Custom Hilts

[deepisland]

Hello everyone.

I just started purchasing parts to make my first LED lightsaber. I haven't decided which route to go yet as far as the hilt. Either the sink tubes or the MHS.

I was wondering if anybody here does custom lathe work, or good resources to find one. Thanks.

[Do-Clo]

How about Tim the guy who owns The Custom Saber Shop and this forum, contact him and he will be glad to talk about it.

Do-Clo
Don't make me destroy you...

[suit_man]

yeah, tim owns the CUSTOM saber shop, has a LATHE and does WORK with it.[:p]

i am a nerd, if you don't like it, i will cut you with my lightsaber

[The Plague]

I here about Tim's "LATHE" all the time what is a "LATHE"?

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

[Madcow]

A lathe is a machine that allows you to carve metal as it spins. Kinda like a potters wheel but more precise, and sideways.

I have a lathe too, but ask Tim first. If he is too busy, and doesn't mind - then you can try me. I'd probably charge an arm and a leg anyways. Tim is far more reasonable than I am.

MC



You want to go home and re-think your life

[Strydur]

I will do mods to the end caps and emitters but no complete hilts at this time as I just dont have the time for it. Maybe when I quit my other full time job..order more stuff so I can do that allready!![:)]

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

[deepisland]

Thank you for the replies. Madcow I was looking at your site and have to say you do great work. I'm almost afriad to ask what an "arm and a leg" is to you.

However looking at your site I see a lot of your sabers have a black "grip" material on it. Some are cut into strips and some cover a great portion of the hilt. What is that material?

[Madcow]

Thanks,
I use 2 grip materials. One is my secret for fashioning graflex style rubber grips. The other is simple black craft foam. I get it at Michaels and use 2 sided window tape to secure it. It works great, and unlike rubber graflex grips - you can fight with the foam and it doesn't come off!

MC



You want to go home and re-think your life

[deepisland]

Thank you for your help. I think I would like to try my first one myself.

Now I just have to decide where to start.

[The Plague]

Madcow and Strydur, thanks for explaining what a Lathe is.

Is that your lightsaber or are you happy to see me?

[tetmatek]

to put the finishing touches on a custom hilt another great tool is a Milling machine. A drill press with a table that can be moved in sevral differnt positions

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3213/sig35jo.jpg

[LAN-ED-TUL]

lathe, milling machines? shoot that how you do it huh? i have been drillin, cuttin, dremelin, hacksawing, all my stuff bare handed,.

man, wish i knew of these things before. LOL Tet, seen you double anakin saber on ebay. cool deal. also have you got your vader suit yet?

You dont know the POWER, of the dark side...

[Reaper]

What are the MHS hilt products made of? Is it easy to cut into?

[xwingband]

Might want to look at the Modular hilt forum... They're aluminum. Quite easy to cut.

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www.dewbackwing.com</center>

[supertrogdor]

Oh the envy continues as people discuss all the tools at thier disposal, lathes, milling machines, next we will be hearing about custom CAD work
Oh to win the lottery........

[james3]

Hey when the day comes that you figure out that one perfect hilt that you can't make from pieces-parts, you know who to ask to do the work. One thing I learned a long time ago is just because I may be able to work a tool might not mean I have the talent to use it well.

[Madcow]

Yea... but

I found my lahe rusting on a friends farm - it's 60 years old. But the last 2 years of repairing, rebuilding, and experimenting on how to use it has been alot of fun. If I've developed any skill at all, it's been a process of learning from mistakes. Just like with any tool.

MC


http://rpetkau.photosite.com/~photos/tn/88_348.ts1141004694072.jpg
You want to go home and re-think your life

[supertrogdor]

Well spoken madcow, it is often the journey rather than the destination that makes the trip worthwhile

[james3]

I don't know about all that now, I am very thankful when I get to my destination because the only thing I here on the journey is: ARE WE THERE YET?![:D]

Truthfully though, I would love to get a lathe myself but with lack of room and about a million other projects/tools that are on my HoneyDo list I am sensible enough to realize it is not something I will be investing in anytime soon. In the meantime I am comfortable with finding someone to toss a few duckies to and enjoy this hobby now while my kids still think I'm cool for dressing up with them in Jedi garb and dualing with the sabers.

[Madcow]

Well,
Try Tim first, but If he's too busy to tackle your lightsaber machining needs you can run it by me.

MC



http://rpetkau.photosite.com/~photos/tn/88_348.ts1141004694072.jpg
You want to go home and re-think your life

[vadeblade]

Altough a mini-lathe could be an expensive purchase to some (e.g. me) it really is not an unreasonable amount. For an investment of about $500 (brand new - less if you buy used) you will have everything you will need to turn aluminum into hilts.

If you really think about it how much do people usually spend on a new hobby; RC cars $$, RC planes $$$, windsurfing $$$$, skiing $$$$, hunting $$$$, scuba $$$$.

I took the plunge and purchased a mini-lathe. My whole shop took up the space of a standard office desk. I made a bunch of hilts and sold them on ebay. I made a (very) small profit. I then turned around and sold the lathe for almost the same price I purchased it for. And the time I spent on the tool was very rewarding for my creative, artistic side (especially when I thnk there's a bunch of my hilts sitting on some display stand in someones' den or living room all over USA). Now, how many hobbies can claim that?

Places to get info on mini-lathes:
http://littlemachineshop.com/Info/minilathe.php
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/7x12minilathe/

Cheers,
-V

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

[Strydur]

You will spend twice as much on tooling for the lathe as you will on the lathe itself. Dont be fooled into thinking it comes with everything you need.

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

[vadeblade]

Yeah, I almost spent twice. The lathe cost me $399. After, buying some carbide tools, dial callipers, dial indicators, other measuring devices and a drill press, I put in just about $550. For someone doing it as a hobby, not everything has to be purchased all at once. I think the dial indicator and the carbide bits are the essential pieces. Everything else can be acquired over time.

-V

edit: a new mini-lathe can be purchased for as low as $299. Most mini-lathes are made by the same company in China and then branded differently by multiple distributors in the US.

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

[supertrogdor]

when purchasing your aluminum, do you order rods and machine them down, or does it come in less manageable square-ish chunks?
just curious

[vadeblade]

I purchase from http://onlinemetals.com/
They sell in large and small quantities.

Lightsaber Warning Label: "CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to sharpen blade."

http://www.geocities.com/projectstm/lightsaber.html

[Strydur]

when you buy from onlinemetals use the link in my links section. You pay the same price but you also help support me[:D]

Tim
The Custom Saber Shop

[tetmatek]

I am setting up my Lathe/Mill now. I have $2000 in it so far and i just mounted the stand about an hour ago. Tim isn't joking about the tools. My lathe came with just that; the lathe. You'll need vises,turning tables, live center, whoa let me stop it keeps adding up. My lathe will handle a 36" piece up to 10" round. So just gettin goin is quite an undertaking. Fortunatly a couple of freinds have kicked a few goodies to me to help (ols dial calipers and cutters and run out gauge) since they have been doing machining for a while they got several duplicate tools. Man LAn i have not seen my vader yet he said maybe a week so i got my fingers crossed. I am going to round up some help to pick up this monster (655lb) so I'll be back later if i can move LOL

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3213/sig35jo.jpg

[Melek Taus]

How do you hollow out the hilt? With a drill press? How do you do the threading, inner and outer? I am an idiot when it comes to lathes and such.

I might want to buy one myself. I love making stuff. Something about putting a bit of you into it.

Thanks
Melek

There is no light or dark...there is only the Force....knowing this...who dares to challenge me?