Hello everyone...

[MikeC13]

I've been lurking around for a month or so, and I've decided this is something I need to accomplish. I'm very impressed with a lot of the work I've seen here (most notably Rob Petkau) so I signed on to begin the necessary research to pull this off at a level that will satisfy my creative urge. My day job is Technical Director for a solid-state pump controller/safety vacuum relief system manufacturer, and another hobby I've enjoyed for many years is custom R/C off-roading, so soldering and handling PCB's and wiring is second nature to me.
I've been into knives and swords for most of my life, and around the same time that A New Hope was released I started making them myself. So I'm also comfortable with manipulating metals and using lathes and drill presses and whatnot.
It was the concept of the lightsaber itself that made me a Star Wars fan to begin with, so after finding this forum and seeing what all you craftsmen have been doing, it's only natural that I would want to add this art to my list of accomplishments.

Here's a couple recent examples:

American Bowie. 5061 tool steel blade, Sambar Stag horn handle with Cherry and red phenolic spacers and brass fittings...

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A practice longsword. A blend of German and Italian influence. 3/16" 7005-T6 blade, steel cross-guard, aluminum lathe-turned pommel and oak grips pinned with steel...

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Looking forward to a new and exciting learning experience and making my own custom lightsabers!! Thanks for having me...