Lightsaber Trigger HELP!!!!!

[dbluephoenix]

I've been working on a lightsaber design for almost two years, and have everything just about perfect. However, I'm stuck. The design is based on the idea of a lightsaber that activates with a trigger (like for a blaster) rather than a switch or control box, complete with trigger guard, allowing for gunslinging type tricks/moves. But no matter how I draw it, it still looks like it's just sort of slapped on, rather than a part of the saber. I've already got every other aspect of the saber figured out, but I don't want to start building it until I've figured the whole thing out. If anyone has any ideas, let me know, because I'm fresh out.

 

[roboprop]

Can you post a picture of the design?

 

[tingjunkie]

I've seen a custom saber which had one of those safety flip-switches that you would find on a missle firing control box, but a trigger is new. I could only imagine it on a curved saber hilt myself.

 

[cheech9898]

Only thing I can think of is make the saber a little ergonomic and recess the triggerwell into the saber with a small bulge to the guard.... this could be combined with a bent hilt design like Dooku's but make it more to gun type proportions...top segment shorter and the bottom about the size for a hand grip

Or

Do some sort of pinned finger ring on the outside that would fit the middle finger and allow you to freespin it on the pin.... could say twirling it with that ring pivot was seldom used style for the padawan's that could never hold onto their saber while twirling it


Personally I've always wanted to see saber with a curved blade (like a katana) in a fanfilm explaned by some sort of ellipsoidal shapped recess in the emmiter

 

[wuher da brewer]

I remember training once with martial arts knives that had a ring at the end of the pommel that you could slip your index finger into. Perhaps you can put the trigger inside the ring, allowing it to be spun like one of those knives.

 

[Darth Lars]

Some antique firearms had the ring as the trigger also.

For inspiration, I would look at sabers from Tales of the Jedi - the sabers inside the comic book. The sabers on the covers are different (although still very nice).

 

[p0sitr0nic]

Some antique firearms had the ring as the trigger also.

For inspiration, I would look at sabers from Tales of the Jedi - the sabers inside the comic book. The sabers on the covers are different (although still very nice).

Yeah, the ancient sabers had triggers on em.

 

[dbluephoenix]

I've seen that image of the ancient saber, but that's not quite what I'm going for. The ring on the side being the trigger could work, I might be able to experiment with that. In the mean time, here's a quick sketch of where I got to when I started this thread.

As of right now, I have sort of a collar around the saber that sort of provides space for the trigger and guard, an then continues up to the emitter shroud. That could change easy, I'm just trying to figure out how to make it flow. The trick is I only want to be able to fit one finger in the trigger guard, and the trigger needs to be relatively towards the top of the saber. Maybe it's fine and I just can't translate it in my mind to an actual prop, but when I make it it'll look perfect. I don't know. Just rambling now, so i'll leave it at that for now.

 

[p0sitr0nic]

Pics not working there...

 

[TridCloudwalker]

Dookoo's saber has a trigger, and what kept it looking ergonomical and fluid was the fact that his entire hilt curved. Having a trigger in a straight hilted saber is going to look awkward no matter how you design it. Even that ancient saber has a curve to it. The only way I can think to have a somewhat straight design is to have a "split level" saber of sorts.

Emmiter
V
|------______
|------______| <- Hilt

.........^ trigger

 

[p0sitr0nic]

The ancient is tapered, not curved.

 

[dbluephoenix]

Alright, I've got two new quick sketches based on the idea of the ring. The first just uses the ring as the trigger. Essentially the whole ring would be attached to a sort of hinge. The second uses the ring as the guard, and places a more moulded trigger inside of it.

I'm not sure if its getting better or just a different kind of worse. Let me know what you think.

 

[Shadowknight]

None of your pictures are working.

 

[dbluephoenix]

They're showing up when I see them, but in any case, here's the link to where they're all stored.
http://d-blue-phoenix.u.yuku.com/fs/ls/id/87984