, K]

The 99 Qui-gon uses triangle screws to hold the 2 halves together. Just unscrew the emitter, then use a special driver (or, in my case, a drill) and remove the screws. You can then gut it and re-assemble. It will not light up, but it will retract.

[Tuffskull]

Will the light up work when I exchange the light-unit against a more modern LED? I have seen, that others used this saber too with LEDs. Otherwise I will use the Vader one I bought a few days ago...But there is one Big question I have about the energy source...the old sword uses two mono batteries which is 3 Volt I guess... The new one 3 AAA which is 4,5 Volts... Or am I wrong? I have two different batterieholders, One for 2 AAs and one for 4 AAs, I guess I can use the first for the older sword, but which is better for the new one? I haven't found one for 3... Or is it possible to extract the original one?

[Halcyon, K]

I used the Qui board with a Luxeon I cyan and it works great. A Lux III will be too dull, but I remember seeing that the P4's look good. As for the batteries, the newer boards can handle 6 volts without frying but I was told that 5 was the max for the Qui. I used a 4 AAA holder and NiMH rechargables. 1.2 volts each for a total of 4.8.

[Kylevic]

Another Question, I also have the Vader force action with 3 AA battery holder, what would be a safe LED to go with and could you drop a link for it. Iv seen many people recommend the Seoul, Rebel Star, Lux and others but cant translate the numbers to what works. Thanks