sorry bout the odd question im new to the forum and im building my first saber and i wanna make sure i get it right so thanks for the info Vargose this really helps :)
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sorry bout the odd question im new to the forum and im building my first saber and i wanna make sure i get it right so thanks for the info Vargose this really helps :)
Locking at Jay Gon's request. Every possible question is covered in here, if you have any additional ones, please PM me.
I have been searching the forums and I have seen many different threads that talked about blade building but I thought it would be a good idea to have one thread that is a collection and discussion of blade building techniques.
Hopefully this thread will get stickied for easy access.
MODs if I am out of line feel free to delete.
I suppose I should start with my building techniques.
You will need some simple supplies:
-Blade tube
-Blade tip
-cellophane gift wrap about 6 feet long by 40 inches wide
-Hot glue gun
-saw or tubing cutter
-scissors
- 1/4 inch by 4 foot dowel rod
I always build my own blades, I don't mind it and some times its even kind of fun. I also cut them to a length that best suits my height and techniques. Usually I will cut them with my electric cut off saw since its quick and always makes a straight cut. The down side is that it puts sawdust into the blade. the easiest way I have found to clean the inside of the blade tubs is just take a wad of paper towel and force it through(I have a piece of steel conduit I use).
Then after the Tube is cut I will clean off the end with either a file or sand paper.
Now its time for the tip. Personally I like the bullet tips as it has more of a sword like shape to it. In order to get the tip to light up I drill a hole in the center of the mirror to let the light pass through it and illuminate the tip. This doesn't illuminate the tip as well as I would like, but it still looks pretty good in the dark.
Then of course you will need to glue the tip on to the blade tube. Lately I have been using super glue, but I would not recommend this. There are several good clear epoxies available(I just didn't have any:p) they should be able to stand up to heavy dueling.
After the blade is assembled I will sand down the end that goes into the blade holder to the point that its has a nice snug fit. Also you might want to stuff a bit of paper towel or shop rag or something into the end to keep sawdust out of the blade. Just keep in mind what ever you stick in the end you will need to be able to fish out with some needle nose pliers so don't jam it in too far or use so much material you plug it too tightly that when you are pulling it out it tears. As far as honing the blade end down I will use a flap wheel on my Dremel and keep test fitting it till it fits in the blade holder snug enough that I am happy. Keep in mind go slowly you can always take material off but its impossible to put it back.
Then after the blade fits into the holder the way I like and the tip is secured in place I will take a piece of fine grit sand paper 300 or more and lightly sand the entire outside of the blade. I find lightly sanding the outside helps avoid the "light in a tube" look where you just see the defuser on the inside with a tube around it. I prefer my blades to look like a single piece.
Now its time to remove that dust plug we put in earlier and cut the film. Personally I just use some clear cellophane gift wrapping, its cheap and works well. Now the key is to find a clean spot in your house where you can lay out the roll to wind it up to be inserted into the blade. Dust on the film make the blade sparkle.
I roll out about 4-6 feet of the cellophane depending if its a thin or thick walled blade and the color of the saber. to my eye it looks like about 5 foot is the magic number but I know other people have differing opinions on this. After the film is rolled out and cut to length, i grab my trusty dowel rod. I think the one I have is 1/4 inch thick by like 4 feet long. I take the dowel and start rolling it up in the film till I have about 6 inches on, keep brushing it off with your hand to avoid dust and hairs from the carpet. Once I have that first 6 inches or so I will sit back to save my back and hold the dowel in the air horizontal with the ground and keep twisting it to roll of the rest, all the mean while brushing dust and hairs off the film.
Now that the film is all tightly wrapped around the dowel slide the dowel into the blade and twist it the other way to get the film off the dowel onto the walls of the blade. Pull the dowel out and then tape the tip of the blade against the ground the get it all seated properly. Unless you are using a 40 inch blade there should be some film sticking out the end. Now you will want to take note of where the end of the blade is on film and then slide it out about 1/2 an inch and cut. Now take a hot glue gun and put a small bit of glue around the edge of the film inside the blade. I find the best way to get it to adhere to the walls evenly is to roll the blade between my hands to force the glue against the walls with centripetal force until the glue is cooled.
Now you have a completed blade to terrorize your friends and family with, enjoy.
Her are some pictures of blades I have built.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...h_DSC00760.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...h_DSC00762.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...h_DSC00747.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...h_DSC00730.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...h_DSC00791.jpg
I hope you clean your blade tubes before you glue the tips on. Having dust in the blade sucks. I also don't glue my film in. The reason why is when you fix the roll of film to the tube it doesn't allow for as much flex in the film when the tube bends resulting in the crinkling of the film. Over time this leads to permanant creases in the film resulting in you having to re-roll the blade more often. I know some people prefer to glue the film in to keep it from sliding out, but I've never really had that problem. I also never roll my film on a table or other surface. I hang the roll horizontally on a dowel suspended from pipe hangers and roll it in the air directly onto the dowel. No contamination possible this way.
Merged two threads together at request of Sidd/JayGon. Cleaned out a few posts as well, so yours may be missing.