Looking for design advice on a custom saber

thd9791

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
I have this custom… I made it. Someone poured a Luke replica cast and didn’t mix enough resin, so it was only half a saber. I stuck it in a camera flash with some putty and wrinkle coated the grip. I love that. Bras paint and… I’m pretty sure the emitter was rub n buff. I can’t tell what the grip needs though - custom saber makers… is t track in order? I’m looking to avoid the EU mororcycle grip style lol
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Maybe... Remove the mylar tape, and mask over the "clamp" section and the knurled part at the end. Then paint the section in between with more of the wrinkle paint. That would unify the look of the disparate parts as well as cover up some of the blemishes. This would basically be the lower grip.
 
Maybe... Remove the mylar tape, and mask over the "clamp" section and the knurled part at the end. Then paint the section in between with more of the wrinkle paint. That would unify the look of the disparate parts as well as cover up some of the blemishes. This would basically be the lower grip.

This, and I think adding steel or brass grips on top of the painted grip second would look sick. Ex this custom using Ingersoll-Rand spring channel off eBay:

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This is perfect! I’m gonna do some mock-ups, you guys are great

Funnily enough; I have this rake in my backyard that turned out to have tapered tines… no good for grips but now… I have a mostly complete rake
 

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I ripped the grips off an old saber attempt and used the scraps of tape to test it… this is 7 grips, and I’m thinking 6 instead. I like the contrast!

Though, the activation button needs some work - gonna go through my greeblies and find a bigger or longer one
 

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I’m onto something here! I trimmed a snap action switch I had buried because it looked like the MoM control box. This canon flash clip fits in there perfectly. I’ve got grub screws holding it to the body

Kinda looks like ****, but the grips and some finishing work will make it blend in, something good and OT clunky
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I like the length of the "control box" as it is without the clamp section on top of it. I would do something like the "Hero" Luke and just add silver rails that match its length and put a card underneath that. It looks that, if you wanted, there's enough space to even put a small circuit board into the box recess and have something like the Hero, too. That would look more unified in design with the black on silver with hints of brass from the card (or alternatively, a bubblestrip with an off-color board or yellow foil under it). You'd have to cut your grips a little shorter but I think it would look cleaner that way.

Optionally, some Kenobi-esque button placements on the side would really look nice. Domed torq screws or actual knobs, or even LED bezels would look nice.
 
Okay everyone. A lot has happened. Grips, greeblies, I did a LOT of test fitting to see what went together, had lots of parts that fit great but didn’t nail the overall design.
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I really like the LEDs on the side, it was scary boring huge holes in the side but I successfully glued them in!

The control box… I like the raised bubbles, they feel really good in the hand, but there’s an exposed area I have to cover up. There are TI-30 buttons on it, an upside down LED and some glued in screws… I hate those pesky holes in microswitches
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Still, even with the grips it looked like a Christmas tree. The cast is SO skinny it felt off balance, so I’ve been wondering how to even out the weight. I raised the grips to leave some space at the bottom… which helped… but I tried this also

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I would have kept the rear clean other than a couple of arena hilt style knobs and a Kobold d-ring. Really dig the shroud though!
 
Thank you everyone! I still have a small area on the clamp box to cover... im honestly thinking of just cutting a thin piece of resin, sculpting it and glueing it down. I have excess resin I cut off a production cast-of-a-cast in a bin somewhere

It does look a little odd from the front, and is still back-heavy because resin doesn't weight very much.... but I had to install the shroud with the saber all together. I quite like how this is turning out! What do ya think.... black stove polish weathering on top of the overspray?
 
Hey... so I was already in my workshop and thought... I need to cover this little section on the control box. Well... i was hand-carving a piece of resin and it flew off into the abyss... so I chopped up a motor coil plate instead! I put a longer set screw in there so the hole was kind of filled. While I was at it, I did some BBQ Black dusting and then weathering. actually... I used a shop towel on the windvane and ended up ..polishing the paint?! It looks good tho

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I love it. The rtiuny bits of janky make it feel like a legit OT saber. As they all should. I really need to get back into custom sabers-- want to get some of those PT LEDs, they are really cool!
 
I love it. The rtiuny bits of janky make it feel like a legit OT saber. As they all should. I really need to get back into custom sabers-- want to get some of those PT LEDs, they are really cool!
Thank you! I’ve got a link for you, pm incoming
 

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