How do you keep the hilt from coming apart?

[Obi-Ben]

I'm new. My experience with building sabers is limited to non-electronic hardware sabers mostly built from PVC and plumbing fittings. There isn't any precise fitting involved, so to keep the pieces together, screws locked, and decorative pieces in place, I would use various glues capable of withstanding shocks from being hit.

I want to build my saber for combat and not worry about it coming apart on me. How does one keep an electronic hilt made with parts from the Custom Saber Shop together? Is every screw hole precisely drilled and threaded? If not, do you use glue? Do you keep parts from unscrewing with loctite?

Also, if I don't have the kind of equipment to properly make threaded holes, can I special order parts with all the holes I need already drilled if I provide exact specifications?

[Jay-gon Jinn]

The MHS parts all screw together. You might want to check out some of this topic here:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=6430
and then check out some of the topics here:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38
and here:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/forumdisplay.php?f=35

Yes, you can order parts pre-drilled and tapped for screw holes. Tim also sells a drill and tap set in the shop store as well.

EDIT:
A couple more good reads can be found here:
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=7290
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=326

[Obi-Ben]

I've looked through a number of the beginner threads, but didn't see anything about gluing. Of course I was rushing, so I may have easily missed that detail.

I sort of feel like ordering parts with everything already drilled is kind of "cheating," since the remaining work could be done with a screwdriver (not including the soldering, but I can do that since any mistakes wouldn't be permanent.) But I have never been very good at drilling holes, especially straight up and down and lined up properly. I don't trust myself to do it correctly, and I really don't want to spend a hefty sum only to build myself a shotty looking lightsaber!

[Jay-gon Jinn]

There's no mention of gluing, because it isn't necessary. All of the MHS hilt pieces screw together.

Having Tim drill and tap for screw holes is also only necessary for the blade retention set-screw, and maybe the belt clip button or d-ring, whichever you happen to be using.

Don't just skim those topics, READ THEM! ;)

[Obi-Ben]

I want to screw the grip strips to the hilt for added strength (and style)--do you think those screw holes should be tapped? (see attached render) I guess that really should have been my orginal question, I just didn't explain myself very well.

Is the general rule that all screw holes should be tapped? Also, how does one go about securing the buttons so they don't fall inside the hilt when they get pushed? I saw one of your posts that addressed this,
http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com/showthread.php?t=7124
but I wonder what are other ways to go about it.

And thanks for your advice, Jay-gon Jinn. I have been admiring your work on Youtube for a while now.

[Donnovan Sunrider]

Okay, if you're talking about attaching the rubber grips, then you're looking at either using an adhesive or a fastener to hold it in place.
For the adhesive route, don't thinkg the Elmers or Super Glue you have in the junk drawer will work. You need something heavy duty like epoxy that mixes two different goo's together. JB Weld is a brand of epoxy that is used by many members here.
For fasteners, you can use screws certainly. The holes for them must be tapped for the screw threads to grab onto, otherwise it's just a hole and the screw can slide out. Al alternative is using rivets which use a special device (usually just called a gun) that attaches them in the hole. The downside of rivets is that they're more or less perminent. If you need to replace it, you have to drill or break the rivet and put in a new one. Screws just unscrew right out of the hole.

As for switches, it all depends on the specific kind you're looking at. For the basic ones that come with the LED kits in the store, they are mounted from the inside with a nut that screws down from the outside to have the metal of the hilt sandwiched between them. That keeps it from falling in or out.

[Jedi-Loreen]

If you mean switches when you say "buttons", the guarded switches go into the hole from the outside and uses a nut on the inside of the hilt, the other type of switches go into the hole from the inside of the hilt and have a nut on the outside.

Unless you want to use self-tapping screws, which I wouldn't (you'd need to cut off the pointed ends), or drill larger holes to put nuts onto longer screw (you'll lose precious space inside the hilt doing this), then yes, you have to thread all screw holes to use machine screws with the finer threads.

You need a friend with a drill press, then it's easy to drill straight holes. I agree, it's not easy to do it by hand.

[Obi-Ben]

Ok, cool, that answers my question. I'll just use screws and have the holes tapped. I can't think of anyone who could possibly have a drill press (unless I break into the engineering lab) so hopefully I can pay TCSS (Tim, you say?) to do it for me.

So, let me think, I'll need threaded holes drilled for the blade retention screw, the Kobold D-Ring, and the notched rubber grip, and non-threaded holes for the aux buttons (or is it just one aux button that activates all the sound effects, blade lockup, blaster block?) and the recharging port. Am I forgetting anything?

[Jedi-Loreen]

What sound/driver board will you be using? The UltraSound uses the same switch for all functions. The Crystal Focus uses a separate Aux switch.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

Ok, cool, that answers my question. I'll just use screws and have the holes tapped. I can't think of anyone who could possibly have a drill press (unless I break into the engineering lab) so hopefully I can pay TCSS (Tim, you say?) to do it for me.

So, let me think, I'll need threaded holes drilled for the blade retention screw, the Kobold D-Ring, and the notched rubber grip, and non-threaded holes for the aux buttons (or is it just one aux button that activates all the sound effects, blade lockup, blaster block?) and the recharging port. Am I forgetting anything?
If you don't have as drill press, you can have tim do it, just email him before placing the order with a detailed drawing of what you want.

What aux buttons are you asking about? The only soundboard that uses those is the Crystal Focus Saber Core, or CF for short. Those are very difficult to come by, and aren't for an inexperienced builder, really. Some have managed to install them, while others have ruined a nearly $200 soundboard because they didn't know what they were doing.

If you want to add a sound board, most people start out with those Hasbro plastic saber toy soundboards, but if you can get an old MR or Hasbro FX sondboard, those are a bit better.

The next step up as far as soundboards go, is the Ultrasound 2.1. It only requires a single activation button, so the hole already in the hilt for the switch is all you'd need for that one.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

if you don't have the cash space for a press there's a dremel station that turns a dremel into a small one, not good for big stuff, but fine for most saber projects.

[Obi-Ben]

I haven't made a decision regarding sound boards. I have experience soldering simple boards for small robots and RC projects, so I think I can handle something that's not terribly difficult. But that's a topic for a different thread, I suppose. In the mean time, I'll read up on what's available.