"Weathering" an MR [Archive] - The Custom Saber Shop Forums

Scrap

07-28-2006, 06:25 AM

So, I'm thinking of taking a butane lighter to my Lux 3 Anakin ROTS in order to give it a well-worn look. Is there anything that I should worry about, or any parts I should avoid heating up, aside from the obvious bits (rubber, plastic, so on)?

I know that metal is a very strong heat conductor. Would there be any risk to my electronics in doing such a thing, even just for a short period of time?

james3

07-28-2006, 07:11 AM

I would not be inclined to heat anything up unless it gutted was first.

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/kotor2.jpg</center>

Do-Clo

07-28-2006, 07:15 AM

Even with the interior parts removed the metal tube conducts heat very well so you might find the grips and other parts melting.[:(]

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<center>Darth Technous Sith Lord</center>
<center>Give yourself to the Dark Side</center>

desertscorpion

07-28-2006, 09:14 AM

I think one of the problems is that your not dealing with the highest quality saber. There's some paint and plastic and rubber parts on that thing. You might end up with something that looks like a "damaged toy" rather than a "weathered saber."

xwingband

07-28-2006, 09:16 AM

I'd try something like aluminum black or how a lot of prop people weather stuff... plain old paint. Put it on a cloth then wipe it off fast. Let it dry.

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james3

07-28-2006, 09:19 AM

Excellent point scorp!
Maybe you could do a sink pipe cut like the Anakin (Graflex) and then you could do a nice weathered saber that way and then add all of your electronics and grips in after the job.

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/kotor2.jpg</center>

Do-Clo

07-28-2006, 09:23 AM

A simple scotch bright pad can dull the bright chrome and give it a scratched look, I do this with sink tubes to give them a brushed metal look.

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center>Darth Technous Sith Lord</center>
<center>Give yourself to the Dark Side</center>

james3

07-28-2006, 09:28 AM

That's probally better then the steel wool that I have been using[B)][:p]

I was under the impression he was looking for the scorched look like Corbin did on that one saber of his.

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/kotor2.jpg</center>

Do-Clo

07-28-2006, 09:40 AM

You can only do so much with the cheap finish on a MR, once you scratched it the paint to weather it would look better.

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center>Darth Technous Sith Lord</center>
<center>Give yourself to the Dark Side</center>

Scrap

07-28-2006, 10:26 PM

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I knew that the TCSS forum is where I should go for people who know what they're talking about. :)

But yes, I am aiming for the scorched look without any sort of structrual integrity issues. Creative painting application sounds like the best way to go so far.

987654321a

07-28-2006, 10:35 PM

use an airbrush,

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LAN-ED-TUL

07-28-2006, 11:27 PM

a wipe staining effect like said above would work well. i have done this on other projects, and what i done was use 000 steel wool, and do a turn and draw with it to give the brushed look, just a lil, then do a wipe with a good black paint shot on a rag, and making sure it was just a lil wet still with paint then do the same action as the steel wool, then wipe off excess paint and you got a fairly nice weathered look.

<center>http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/LANSIG.jpg</center>

Lan-Ed-Tul
The Brotherhood Of The Sith

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

Scrap

07-28-2006, 11:56 PM

What kind of paint do you recommend? All I've got at the moment is some cheap $1.00 Wal Mart spray-on enamel which doesn't stick to aluminum.

LAN-ED-TUL

07-29-2006, 01:57 AM

maybe try a flat black paint, after youve 000 steel wooled it.

flat dries real fast, so youll spray some on a rag, and get a wetspot of it on the rag then wipe it down. then wipe with a clean rag to get off excess. should leave just enough in the tiny scratches to give the weathered look.

<center>http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/LANSIG.jpg</center>

Lan-Ed-Tul
The Brotherhood Of The Sith

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

Madcow

07-29-2006, 12:24 PM

Hey Scrap.
I think I know the look you're going for, and I reccomend using steel wool very lightly in a test area (only one small spot on the saber at first).
What you really want to do is get a small bottle of Testors Flat Black model paint (available anywhere), and regular paint thinner (both very inexpensive). Get a small disposable dish or a yogurt cup... and mix 1 part black paint to 3 parts paint thinner. Then apply sparsely with a small paint brush. The end result is perfect "carbon scoring".

MC

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Lord Maul

07-29-2006, 04:29 PM

is this the "burt look" you want?
http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=3426.0

At last we will reveal ourselves to the jedi, at last we will have revenge.

Scrap

08-01-2006, 02:27 AM

Here's some pics of the completed saber.

The idea behind this modification, ultimately, was to make the lightsaber appear as if it had seen its time in battle. I wanted it to look like it's been abused, scorched, dropped in mud, and forgotten for about 20 years.

The pristine look is all well and good, but every other Jedi has a perfectly cleaned and maintained saber. Not me.

I went with a mix between "scorched" and "weathered". AKA, I was afraid to use too much paint in places. Also sanded down sections of the buttons, repainted the control box and ring. I tried to sand down the metal between the grips, but I ended up taking out more chunks of the grip material than the actual metal.

Let me know what ya'll think.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/658/hilt1ct7.jpg

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2991/hilt2mq8.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/9374/hilt3zc6.jpg

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/6654/hilt5zr9.jpg

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3164/hilt6dp2.jpg

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/58/hilt7ez1.jpg

james3

08-01-2006, 05:24 AM

Scrap that is friggin' beautiful! That is great work and great pics.

<center>http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e370/Dadof3/kotor2.jpg</center>

Lord Maul

08-01-2006, 11:04 AM

hey scrap, that thing is sweet! [:0] only one thing i would suggest is weathering inbeetween the grips more. it seems to me like the top half is 50 years old and the bottom half is 5. just a suggestion though. GREAT WORK![:D]

At last we will reveal ourselves to the jedi, at last we will have revenge.

Scrap

08-01-2006, 11:20 AM

I'll probably take some sandpaper to the bottom and see what happens. I'm just afraid of shaving off too much of the grip material, to the point where I might be stripping off glue. It's a tight fit down there. :)

The silver control box was my biggest worry. Before the top was 'weathered', it looked pretty lame and didn't match the rest of the hilt at all. But it seems to have worked out pretty well.

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Do-Clo

08-01-2006, 11:55 AM

Very nice looking result indeed the saber now looks well used, instead of fresh out of the box.[:D]

<center>http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f217/Do-Clo/DoCloSig.jpg</center>
<center>Darth Technous Sith Lord</center>
<center>Give yourself to the Dark Side</center>

987654321a

08-01-2006, 12:00 PM

...[:0]

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GFORCE13

08-01-2006, 11:31 PM

Great Work Scrap what did you coat the sanded metal with anything to prevent future corrosion and rust?

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Scrap

08-02-2006, 01:11 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GFORCE13

Great Work Scrap what did you coat the sanded metal with anything to prevent future corrosion and rust?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

... oops. I guess I should do that, huh?

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Founder of Ghetto Sabers (TM).

Lord Maul

08-02-2006, 10:48 AM

or you could leave it like it is and over time it will get more weathered

At last we will reveal ourselves to the jedi, at last we will have revenge.