First Build - I'm hooked!

[Jonitus]

Before I quit building sabers, I had assembled in excess of 350 of them for people, and every single time I got them buttoned up for the last time, bladed up, and would hit the power switch...that "snap, hiss, humm" sound would bring a smile to my face. It honestly never got old for me.

You have taken your first step into a wonderful hobby, and you will learn much more than you realize if you stick with it. Yes, you'll have to learn how to perfect your soldering and you'll learn basic electronics theory, but if you build more sabers, you'll have to refresh your geometry and trigonometry mathematics knowledge. You'll learn about machining, even if YOU aren't the one to do it. You're going to gain a broad skill-set if you stick with this hobby.

Now, get thee to thy workbench and build thy padawan his saber. For lo, I say to thee, his heart shall rejoice in taking up his saber to fight the scourge of the Sith/Jedi (depending on the little dude's alignment)

[Darth Nater]

Welcome to the club!

The first time you ignite a saber that you built with your own hands is nothing short of MAGICAL. That feeling doesn't go away on the 2nd, or 3rd, etc. saber either. It might diminish by the 50th or so, but few of us ever reach that point.

That couldn't be better said. The first time you get one to the point of what you think is "finished" and you hit the button and it ignites.. "Wow... it works... and it is AWESOME!"

I have a Luke MR that my sister got me for Xmas in 2007 or 2008. Its in a box in my closet, never gets taken out. My first sink tube that I finished, I had to go compare and yeah, that ramping effect was cool, but the brightness and the ability to actually play with it without fear of breaking it just put the old MR to shame. I need to ebay that sucker and use the proceeds to build something cool.