Jay-gon's Brass Saber #12 Build (US 2.1 w/ green V)

**Jay-gon Jinn** · 01-26-2009, 05:19 PM

This topic will fllow the build process for a saber I call Brass Saber #12...it is the 12th one I've built that has brass tubing for sleeves or parts of the hilt. it will consist of a style 8 bladeholder, a ribbed extension, a 5" double threaded female extension and an MPS pommel style 3 v2, with insert style 6. It will run an Ultrasound 2.1 (after they come back from programming, of course), 2 Li-Ion trustfire batteries, a premium speaker, and will have a green Lux V to light up an Ultrasabers UltraEdge blade. It will also feature some powder coated parts! Here's what I'll start with:

The blade holder was pc'd up to the top of the neck...it looks good like that!
Tim also did the ribbed extension, and the double threaded female, too. I plan on using the brass tube to create a sleeve for the saber, but I have something else in mind for the rear grip than the usual scribe lines from my tubing cutter. more on that when I get to that point!

The first thing to do was cut the brass tube to length. I'll use a metal cut-off blade on my compound miter saw for that. I started by removing the flange on the tube:

Now to cut it to the proper length:

I decided to do my usual angled cut on the end, and set the blade angle to 22.5deg. and cut the tube:

I cut this nice and slow, with out forcing the blade through it, so there are no burns on the tube.

Yeah, that'll do! Next step, cutting the grip window!

Actually the next step in the sleeve fabrication is de-burring:

I'll use an 120-grit sanding drum on my rotary tool to start with. I started with the angled cut first, and made sure to get all of the edges:

Done:

I flipped it around and did the other end as well:

Next, I hit by hand with a piece on 220 grit paper:

Smooooth!!

Just a quick check of the length:

And I was ready to start on the grip window for the ribbed extension:

I put on the pattern that I made a while ago, and took it to the vise....

**Jay-gon Jinn** · 01-26-2009, 06:05 PM

Okay, with the part secured in the vise, and the pattern line up where I wanted it, it was time to start cutting! I'll be using a heavy-duty reinforced cut-off wheel to do the cutting:

when I do this, I always cut about 1/16th of an inch above the pattern...that way i have some extra material to work with if I don't get a very straight cut. Take it slow, and move the cutter in the direction it's spinning, as this will make it easier to control:

I start with the shortest cuts first....for no particular reason, I guess....I do the longer cuts on the sides next:

I rotated it in the vise a bit to do the other side:

I made sure to stop short of the corners, because I want rounded, radiused corners....i'll use the cut-off wheel to remove the extra piece by cutting across the corners:

Be careful not to go too far with these cuts...you don't want to get into the edges and leave a nick that you can't get out later. After you do all of the corners, it will fall right out:

I used the cutting wheel to remove some more of the excess material from the corners:

Here's a better view:

I did all four corners, and then changed the cutting wheel out for the sanding drum!

With the sanding drum, I can get a near-perfect radius in the corners:

I make sure to use a slow oscillating movement when doing this to spread out the wear on the sanding drum. Take your time and don't force it, or you may have the sanding drum junp out of the window and skitter across the tube...I know, I had that happen to me when I did the tube for my BS-2 saber.

When you're done, it'll look likethis:

Ta-Daaa! a nice, radiused corner! I did the other three and put away the rotary tool for now. To square up the straight cuts, I prefer to use a hand file:

You'll have a bit more control over how much material you remove this way, as opposed to using the sanding drum on the rotary tool. I did all four edges:

And then smoothed them out some more by hand with some 220-grit sandpaper:

Now to test fit it and make sure it all looks good:

I looked it over, and it needed a bit more straigthening out. I did it by hand again, t be sure not to take off too much. Here's the finished window:

**xl97** · 01-26-2009, 06:36 PM

dont you usually get your MHS parts turned down to a smaller OD? for these brass sleeves?

with this one being PC'd..did you have to get them turned down even smaller than normal?

**wadeh13** · 01-26-2009, 06:39 PM

Awesome saber Jay-Gon, I like the tutorials you do on your sabers. One question though, where do you get your brass tubing at?

**Lord Maul** · 01-26-2009, 06:43 PM

Proving once again why you are the build thread master

That saber is looking great. Brass and black just seem to go really well together.

**Jay-gon Jinn** · 01-26-2009, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by xl97

dont you usually get your MHS parts turned down to a smaller OD? for these brass sleeves?

with this one being PC'd..did you have to get them turned down even smaller than normal?

Nope, just took a chance and had Tim machine these down to 1.43" o.d, and they fit just fine!

Originally Posted by wadeh13

Awesome saber Jay-Gon, I like the tutorials you do on your sabers. One question though, where do you get your brass tubing at?

I get my brass stuff from here:
http://www.signaturehardware.com/class307
Like xl mentioned, though, the MHS parts don't fit these tubes in stock form....you'll have to have Tim machine them down for them to fit.

**wadeh13** · 01-26-2009, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Jay-gon Jinn

Nope, just took a chance and had Tim machine these down to 1.43" o.d, and they fit just fine!

I get my brass stuff from here:
http://www.signaturehardware.com/class307
Like xl mentioned, though, the MHS parts don't fit these tubes in stock form....you'll have to have Tim machine them down for them to fit.

So at 1.43 they fit fine? How much room does PC take up? Is it less thatn .001?