Hilt with Cross Guard?

**Wits' End** · 11-28-2012, 12:34 AM

I'm a total newbie, to this forum. However I know enough to search

I don't have the time, desire, skill or money at present to come anywhere near the incredible creations I have seen in my few short hours browsing here. I want to build a very basic lightsaber. However as I mentioned in the topic, I want a cross guard, a physical block.
The main use for the LS will be to spar with his brother who is using a Cold Steel Training Sword

Something I haven't seen on any of the lightsabers is a cross guard. I know there aren't any in the movies but if my sons are sparring they need to have similar weapons.
Right now I'm planning on a blue 1" thick walled polycarbonate 'blade', a 3/8" diameter clear rod-Acrylic? as a cross guard and a PVC handle. The light engine will be a blue, green or white higher powered LED, powered by NiMH AAs.
My main departure, for the present is the cross guard, any thoughts there would be a blessing.
My original thoughts were, 1 1/4" iron or galvanized pipe with a 4-way 'tap' on the end. Then using bushings or reducers stick 1.5-2" long pipe nipples with caps out the sides.
I thought the acrylic rod above the LED would be a great way to make it extra special, as well as cheaper. I'm also thinking to run the polycarbonate blade through the handle, to the end for strength and rigidity. This with the PVC would make for a strong handle, Yes?
I posted a very similar post on Candle Power Forum FYI
I used GREEN to highlight my bigger areas of doubt

So I'm looking for thoughts on:
Design, cross guard idea
LED and driver (resistor, Buck Puck)
LED color-if I go with color 'blade' for daylight use, what is best-he likes turquoise thus the thought of green w/ blue 'filter'
Any thoughts welcome!
TIA-Wits' End-Herb

**madmaxx** · 11-28-2012, 01:30 AM

I believe Darth Alice has a few sabers with cross guards and they look cool. check them out and maybe even drop him a pm

**Onli-Won Kanomi** · 11-28-2012, 01:31 AM

You could email Strydur about the possibility of a custom emitter with threaded holes to attach crossguards but I would strongly suggest you avoid acrylic for anything likely to be struck as a crossguard is intended to be - under heavy impact acrylic can SHATTER [which is why we use polycarbonate for our saber 'blades' instead of acrylic].

Since this is your first saber you might want to consider one of the kits using the Seoul P4 LEDs http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Bu...-Kit-P469.aspx - they are quite bright and easy to solder...

...or if he really really wants a "turquoise" saber you might want to go with the Modular Wiring System [MWS] LED module http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Re...dule-P653.aspx using a Luxeon Rebel Cyan LED; the "thought of green w/ blue 'filter'" is unlikely to produce the effect you like because unlike additive colour mixing [like paint] where green + blue can = turquoise when we are dealing with light as in sabers FILTERS ARE SUBTRACTIVE removing colour wavelengths from the available spectrum and thus dimming the resultant light output [which is why we normally only use them with the brightest available WHITE leds and even then for most colours where a 'true' coloured LED is available the true colour LED is brighter and better saturated than filters can produce]; a true cyan LED will almost certainly be more satisfactory "turquoise" than what you suggest. Though for the same "subtractive" reason a blue polycarbonate blade would not be the best choice with a cyan LED if you choose to use one; instead try a clear or transwhite polycarbonate blade for use with a cyan LED.

MTFBWY on your build and Welcome to TCSS

**Crystal Chambers** · 11-28-2012, 06:13 AM

I second the above suggestions.

Having the blade inserted 2"into a blade holder is plenty strong with just light pressure from a retention screw. If a full grown man can swing it full force at a telephone pole it should hold up just fine.

I believe I saw this on youtube though it was a thin walled blade and they have visible flex on impact though thick walled blades will hold up very well without visible flexing.

**Wits' End** · 11-28-2012, 08:11 PM

Switching to bold rather than Green for highlighting questions.
OK, I was wondering about the acrylic and the "color mix" from other things I had read.
Keep in mind, please, this is a low budget, dirty saber. However within my, unfortunately expanding, budget

I'm trying to do the best I can.
So after a little more research, I found I can get Polycarbonate Rod, Tube, or Sheet. No surprise but I thought the blue sheet might work better.
I'm picturing the cross guard as part or the whole of my blade retention. With the tube or rod crossing the center of the blade over the emitter. I fear the shadow would make a brilliant cross guard and a dull blade

. However with a sheet, whether I use clear or blue, I could cut a rectangle with a hole in the center and still get light spill, or maybe do a circle and solvent it in place or lock it with washers or something. I could cut slots in the hilt to let light out, through the colored blade and into a clear sheet, hmm.
Light Engine- I agree, I think I need to go with with white Seoul. I'd really like to go with the driver that has the hitting effects-flashes-sounds, but that will have to wait for $ & time. This will see a lot of use in daylight, I think going with the blue blade/white LED, is my best option.

Darth Alice has some incredible sabers, out of my league, and way beyond the scope of this project.

So I think my LED question is settled-oh-in that Seoul Kit I couldn't find the 4AA battery holder pictured. It has all 4 side-by-side. Does anyone know is the 2x2 AA Holder now included in that kit? As long as I'm asking the 6AA Holder holds 6 AAs in series. For longer life, but using more common batteries (ie. not C or D), does anyone make a 6 AA holder that has 2 parallel (3 AA series)?
So more input on the power question, not so much the LE.

I think my main questions now go back to the start of this thread. Best--Remember! inexpensive & dirty--way to get a cross guard
So to clarify what I'm seeing for options:
Polycarbonate (I think Forum abbreviation is PC?) Tube, Rod, or Sheet.
Metal disc, brackets
I'm starting to envision some aesthetics as well as simple functionality, the more I think about it. So 2-3" sticks projecting out from the sides of the top of the hilt, wouldn't look great, IMO.
So if I go with ¼” rod can I bend it into a 'U' Shape? Will heat allow PC rod to form, without weakening? I could see drilling 2 x ¼” holes about ¼ – 3/8” apart on each side of the hilt. This way my Us or whatever shape works, would be stable. I can use metal or PVC rings to stabilize them.
I wasn't much into the idea of a round (or other geometric shaped) guard. Until I thought about putting 2 or 3 spaced 'layers'. So would 1/8” or ¼” PC sheet be sufficient for absorbing blows? I'm thinking 1/4” might be better as it is flat sheet not the curved 1/8” like the blades. I like the idea of separate layers rather than joined, so added strength isn't a factor.

Well, I've been working on this all day as I have shopped and WAITED for my family to shop

so I should get it posted while at Barnes & Noble.
Again thanks for past and future input!

**Forgetful Jedi Knight** · 11-28-2012, 08:42 PM

OK, I have tried to read all of your thread. I am just going to address some things that stuck out to me. It sounds to me like you are tying to construct a simple PVC stunt saber (light, but no sound).

First, PC is the common acronym for Petit Crouton, which is the higher end sound board that is sold here. Polycarbonate is usually referred to as Poly-C for short. PVC is PVC plumbing pipe (found at hardware stores everywhere)

Second, if he is going up against someone who is using a steel training sword, he should be using a thick walled blade.

Third, on to the cross guard issue... if this is going to be a PVC based saber (which it sounds like it is), your best bet would be to get a VERY large PVC end cap, drill a hole for the PVC saber to slide through, and also glue a narrow (1/2" slice of PVC the next size up from the main body to hold the PVC cap (your new hand guard) in place, or if the sides of the center square will sill be there after you drill the hole for the main body to pass through, use the sides to screw the 2 pieces together (use short enough screws so that they don't protrude into the hollow part of the main body of the saber.

Fourth, how old is the person who will be using this "saber"?

Also posting pictures (or sketches or whatever) may help us envision what you want to try and accomplish.

**Kyaryo Ysoyav** · 11-28-2012, 10:20 PM

I've worked with Poly-C a little big and the biggest problem I can think of with your sheet idea is that while Poly-C is EXTREMELY strong, the thin stuff is very flexible. I'd be worried about it holding up as a hand guard. Not that I think it will break, I'm guessing you could sledgehammer a 1/8" sheet of Poly-C and it would not break, but that flex might leave you with a sore hand if hit wrong...

Forgetful jedi knight, I think the other person is using a composite plastic(?) replica sword. There was a link in his first post to the site and they were definitely not metal. Says they are polypropylene.

**Forgetful Jedi Knight** · 11-28-2012, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Kyaryo Ysoyav

Forgetful jedi knight, I think the other person is using a composite plastic(?) replica sword. There was a link in his first post to the site and they were definitely not metal. Says they are polypropylene.

Ok, like I said, I glanced through the thread and didn't look through links. All that means is a thinner grade blade should be ok. I honestly don't know how thick the colored blades are, if they are about the same as a mid-grade blade, they should do fine. Also a "thicker" blade should last longer.

**Boj-Vaati Mau** · 11-29-2012, 11:37 AM

My 2 creds worth:
Just get another CS Training Sword and call it good. Sparing with anything is going to incur strikes to your hands. Other than that make two sabers and get your hands whacked with those.

**Wits' End** · 11-29-2012, 10:03 PM

Forgetful Jedi Knight asked some good clarifying questions. So...