Naasad Tal's First Saber - Starkiller Replica from MHS parts

[NaasadTal]

Greetings vode, I hope I picked the right place for this thread (if not, feel free to relocate it)

I am working on a Starkiller Training Gear costume for my 2nd 501st approved costume & of course I need a lightsaber.

Starkiller's hilt is by far one of my all time favorite hilts so I had to make sure I did it justice. I have a large con coming up in just a few weeks & I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get a combat-ready hilt together in time for that so I made myself a PVC hilt which will serve as a decent stand in til I finish up my combat hilt.

Here is my PVC hilt:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160321_154035.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160321_154035.jpg.html)

The PVC hilt does what it's supposed to do (look good), but it's not strong enough for combat (which is the end goal for my saber), so I looked into commissioning someone to make me a screen accurate Starkiler hilt out of aluminum, but that didn't work out. After that, I decided to tackle the job myself & set about reading everything I could about the subject. I've been thru all of Madcow's video tutorials (absolutely amazing stuff in there) & I've spent the last 2 weeks pouring over items in the shop & assembling what I think is everything I'm gonna need for my build. Below is a render done on the MHS builder of the basic body:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160502_230752_1.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160502_230752_1.jpg.html)

Here's the list of parts I'll be using for the body:
- MHSV1 blade holder style 2
- 4" extension
- 5" extension
- MPS Pommel Style 10
- Double Male Connector style 1 for connecting the extensions (shown in later MHS Builder renders)
- MHS Sleeve Material (for the grip & graflex style shroud)

When I first started planning out my saber, I knew space was going to be an issue because of the crystal chamber, then I found Rob's video on building a chassis & decided that's probably going to be the best option for saving space (plus it looks freaking cool :P). I drew up a blueprint of my plan for the Chassis which will also house the crystal chamber. One of the things that I have always been interested in is electronics & I'm REALLY looking forward to getting a chance to do that with this saber. Here'e the chassis blueprint which is drawn to scale as I needed to make sure the speaker was in the right place for what I have planned:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160427_082847.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160427_082847.jpg.html)

I've got all the parts for the chassis picked out (except the spacers which are out of stock currently) & I will probably be picking those up soon since they are pretty cheap & they are in stock at the moment.

Thanx for taking the time to read thru my build thread, I am SUPER excited to start working on this & see it come to life. I'm looking forward to hearing your compliments & critiques as this build progresses.

[Quixotic Jedi]

If your end goal is dueling with this saber I'd rethink that gender changer and put in a double male connector instead for much added strength in that joint. Those gender changers can be a weak spot IMHO.

[NaasadTal]

Thanx for the tip Quix, I had heard that the gender changers were kinda weak, but I couldn't find a double male connector that would accomplish what I had in mind as far as look & function went without adding extra length to my already long hilt, I'll have to go back into the store & see what other options I can find.

[NaasadTal]

So I did some more searching & I found a double male connector that only adds about 1/4" to the overall length so I'll be using that instead of the gender changer & hopefully this will solve the strength issue...below is the revised render with the double male connector between the extentions (inside the red circle)

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/Screenshot_2016-05-04-02-17-14.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/Screenshot_2016-05-04-02-17-14.jpg.html)

[Cire Yeldarb]

Looks like a good plan so far! I actually put the same parts together in the builder a couple months ago trying to find the closest I could get to Starkiller with MHS parts, so I am glad we are on the same page!

I look forward to seeing what you come up with for some of the more challenging aspects of this saber, it may inspire me to dust off my plans and build my own version!

[NaasadTal]

Thanx Cire...I think I've got myself a pretty good heading so far & as soon as parts become available, I will start collecting them as I'm able.

Keep checking back & I'll post progress as it happens.

[NaasadTal]

Hey vode, haven't posted in here for a while, been doing more research & I have changed my hilt components a couple times.

I'm toying with another component change & I wanted to get your opinion on something. I'm now thinking about using activation box style 1 on my hilt & using the PLI in the store in it, my question is this, is it possible to cover the PLI to protect it? The pics show it completely exposed on top of box 1.

Thank in advance for your input on this

[Cire Yeldarb]

Use some clear heat shrink over the pli before you bolt it down

[Cire Yeldarb]

By the way, what are your new plans for hilt components?

[NaasadTal]

Thanx for the tip Cire, was kinda looking for a way to hide the PLI inside the activation box.

As far as the changes go, it won't be anything major...just making the activation box "functional" & adding an extra level to the chassis so the speaker sits in a different position inside the grip.

[Ty_Bomber]

If it were mine, I would use a 4" blank extension and the 3.75" extension (the ribbed section, without the ribs). It will make the saber more compact and accurate to the initial render, and lead threads makes for a more durable hilt.

[NaasadTal]

If it were mine, I would use a 4" blank extension and the 3.75" extension (the ribbed section, without the ribs). It will make the saber more compact and accurate to the initial render, and lead threads makes for a more durable hilt.

My parts list includes a 5in DF extention for the grip, a 4in DF extention for the crystal chamber & a 1/4in DM extention, the total length (with pommel & blade holder) is 13 1/4in, which is about what screen renders indicate. I've seen other sabersmiths with 12 & 13in long Starkiller hilts so that's what I was aiming for with mine.

[Cire Yeldarb]

Thanx for the tip Cire, was kinda looking for a way to hide the PLI inside the activation box.

As far as the changes go, it won't be anything major...just making the activation box "functional" & adding an extra level to the chassis so the speaker sits in a different position inside the grip.

Ahh, if you wanna hide it inside I would suggest first off using the original PLI (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/PLI-Power-Level-Indicator-P267.aspx) (not the 1 designed for box 1 (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/PLI-Power-Level-Indicator-For-Box1-P1059.aspx)) so it will be smaller and hopefully fit inside -- not sure of the box's internal dimensions, then cover it in shrinkwrap as I said earlier to electrically isolate it, top the box with this cover (http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Box-1-Top-Style-1-P840.aspx), and cut a slit in the top to be able to see the LEDs through!

ahh okay! Still looking forward to seeing this as it progresses!

[NaasadTal]

Thanx for the links Cire, I was looking for that PLI. I actually was thinking about using that cover (modified of course) over the PLI with the switch. My problem is that it would sit above the box, which might not be horrible since the cover is pretty thin.

I'll have to see if I can make it work.

[NaasadTal]

Hello fellow Saber Jockeys, it's been a while since I posted so I figured I'd let you know I haven't been scared off.

Phoenix Comic Con was this last weekend & I was frantically trying to finish up my Starkiller costume for that, long story short, I made it & it turned out GREAT (I'll post pics in the Cosplay section for those that wanna see it)

During that time I had decided to remake my PVC hilt so that it more closely matched my Combat Hilt length, however when I marked out the PVC I realized something, a 13.25in single blade hilt is HUGE!! so I decided to swap out the 5in extention for another 4in one which brought the length to 12.25in, only .25in longer than my PVC hilt which is just about the perfect size hilt for me. Below is the latest blueprint:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160609_080602-1_1.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160609_080602-1_1.jpg.html)

I changed my activation box to Box Style 1, for a more screen accurate look. I am also adding the PLI/Switch card to the activation box & I have talked to Tim about modifying the box to allow me to cover the card with an aluminum plate to protect it. That being said, I'm actually a little concerned about putting this box on because what very few pics I've seen with it on a hilt, it looks massive. For my build however, I am planning to cut a hole in the shroud for the box to sit in & hopefully this will counter the size.

I have also modified my chassis a bit, moving the speaking down closer to the pommel so that the "vents" will act as an outlet for the back of the speaker (something I read helped with the volume output of the speaker) while the front of the speaker will pump out thru a style 6 pommel insert.

One thing I'm concerned about now is the location of my sound board, I've read that having it too close to the center of the hilt will keep the board from working as well. So I'm wondering if I need to move the board closer to the end of the hilt, I've got plenty of space between it & the bottom of the Crystal Chamber so I could invert it putting the SD card the other direction & make the spacer between the board & the recharge discs shorter...thoughts?

Pretty sure this will be the final rework of the design before I actually start building, It seems like I can't settle on the design & I appreciate your patience with me while I hammer it out.

Look for actual build updates soon!

- Chris

[NaasadTal]

So while I wait for parts & credits to become available, I've been working on finalizing the design & electronics for my hilt & the one thing I keep going over is how much power will this thing need in order to get me the brightest blade & longest running saber I can.

Since I am still VERY new to electronics, I decided to go with the Nano Biscotte for now, so if I acccidently blow the thing, it won't be QUITE as painfull as it would be with one of the more expensive boards (however that Crystal Focus board is VERY pretty ;)). My original plan was to run a R/R/W CREE XP-E2 CopperNova for the Blade & splice in a red accent LED somwhere along the line. Currently I have the Panasonic 18650 3.7v protected Li-Ion battery as my power source, which SHOULD be enough for this basic plan (PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong), but ever the far-reaching prop builder, I am now looking into possibly adding a 2nd lit crystal somewhere in the chassis (probably in the top of the main chamber). I also read in one of the threads (not sure which one now) that someone hooked up their crystal LED to the FoC pad so that it flashes with the blade when the saber connects with something solid. I would LOVE to add this feature to at least my main crystal if I can figure it out.

My question is (& you'll have to excuse the "noobness" of it), will the 3.7v battery be enough to power all of this (without dying 30 minutes in), or should I look at a 7.4v battery to power my saber?

Also, any ideas on how to get the crystal LED hooked to FoC would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanx in advance!

[Silver Serpent]

Single 18650 + NB + Tri-Cree is a good solution. Accent LEDs draw very little current, and won't harm your runtime significantly.

Do NOT use a 7.4v pack with the NB. It'll blow your sound board, and it wouldn't give you any more runtime anyhow. Runtime is determined by the mAh of your battery pack (the higher the mAh, the longer it'll run on a single charge.)

[NaasadTal]

Awesome...leaves me more space for greebage! Thanx for the replY Serpent!

[NaasadTal]

GUYS, GUYS, GUYS!!!!! I just ordered my first batch of parts!!!!
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/Screenshot_2016-07-08-01-46-05-1-1.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/Screenshot_2016-07-08-01-46-05-1-1.jpg.html)

Decided to start with Chassis since the parts are relatively cheap & they're whats in stock at the moment...needless to say, I'm SUPER excited right now!!

Also, I drew up what I'm going to call my final draft of the blueprints (hopefully...cuz I'm sure you're all pretty tired of seeing these :P)...
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160618_001629.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160618_001629.jpg.html)

In this version, I fine tuned a couple minor things & drew 3 different options for the Crystal Chamber window (labled I, II, III). As you know, throughout this whole build, the end game was to have a screen accurate dueling hilt, but the open crystal chamber has always thrown a kink in those plans, so I knew it was gonna have to get modified to make the saber something strong enough to duel with. The first option (I) was to keep the window completely open like Starkiller's but make it much smaller so I didn't lose as much of the hilt, the next option (II) was a larger window like Starkiller's but with a piece of hilt left in place for added support, essentially making it 2 windows & the 3rd option (III) is similar to option, 2 except that it has 2 supports splitting the large window into 3 smaller windows.

After talking with a couple friends, the consensus was that option 3 would be the best choice as it provided the support for dueling while giving the best visibility of the Crystal Chamber.

& speaking of the Crystal Chamber, I made some changes there as well...The new CC design now has 2 crystals, the main power crystal, which will take up the biggest part of it & a secondary Focusing Crystal which will be placed in the top of the of the CC in order to make the saber appear more functional. Both crystals will light up & one may even be attached to FoC pad, there may also be some additional greeblies added to the Crystal Chamber later on, but for now this is it.

Would love to hear your thoughts on the final design & as always, thanx for looking...hope to have some actual progress for you all soon!

[sgcdialler]

If I remember right, most of the Starkiller replicas I've seen have two support struts running up the front. Given that, I'd say you could be well served by going with option #3, and putting greeblies up the struts to make them look like something.

[NaasadTal]

Correct...there is additional supports in his chassis, that's where I got the idea. The struts I plan to leave in the hilt material will mimic those.

[NaasadTal]

So my chassis parts came in on Friday & on Saturday I made an excursion to Ilam for my saber crystals & then to the deepest ocean on Dac for an Ultima Pearl (strangely both places resembled a shop in a mall here called Black Market Minerals ;-)). Not sure if I'll keep the Ultima Pearl, but I have access to several other spheres including a Krayt Dragon Pearl so for now, the secondary chamber will not be lit.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160716_160518.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160716_160518.jpg.html)

I started working on my chassis on Saturday night & finished it up yesterday afternoon.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160717_191231.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160717_191231.jpg.html)

Both crystal chambers are made using PC chassis discs & have a wall behind them in the space designed for the PC that is intended to hide the wires that will run behind them. The main chamber has a power crystal & a focusing crystal that will both be lit & at least one will be hooked up to the FoC pad on the NB once I get to that point. The second chamber will be hidden under the grip & will only be revealed when I take the grip off. This chassis is designed to remain in the top of the saber when the grip is removed & is VERY long at 9.5in but once it gets into the saber, everything should line up properly.

Really happy to finally have some actual progress to show & I hope that the body parts will show up in the store shortly so I can start on the rest of the hilt soon. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

[NaasadTal]

Hey guys, not much going on atm as I wait for parts to restock & spare credits to show up, but I did start on a new PVC stand-in hilt for my costume.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160725_210333.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160725_210333.jpg.html)
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160727_175032.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160727_175032.jpg.html)
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20160727_171002.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20160727_171002.jpg.html)

I still can't decide on the final length for my aluminum hilt (honestly that's been the hardest part of the build & design process), but for now I am leaning towards 13.25".

Because I am using a heavy blade, the 12" length of my current stand-in hilt puts the balance at a point 6" in front of the emitter (the last picture above, shows the current stand-in next to the new for comparrison). The length of the new stand-in I'm working on is 13.25" which will hopefully give the whole saber a better balance. As you can see I also left part of new stand-in hilt intact around the window of the Crystal Chamber for additional support when dueling so the new stand-in is closer to what my aluminum one will be so I can start getting used to it.

Would love to hear some thoughts from you guys about the overall length of the hilt.

As always, thanx for looking & critques are always welcome!

Chris S.

[alcadude]

It looks really cool.Are you planning on using replica gralfex parts?

[NaasadTal]

I'll be making the emitter shroud out of the sleeve material in the store. The graflex parts (bunny ears, button & wheel) will also be purchased from the store.

[NaasadTal]

Gretings all!

Haven't posted in a while cuz I haven't had much progress to share. I'm in the process of collecting parts & as we all know, that tends to be pretty boring.

I picked up a lot of OT on this check & my next check is a "free" check (no rent or car payment) so I decided to to get my expensive parts out of the way so I just placed an order for my first hilt pieces (blade holder, 4" DF extention with custom mill work & 1/4" DM extention) & in 2 weeks I'll be ordering the sleeve material & my Soundboard.

The custom mill work will probably take some time, but I'll update as soon as I know more.

Thanx for looking!

[jbkuma]

Congrats :D I made my big purchase after getting an unexpected commission from my old job :D

[NaasadTal]

So while I'm waiting for my custom mill work, I ended up placing 2 more orders, one to TCSS & one to Amazon. My Amazon order arrived today & it is GLORIOUS!
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161005_160158.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161005_160158.jpg.html)

I'm gonna get into it this weekend & see how things go, kinda nervous as this is the first time soldering, but I'm confident I can figure it out before I dive into my board!

...& speaking of the board, I had planned to use a NB as kind of an entry level board till I got more comfortable with soldering (figured I'd be a lot less heartbroken if I slag a $67 board vs a $150 one), but when I went to order the NB, it was out of stock. A couple friends suggested I check out the Spark boards & I almost instantly fell in love with the Color 2. I also concluded that I wouldn't need to upgrade if I use this board, like I would have had to with the NB so in the long run, I'd end up saving some credits. Since the change in the board has left me a tad more options than the NB, I have upgraded my LED to a RGB (might go with the Z6) for my blade & have located a 5mm RGB LED for my Crystal chamber as well...guys, this thing is gonna be AMAZING!!!!

I also went out & acquired a couple more spheres for my secondary chamber...now to try & decide which one I like best...
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161002_122954.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161002_122954.jpg.html)

Starting to get really anxious about the orders from TCSS, but once they come in, the only exterior parts I'll still need are 5" DF extention, the activation box & the bunny ears.

I'm getting so close I can taste it!

[Quixotic Jedi]

If you have any old circuit boards laying around, like old computer cards, you can use those to practice your soldering, that's what I did before wiring my first saber.

[rlobrecht]

Erv at Plecter Labs has a great soldering tutorial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOdnGUMi7lQ

[NaasadTal]

Thank you both for the tips. I wouldn't have thought of the old circuit boards Quix!

[NaasadTal]

FINALLY HAVE EXTERIOR PARTS!!!!

So yesterday I got in the 2 orders I had been waiting for!
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161020_171622-1.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161020_171622-1.jpg.html)

And of course I had to do a quick assembly so I can see what the chamber will look like in the custom windows that I had Tim cut for me in my 4" DF extention...
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161021_055525.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161021_055525.jpg.html)

Needless to say I am STUPID excited right now! The only parts I still need to finish up the body of my saber are the Bunny Ears, the Activation Box & the 5" DF extention for the grip.

Looking forward to getting some feedback from you guys on my progress so far & as always thanx for looking!

[Silver Serpent]

Seems to be coming along nicely. The waiting game is always the worst. It's totally worth it though. :)

[NaasadTal]

So a little more progress to share tonight...got the Graflex & Grip shrouds cut & cleaned up:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161026_180313.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161026_180313.jpg.html)

[Kreyhn]

Woah. This is coming along brilliantly! Superb job on the shroud, sir.

[NaasadTal]

Woah. This is coming along brilliantly! Superb job on the shroud, sir.

Thanx Kreyhn, I'm REALLY happy with how the shroud came out...patience really paid off, that & a steady hand :P

Got a little more progress to share while I'm waiting for the last couple parts to pop back up in the store...in the mean time I painted the emitter end & the grip shroud:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20161029_115609.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20161029_115609.jpg.html)

I know the bunny ears are back in the store again, but I gotta wait till at least next Thursday when I get paid again to grab a set, after that the only things I'll be missing are the final extention piece & the activation box, then I can move on to finishing the internals (REALLY excited for that part!)...getting super close!

[Kreyhn]

Ooooh, even closer now! The black does a lot. If you're waiting for a 5" or a 6", check out TCSS facebook ;)

[NaasadTal]

Oh I have been...I know that the extention I need is back in stock, just gotta wait til payday

[WookieCookie]

What tool did you use to cut the shroud material? Did you use a dremel?

[NaasadTal]

What tool did you use to cut the shroud material? Did you use a dremel?

Yupp, just a dremel...& a VERY steady hand :-P

[WookieCookie]

Yeah, I want to make a shroud for my Ultrasabers Sentinel later down the road but I'll definitely need to practice using a dremel first.

[NaasadTal]

Practice is always a good thing

[Praposo91]

What did you use to paint? Was it just spray paint? That black looks great!

[NaasadTal]

What did you use to paint? Was it just spray paint? That black looks great!

Yupp...just good old rattle cans

[GregTheForce]

It looks great and the black gives some nice texture... When it's completely finished are going to make a video about it? Can' wait to see it's full beauty :D

[NaasadTal]

I hadn't thought about doing a video, but it might be something fun to do.

I havent posted in a while as progress had taken a backseat due to my daughter's bday & Christmas, but we survived that & I will be placing my next order tonight. This order will contain everything I need to finish the body of the saber except for the activation box which is still out of stock atm.

I will hopefully have some more progress pics to share soon!

[NaasadTal]

As promised, more progress!

I got more parts in & with them, I have everything I need to finish the exterior except for the activation box (which is still out of stock atm). Here are the parts that came in on Saturday:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20170107_165419.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20170107_165419.jpg.html)

Decided to lay everything out to get a look at the placement of the parts:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20170108_104617.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20170108_104617.jpg.html)

Getting closer & more excited...I hope to be able to start buying the electronics soon!

[NaasadTal]

guys, guys, GUYS!!!

I got another big order in this weekend which included the taps sold in the store & on Sunday I decided to dive in & get the holes drilled & tapped for all the greebage & assembly parts & I gotta say it was WAAAY easier than I thought it would be. I had already done all the measuring & planning before the taps came in so all I had to do was start drilling! I have been waiting for what seems like forever to get to this point & now it's here!

I can finally see it all together without having to hold everything in place...& it is GLORIOUS!!!

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20170206_233430.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20170206_233430.jpg.html)

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244/R1-Alchemist/20170206_233507.jpg (http://s130.photobucket.com/user/R1-Alchemist/media/20170206_233507.jpg.html)

Sadly, everything did not go off without a hitch, while backing off the 4-40 tap out of the last hole (one of the holes for the graflex pins), the tip of the tap snapped off & is stuck in the hole :( I had a couple folks suggest ways to get the tap out & I will look in to them, but I fear that I will have to order a new blade holder & start over. Pretty upset that I was doing so well only to have it end that way, but at least it wasn't my custom 4" extention that got screwed up.

All in all I'm SUPER excited with how this build is progressing...still left to do is attach the activation box & cover plate (once they FINALLY get restocked) & then I need to get the soundboard & PLI (waiting for credits to be available when they are in stock), then I can start wiring everything up! I'm also thinking about swapping out the black set screws in the grip ribs for silver ones as I feel this will add more detail in the end.

I'm getting SO close I can taste it!

As always, thanx for looking & I look forward to hearing your feedback!

[minorhero]

Its really coming together!

Sucks about the tap breaking off. I have had that happen to me when rebuilding old machinery. The taps are hardened metal and 4-40 is a tiny diameter. If it were a screw your best bet is to drill it out. But its not a screw and in my experience the tap is too small and too hard to be drilled out. Thus your only recourse will be to get a small punch (or likely a whole series of small punches / nail punches (can be purchased at most hardware stores) and literally punch the piece of tap through the hole from the outside (I assume this was a through hole you had tapped with 4-40). You will probably need a series of punches because the small diameter punches will bend under the force you are about to exert upon them once you start hitting them with a hammer. This will have the effect of completely destroying the threads you just put into the hole. It may also crack or bend the emitter so its no longer round. If that happens its game over for the emitter. If however the emitter is still structurally sound all is not lost!

Your hole will be stripped of threads and too big now that it has been stripped to put 4-40 threads into it. But you can still refill the hole and try again. Put a piece of tape on the inside of the emitter so the epoxy does not leak through and then carefully fill the mangled hole with JB Weld or your epoxy of choice. Once fully cured (and you will want to wait 24 hours even if you use "quick" epoxy) you can redrill the hole and retap it. This will likely result in the need for some careful sanding/filing etc to make sure the epoxy is nice and flush with the surface before drilling. Since this area will be painted black color differences will not matter. I would definitely go with jb weld if its an option for you since it accepts paint easily and has a long open time so you can wipe it with a stiff surface like a gift card or some such to make sure its flush with the surface before it dries. This will essentially eliminate the need for much sanding later.

You are lucky that you only have to deal with aluminum. Punching one of these taps through steel when they break off is a REAL pain. Obviously you will want to remove the emitter before you go pounding on it.

Good luck!

[NaasadTal]

Wow, thanx for the tip Minor...I don't think I would have thought of that! I will keep you informed on the progress!

[jbkuma]

This looks fantastic! Good luck getting that tap out.

[GregTheForce]

Wow that shows again how many different ways you can go with mhs :D I LOVE it btw my username is because of Gregor and SW The force so i guess that makes sence xD Great saber tough.

[PhoenixHawk]

Also you could send it back to Tim....since he has way more tools then we do. He might have better luck getting the tap out.

Agreed with everyone else...its looking really good.

[Doomblade10]

Looks SWEET!!