Anakin Episode 3 Sabers

[Tan Djarka]

Remember those first tantalizing glimpses of the Anakin and Obi Wan sabers from ROTS? A few attempted an Obi style saber, but most started making their Anakins out of Graflexes. I decided on my usual hardware route, with interesting results.

Apart from an updated emitter and the ears and activation board from the subsequent toy, this is what built in 2005.

This is the coolest part. We hadn't yet figured out the diamond knurling on the clamp, so I decided to go my own way. I cut a window into a clamp made of aluminum flashing and put the corrugated metal sleeve from a plumbing connector under it. It proved to be completely wrong, but i still think it looks cool.

 

[Tan Djarka]

If anyone was wondering, the grips were made from my old standby auto body trim and the red button assembly is a PL-259 connector from Radio Shack, before they were only available with diamond knurling. While it's got a brushed finish and not polished chrome, the tube turned out to about the right diameter at 1 3/8".

 

[Halliwax]

Very cool!!

 

[SethS]

totally steeling that clamp idea for a custom saber!

 

[AnubisGuard]

The corrugated clamp looks great. Much cooler and more original than the diamond knurl.

 

[Tan Djarka]

Thanks for the kind words. If you make this, remember to make the clamp a little big so the corrugated piece will fit. Though the tube is 1 3/8", the clamp was made to 1 1/2" dimensions. Also, the piece you're looking for is called a "no hub connector". It's a rubber collar for connecting two pipes, surrounded by a corrugated sleeve riveted to two screw type hose clamps. It should be fairly easy to spot in the plumbing department.

 

[Tan Djarka]

After years of searching, I finally found a tube of the correct diameter. The activation band is from a basic saber (with a flick out blade) and the grips are rake tines.

 

[Tan Djarka]

A little background: Initially I'd started this build with a 1" PVC pipe, with an outside diameter of just over 1 1/4", but it just seemed a little anemic. A 1 1/2" OD pipe, on the other hand, was just too thick. After searching for years I finally found a water squirting pool toy (essentially a pipe that draws the water in and shoots it back out with the same pump handle) with the correct diameter (about 1 3/8").

The plan is to cover the yellow portions with chrome tape and the activation band will be dressed with HVAC tape for the correct contrast. The ears will be from a 2005 Anakin electronic saber. I'm undecided as to how I'll address the red button, glass eye, and emitter.

 

[DrConstantine]

i know people have made gr4aflex into anakins, but has anyone made and Anakin rots hilt with graflex details?

 

[Tan Djarka]

Instead of plastic or a run of the mill hole plug, I went with a "knock out hole seal" for the endcap. While not strictly accurate, it looks better than a featureless flat surface.

 

[Tan Djarka]

i know people have made gr4aflex into anakins, but has anyone made and Anakin rots hilt with graflex details?

Like this? ESB grips and ANH bubbles. It's an old build I used as a "proof of concept" for the chrome tape I'll use for this build.

 

[DrConstantine]

sort of, i was thinking more along the lines of similar style grips, but actual graflex clamp detail

 

[Tan Djarka]

sort of, i was thinking more along the lines of similar style grips, but actual graflex clamp detail

I'm going to say "no". The body of the Anakin saber is smaller that of a Graflex, which would require a custom fabricated clamp. To my knowledge, no one has done that (unless you count the one that starts this thread).

 

[Tan Djarka]

Decided to finish this up. Not the best, but it's done.

 

[Tan Djarka]

Added chrome, grips, and Covertec button.

 

[Tan Djarka]

The grips were too long and there was too many wrinkles in the chrome tape, so I stripped everything off and reapplied the tape.