So expensive

[fatalonemanarmy]

I am really interested in building my own lightsaber, but man is it expensive. I started putting it together with the custom shop, and I only had the out part together without any electronics, and I was already over 100. I understand why it's so expensive, but is there a cheaper way?

[Boj-Vaati Mau]

Sink tube, PVC, or some other tube shaped material.

[Garrek]

Choice 1 Buy an FX saber.
Choice 2 Make it out of plumbing pipe. Metal or PVC your choice.
Choice 3 Find a new hobby, this one isn't cheap.

[pvcpo]

well choice 3 doesnt sound like it, i would say save for what you really want- pvc is a great way to build inexpensive, stylish sabers with a little work, sinktube is another way, ive been building for over three years and im just getting to mhs parts, pvc has kept me plenty busy and ive seen plenty of impressive pvc sabers! so yes it still comes down to preference but with 73 sabers built i would say pvc is a inexpensive way to go- good luck!!

[Silver Serpent]

This isn't an inexpensive hobby, to be sure. As others have already stated, PVC and sinktubes from the hardware store are good ways to start on a budget.

Next you're gonna want to get some tools if you don't already have them. A Dremel or other rotary tool, soldering iron, set of small hand files, drill and drill bits...those will cover most of your early work. If you keep building, you'll soon be buying a soldering station, belt sander, drill press, toaster oven for paint baking, and a whole host of other things.

Watch your wallet closely. This is a great hobby, but it can run away with your finances if you don't watch yourself. :)

[Weaver]

Actually, I'd thought that the hilt parts were the cheapest component. Just the sound card alone will put you over what you'll spend on a hilt. By the time you add LEDs, wiring, switches, and chassis parts...well, let's just say $400 is about right for a DIY build.

Totally worth it, though.

[Arryck Corso]

Trust me when I tell you 'cost is relative'.

I've been riding motorcycles for well over 15 years now. My last Harley cost me quite a bit a money and over the 5 years I owned it, I spent around the $10k on it (customizing it). It was alot of fun and I even won a couple of bike shows and got a 5 page spread in American Iron magazine. I was sad to let it go last summer, but it's been for the best.

This hobby is much more agreeable with my wallet (and my wife) :) And if you have patience and save up for what you're looking to do, a few hundred dollars isn't that bad.

I would already have my parts bought, but my wife and I found out around x-mas time we are expecting our 2nd child, so all the money I had saved had to go to doctors bills and appointments instead. But now that that's all paid for I'm saving up again and should be placing my initial order within a few weeks. A little patience goes a long way!

[Jenny]

Here's how to get less expensive sabre pieces:

1) Go to Lindsay Books (http://www.lindsaybks.com/) and buy a few books on lathing and machine shop work. I estimate you can get a pretty good library for a beginner for about $50.

2) Pick up a Mini-Lathe. I like MicroMark's 7 x 16 model (http://www.micromark.com/microlux-7x16-mini-lathe,9615.html), which will run you about $850, but you could probably get by with one of the Chinese 7 x 10s sold by Harbor Freight. You can find that link yourself.

3) If you're feeling really ambitious, you may also need a mini-mill, which will run you another $500, but that, again, is probably something you can do without, if you like.

Viola! Spend $1000 and several months learning the skills of machining, and you can have sabre parts for the cost of materials! Cheap, right?!

[Silver Serpent]

You forgot tooling for your lathe and mill. Figure another time as much for those. So it's looking closer to $2000. ;)

Sound boards can be pricy, but you don't have to start with a Petit Crouton. There are less expensive options available, like the econo boards, MR/FX boards, or even having a soundless stunt saber. A decent stunt will have around $25-$50 in electronic bits (LED, switches, wire, etc) added to the cost of your hilt.

[fatalonemanarmy]

If you guys are trying to convince me that it's not that expensive to buy from the saber shop then make it myself, I really do know. That's why I said: "I understand why it's so expensive." I was just curious for other websites or possibly other materials. And you guys suggested PVC, but I pretty much decided I would prefer paying more to a PVC build. I made my first purchase from the shop yesterday, so ya. Lol

[fatalonemanarmy]

Why stop there? I could just get a Cnc machine for 300,000. Lol

[Garrek]

Your not going to find links to other sites to buy saber stuff on this board as it is the forum for the store.
As such the owner prefers users not to.

As for the cost, you can easily put together a full PC saber for $250.
If you think that $125 is too much to pay for a sound board then you can buy a gutted MR/Hasbro FX board off of ebay for $40-$50
Even further down you can grab an Ultimate FX saber for $30 and they seem to be rather decent, cheaper if you grab a sale or some used ones on ebay.

So if you want a really cheap saber grab some PVC and an Ultimate FX. $50 saber.
Upgrade to a metal hilt, bright led and you have a $150 saber easy.

[pvcpo]

yes pvc does not cost very much which makes it a great alternative but you will still be over the 50 mark, if you have not seen darth midians pvc sabers then i would look his work up, anything but cheap looking!! it depends how much you put in to it- anybody can screw pieces together , i prefer to make the hilt myself its all preference and cost, i have other interests like racing on the weekends and surfing which both of those require time and money so i dont put it all in one hobby, but all these things take planning and saving so you will find what works best for you and your wallet.

[Kevin Starwaster]

If you guys are trying to convince me that it's not that expensive to buy from the saber shop then make it myself, I really do know. That's why I said: "I understand why it's so expensive." I was just curious for other websites or possibly other materials. And you guys suggested PVC, but I pretty much decided I would prefer paying more to a PVC build. I made my first purchase from the shop yesterday, so ya. Lol

Congratulations. You've just taken your first step into a larger world.

[caz345]

Actually, Tims prices are pretty fair, do you know how much it would cost to pay a machinist to make the same stuff? I would like to see the price on the activation boxes and some of the extensions go down a bit but for the most part your getting quality parts far cheaper than you could pay machinist to do a one off. His prices on switches, led, etc... is hard to beat and you can get everything in one place = one shipping charge. I thought I would get clever and source some stuff from distributors but they either dont have it, or want more money for it or have a certain quantity you have to buy first, trust me Tim has taken a lot of headaches away with his store.:grin:

[Jenny]

As much as anything, it was just me venting. I hear "I could do that" and "Why do you charge so much for that?!" all the time, and sometimes, it just bubbles over.

[fatalonemanarmy]

I wasn't asking why. That's the point. I know quite a bit about maching actually. I understand the expenses of the machining equipment (hence the sarcastic CNC comment). I surely wouldn't say I could do it, and even if I could, I don't have the equipment necessary. I would just suggest not jumping on people without fully understanding what they're trying to say. I understand you hear it a lot though, but in other's defense, they don't understand how much expertise and precision goes into machining. I mean, as incredibly advance as a CNC machine is (I love those machines if you can't tell), there has to be someone highly skilled just to enter in all the exact specifications of each piece, and render the model. This alone isn't easy, even though the machine actually does all the work. Basically, I'm saying that I get both sides. Oh, and when someone says they can do it, my suggestion is to just let them. This will be all the payback you need... lol

[fatalonemanarmy]

Your not going to find links to other sites to buy saber stuff on this board as it is the forum for the store.
As such the owner prefers users not to.

As for the cost, you can easily put together a full PC saber for $250.
If you think that $125 is too much to pay for a sound board then you can buy a gutted MR/Hasbro FX board off of ebay for $40-$50
Even further down you can grab an Ultimate FX saber for $30 and they seem to be rather decent, cheaper if you grab a sale or some used ones on ebay.

So if you want a really cheap saber grab some PVC and an Ultimate FX. $50 saber.
Upgrade to a metal hilt, bright led and you have a $150 saber easy.

To by quite honest, I don't know why I said about people giving me other websites. I didn't really mean that, I just meant cheaper materials was all. I had just woken up and was still tired when I said that (I wake up late).

[fatalonemanarmy]

I do agree. I will be purchasing many more items here. I know there was a lot of money involved in the web design itself. I'm very thankful a site like this exists. Makes thing sooo much easier.

[Loachri MacTalabh]

Quick tip. Don't double post (unless it has been a substantial amount of time). Use the edit feature. It is a great thing.

[Darth Odious]

I wasn't asking why. That's the point. I know quite a bit about maching actually. I understand the expenses of the machining equipment (hence the sarcastic CNC comment). I surely wouldn't say I could do it, and even if I could, I don't have the equipment necessary. I would just suggest not jumping on people without fully understanding what they're trying to say. I understand you hear it a lot though, but in other's defense, they don't understand how much expertise and precision goes into machining. I mean, as incredibly advance as a CNC machine is (I love those machines if you can't tell), there has to be someone highly skilled just to enter in all the exact specifications of each piece, and render the model. This alone isn't easy, even though the machine actually does all the work. Basically, I'm saying that I get both sides. Oh, and when someone says they can do it, my suggestion is to just let them. This will be all the payback you need... lol

A little story, I'm a CNC production maintenance technician (I fix crap when old folks who should retire break it) with a Journeyman's Machinist certificate, I spent 4 years and a lot of cash to get, for the job I have now. However, I can't make my own saber parts due to every single machine I have to take care of doesn't have a standard chuck or clamp system, everything's modified to specific jobs. It's like being a diabetic kid in a candy store. I don't know if Tim here does machining for TCSS full time or on his own time, but for me, it took a solid week to mill myself a chassis and LED holder for an old RLSA saber I converted. My point is all the time people have put into TCSS, the prices are extremely good, the quality is superb, just the finish on the bare aluminum is mind boggling for how fast turn around is on orders.

I have been collecting sabers for about 8 years now, and own several sabers from different websites, I've also made my own when I could. I still prefer TCSS over nearly any other because you want it done at a good cost, and you want it done right. For all the services offered in the store powder coating, drill/tapping, and now the electronics are becoming modular.

It's a dent on the wallet, but a good dent, the more you put into it, the better the saber.

[Kevin Starwaster]

A little story, I'm a CNC production maintenance technician (I fix crap when old folks who should retire break it) with a Journeyman's Machinist certificate, I spent 4 years and a lot of cash to get, for the job I have now. However, I can't make my own saber parts due to every single machine I have to take care of doesn't have a standard chuck or clamp system, everything's modified to specific jobs. It's like being a diabetic kid in a candy store. I don't know if Tim here does machining for TCSS full time or on his own time, but for me, it took a solid week to mill myself a chassis and LED holder for an old RLSA saber I converted. My point is all the time people have put into TCSS, the prices are extremely good, the quality is superb, just the finish on the bare aluminum is mind boggling for how fast turn around is on orders.

I have been collecting sabers for about 8 years now, and own several sabers from different websites, I've also made my own when I could. I still prefer TCSS over nearly any other because you want it done at a good cost, and you want it done right. For all the services offered in the store powder coating, drill/tapping, and now the electronics are becoming modular.

It's a dent on the wallet, but a good dent, the more you put into it, the better the saber.

Also the better the dent.

[fatalonemanarmy]

Thanks so much guys. I apologize if I worded things incorrectly, and upset anyone because of it. I'm so pumped to begin work.