New to this, need help building a Memorial Saber for my Dad

I'm wanting to build a memorial display saber for my dad, who passed away 4 years ago on the 27th. My plan is to do this in a katana-style. In my cart I currently have the MHSv1 3" Tsuba Adapter and Blade Holder Style 17 plus pommel style 12.

First question: how well does the hilt material take paint and adhesives? I want to paint the hilt green then do a katana style wrap in black over it and then pop some small white discs in the spaces between the wraps.

Also, are the threads a standard measurement if I need a different handle material I can get the other parts here and assemble it on my own?

This is going to take some time to build mostly because I don't the money to drop on it all at once. If I order the hilt and the other parts mentioned, can I add the lights later and if so, is there anything I need to do on my initial parts order to prep it? Since this is going to be a wall-hanger, I just want lights no sound.

Since it's a display piece, is there a way to have the blade green so it shows the color scheme when it's not lit?

I'm not much of a "maker" so this is all very new to me. I'm really excited to make this memorial.

You will want to thoroughly clean the parts before trying to paint it. There are various threads here discussing painting. In my personal experience the method of baking on the paint works best for making a hard coating that lasts. There are various things you can do to prep the surface, a light sanding will give the surface "tooth." I have found that the "paint + primer" rattle cans with the baking method works well.

The threads are a standard size, but unless you have a lathe and the proper tooling it's not likely you'd be able to make it. You can make slip parts that attach via screws with standard dimensional tubing.

As long as you think ahead about where chart ports, switches, etc will be placed, and you have a way to easily take the saber apart to install the parts, you can certainly build the shell now and install the electronics later.

In my opinion, if you want an unlit green display the best bet is a green acrylic rod. The end can be rounded with a standard round bit if you have access to a router.

I've done braided grips a few times. It's a fun challenge to come up with the patterns. You'll definitely want to practice. Since it sounds like the grip will be totally covered and you are making this primarily as a display piece, you can experiment with using PVC sink drain tubing. It's very cheap and easy to cut. You could even use the tube from a roll of paper towels to mock it up. With the parts you have selected, it will look great without needing to commit to the rest of the parts right away.

Hey @Walkman ! I say go for sound! If you have any voice recordings of your Dad, (answering machine messages, cell phone voice messages, old tape recordings, etc.) you could put them in as boot sounds, etc.

It'd be really neat to turn on a saber and hear your Dad say, "I love you Son."

You could make the hum sound from recordings of him whistling or humming a tune.

If you don't have any recordings of him, you could narrate your Dad's biography.

For instance, your boot sound could be you speaking "My Father's name was... ... and the only thing he loved more than Star Wars was me." <--assuming he did because it's a lightsaber memorial.

Or "In honor of my Father, ________."

Or whatever you feel best reflects how you want to memorialize him.

The options are limitless.

Good Luck! on your build!

p.s. If you don't have many tools, and want to run with jbkuma's suggestion for an acrylic rod... sandpaper is pretty inexpensive, and elbow-grease is free. ;)

Just lay it across your legs, roll it back and forth with one hand and press the sandpaper down on the end at an angle with a sanding block (chunk of wood, old cell phone, heel of a shoe, etc.). Simply very the angle to create a rounded point.

Thanks to both of you! Just what I needed to get started!

Please share your progress, I look forward to seeing how it goes!