lightsaber parts

[chase]

does anyone know where i could get some custom cosmetic parts for my hilt....im trying to make my saber look different than most sabers....any help would be appreciated. most appreciated.

[vortextwist]

Like what?
Most people just use things they find in the hardware store or at junk shops. there is a thread about saber bling, or what makes your saber diff.

[Enolmano]

the normal ones should be:
o-rings
thumbscrews
small LEDs
EL

Tim have alot of parts, you know...

[chase]

well, i have o rings and thumb screws and such. i was wondering of other things. also, how do dremels work with customizations anyone know? *new topic!*

[vortextwist]

depends, alot of people do sinktube overlays, check out the custom and mhs gallery

[Jedi Ranger]

also, how do dremels work with customizations anyone know? *new topic!*

Uuhhhhh.............pick the tool according to the job needed to be done.

[chase]

im sorry, im no idiot, but i have no idea what that means....i know theres different tools that come with a dremel, but, im talking about fabricating metal and drilling holes...stuff like that. maybe i should have worded my sentence better.... :?

[Lord Maul]

fabricating metal as in like cutting it into a overlay is done with the heavy duty cut off wheel and then some other heads (jonitus can clear that up)

actually making a piece from scratch (i.e. a chunk of aluminum) is done on a lathe

to drill holes, it is best to use a drill press. to tap (thread the holes), use the taps that tim sells :wink:

[chase]

thanks fellas

[jjshumpert]

http://a598.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/38/l_0419497d3c2413649e894e43f49d4c7d.jpg

if your looking to do somethin along this line, then you will need at least a 420 cutoff wheel, a triangular shaped grinding bit, and the gray colored polishing wheel thats surface looks like fine grain sand paper.

start off with some sheet aluminum or something similar and using your cutoff wheel carve some straight lines and curved designs to get acustomed to how your dremel will cut metal. the first few times you use your dremel it will bind and kick back from your cut, often time taking away material where you didnt want or coming out of the line being cut and causing gouges to the outside of your tube that will take away from the appearance of the finished saber.

once you get used to your dremel, start off with a 1.5 x 12 chrome sink tube. once you decide on your design either make a patter than can be squared and taped to the outside of the tube or in a pinch you can draw directly onto the tube. take great care when doing rounded sections like you see on this qui gonn outter tube i made. the easiest way ive found to get these lines to come out is to apply a few layers of tape around the outside of your patter cut line to keep from cutting outside of the area you want to remove metal, then using your cutoff wheel start at one side of the curve, cut a small distance into the curve of the design, then work your cutoff wheel straight back from the leading edge of your cut at a 90 degree angle which will remove the material leading up to the edge of your cut and give you room to continue along with the curve.

once you get your shapes cut out and your happy with the design, take your grinding bit over where you made cuts to your sink tube. using the oval sections seen on the right of the qui gonn, you would want to grind lightly around the inside of the cut flat against the remaining metal, then turn your bit on a side to grind the outter corner so you dont cut your hand on a sharp edge, as well as grinding the inner edge at an angle so you dont snag parts that will go inside the tube.

once thats all done take your nifty polishing wheel and give all the edges of your cuts a good once over to ensure they are smooth...