Help with saber part

[jrschmd]

I"m working on a custom saber and need help making a part. This is my first attempt at making a saber out of metal. The pommel is basically an ROTJ Luke with a flare at the end. Here is a picture.

I'm not sure how to go about cutting this out. I know some to the knobs seperately and then attach them but other guys make it all one piece. Can anyone share their expertice? Please remember I am a newb when it come to machining parts so bare with me.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

Turn the whole deal on a lathe, including the studs as a single raised area. Then mount the piece in an indexable head mounted perpendicular to the spindle of your mill, cutting away the empty space between the studs.


I think I made that sound simple...probably not though. :lol

 

[jrschmd]

Turn the whole deal on a lathe, including the studs as a single raised area. Then mount the piece in an indexable head mounted perpendicular to the spindle of your mill, cutting away the empty space between the studs.


I think I made that sound simple...probably not though. :lol

No that does make sense. I'm not sure what an indexable head is. Is it just a V shaped bit with a wide flat tip. (Sorry I'm very new at this) Does each space need just one cut or does it depend on the cutter.

I'm using a friend's shop to make this and am limited to what tooling he has.

 

[Organic Mechanic]

Nah, it's essentially a lathe chuck set into a graduated cylinder w/locking lever that mounts to a mill table.

Alternately, you could mount the part (assuming it's drilled out through the center) on a 90* angle plate by way of a central bolt, and turning it after each cut. If you're careful, it will work well, but it's a pain, and it leaves MUCH room for error.