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Thread: Kreyhn's Saber

  1. #31

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    Thank you all for the kind words! Your encouragement means a lot to me, especially with how much I've poured into this saber.

  2. #32

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    Weathering is funny for a perfectionist. Precision cutting of the parts, great! But attempting something which is an inherently imperfect, random-ish pattern, totally different story! To boot, the closer this thing gets to completion, any steps which seem like they're 'damaging' the saber get nerve-wracking. I'd say weathering was probably less intimidating than drilling holes or using the end-mill bit on the emitter, but I can't say I wasn't a bit tense!

    I used some Aluminum Black for the job. I had tested the chemical on spare copper and brass beforehand; it does react with these. Also, it is meant to be used on well-prepped aluminum surfaces in order to have the best finish (solid black). I figured we're going for weathering with an inconsistent finish! As well, there are electronics in the emitter section, so soap and water are no-go. I could have used acetone for oils and I could have used sandpaper to remove any oxide coating the surface. Instead, I opted to wipe the surface with a dry cloth only.

    Since I liked the natural patina of the shroud metals, I applied the AB to the bare MHS parts where they met the shroud pieces, after marking them. I took pictures of this process. Not photographed was the process of using some 1500 grit sandpaper to lessen the intensity of the results in some places. I ended up applying AB, sanding, and repeating quite a few times to get things "perfectly imperfect." It worked quite well. To note, the sandpaper gave the MHS a satin finish instead of a shiny finish (TCSS finish must be higher grade than 1500 grit paper). Ultimately I liked the satin look; it absorbs some of the random scratches on the MHS a bit better.



    If you look closely, you'll also see I swapped the switch. A protected, anti-vandal-style switch is important here; when I would grab the emitter to twist the lower shell off and reveal the chamber, I would often ignite the saber by grabbing the protruding switch!

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