MHS Shroud Custom Work

[Gibraltor]

I for the life of me can not find a single thread answering this question. I have a friend that's a master tech for RV's, cars, and the like, and he told me that you can't use a drimmel on aluminum, but I watched that youtube video from custom saber shop where he does. SO what's the story then? Is the wall on an MHS sleeve the max that you can use a drimmel on? Or is one of these people lying?

I mean I see all sorts of shrouds on this forum but I just don't actually see anyone being specific as to what shroud material they are using or what tool they are cutting it with. And I saw the drimmel guide on FX-sabers, but that was specific to sink tubes.

And side note, people like Ark Arsenal are cutting into the hilts themselves, what does it take to achieve that?

Thanks!

[Kouri]

Steel tools (even diamond-tipped or carbide-tipped) will dull very quickly on aluminum, so those sorts of dremel tips won't work well on MHS shroud. However, you shouldn't have any issue with cutting wheels or solid carbide (sometimes sold as tungsten) bits.

Just a bit of warning, though, that the Tungsten Carbide bits, while very hard, are fairly brittle. The trick to using them is high RPM and low feed rate (or rather, high dremel speed, light pressure).

[Gibraltor]

Gotcha, thanks!

[darth_chasm]

Dremmels work fine on aluminum and are a staple tool in saber building.

Goodman (arklight) had access to a wide variety of machines to achieve his designs. Mills, lathes etc.

Eastern 57 has a great thread somewhere where he goes over machine-less techniques. I believe it's titled something like "machining without machines." Give that a search, it might help out.

[sks1138]

The dremel cutoff wheels work very well. I like to use the thin ones. They wear down quicker so you can cut smaller corners easier. They just break a lot. Like Kouri said high dremel speed, light pressure. Let the dremel do the work.

Patience and a light touch. I use some small files to clean up the edges, then sand with a fine grit sand paper, then I polish with the dremel polishing wheels and jewelers polish to shine up the edge.
Lots of dremel-fu here --->http://forums.thecustomsabershop.com...hlight=sks1138

[Gibraltor]

Thanks for the info chasm!

That is sweet sks! Do you just use the shroud from the site? Or do you go off-site sometimes? (not asking for location, I can figure that out, just curious)

[CET]

I've been using a dremmel with a diamond wheel for several months now and I can't overstate how well it's worked for me.

[sks1138]

That is sweet sks! Do you just use the shroud from the site? Or do you go off-site sometimes? (not asking for location, I can figure that out, just curious)

Thats the MHS sleeve material. It fits the MHS pieces and
is easy to cut. Doesn't fit over powder coated peices well though.

[Gibraltor]

Appreciate the input CET!

Okay sks, that helps me a lot! Did you paint the details yourself, if so, how so?

[sks1138]

Okay sks, that helps me a lot! Did you paint the details yourself, if so, how so?

Most of the color is powder coat that Tim does in the shop. Only a small part of the shroud at the end goes over the powder and the design enables it to bend out a little. The rest of the paint on the blade holder and the 3" fluted piece is just testors model paint.