AtmosMan
08-10-2006, 07:29 PM
Hello everyone. My name is Brian and I'm a college student. I have recently been getting into just-for-fun lightsaber combat with my friend who is a martial artist, and my brother. It started at a costume party this past January where my friend and I went as jedi and sith and we performed a coreographed fight for everyone using the real cheap $7 Hasbro basic lightsaber:
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HS85333
Since then I have bought a bunch of these and did some fun mods on them (like epoxy gluing two red hilts together to make a double bladed saber.) Everything I've made has withstood SERIOUS bashing. These are well made toys for being so cheap. I want to take it just a bit farther.
The blades on these sabers are very short (23" when fully extended) but the hilts are fairly accurately sized. I would like to yank out the telescoping blade (not easy, but do-able) and put in a full size blade. I don't want it to be electronic yet, just some functional, full sized sabers. I was looking all over the internet for a full size blade as durable as the plastic Hasbro uses. I found a bunch of things from wooden dowels to PVC to carbon fiber rods. The only thing that could probably take the beating we give these things would be the carbon rods, but they were $40 each! I don't have that kind of money to spend because 1. I like to make a lot of sabers and 2. I'm just a very basic novice. I then came across this site and saw the polycarb blades. They seem they can take a heavy beating and look to be ideal for my purposes (plus I can get 3 polycarb rods for the price of a carbon fiber rod.)
So, I was thinking I'd mount the 40" blade in the empty hilt. About 7" of blade would sit inside the hilt making the exposed blade a perfect length for me. I'm not too concerned about the blade being removable, but it would be a nice perk. I'm trying to figure out how to mount the blade inside the handle. The blade's OD is 1" where the ID of the hilt is about 1 3/8". So I need to fill in the extra space to secure the blade. I'm just not sure how to do this. What would you guys recommend I use to secure the blade, whether it is removable or not?
Also, to give the blade some color (since it would look strange just clear) do you think putting some very shiny paper inside the rod - replacing the diffuser with a rolled up piece of reflective paper/fabric would help? Or should I just paint the rod?
Thanks for your help guys. One day I will attempt to properly make a custom saber via an aluminum hilt and LED electronics. I just need to get my own place where I can work in peace and have the money for all the hardware. Only a couple of years away! [:)]
Anyway, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Have a good night all.
- Brian
http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HS85333
Since then I have bought a bunch of these and did some fun mods on them (like epoxy gluing two red hilts together to make a double bladed saber.) Everything I've made has withstood SERIOUS bashing. These are well made toys for being so cheap. I want to take it just a bit farther.
The blades on these sabers are very short (23" when fully extended) but the hilts are fairly accurately sized. I would like to yank out the telescoping blade (not easy, but do-able) and put in a full size blade. I don't want it to be electronic yet, just some functional, full sized sabers. I was looking all over the internet for a full size blade as durable as the plastic Hasbro uses. I found a bunch of things from wooden dowels to PVC to carbon fiber rods. The only thing that could probably take the beating we give these things would be the carbon rods, but they were $40 each! I don't have that kind of money to spend because 1. I like to make a lot of sabers and 2. I'm just a very basic novice. I then came across this site and saw the polycarb blades. They seem they can take a heavy beating and look to be ideal for my purposes (plus I can get 3 polycarb rods for the price of a carbon fiber rod.)
So, I was thinking I'd mount the 40" blade in the empty hilt. About 7" of blade would sit inside the hilt making the exposed blade a perfect length for me. I'm not too concerned about the blade being removable, but it would be a nice perk. I'm trying to figure out how to mount the blade inside the handle. The blade's OD is 1" where the ID of the hilt is about 1 3/8". So I need to fill in the extra space to secure the blade. I'm just not sure how to do this. What would you guys recommend I use to secure the blade, whether it is removable or not?
Also, to give the blade some color (since it would look strange just clear) do you think putting some very shiny paper inside the rod - replacing the diffuser with a rolled up piece of reflective paper/fabric would help? Or should I just paint the rod?
Thanks for your help guys. One day I will attempt to properly make a custom saber via an aluminum hilt and LED electronics. I just need to get my own place where I can work in peace and have the money for all the hardware. Only a couple of years away! [:)]
Anyway, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Have a good night all.
- Brian