Is This Even Possible?

**JROKing** · 12-21-2015, 07:20 AM

Im giving my self a decent amount of time here but as a broke college student it's kind of tough. My girlfriend and I have been together for 4 years now. Our 5th anniversary is in September. She had never seen ANY of the Star Wars films previous to meeting me and i finally got her into it by taking her with me to see Episode 7. She left the theatre saying "Thats probably one of the best movies i've ever seen, can we watch the others".

Now, for our 5 year anniversary I really want to build her a custom Lightsaber. Only issues are obviously i'm a broke college student so i don't have a ton of expendable funds (although i'm willing to pay for quality, and the MHS system seems to be quality!) Another problem is i have 0 knowledge in ANY kind of metal working, or electronics and i don't have or even have access the tools to do any kind of metal working. Is it even possible to make a decent looking lightsaber without that kind of knowledge/access to those tools? Im sure for the sound and LED's i can work my way around it with tutorials and whatnot but i want the hilt to turn out really nice as it's a gift.

**Greenie** · 12-21-2015, 08:02 AM

Hello there, welcome to the party. If you're buying MHS parts, metalworking will probably not be an issue
You may need to do some soldering although parts and modules can be bought with jst connectors and will just plug in. If you haven't already, check out the MHS builder to help you design the saber you want and Madcow's tutorials on YT are invaluable. Reading and research on these forums will give you answers you seek and if not, we are a friendly bunch and can help along the way. So, yes, building a saber for your girlfriend is very doable

Oh and please don't let her watch in chronological order. IV, V, VI first then I, II, III. That way the prequels won't spoil the revelations in the originals.

Good luck with your build and MTFBWY

**JROKing** · 12-21-2015, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by Greenie

Hello there, welcome to the party. If you're buying MHS parts, metalworking will probably not be an issue
You may need to do some soldering although parts and modules can be bought with jst connectors and will just plug in. If you haven't already, check out the MHS builder to help you design the saber you want and Madcow's tutorials on YT are invaluable. Reading and research on these forums will give you answers you seek and if not, we are a friendly bunch and can help along the way. So, yes, building a saber for your girlfriend is very doable

Oh and please don't let her watch in chronological order. IV, V, VI first then I, II, III. That way the prequels won't spoil the revelations in the originals.

Good luck with your build and MTFBWY

Thanks a ton! I was very worried that i'd be kind of stuck not being able to cut any custom pieces or anything like that. I'll be reading up and doing plenty of research! And trust me i'll make sure she gets the best experience with the movies. She wanted to start I, II, III but i just won't have it! lol

**Greenie** · 12-21-2015, 09:20 AM

I would also add that customising MHS parts is a service that TCSS offer, for a fee of course.
Don't get me started on the prequels lol. Yoda, vader's identity, Luke's parentage, etc............all spoilers.

**Miraluka** · 12-23-2015, 01:43 AM

Is it even possible to make a decent looking saber without knowledge/tools? Noooot really. Buuuuut that's what this forum is here for. The knowledge is here to learn for those who want it. As for tools... you don't need(TM) many tools. But they often make things easier. You can get a lot done with a soldering iron, drill, metal files and elbow grease. Not everyone has dremel tools, drill press, lathe, mill, CNC or whatever else.

As for minor tools? pliers, scissors, wire cutters/strippers, safety glasses... Lots of stuff you probably have already.

Anywho, you already said you're doing research which is good. I think you might be surprised what a nice saber you can make with some lengthy research and hard work. Good luck!

**JediCarpet** · 12-23-2015, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Greenie

Oh and please don't let her watch in chronological order. IV, V, VI first then I, II, III. That way the prequels won't spoil the revelations in the originals.

(Not that I want to turn this into a debate thread, but...)
NO!! It's 4 5 [1 2 3] 6!!! That way you go into 6 with a full understanding of Vader and the conflict within him, and it's still a big surprise about Leia being Luke's twin, you just find out a bit earlier. There's nothing else in 6 that needs to be saved from being spoiled in the prequels, and you still get the best shock value from the 4 and 5 reveals.

Now, JROKing, note that you may have to do some drilling in the hilt for holes to put switches and plugs in place, but you can get Tim to do that for an added fee. I suggest posting everything you want to do on the boards before doing so to make sure that everything is as right as possible so you can get it all done in one shot instead of doing multiple orders. Also, if you live close to the US border and know someone on the other side, get it shipped there and make the trip. You WILL get dinged with a chunk of duty and the shipping cost is about three times. Are you near Toronto/Hamilton? I might be able to help out with some of the drilling and advice on the electronics if you're really desperate for help on that front. My dad has a drill press so it makes putting holes in the hilts a lot easier. Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

**TrypWyr** · 12-23-2015, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by JediCarpet

(Not that I want to turn this into a debate thread, but...)
NO!! It's 4 5 [1 2 3] 6!!! That way you go into 6 with a full understanding of Vader and the conflict within him, and it's still a big surprise about Leia being Luke's twin, you just find out a bit earlier. There's nothing else in 6 that needs to be saved from being spoiled in the prequels, and you still get the best shock value from the 4 and 5 reveals.

YES! (Now back to your regularly scheduled saber discussion.)

**Mineral** · 12-23-2015, 08:49 PM

Machete Order
If you can't live without Ep. 1, find "The Saga Begins" by Weird Al Yankovic on YouTube.

If you have a Dremel rotary tool, order all your electronics and blade from TCSS and start with a PVC saber. You can move everything into a MHS when you've saved up the scratch for exactly what you want.