Show your custom Lightsabers!

[Saberz]

 

[coolhanluked]

Im kinda diggin this.

 

[SA22C]

Interesting that SA22C and yourself both designed a variation on a similar concept, independently. Both are cool designs, though!

I too wanted to put together a 'character' saber rather than an on-screen replica and I've been inspired by Joss Rose who has been using Canon parts and the MHS v2 grip extensions from TCSS to create these fantastic mashups. These V2 extensions are VERY slim and make for a saber that is easy to handle and helps break up the silhouette when combined with V1 or vintage parts.

I also really wanted to do a build utilizing the extra short Graflex style blade holder 35 that allows for the choke part to come right up to the glass eye and give the impression of a scavenged build. This is a saber built post-fall using scrap and in secret by someone not formally trained in the art of saber building. When I finish the electronics install I envision some unstable blade styles to indicate the saber is not _quite_ tuned. By contrast, Joek3rr made a saber with clean lines and is pristine: the work of a craftsman at the peak of the Order.

I really respect 'clean' saber builds. It's a skill I haven't been able to master yet.

 

[13doctorwho]

Saberz I love that design. You should do a run!!

 

[Joek3rr]

I too wanted to put together a 'character' saber rather than an on-screen replica and I've been inspired by Joss Rose who has been using Canon parts and the MHS v2 grip extensions from TCSS to create these fantastic mashups. These V2 extensions are VERY slim and make for a saber that is easy to handle and helps break up the silhouette when combined with V1 or vintage parts.

I also really wanted to do a build utilizing the extra short Graflex style blade holder 35 that allows for the choke part to come right up to the glass eye and give the impression of a scavenged build. This is a saber built post-fall using scrap and in secret by someone not formally trained in the art of saber building. When I finish the electronics install I envision some unstable blade styles to indicate the saber is not _quite_ tuned. By contrast, Joek3rr made a saber with clean lines and is pristine: the work of a craftsman at the peak of the Order.

I really respect 'clean' saber builds. It's a skill I haven't been able to master yet.

Thank you for the kind words. I was definitely aiming for a more Prequel style saber. Though it's a bit long to truly fit that Prequel style. And the D-ring kinda pushes towards an OT saber. Could maybe be a late Clone Wars era saber. Or maybe a kinda of Old Republic style. (Also the LED bezels are stupid easy way to make a saber have that Prequel look.) I also wanted to add just a hint of use. If you look closely the black paint is flaking off. So it gives the saber a nice clean look, but it shows use. It's not just been sitting on the Jedi's belt. You really see that in some of "clan" sabers. Just the slightest of weathering. Some of it intentional, some it from being hauled around and used on set.

Another thing I did. Was I had Tim make me a custom blade holder. You'll notice it doesn't have the rectangular slots just above the glass eye. That definitely sleeks it up a bit.

 

[4str0m3ch]

Hand made by Kennedy Custom Props to my specifications. I added the wood veneer with brass inlay. Proffie pixel, of course.

 

[Paul Andrew]

As an aside, is there a full on "show off your collection" thread? I followed a YouTube tutorial on building a cheap lightbox so I could take some decent pictures for a TikTok video I made, but I hesitate to start a whole new thread just to show off my relatively tiny array.

 

[Ridire Firean]

Hey Paul Andrew ! There aren't any pinned, which would be nice, but if you search "display", you'll get a bunch of results. There are lots of individual threads about display cases, and collections, but they're all over the place.

It would be nice to have a consolidated collection thread. It could be a catch-all thread that would include: Lightsaber Collections, Blaster Collections, Helmet Collections, Figure Collections, and Little bits of EVERYTING Collections.

Maybe go ahead and start a "Show your Star Wars Collection" thread, and maybe Art Andrews will pin it for us?

 

[Paul Andrew]

I'm about 60% into my next hardware build, but I'm having a hell of a time finding things that would serve as buttons, knobs, activation boxes, etc.

Does anyone have a go-to source for that kind of thing, or is my best bet to get those parts from TCSS?

 

[13doctorwho]

Paul Andrew I use a sliding door latch for activation boxes. The picture shows it upside down from how I use it. I take out the lever and create a more accurate one out of aluminum for mine. You can get them at any hardware store... Ace, Lowes, Home Depot.

https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-9824-Sliding-Aluminum/dp/B000BQOX56

 

[Paul Andrew]

Paul Andrew I use a sliding door latch for activation boxes. The picture shows it upside down from how I use it. I take out the lever and create a more accurate one out of aluminum for mine. You can get them at any hardware store... Ace, Lowes, Home Depot.

View attachment 1600542

https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-Products-9824-Sliding-Aluminum/dp/B000BQOX56

That is pretty cool. What do you use to fill the valley when it's upside down?

 

[13doctorwho]

I just use thin aluminum cut, bent and glued into place. Here is one of my old sabers that I used this on. The saber's not great, but you can see how the control box came out...

 

[Paul Andrew]

For all intents and purposes this guy is done. I will probably tinker with it in the future a bit, but it's good for now.

Standard sink tube body, pvc cut and painted for the grip and collar and the plate under the activation box.
Emitter is, again, a cheap shower head taken apart and jammed together the wrong way. Pommel is a shower knob, beat up and painted.
Used LEDs to fill the activation box, might look for a way to close the top and bottom eventually.

I am impatient, so some bits are not as lined up as I would like, but overall I'm pretty happy with how this one came out.

 

[Joek3rr]

For all intents and purposes this guy is done. I will probably tinker with it in the future a bit, but it's good for now.

Standard sink tube body, pvc cut and painted for the grip and collar and the plate under the activation box.
Emitter is, again, a cheap shower head taken apart and jammed together the wrong way. Pommel is a shower knob, beat up and painted.
Used LEDs to fill the activation box, might look for a way to close the top and bottom eventually.

I am impatient, so some bits are not as lined up as I would like, but overall I'm pretty happy with how this one came out.View attachment 1600969View attachment 1600970

It always amazes me how good these hardware sabers can be made to look.

 

[Paul Andrew]

It always amazes me how good these hardware sabers can be made to look.

The weathering really makes it. I bought a bunch of cheap LEDs and LED bezels off Amazon because I needed some cheap doodads to embellish with.

I'm pretty sure that with more experience and better tools this could have been better, but I guess there's only one way to get there.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Im kinda diggin this.
View attachment 1597584View attachment 1597585View attachment 1597586

A Prince Leo saber.

 

[SethS]

I'm about 60% into my next hardware build, but I'm having a hell of a time finding things that would serve as buttons, knobs, activation boxes, etc.

Does anyone have a go-to source for that kind of thing, or is my best bet to get those parts from TCSS?

Hit eBay up for knurled knobs and thumbscrews. Both in hardware and photogear.

Best investment I ever made for sabers was a little thread tapping set. Drill a hole, add some threads, screw in cool little knobs.

 

[Props3D]

These are 4 battle ready 3D printed lightsabers I modeled over the last while. They are actually battle ready as they're cored with a 1/4in thick PVC sewer pipe with a 3D printed overlay shell, they can whack and take a whacking (as long as you don't hit the small 3D printed parts, which are replaceable). The top two have LGT Xenopixel kits and the bottom two smoothswing kits. The blades in the stand I made here light up from a 3W CREE leds in blade caps hidden behind the R5, since the electronics are in the caps I can have these small display blades in without having to remove the electronics when lighting them externally. The paint job isn't great, I'm doing another set up better as we speak, thought I would share, I'm proud of them . I'll be releasing the models soon if anyone wants to try their hand at them, I'm still finalizing them all and making some instructions.

(edit: I attached renders if you want to see them up close)

 

[Eruonen]

View attachment 1597574
View attachment 1597575
View attachment 1597576

Just now seeing this, and I gotta say, I haven’t seen an original design I’ve liked that much in a long time. That feels like the kind of Prequel saber that could have been used during production.

 

[Saberz]

Thank you! The idea is to make something that would function well as a real weapon. It’s primarily meant to be used one handed, with the balance point at the choke. So it’s based on the “Ewan’s Favorite Lightsaber” hilt which is near perfect in this regard.

Then I added two Maul-style silver buttons are at the bottom end. Added the shield around them, and placed them far from the hand grip, to avoid accidents presses. Then I added some prequel style grips and grooves, and there it is!