Sinktubes, shrouds, etc

[jcook1023]

hey guys, i see a lot of stuff about sinktubes...are you literally talking about a pipe for a sink? and how would you go about cutting a shroud for a hilt using one? i mean, i know how to cut metal with my dremel and such, but exactly which size would you use over a standard hilt?

[Crystal Chambers]

Yep. Standard plumbing supply but order it from the shop and and you can be sure for a tight fit. 1.5" OD fits outside most MHS and 1.25" fits inside. The TCSS tubes are the best fit and a great deal. Other sources can vary in size. You may want to consider MHS sleeve since it's thicker, more difficult to cut, but will make the lines of your cut stand out more. If you like that. I use both myself depending on what for but prefer MHS sleeve most times.

[Silver Serpent]

I have found a couple different thicknesses at the local hardware store. I believe the correct size to fit over MHS is 22 gauge.

I usually bring my calipers or a piece of MHS into the store anyhow, just to be sure I grab the right one.

[The Yin]

Sink tube is what my first few sabers were made from. Just used MHS parts for the blade holder and pommel.
I dont know if you've found this yet but: The Basics of Dremeling Sinktubes. It is a good read if you're just getting started. Once you work with it though, you'll find (a least in my case) most of your time will be spent designing what you want.

What I like to do is make the design on a computer, print it, cut it, and lay that over the saber to get a better idea of how it looks.
I use Microsoft Visio for making the design, that way things a sized right. If you don't have a program that you can use for making to scale designs, than graphing paper is good to use.

[jcook1023]

so thats basically what i thought. i'm sure i know the answer to this question, but i'm going to ask anyway, cuz i'm typing and that 's just what i do! do you just slide the hilt into the shroud then? and then what, hold it in place with screws?

[The Yin]

Yep, that's the basics.
But, you may also have the Activation box and/or a Covertec Button that will help hold it down. You can add screws for detail purposes in some cases as well.