Scraptech Build

[Darth Nurse]

I'm a little behind on starting this build thread, but here we go...

As soon as I saw the first few "Scraptech" sabers (mesh of TFU 1&2), I knew I wanted to build one. There are some challenges with this build, especially with the switching. The switches have to be in the emitter. So, after consulting with Tim, we came up with this:

https://i.imgur.com/Ut1IpXE.png

Key things here are:
- A full shine through glass eye (tapped to screw in a vintage style)
- Extremely low profile switches
- Ability to directly mount the crystal chamber to the blade holder

[Darth Nurse]

Here are the two defining components for a Scraptech build: the custom Graflex-style blade holder and a Solo's Hold TFU 2 MHS pommel.

https://i.imgur.com/rQQsAQ4.jpg

In the background you can see the MHS based chamber and the D.C. sabers blade plug.

[Darth Nurse]

More pics of the custom blade holder:

https://i.imgur.com/xrXirem.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W5OfP3L.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QonC5lP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xTVjtr0.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Starting to fit the lambskin wrap. I cut this from a full hide. 1.5 oz and super soft. Lambskin is DEFINITELY the way to go for wraps!

https://i.imgur.com/GH99s4o.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Scraptechs have heavy weathering, so starting on the pommel. HEAVY coat of Aluminum Black, then sanded back down a bit, then clear coated.

https://i.imgur.com/K98a5a7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sq8eXBe.jpg

Here is is with the lambskin wrap, we will discuss more about the treatment of the lamb skin later...

https://i.imgur.com/eHiFKK0.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Now, weathering the emitter. I am about to do some pretty gnarly stuff to this beautiful work of metal art...

First, a little battle damage...

https://i.imgur.com/0p5S6LT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ru3uVs0.jpg

Next some HEAVY Aluminum Black...

https://i.imgur.com/dgUYqtp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/U3n6Y10.jpg

This went in stages to get a nice layering.

https://i.imgur.com/Bxn0N9M.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/u3SqaSN.jpg

Weathering the red button and glass eye was done with sanding and an acrylic wash.

https://i.imgur.com/obMWlfq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/4GHjYqF.jpg

Installed the brass pins. I had to chase the threads with the appropriate tap.

https://i.imgur.com/1ikm8N9.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Size comparison to a Solo's Hold Padawan. The Scraptech has a 7" extension under the wrap.

https://i.imgur.com/A5wGDWX.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Here is a peek at how the switching will work. Tim made some very awesome super low profile switch plungers for the micro tactiles.

https://i.imgur.com/9NoZSot.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/auO3Gt8.jpg

[Whi-ja]

Whenever someone posts "custom MHS" with Tim's help, you know it's going to be good. I love the switch placement on this blade holder. Did you design it yourself and then ask Tim to execute the plan? It's impressive.

[rlobrecht]

This is just fantastic.

[Darth Nurse]

It was a collaboration. I gave him my requirements and he generated a design, then executed that design like the master that he is known to be.

[Darth Nurse]

This is just fantastic.

Thanks!

[Darth Nurse]

Ok so now to talk a little about the leather work. I picked up several techniques talking to some of the really great builders out there like Darth Alice, Solo's Hold and Jordan from SoCal Custom Sabers.

I ordered a 1.5oz charcoal grey lambskin hide from ebay (about $35) and cut a 1" strip. You need a lot for a full 7" extension wrap, so the cut was made diagonally.

Next step was to wrap the extension in black hockey tape (not pictured), this really helps the leather seat in place and lessens the amount of glue needed.

Once it was cut, I did a few test wraps to see how much overlap was needed. then I cut the leather to length (cutting each end at an angle) and did the wrap. There are a few good videos on YouTube about this part. I coated the underside of the leather with a thin layer of contact cement and did the wrap. The final point at the top is also secured with super glue.

https://i.imgur.com/kDlqI5w.jpg

If you are doing a new looking (un-weathered) saber you can stop here. Since mine is heavily aged, time to move to the next phase.

I took a red scour pad and sanded the leather down a bit, then treated it with a 4-way conditioner. I also beat the leather up a bit here. Do this incrementally and repeat as many times as needed to get the look you desire.

This is the conditioner:

https://i.imgur.com/RcrbQmI.jpg

You can really start to see the difference here. I will likely keep up this process for another few rounds.

https://i.imgur.com/0q4QMQR.jpg

Once you are satisfied with how it looks, its time to seal and preserve. Below is what I use for that (pictured with a completed Padawan wrap). You should apply it by hand once a week for a month, then periodically to maintain the leather.

https://i.imgur.com/ewSwKTS.jpg

[Tom Tilmon]

Eventually, I'd like to "weather" a saber...I'm just so nervous to ruin one. Maybe I need to start with a MHS that I build to weather.

[Avidgrant]

4-40 channels built into the emitter.... oh really....... very cool!

[Darth Nurse]

Another hallmark of this saber is a red glass eye, usually a garnet. This is more difficult with a vintage style glass eye. So, I ordered up a 12.5mm garnet cabochon. Now to figure out the best way to secure it in the housing...

https://i.imgur.com/v7XSjjy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QkxUsyP.jpg

[Anoril]

Wow!
Incredible!
Beautiful work!!!

[Whosle]

Amazing work!

The Garnet is a nice touch. Epoxy 330 is a jewelry grade epoxy meant for bonding two non-porous materials. Its made by a helicopter company.

[Darth Nurse]

Amazing work!

The Garnet is a nice touch. Epoxy 330 is a jewelry grade epoxy meant for bonding two non-porous materials. Its made by a helicopter company.

Thank you for the tip!

[Darth Nurse]

Ok, so I had to figure out a way to secure the garnet in the vintage-style glass eye housing (Roman's in this case). 12.5mm garnet ad a little bit of space all the way around. Most epoxies were just too thin or otherwise hard to work with, so I went with epoxy putty.

https://i.imgur.com/WfgpVet.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lctWDZD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pxgi6Zl.jpg

Last thing to do is put a little acrylic wash where in the seam where you can still see a bit of the putty on the visual side. But, boom, full shine through garnet!

[Darth Nurse]

Wow!
Incredible!
Beautiful work!!!

Thanks! Still a long way to go.

[Darth Nurse]

Externals pretty much done!

Waiting on CF 9 for the sound...

While I wait, I will be turning my attention to the crystal chamber and chassis.

https://i.imgur.com/Zm3DjBc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JfkR7jT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AIiKH1u.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QNFlOYS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cHc9E6I.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RhkuaDZ.jpg

Mulling modifying this Kobold for the D-ring. I will at least take off some of the harsh edges. I may cut it down a bit as well.

https://i.imgur.com/bce80ii.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gVEKVSM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6z4Tkj7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6xnbr0i.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Went to work on the WannaWanga Kobold D-ring...

After rounding off the corners on the far end from the ring (to prevent your hand getting caught on them), I doused the whole thing in Aluminum Black:
https://i.imgur.com/n9VLHYm.jpg

It took the AB way better than I expected!
https://i.imgur.com/XWNtFpM.jpg

I hit it with a little matte clear to set everything. I may buff out some wear and highlights on the corners or edges, but we will see. So far it made a world of difference for fitting in on this build and is not as boring as a plain ANH style D-ring or a covertech.

https://i.imgur.com/Kn2l4E6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AHXBpuZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kbOy1wB.jpg

[Squimboos]

Agh this is so good. The best part is...well all of it...but also it's inspiring. It makes me want to go the extra mile and make my saber exactly what I want it to be.

[Darth Nurse]

Agh this is so good. The best part is...well all of it...but also it's inspiring. It makes me want to go the extra mile and make my saber exactly what I want it to be.

Thank you. The beauty of the MHS setup is you can work towards exactly what you want.

[Whi-ja]

Agh this is so good. The best part is...well all of it...but also it's inspiring. It makes me want to go the extra mile and make my saber exactly what I want it to be.

In this hobby it always pays off to make it JUST the way you want. Good luck!

[Darth Nurse]

Installed the d-ring... with a twist!

First thing was to mark the spot and drill and tap tap (M3) the holes. This was done through the threads of the extension and pommel, but it does not matter since they are not coming apart again anyway.

https://i.imgur.com/EyoEaWa.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Z0XKIEV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HpQeSK0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PHE1sPA.jpg

Next... I had an old clamp card laying around that I had previously inadvertently damaged. So I cut is down and inserted it to cover the screws.

https://i.imgur.com/VPKbEi1.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Externals now officially done!

Still a lot of work to do on the inside...

https://i.imgur.com/DlDCz6a.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/XvxSi5B.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/S26B8hQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DCmJU5R.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

With the outside done, time to really turn attention to the guts. I have a MHS based chamber that I will be detailing a bit more. Then I really need to weigh my chassis options. I REALLY want a full metal chassis reveal...

https://i.imgur.com/rVywxBI.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

OK, well you know how you might go back and change a small thing here and there... well I did that.

I got some ANH sized d-rings in from WannaWanga and decided it was a better size for this build, so I went to swappin'!

https://i.imgur.com/C7oeHLU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cd6wZRo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FVB1o69.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DMzXGGK.jpg

comparison shot:
https://i.imgur.com/YsWbgcd.jpg

[Darth Nurse]

Trying some configurations while fitting the crystal chamber. I found a VERY smoky quartz that lights up in a neat way. Plan will be to light it with a blade matching RGB LED up top and with a RGB LED on bottom configured to the accent pads of the CF9, so that I can get a pulse when in idle.

https://i.imgur.com/GHzMNGX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RFEdyIM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KFrf1XV.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tDjiwe1.jpg

[Greenie]

Oh this is lookin' nice DN. I like those bits securing the crystal. 3D printed? and the stator coil, those things were made for crystal chambers. :mrgreen:

[Darth Nurse]

Oh this is lookin' nice DN. I like those bits securing the crystal. 3D printed? and the stator coil, those things were made for crystal chambers. :mrgreen:

The ones in the pic with the two are 3D printed, but I'm only using the one on the right for this build. Also, it fits perfectly in the hole in a MHS chassis disc. The bottom of the crystal is held by a faucet connector thing. I drilled and tapped the chassis disc for it.

I REALLY want to do a full metal reveal for this, but I'm having trouble getting around how to do a nice metal chassis shell (to work with the MHS stuff) that I can do with no fancy tools (lathe, mill, etc...).

[Whosle]

Awesome work so far!

Everyone loves a full metal reveal. You could try using brass shim stock or some other thin sheet metal and make a metal veneer shell. Or you could try using some guitar shielding tape and put it on the outside of a 3d printed chassis.

Or you could just go medieval on some telescoping tubes with a dremel and some hand files.

Plastic chassis have some benefits (flexibility, shock absorbtion , non-conductive.)

In some ways having an amazing full reveal chassis is akin to having the backside of the Mona Lisa painting be another great work of art in itself. It's so ridicululous and amazing at the same time.

[Darth Nurse]

Since I am not using a full set of bunny ears, I thought I would try a blade plug with a bit more going one. Success I'd say.

https://i.imgur.com/XTbI68y.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qCBICsY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HhufihF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nEZwYQ0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rK5fKJo.jpg

[SFXER001]

Oh my gosh, I stumbled across the same picture of the Scrapflex and instantly knew that is what I wanted to build for my first saber, and I immediately shelved my other designs. This thread is extremely inspirational and helpful, confirming many of the things I wanted to do are possible without mills and lathes, and answers many of the questions I had. GREAT WORK! Please keep posting updates!

[Cope]

Nice build. Been watching a lot of prop builders on YT and this is as good or better than most.
inspiring work

[Darth Nurse]

Chassis progress...

So, my lack of tooling required me to send off the hilt to another smith to sort out the reveal chassis. Patrick Cargill did an excellent job of working with me on a solution.

https://i.imgur.com/WTmbwi0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tkMAu9x.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ERhXNKt.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6an8e1B.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QkrExpe.jpg

I also had him etch the chassis. I will do the finish work on sanding it when I get the hilt back.

https://i.imgur.com/OJcNm5g.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GaG3HKf.jpg

[SFXER001]

I Love it. It's like you've been reading my mind. Another detail you could add is to drill (or indent) a small hole where those circuits terminate on the "pads." If you wired up another LED inside the innermost chassis, you might get some shine-through up through such holes for more dramatic effect.

I am thinking about the bottom half of my hilt being this exposed faux circuitry looking piece, as if the owner lost the bottom half shroud of their saber and is making do without, or something like that, perhaps with a temporary piece of junk as a shroud over the circuits, but leaving some of them exposed to view. The etching on your piece is exactly the type of etching I've been researching that I want to perform on the outside of the MHS hilt, with a sanded sink tube shroud layered over the top. Imagine if you were holding your inner sleeve as pictured in your last screenshot in your hand as the bottom half of your saber, without the leather wrap at all. Kinda what I'm going for.

[SFXER001]

The ones in the pic with the two are 3D printed, but I'm only using the one on the right for this build. Also, it fits perfectly in the hole in a MHS chassis disc. The bottom of the crystal is held by a faucet connector thing. I drilled and tapped the chassis disc for it.

Would you mind sharing the drill and tap size for the faucet part? I have the same ones that I am thinking of using, and best guess is they are 1/2 - 20. Tested it at a Lowe’s. Having trouble finding a 1/2 20 tap anywhere.

[Darth Nurse]

Would you mind sharing the drill and tap size for the faucet part? I have the same ones that I am thinking of using, and best guess is they are 1/2 - 20. Tested it at a Lowe’s. Having trouble finding a 1/2 20 tap anywhere.

I do believe it is 1/2-20. I ordered the tap from Amazon.

[Darth Nurse]

Got the etched chassis back from Patrick and cleaned up. Now to test fitting before finalizing and wiring it all up!

https://i.imgur.com/UujFUcX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pxpvc8n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MRDoIwh.jpg

[Tom Tilmon]

That came out nice. Cool saber man.

Tom