First lightsaber build. Just going to have fun with this one.

[Anvil]

Whats up everyone.

Soooo I just discovered that this (saber building) is a thing, and i could not be more stoked. Ive been such a huge Star Wars fan since i was a little kid (30 now). I graduated back in 09 with a sculpture degree, focusing on metal casting and fabrication. I was a tattoo artist and freelance sculptor/ painter for a long time, and now I work in film as a special effects tech for Marvel/ Disney ... Im currently working on gaurdians of the galaxy 2 and were in filming so its slow progress doing anything in my free time. But love making stuff out of metal and I'm really excited to make some friggin lightsabers! Im making this first one for my little brother.... So here we go!


She all starts with some bar stock and some grooves...

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[snilam]

Wow you have quite the back ground, looking forward to seeing you work! Man starting with a solid slug of metal, you have some machining ahead of you. What electronics do you plan on using? Keep us posted on your progress.

[Anvil]

What electronics do you plan on using? Keep us posted on your progress.

Well I found some of Robs Genesis custom sabers on YouTube and was blown away! So I made my way over to TCSS and have been researching things for a little while... Just started buying different things to tinker with and feel out some configurations (I'm a hands in learner) So for this particular saber I'm going with the NBv3... I bought a couple when they came back in stock and I also jumped on a crystal focus v8 when I saw them drop (I'm going to jump into that card once I bust out two nano biscotte sabers and get used to things) because I really dig the spin detection. But ya I'm working out a wiring layout while I'm machining the hilt and I'll install it with quick disconnects when I've got it figured out and the saber is ready to receive the guts.

[Anvil]

So I purchased one of the battery/speaker chassis combo... Boring complete with shoulder for the chassis to seat on.

[Cire Yeldarb]

Looking forward to seeing what you make!

[Anvil]

So after getting a grip made i tinkered around with an idea and this is the sketch i landed on...



So based on my drawing i would need to create a shroud that slipped over the hilt and the blade holder... but i didnt want to bore out that much material from a larger piece of stock so i found some pipe with an ID that would be suitable... So i turned out a part that would hold the shroud and the hilt would thread in from the bottom and the blade holder would go in the top (duh)





Turned down the choke in the hilt... threaded and bored out all the way through to the chassis chamber...



I had also purchased a blade holder from TCSS for dimension gathering purposes (It came with a heat sink so i could duplicate the inner dimensions) I sadly dont have a tap with the thread pattern and i didnt feel like chasing the threads, so ive decided to just make my own that will pin in. But i could still get a rough idea of how it will feel together...

[CET]

I'm so jealous of you people with metal machines. I've got a soldering iron and a dremmel.

[girot]

I'm so jealous of you people with metal machines. I've got a soldering iron and a dremmel.

+1

I'm still trying to fit Tech Shop into my budget. $150 a month for access to the machine shop is still rather pricey. If I get to where I am building to sell that would be ideal.

[FenixFire]

+1

I'm still trying to fit Tech Shop into my budget. $150 a month for access to the machine shop is still rather pricey. If I get to where I am building to sell that would be ideal.

Don't forget the cost of the required training classes to use the powered equipment. Before leaving last job I was consulting with them on tooling and equipment to outfit a future site to specifically cater to BIO-Medical startups. Still would not offer a discount to my previous firm.

http://www.techshop.ws/take_classes....&categoryId=12

For a basic saber you would need at a minimum MAC101, MAC102, and if you want to thread or knurl anything MAC205, as well as the general shop training and various chop or band saws.

For the two designers under me and my self it was going to be close to $4,000 in training just to use them as our model and RP shop since we were going to be co-located.

[Greenie]

+1

I'm still trying to fit Tech Shop into my budget. $150 a month for access to the machine shop is still rather pricey. If I get to where I am building to sell that would be ideal.

At that price Girot, you could buy your own machine in six months or less