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Thread: JDuff's Personal Saber

  1. #1

    Default JDuff's Personal Saber

    I posted a while ago a saber that I installed my first soundboard in. Last year, a connection broke in the saber about two weeks before a major event and I rewired the saber as a stunt hilt without the soundboard. Last fall, I started designing a new personal hilt to use for costuming only - no battling this time. I wanted to incorporate a shroud on this saber, something that I initially designed on my first saber. I got the materials and began layout, started making my first cuts and then put it aside for several months.

    Well... with another major event coming up, I wanted my character to have an updated lightsaber. With the event only 3 weeks away, this was the "kick in the pants" needed to actually work on the shroud again. After grinding down the edges with a Dremel, followed by several hours? worth of filing and sanding, I had a shroud that was close to perfect.

    Too perfect. My design and concept was meant to be something that has been handed down for generations, or at least have components that were from sabers that were handed down. After researching for weeks on the subject, I decided that acid etching was the way to go. I settled on a phoenix as a subject and found a design online that I used as a reference for my own image. After drawing the layout, I followed tutorials found online and took the plunge.

    I?m happy with the way that this turned out. It?s far from perfect, but I?m not interested in perfection on this piece. I like the aged look and the flaws just add to that look. I?m looking now at how to weather the rest of the saber (leaving the black powder coated piece alone) and I?m considering carrying a design element from the shroud into the body and emitter.

    Thoughts? Here?s the pics:

    Drawing1.jpg
    Etched1.jpg
    etched2.jpg
    Sanded and buffed1.jpg
    sanded and buffed3.jpg

    The saber is running a PC1.6
    Lux III Amber (closest I could get to a yellow blade without color blending a multi die LED). This LED actually appears brighter than the LEDEngin 5W Amber that was previously installed.
    I have a chassis hidden under the ribbed section for easy access to the board.

    Thanks for looking!
    Jon

  2. #2
    Sith Adept dgdve's Avatar
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    I think that came out terrific! I like how the wings of the etching frame the switchbox.. Wonderful execution and +1 for pushing yourself to try something new.. Great job!
    Quote Originally Posted by Gin Malinko View Post
    just an added note on this.
    I vote dgdve as the site's motivational speaker. haha
    "Yes Lord Vader, and I too have a gift... for you.."



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  3. #3
    Jedi Padawan Starwinder's Avatar
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    Jul 2012
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    Yeah i really like how the shroud and etching design came out. Well done!
    --------------------------Cadence--------------------------

  4. #4

    Default

    Congratulations on adding a new skill to your saberbuilding toolbox! It looks great!
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

  5. #5

    Default

    Nice saber - shroud looks great.

  6. #6

    Default

    Awesome shroud work!!! Love the etched design on it.

  7. #7

    Default

    Fantastic shroud work!!
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  8. #8

    Default

    That is beautiful work. Love the phoenix design.

  9. #9

    Default

    Thanks all for the feedback. I really appreciate it. I'm drawing some concept art to extend some etching onto the body of the saber. I'm looking at some specific areas that I would like to etch, but I would like to weather the entire bare metal areas, just to age it. Of course, the key to it all is to do "just enough" and not detract from the etching on the shroud. I'll have to find the balance between "not enough" and "too much".

    I was talking to someone at work today and she mentioned that she knows some friends who customize e-cigarettes. They age the metal by using extreme heat. I've seen this done a while ago and it does leave a pretty nice effect, tarnishing the metal and darkening areas. Has anyone experimented with this process yet on a saber? I might need to set some time aside to see if I can get my hands on a heat gun and test some scrap pieces.

  10. #10

    Default

    Aluminum doesn't tarnish with heat. Steel changes colors and looks neat, but aluminum will just melt/burn away.

    Aluminum black will darken the metal. You can usually find it at gun shops.
    We all have to start somewhere. The journey is all the more impressive by our humble beginnings.

    http://led.linear1.org/1led.wiz for the lazy man's resistor calculator!
    http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...e-to-Ohm-s-Law for getting resistor values the right way!

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