Box-style switch?

[Nightwing]

Does anyone know a way to make a OT-stlye activation box? I like the way they did it with the hasbro sabers--by making the top of the box act like a button. How would you guys go about this?

[Cyambin]

Why don't you just rip the thing off the Hasbro saber?

[Nightwing]

I suppose I could, but there are a few problems.

First, it's too big for a sink tube.
Second, it's made of cheap plastic and wouldn't look or feel right.
Third, I want to make it myself, even the design on the face of the button.


I guess I could cannibalize the saber and see what kind of mechanism they have in there... Maybe just take the switch, spring, etc out of the hasbro saber nd put it in the new box.

Okay, well, I just need to know how to make the box itself. Anyone have any ideas?

[thebluecanary]

If you get it to work, let me know. I would love to see it.

[Protein5000]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nightwing

Does anyone know a way to make a OT-stlye activation box? I like the way they did it with the hasbro sabers--by making the top of the box act like a button. How would you guys go about this?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Are you talking about the box like on a Vader or Anakin FX with the switch? If so, I have made one that looks OK. It's made of steel and there is a slide switch sunk into the side. The top has the 6 bubbles but there is no lever because it would block access to the swith. On my next one I'll put a lever on it and the swith on the other side.....

Anyway, I'll post pics in a week or two - just gotta put my sound board in and get my hardware blade holder chromed.

[Nightwing]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Protein5000Are you talking about the box like on a Vader or Anakin FX with the switch? If so, I have made one that looks OK. It's made of steel and there is a slide switch sunk into the side. The top has the 6 bubbles but there is no lever because it would block access to the swith. On my next one I'll put a lever on it and the swith on the other side.....

Anyway, I'll post pics in a week or two - just gotta put my sound board in and get my hardware blade holder chromed.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Cool.
Yes, I'm talking about the box like on the Anakin and Vader FXs, but I don't want the external slide switch. I want it to be like the hasbro toy sabers where the top plate of the box sinks down into the box, acting like a button. I think I can just take the parts out of the hasbro toy (springs, switch, etc) and put them into mine, but I need the actual box. Your box sounds pretty good; how'd you make it? Can you just post pictures of the box itself, so I'd have an idea of how to make it myself?

[GeluKhanGharr]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Protein5000
Anyway, I'll post pics in a week or two - just gotta put my sound board in and get my hardware blade holder chromed.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Do you have a shop where you chrome your parts, or do you do it yourself. If it's a shop, is it expensive?
Thanks

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.

[Protein5000]

Yes, I'm talking about the box like on the Anakin and Vader FXs, but I don't want the external slide switch. I want it to be like the hasbro toy sabers where the top plate of the box sinks down into the box, acting like a button. I think I can just take the parts out of the hasbro toy (springs, switch, etc) and put them into mine, but I need the actual box. Your box sounds pretty good; how'd you make it? Can you just post pictures of the box itself, so I'd have an idea of how to make it myself?
[/quote]

I know how the Force FX's look, but I'm not sure about the Hasbro's, I havn't seen them yet.

It's all apart at the moment coz I'm waiting on my Hasbro sound board to come. I'm re-making the box tomorrow (Hopefully) and I might put the lever on the other side. I'll try to explain it briefly.

You know how you've got the "U" shaped weather strip? Well at a local hardware store (in Australia) I found a Weather strip except it was all four sides reather than just the "U", get me? Like a long tube, only square, and each side is 1/2" wide. I cut it to 2" long(Here's me talking in inches and I'm Australian!! I was cursing the imperial system when I started making my saber! lol) I got a long strip of aluminium about 1" wide and cut out the parts for the side panels - you know how on a graflex the clamp has the bent parts to slide the bubble cell through - and epoxied them to the sides.

Now, I'm pretty useless at explaining things, so I wont confuse you with how I mounted the switch on it, or how I made the box removable. As I'm making it tomorrow, I will take pics along the way and post them ok?

Hope I can help, I know I get a lot from everyone here so the least I could do is help other people out.


GeluKhanGharr,

I don't chrome the parts my self, there is a local place that does it, I'm not sure how much it will cost. The visible part of the blade holder is only about 1" long and has about 1" od, so I'm hopeing they'll do it for nothing. But if I recall, the plumbing people said a 12", 1-1/2" OD copper pipe could be chromed for about $30 Australian dollars.

[dbraxton9]

I found a switch box for my saber at the local head shop of all places! it's a little ashtray with a slide cover for $5. I doubt it looks much like the authentic OT props, but it is the right size, opens easily, and is sturdy enough to hold a couple of switches. i bet a similar one can be found in most areas. I was about to cut a section off the end of a venetian blind track for the box when i found this alternative.

"Look at me! Judge me by my size do you? And well you do not! For my ally is the force, and a powerful ally it is!

[GeluKhanGharr]

dbraxton, can you post a pic? And don't go with the track, go to Lowes and get the U profile aluminium. It looks really good with a bit of sanding.

Born of Sith, seduced by the light.