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Thread: Salvaged Junksaber - first saber build

  1. #1

    Default Salvaged Junksaber - first saber build

    Hello all, long time lurker for about 10 years, finally attempting my first saber project. I’m not a machinist or electronics hobbyist, and this is my first foray into the hobby. After finally purchasing my first home, I now have the basement workshop space that I have always wanted so that I could attempt such things.

    I will be using MHS parts and found parts from old electronic devices, computers, and a lot of hardware store parts. I’ve been studying the forums and others designs for a long time, and my design is derivative of many of the fine works that have been posted over the years here. It’s a bit of an amalgamation of my favorite attributes and features that I have wanted to replicate, and of techniques I’ve wanted to try.

    I've ordered hilt electronics for a B/B/W Tri-Cree, with a photon blade. I will also have a lit crystal chamber with a 5mm LED.

    My overall aesthetic is that of a salvaged junkyard saber, jury-rigged together from found parts, a little rusty and corroded. Darth Nurse’s Scraptech saber and the Scrapflex sabers it is based on have heavily influenced what I wanted to do. I’ve always loved the top half of Anakin’s and Luke’s Graflex saber, but I absolutely hate the bottom half. I hate those T-grips. They make the saber look bulky and bottom-heavy to me, and all of the derivative works I’ve seen that remove or use slender grips always look like a practical and cosmetic improvement to me. I also really like the look of Starkiller’s saber, minus the exposed chamber, and the Derelict from Slothfurnace, minus the lower part of the hilt and pommel because it too looks bulky to me.

    I’m still fiddling with the exterior design and look, but here is an idea of what I’m going for that I’ve sketched up in MS Paint:

    LS1x.jpg

    Also, you'll see I've assembled my basic pieces. I'm using the MSHV1 Style 20 V2 blade holder, with holes for bunny ears, a 2 inch double female, a 0.25 inch double male style 1 connector instead of a gender changer for more strength, a 6 inch double female, and Pommel Style 7. This results in a roughly 11.5 inch hilt, longer than the original Graflex, but better suited for a two-handed grip for someone with larger hands. A Style 5 Chassic Disc will lock between the 2 inch female, and the 0.25 double male to secure the chassis within the hilt. I've also replaced that brass knobbed thumbscrew in the blade holder with a proper replica red button from The TCSS Store.

    Based on advice I've gathered from the forums and watching Madcow's videos, I began by designing the internals and that lead me to the selection of the MHS pieces described above. Tom Tilson's Nemesis' saber chassis was a huge influence for the overall structure and dimensions of the chassis that I was going to build, as well as a chassis posted by MikeC13. His build thread was an excellent guide to help wrap my head around what I was getting into.

    My first challenge was designing the crystal chamber and I budgeted about 2 inches of space within the hilt for it. After scouring forum posts for ideas, Etsy seller's pages, and YouTube, I've created this:

    LS2x.jpg
    LS3x.jpg
    LS4x.jpg

    I mocked up the pieces for the chamber at the end of my threaded rod just to test fit. I will have proper brass spacers that I will cut to size between the acrylic discs and aluminum chassis discs, as well as brass conduit tubes and perhaps coiled wire (thanks for that video, DC!) to hide the wiring through the chamber. I have lots of cheap nylon spacers that I will probably cut to size to mock up the chamber before I start cutting brass.

    The washers are a total work-in-progress. The holes to match the chassis discs that I pressed into them are slightly off-center, which throws everything off and I still have to grind down the out-side of them so that they will fit smoothly inside the 6 inch MHS extension, as they are currently sticking a bit. I may have to start over on some of them now that I've learned how to do it, but I might just dremel them down and use them. I am not concerned with how damaged, asymmetric, uneven and rough the pieces become because that is the aesthetic that I am going for. It is also a convenient excuse to say that all the tool marks, scuff marks and scratches are on purpose! Of course I meant to do that!

    The crystal is a single terminating quartz crystal I found at a local gem and rock shop. I purchased 5 crystals for $10, with different shapes, styles and smokiness. I settled on this one and used the Dremel to grind it down just a little to the proper shape. (Proper ventilation and dust mask worn and recommended!!) Parts included in the chamber are a Style 2 Chassis disc drilled and threaded for 1/8-27 NPT, a 3/4" PEX connector (Lowe's Plumbing) to hold the crystal, which is threaded at 1/8-27 NPT to accept the 1/8-27 threaded Lamp pipe nipple. The crystal chamber accent LED will be secured inside the threaded lamp pipe nipple to illuminate the crystal from within the brass PEX holder. Another Style 2 Chassis disc is drilled and threaded for 1/2-20 NPS to accept the faucet connector part that is on the other side of the crystal. This is a pretty common solution I've seen for crystal chambers and that faucet part is perfectly sized for those chassis discs. Like peas and carrots.

    Note: Lamp pipe nipples are actually NPS threaded (straight pipe) just like all electrical conduit/pipe and is not a tapered thread the way liquid pipe is threaded, but it is so difficult to find a 1/8-27 NPS straight tap locally without special ordering a specific tap online for additional money. I have Irwin Hanson tap sets from Lowes that I wanted to make use of. Because the chassis discs are relatively not thick, I used a 1/8-27 NPT tap (tapered tap) but fully threaded the entire tap through the part all the way up to the tap handle. There, the taper is so marginal that functions as a de facto straight thread. Tight, but it works. I think this is a good part to use because you can find them at any hardware store, they provide a large passage way for wires, and can be used to connect multiple pieces together at the same time. They are nearly the same diameter as the diameter of the large center hole in the Chassis discs, so they are easy to further drill to the correct size and tap. Haven't seen them used in many examples, so I just wanted to toss this idea out there.

    I plan to have brass tubing through the machine bushings that I have drilled with a drill press to match the Style 2 chassis discs and cut to the familiar C-shape radiator fins with a dremel. This was my first time using the press that came with the workshop in my house and my new Dremel 4000 on metal. I have worked on ABS and PVC plastic for other projects before, but I've never worked with metal like this.

    Future exterior plans include electro-etched "circuitry" patterns in the aluminum body and potentially weathered brass sink tube exterior sleeve for the lower body of the hilt with cut outs that will reveal the circuitry beneath. I will also either use paint or aluminum/brass black to age the pieces to meet the rusted and corroded aesthetic that I'm going for, similar to Darth Nurse’s Scraptech build.

    If you've seen his latest posts with his brass inner sleeve etchings, that is nearly exactly the look I've been thinking about doing for months and he's totally beaten me to the punch with his design, minus the leather sleeve. I want to show that etching on the exterior of the hilt, partially masked but revealed by a brass sink tube sleeve. You can see an idea for it in my sketches above.

    Any comments, feedback, ideas, or suggestions are welcome and appreciated! I also just want to give a big shoutout to Tom Tilson of MegTooth Sith Sabers, who has been beyond helpful in answering many of my questions through PM's. Thank you to the community in general, as well, who have been very responsive, supportive and helpful through answering direct questions. You've freely shared your own techniques and videos, and made your methods available to new folks to try. Thanks to you guys, this hobby is approachable and doable for a first-timer who has the patience and confidence to try. Thank you for reading!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by SFXER001; 04-05-2018 at 08:37 AM.

  2. #2

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    Nice work SFXER001! The crystal chamber and everything looks nice. I have been posting here for a while now and never looked at this thread before. Thanks for advertising this on the chat. I may have never looked. Keep up the good work. It’s looking very nice. Congratulations on the house and new shop space. Everyone needs a place to work.

  3. #3

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    Thanks! I just posted the thread today, so you haven’t overlooked it. Also, thanks for the compliments. I didn’t mean to humblebrag about the house, moreso lack of a workspace has been an obstacle that has kept from tackling projects that I’ve always wanted to get into.

  4. #4
    Sith Warrior darth_chasm's Avatar
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    Looks good! #mylatestisntascraptech

    Maybe some other Darth. Theres a bunch
    Last edited by darth_chasm; 03-28-2018 at 04:33 PM.
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  5. #5

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    Oh my goodness, you’re right. I meant Darth Nurse!! Both of your works have been influential. Rule of Two!!

    I will be editing my original post!

  6. #6

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    I think its an ambitious plan, but it looks like you have all the components to begin your brainstorming of the innards. Finish your innards, crystal chamber, chassis, wire routes, etc. first. Finish all your machining, you don't want metal dust and flakes around your electronics. Then disassemble and clean all the pieces. Then you'll be ready to reassemble. Brainstorming chassis helps me a lot. I knock that out first to see if it all will fit. Once that is done, then I start fine tuning.

    I think this saber will look awesome. Take your time. I look forward to your progress reports! Congrats on the workshop! I love mine. I have 2! My soldering station is in my house, I gained a bedroom since my son grew up and flew the coup, its now my soldering room so I'm sheltered from the winter. My metal shop is out in my garage. Nasty, dirty, dangerous work in the garage.....fine detail work in the house. It has helped. Its always good to have a retreat at home! Good luck on the build, and keep charging.

    PS: did you make those crystal chamber fins? What are you going to use for spacers? Thought about fitting some clear disks in there on the ends? I like that look.

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  7. #7

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    Thanks, Tom! Just some standard brass tubing for spacers. Typical size as sold in the Store, but I found them locally at A hardware store with a K and S metals display stand. Picked up several sizes of tubing to add details, spacers and greeblies. I have a few greebs to add to make mine look unique.

    What do you folks use as a degreaser? Everything is covered in cutting fluid. I’ve been told by the local old hardware store guys that Simple Green works best.

  8. #8
    Sith Warrior darth_chasm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SFXER001 View Post
    Thanks, Tom! Just some standard brass tubing for spacers. Typical size as sold in the Store, but I found them locally at A hardware store with a K and S metals display stand. Picked up several sizes of tubing to add details, spacers and greeblies. I have a few greebs to add to make mine look unique.

    What do you folks use as a degreaser? Everything is covered in cutting fluid. I’ve been told by the local old hardware store guys that Simple Green works best.
    I second simple green. But get the industrial cleaner/degreaser not the multipurpose household stuff.
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  9. #9

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    Simple Green is awesome, you gotta love the smell. I used to use it to O2 clean my Oxygen cylinders for diving. Yes...oxygen cylinders. I use them for deco stops, above 20 fsw only. Simple green wipes the funk/oils/residues out of them to make them O2 safe, so its a good degreaser. Then, some place in California decided that breathing in Simple Green fumes might be some kind of carcinogen or something. So now I use Dawn. 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other!

    Tom

    "Mistakes are our greatest teacher."

  10. #10

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    I made the fins out of 1.25 diameter machine bushings from Lowe’s; basically washers but specific type. They are really about 1.24 and fit perfectly within the ID of MHS. They also have a large central hole so very little machining to do. Mine are drilled slightly off-center because of an error, so I’ve had to grind the outside down a bit so they fit inside MHS. The imprecise drilling throws them off center when I thread the support rods.

    They are not all cut and ground identically so they have a junky, mismatched appearance. I also pounded on them on an anvil to really beat them up (I.e. fix them up and reshape them) and leave tool marks. It was my first attempt at doing this and they came out imperfect due to my inexperience, but it is convenient to just incorporate the error into the junkyard aesthetic.
    Last edited by SFXER001; 03-28-2018 at 10:03 PM.

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