Saying Hi! Asking for some tips.

[Kastor]

First off, I would like to say hello to everyone in the forum!

I'm an aspiring art director for film and video games so naturally a lightsaber is one of those thing I just can't go through life without. I've been looking around at designs to find some inspiration for something I really like. Being a student I can't afford to build a lot of testers so I'm trying to get it right the first time. The trouble is the design style I like looks difficult to fabricate so I'm wondering if any one has some advice on how to fab a hilt of this kind.

Here are some references:


Credit to broodofevil


Credit to broodofevil


Credit to broodofevil


And of course Sidious' Electrum

I would really like to do it in metal but I might settle for a casting if I need to but if anyone as any ideas how to work these kinds of curves in metal that would be much appreciated.

Thanks all.

[Kal El Rah]

Very nice renders, to your question, I have no idea.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

welcome!

now that that's outta the way, I have to tell you those are very advanced designs, I've been at this for about 1 1/2 years, I can see how to make that first one and I could source the materials, but I think it's still beyond my skill to do, getting it made would be minimum $400 no electronics.

The way to do it is simple, you freehand cut it from stock aluminum tube with a dremmel and various attachments, but developing that kind of skill will take alot of work and probably a fair amount of $$.

[VeggieJedi]

Welcome to TCSS and holy cow those are some fine designs! If you're very new to all this then maybe you should consider getting one of the master sabersmiths to make it for you, in exchange for some credits of course or you could maybe do it with a blend of MHS parts and sink tubes or am i being a bit optimistic there?

Good luck

[Kastor]

Hmm, Thanks for the notes. I thought it would be this way. I think one could pull off something close with sink tubes but it would loose that organic look unless I could find some way to bevel the edges and I think I would be scratching the finish too much if I used free hand. Well how would I contact on of these Sabersmiths to get an estimate?

[Barmic Rin]

Hmm, Thanks for the notes. I thought it would be this way. I think one could pull off something close with sink tubes but it would loose that organic look unless I could find some way to bevel the edges and I think I would be scratching the finish too much if I used free hand. Well how would I contact on of these Sabersmiths to get an estimate?

Most of the bigger sabersmiths have links in their signatures, though soliciting then through these forums is frowned upon as they're attached to a store.

These would be very difficult designs to do, so they certainly won't be cheap.

Oh, and Welcome!!

[$tarkiller]

for your first saber, I would reccomend doing a snktube, or MHS, but that would put any experienced sabersmith's skill to the limit.

[Kastor]

I've figured out the interior design which is very basic. I think really all I'll need is a sleeve which is where all the contours are. As I saw here.

Wow, I inspired another saber, huh? Cool! It looks good, I like the way you got the layered parts look done with all the other aluminum pieces. Just a little info about that though, is that look was achieved on my custom saber with a single piece of aluminum tubing that was machined on a lathe, and then on a cnc mill. It's all one piece, and you can see that in this pic:

The Overtube or sleeve is on the left.

That being said perhaps if I out source only that it will be much cheaper. I could build the interior first and send it to the smith to work with while fabricating the sleeve. All that needs to be done are holes need to be cut and beveled, though that seems to be the hard part. I worry most about loosing the finish, are there any Tips anyone would have for how to regain a finish after all that dremel work? or perhaps how to give it a new finish? Powder coating perhaps?

[$tarkiller]

powder coating would be your best bet.

[cannibal869]

The first one is actually quite possible with MHS and a sink tube overlay.
The hardest part I can see about that first design (BTW, VERY nice designs!!) is the two pieces of metal that are near the emitter of the shroud. Not impossible, but difficult if you really want them angled out like that.

The second design I think would be more difficult to do and might require some kind of epoxie sculpt over a sink tube. Still doable, but you'd probably have to ask people who have already done work like that.