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Thread: First Custom Build Thread: Ezra Inspired Saber from a Vintage Camera Flash

  1. #1

    Default First Custom Build Thread: Ezra Inspired Saber from a Vintage Camera Flash

    Hello there!
    A while ago I acquired a 2005 Master Replica Vader Saber from a local thrift shop, and converting it to a single LED detachable blade saber really got me interested in building a custom saber of my own. Combine that with the fact that I recently started watching Star Wars Rebels, and what I had to do became clear. I started first by scouring eBay for a vintage camera flash gun. I'm sure that almost all of you know that Luke's lightsaber in ANH was made from one of those, but I'm typing this out anyway in case someone who stumbles across this thread might not already know that bit of trivia. I have a 3d printer, so I figured I could design and print a new set of internals to fit into the shell that will hold the new guys. I didn't have much of a budget for the flash gun, but I found one I could afford. It was in very rough shape, so I decided to make that my aesthetic. Here is a photo of the original condition from the eBay seller:


    I already had a design in mind, so I set about creating a rough sketch of the desired layout. Here's my first drawing:



    Next, I waited for it to arrive. Once it arrived, I realized exactly how rough of a shape it was in. The thing still had D cells in it from when it was originally used. I'm no expert on how long ago that was, but given my very basic understanding of the technology's era, the batteries could have been stuck in there for 30 years or even more. Certainly at least 20. This was a problem, as they had degraded so much it was impossible for me to get them out without damaging the thin metal of the body. I ended up using a Dremel to cut away some of the casing, allowing me to get a grip on the first battery. After that, the second battery was easy enough. Unfortunately, that cutting with the Dremel removed about 2" of material from the end of the handle. This made my saber hilt more of a dagger hilt.

    I decided to adapt my design to have a 3d printed pommel and shrouded emitter, both of which would add some much-needed length back to my design. Here is a rough sketch of the next iteration of the hilt:



    Next, the 3d design and fabrication began. I started with the blaster attachment that would clip to the place where I assume the flash gun would mount to the camera. I wanted it to be both functional and detatchable. A few design iterations later and I had this beauty:



    The ring serves as the trigger for the blaster attachment. Currently, I plan on mounting a 100mw laser module on the inside. I'm hoping it will be enough to pop balloons and light matches, but we'll see. Unfortunately, this design for the trigger was not sturdy enough. Originally, the ring was attached to the post after printing with epoxy. This was not strong enough, as the ring could be snapped off if pressure was applied from the side. I reworked the ring so that it prints pre-attached to the post. Now the post is inserted nto the hole in the blaster shell and screwed into the bar that connects the post to the return spring and micro switch.

    Here is a picture with a test fit of the blade:



    You might notice that the red activation button is missing in the last few photos. This is because I hadn't actually finished designing the internal scaffolding that would connect the red button to the micro switch. Soon after these pictures were taken I had an idea how to design that part, and I managed to make a pretty nice activation switch mechanism. I do not have any pictures of the interior parts, but I promise I will take photos when I get the soundboard and other internals soldered together. Additional to the main switch mechanism, I also added a hole for a set screw to secure the blade. This caused some problems, as the threads on the top of the set screw were too thick to fit into the existing hole in the flash gun's activation switch shroud. I attempted to drill out the hole slightly, but the shroud snapped. It's fortunate that I want the saber to look beaten and worn. I just JB Welded the two fragments back together and applied a fresh coat of black paint.

    With the main switch mechanism built, it was now time to focus on the pommel. Originally, I planned to make the pommel screw in with some threads. This did not work, as the tolerances were not fitted. It was impossible to screw the pommel into the other end even after some heavy sanding. I decided to rework the pommel to be a friction fit. This seems to be working well so far.

    Here is a picture with the first pommel installed:



    I say this is the first pommel because I later remembered that I wanted to have a D-ring for attaching the saber to my belt. As such, I needed a centered hole in the bottom of the pommel through which to mount the D-ring. I tried to do this with a drill, but I wasn't satisfied with the results so I ended up reprinting the pommel with a hole added to the design.

    Next, I focused on the emitter shroud. The first print did not fit right, but after some slight adjustments to the file I was able to print a shroud that fit and looked good. Here is a photo of that:



    That takes this post up to my current progress. I still need to order some of the components for this build, but I am hoping to finish at least the saber by the end of February. Hopefully I can also finish the blaster addition by then, but that is mainly dependant on when AliExpress decides to ship my laser module.

    I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and I look forward to updating it as I progress further with my build!

  2. #2

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    Quick update:

    I have made a lot of progress and revisions. The saber is nearly complete. The laser module for the blaster attachment has arrived, and I am nearly finished wiring that bit up. I am now waiting on the battery connectors for the blaster attachment and another spool of filament for the remaining parts of the lightsaber. The next post should be of the completed saber, with lots of pictures and possibly a few videos of it in action.

  3. #3

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    Hey DedSecAffiliate

    Nice design; I really liked Rebels - it had some great moments. Good to see people still working on designs based on the series.

    What battery are you going to be running in this thing? Looking forward to seeing your updates.

    - Steve

  4. #4

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    Thanks for the reply! Since the battery compartment is so small, I'm actually running 3 small LiPo batteries wired in parallel to power this thing. Specifically, I am using two 900mah batteries https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TX...b_b_asin_title and one 500mah battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BT...b_b_asin_title. That's just the power supply for the saber. The burning laser module that I'm incorporating into the blaster will run on 2 AA batteries. In addition to the current blaster module, I'm planning on creating a flash stun module from a disposable camera's flash circuit and possibly a Nerf blaster attachment. The blaster attachment is easily detachable, since it mounts on the latching mechanism that was used to attach the flash gun to the camera.

    It looks like the remaining parts to finish the saber are supposed to be delivered today, so I should be able to add some pictures of the finished product by tonight. If not, then most definitely by the end of the week.

  5. #5

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    Very ambitious... may the cram-fu gods be with you.

    What are you going to to be running to light the saber blade, “High Brightness” LED? I’m not too familiar with Li-Po batteries; do they have enough energy density to power a main blade?

    - Steve
    Last edited by null; 04-14-2020 at 07:14 AM.

  6. #6

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    I believe LiPo batteries are actually the batteries with the highest power density on the market currently. They're extremely powerful, and highly compact. The only downsides to them are the fact that they require special chargers and the fact that they are a bit unstable if not used carefully. If they're punctured, they explode in a fireball. They also can swell up when used improperly, which is a sign to dispose of the battery immediately. They're a bit dangerous, but they're just about the only battery that's both small enough and powerful enough for this build.

  7. #7

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    The saber is almost complete. I just need to finish up the battery cap for the blaster attachment. As promised, I am posting some pictures of the internals, as well as the nearly finished saber. First, the internals

    Here is a view of the 3 main sections of the internal structure. The leftmost is the switch assembly/soundboard housing. The middle is the lens housing. The right is the blade mount/internal sleeve. The internal sleeve pictured is not the final version, but the only thing that changed between the versions is that the new version does not have those vertical slits.


    Side view of the switch assembly. It is easy to see the clear epoxy I used to affix the button to the post.


    Video of the switch assembly in action.
    https://i.imgur.com/xYrJ4kD.mp4

    Picture of the tri-led array with custom heatsink. I essentially put a small bolt through the center hole of the LED and tightened some washers of alternating size to the underside of it. It seems to work well.


    Inside the lens housing. It is a bit hard to see, but there are individual channels for the wires coming from the LED to fit through. The LED and heatsink assembly just fits right in.


    Picture of how the lens assembly slides into the main internal housing. Pay attention to the large slot in front. That is so that the activation lever has room to travel between on and off.


    Picture of the entire internal assembly all put together. The electronics are not installed in this photo, but you can see how the 3d printed structures fit together.


    Looking "down the barrel" of the emitter.


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Now for the semi-completed build:

    Side view


    Top view


    Close up of the activation switch. (Sorry for it being blurry.) The outer two screws affix the black switch housing to the inner frame. The inner screw is the set screw for the blade.


    Anyway, I worked really hard on this saber, and I am quite proud of it. I am not finished yet, but here are the current features I have working:

    1. The tri-led allows for me to choose any color blade I want. I just have to flip a switch under the pommel, hold the activation switch while flipping the other switch back, select a color by clicking in the button, and confirm the color by holding down the activation switch.
    2. The blaster attachment has a 100mw red laser module in it. It is not powerful enough to burn things, but it is very bright. It would blind someone if I shined it in their eyes, and looking directly at the dot is hazardous.
    3. The soundboard means that I have accurate, motion-activated sounds. Additionally, the saber flashes brightly when it hits something, making the traditional saber-hit noises.
    4. The blade is detachable, and the hilt has a D-ring at the pommel, so I can attach this to my belt for cosplay and other such events.

    Well, that's all for now. Hopefully this build has inspired someone to get creative and build their own dream saber. I can't say for sure how much this cost me to make, but discounting the tools I already had and the fact that I had to order a new soundboard due to technical issues, I probably spent around $150 on the entire build.

  8. #8

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    Very nice work! You put a lot of work into that chassis and I’m impressed.

    What kind of run-times did you get from those batteries - I am very curious about them.

    What did you end up going with for soundboard?

    - Steve

  9. #9

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    Is the original camera flash from the one German brand? If so I saw one in person a few months ago at an antique shop, thought about getting it, I should have :P I felt I was so close to the Luke base flash though so I passed it up :P The flash was one of the smaller sized ones
    Light or dark. the path doesn't matter. What matters is how you act once you have chosen a path

    DV6 Saber Hilt

  10. #10

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