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View Full Version : Anyone try Fence posts instead of sink tubes?



traydemark
09-11-2007, 11:10 AM
I was wondering if anyone has tried using fence posts to build their hilt. I'm talking about the metal, cylindrical ones that hold up wire fences. They're not shiny like chrome but maybe if they're sanded down and polished they may look decent. Also, they come long so they can be used for more than one hilt.

ArkaiHalon
09-11-2007, 12:32 PM
most of the fence posts i've seen are like 4 inches in diameter, little big for my hands.

traydemark
09-11-2007, 01:02 PM
Really? They have some ranging from 1" - 2". I saw some that were 1 3/8" and another one that was somewhere close to 1.5"

BTW this is at Home Depot.

Vazan Maceu
09-11-2007, 01:39 PM
If the post has the right OD and ID, why not? My twisted mind tries to transform every metal or plastic tube it sees into a hilt :lol: I have an old TV aerial antenna post that once became a candidate, but it was all rusted on the inside, so I put it aside... Till next time xD

Lord Maul
09-11-2007, 03:37 PM
most fence posts are really heavy gauge steel. way heavier than is needed for sabers at least.

Novastar
09-11-2007, 07:15 PM
I'm sure the weight could be dealt with regarding balancing, but... how the heck would you drill/work with it?

You'd need a freakin' skill saw with diamond-tipped saw teeth in the blade... heheheh

37H4N
09-11-2007, 08:19 PM
True, I don't know how you'd drill thru it. But I think (for me anyway), that the extra weight would be good 'cause my MHS hilt is way to light when it has a TCSS battle blade in it. I would think that if the hilt were heavier than the blade, it would bve easier to swing around. :roll: :?

Lord Maul
09-11-2007, 08:22 PM
if your MHS doesn't have sound, then get a heavy metal like lead and put it in the pommel to counter-balance the blade.

traydemark
09-11-2007, 08:33 PM
The weight really isn't heavy at all... well that's when it's still bare. And it's probably about an 1/8" thick. You'd be able to thread it but I still don't know if it would be able to attach to MHS pieces.

I just don't know what it looks like underneath its dirty surface. I think I'm gonna go take some of Home Depot's stocked sand paper and just try sanding a bit of it down.

What about these aluminum tubes:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-5-Inch-Aluminum-Seamless-Pipe-Tube-Tubing-5-Foot_W0QQitemZ180156533511QQihZ008QQcategoryZ61598 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

37H4N
09-11-2007, 11:50 PM
if your MHS doesn't have sound, then get a heavy metal like lead and put it in the pommel to counter-balance the blade.

Yeah I've thought about that. Would Lowes or Home Depot have like a block of it or something?

Darth Lars
09-12-2007, 04:10 AM
I have collected a few tubes from vacuum cleaners. A couple are anodized aluminum, a couple are chromed steel. 1.25" and 1.5" segments on the same tube. Thin-walled. Sometimes there are attachments/rings made of hard black plastic that could be used for clamps, emitter shrouds and such.

Vazan Maceu
09-12-2007, 04:39 AM
I have collected a few tubes from vacuum cleaners. A couple are anodized aluminum, a couple are chromed steel. 1.25" and 1.5" segments on the same tube. Thin-walled. Sometimes there are attachments/rings made of hard black plastic that could be used for clamps, emitter shrouds and such.

Thatīs an idea I play with, too... Too bad they wouldnīt allow me to dismantle our vacuum cleaner here at home xD

Jay-gon Jinn
09-12-2007, 09:14 AM
Outdoor fence posts are made from galvanized steel, and if you sand off the galvanized coating it'll be rusty in 2 weeks, even if kept indoors.

Barmic Rin
09-12-2007, 11:20 AM
Well, I haven't tried fence posts due to wieght and/or like Jay said, they're galvanized.

Have had much more success with vacuum parts & even store display fixtures.
So many stores are getting re-fitted in pretty much every town centre in the world, and some fixtures use 1-1.5" tubing which we all known is the ideal diameter for a saber, and usually chromed steel or similar.

Just check out the dumpster outside any store getting re-fitted!
Some mannequin/clothing racks have real snazzy clamps & screws that are great for the finishing touches to a saber!

traydemark
09-12-2007, 03:55 PM
Oh yeah... galvanized steel does rust super easy without the coating. But it actually takes like 2 days if it has any sort of moisture (sweaty hands).

Lord Maul
09-12-2007, 08:53 PM
Yeah I've thought about that. Would Lowes or Home Depot have like a block of it or something?

They might. Even nuts or big washers would work. Just try and get as much weight into the pommel as you can.

37H4N
09-12-2007, 10:23 PM
Ok, I'll have to go look. Thanx!

gundamaniac
09-13-2007, 09:50 AM
True. The weight of the steel would definitely be nice- even without the battle blade in it, since lightsabers are high-tech weapons. You'd figure they'd be made of some strong metal, and the heaviness would add to the illusion.

However, the rust would be a problem :(

traydemark
09-13-2007, 11:14 PM
Yeah I have 3 designs I have drawn and decided to go with the one with the least amount of parts. It has some major sink pipe designing though which I know may not be a smart way to go; but then again, sink pipes aren't too expensive...and I'll learn more this way (be it the hard way).

For my fourth design I'm planning to go a super long hilt like 20" with a 30" blade. That way I can spin it like a staff or a short spear.