Experiment and discussion: pvc blade in flash unit lightsaber

thd9791

thd9791

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I decided to try James Kenobi's thing of installing a pvc tube in a lightsaber. Without using a grenade neck, I found Canon B flashes have a plate that screws into the lip of the tube. It has a 1/4 inch hole so why not!

a 36" cut pipe, 1/4 20 rod, nuts and washers later I hit a snag. None of the nuts I find squeeze into a pvc pipe, they're too small! (I was using a 3/4" pipe because the od is near 1" ...is that what we're shooting for?

anyways, the standard washers were too wide to go inside, so I end up jamming two fake Graflex buttons into each end, and the nuts sort of fit into the buttons. Not bad but still
not a snug fit. End up using a T nut at the tip...

but the the nuts and washers keep coming loose...and the rim/plate is not sturdy enough to carry the weight of the rod! So I insert a Kobold bulb socket beneath the plate, a little sturdier - enough that I can spin it, but still not a snug fit, and it's beginning to come loose (I even used a connector nut and a camera thumbscrew at the tip this time.)

ive come to a conclusion that you need a cylinder the size f the flash unit, with a tapped center hole or rod embedded for any sort of secure rigging. Any ideas, tips, help?! I did order red reflective tape so this is going to happen one way or another :)
 

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Here are some better pics, and a video of the swing. Also, a video for laughs where my camera fell :lol
 

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Why not do it like they did with some of the later original stunts? Gut the insides and make a plastic sleeve for the rod and then just bolt it to the flash with screws?
 
Do tell me that shirt is a clear reference to those in George Lucas's
later wardrobe . . . not to mention that early beard as seen here :



Lucas and Marcia back in 1976 ... do I see the resemblance, Tom?

Chaïm
 
Haha thanks! I'm thinking finding a metal spacer and tapping some screws through ...maybe all the way to the PVC blade? The inside of the flash is 1.35 inches ...I get 1.34-1.38 with these Huskey digital calipers...is the threaded rod necessary for PVC blade support?

What is the deal with different sized countersinking bits and matching screws?
 
so, my dad accidentally had some 1-3/8" dowels. They were supposed to be 1-1/2" but a few were mistakenly marked. It slides into the Canon B flash unit with almost a vacuum seal.

SO - We're getting a drill press and using a bit to hollow out the center of the dowel for the blade, and then wood screws should hold it in place on the flash.
 
Silly question, but wondering if your going to color the PVC?
I say color instead of paint, because we all know that paint won't hold up to "battling".
If you do decide to color it, but not sure how, hit me a pm.
I know a good trick for "dying" PVC.
Robert
 
usajdm said:
Silly question, but wondering if your going to color the PVC?
I say color instead of paint, because we all know that paint won't hold up to "battling".
If you do decide to color it, but not sure how, hit me a pm.
I know a good trick for "dying" PVC.
Robert
Click to expand...

thanks robert!

actually I have a roll of retro-reflective tape (Reflexite) that i plan on coating the blade with. Just like the originals, it will reflect light back at the camera, and this is definitely not for fencing!
 
Oh my bad.
I thought you were building it to battle with it.
I know there's some costumers that do that.
So why the PVC blade then?
 
I'm using the most basic pipe imaginable for the reflective tape, just like they used behind the scenes to create these movies

SO I wanted to tag @bobadebt or someone who could shed some light here. My dad and I got an 8" drill press, and ran into a problem. Basically...trying to hollow out a dowel to make a spacer or sleeve for the blade. The spacer was going to be at least 3-5 inches long, so if it sat on the adjustable table, it was too high, and too low if it was on the base plate....so we drilled a bit of the way through with it on the base, and kept stacking scrap wood beneath it until we lifted the dowel high enough to be bored out.

thing is, with clamping and unclamping, the hold actually came out crooked. I **** you not, i finally got a good drill press and still drill crooked. so how to folks bore out things like flash hiders and spacers? This is supposed to be a 1-3/8" OD to 7/8" ID spacer, and I can't find any soft metal ones I can tap into. only a couple 20 buck steel things!

edit i found a mark on the side and i guess the drill press we have goes up and down 2 inches. that stinks.
 
Damn, if you were close, I'd say to bring it by.
Your probably gonna want to do it on a lathe if you want presicion.
Try contacting a local shop.
I don't see why they wouldn't be able to help you out.
5 minutes to set it up, 2 minutes to bore it out.
Good luck,
Robert
 
Thanks! So far is like to see what I can pull off. And I know, this seems pretty simple..Here are the spacers I ended up with...I tried cutting them shorter, so they were longer than this, but this is the idea I had. Top and bottom
 

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