willrhami
Member
A while back I wanted to build a tool box with tools that fit in the Star Wars universe, and I thought I’d share them real quick.
I couldn’t really find any tools for reference except very far away shots from particular movies and shows, so I basically made them out of scrap parts I had collected over time and made my interpretation of what would be inside the tool box and what these tools would look like. First off, the box itself.
I wanted to build a metal box like the one seen in scenes in Empire Strikes Back on board the Falcon, but with a lid and maybe a couple leather hinges and a leather clasp. However, I couldn’t find anything like it online for reference, and doing sheet metal projects can be very expensive and complicated. So, I decided to use a plastic sorting bin I had lying around in my basement and did a pass of scratches with sandpaper and screwdrivers, and then did a heavy wash of dark brown over the entire thing and whipped it off. I then put a clear coat over the whole thing and called it a day.
It wasn’t exactly perfect, so I added a handle made from an old leather belt and used a couple of button head screw with Allen wrench tightening and put a couple washers and nuts on the inside and tightened them up. I then removed a permanent plastic divider with a pair of pliers and sanded down the rough edges, using gaff tape on both sides to cover the gaps.
Inside the box I had one compartment for a red shop rag I burned a couple holes in and burned the edges a bit. In the middle compartment were some of the tools that I made and some that I actually needed for certain other things.
First, I built a couple of basic screwdriver like tools. The first tool I made was my interpretation of a Star Wars screwdriver. I used the base of a very small screwdriver and combined it with another metal stick to make for a strange off set look. Most of the tools were made with hard drive parts and screwdriver parts. This is a prime example of that. I even used a small bit for silver conduit tubing from a LEGO set to call back to all the times they’ve been used in the other props and costumes throughout the movies and tv shows. The second tool in my mind would be used for small outlets in electrical sections of engines, and the head is part of a spinning hard drive section on top of a longer screwdriver.
This tool was supposed to call back to the Podracing scene in The Phantom Menace where Anakin’s engine fails and he inserts a strange two pronged thing into the console and has to flick a switch back and forth to start it back up. I wanted to combine the two functions and cut out the middle man as this tool is supposed to be made almost 60–70 years after The Phantom Menace. I used a screwdriver part with the spinning base put inside of a brass plumbing part that had two removable nuts on either side that had a hole that perfectly fit the screw driver in backwards, which is what I did. On the other side of the screwdriver I put on a rounded nut and put a tube lightbulb plug on top of the brass plumbing piece to replicate the two prongs. The handle of the prop has a lose connection to make the flicking motion possible.
For these three tools I wanted to make a roll up fabric sleeve, so I used some scrap grey strapping I had and then hand sewed the WHOLE THING together, using some slip together clasps to hold it together. It resembles Rey’s scrap part polishing tool sleeve but I don’t use it normally as it’s a bit inconvenient, but I’m very glad I made it.
This tool is supposed to call back to the pilot episode of Star Wars: Rebels where Ezra uses a tool made for an R2 unit wall socket to hack open a door, which I imagine would be helpful for interfacing with ships without the use of a droid. I used a part of a dog crate for the handle and sanded it with 60 grit sandpaper to get a brushed aluminum look to the piece. I then added a segment of a leather belt to the handle and sewed it up to add contrast and look like the original tool. For the top part I used a screw I found like 4 years ago on the ground, and I have NO idea where it can be found or what it’s called, but it is probably findable again. (I also put a brass fastener for paper documents on the bottom and apoxyed it on to fill the hole)
And for the last decorative tool, I wanted to replicate the tig welding tool seen in Empire Strikes Back used by Chewie and Han in the opening 30 minuets of the movie. The original prop is much larger than the one I wanted to make, so I again used the dog crate parts to act as another handle and put a long and thick Knurled Screw in the bottom and apoxyed it in to add weight and plug the hole. For the adjustable head I used a part I had from a small Luxo style lamp from a store called Diaso Japan, and you might be able to find one online. I painted it white and then added silver sharpie marks to look like chipped paint. I then added ANOTHER hard drive part to act as the tip of the tool, and used flames from my stove to add scorch marks, giving it an orange and blue hue which I really like. And for the activation button, I used a broken wire I saved from a sleep study, which I have no idea how you’d get, but the brass cone looked perfect for the prop. I stuffed the excess wire in the handle and left a bit of wire exposed for detail, then apoxyed the head and the brass cone onto the prop. I then applied a clear coat to the adjustable head to make sure the paint job was safe.
The last three tools were actually practical tools used for my blaster build. The two Allen wrenches are used for screws on the scope of the blaster and one for decoration, and the other Allen wrench was used to loosen a couple of set screws holding down a small detail on the other side. The small socket wrench is from the 1940’s and was handed down from my great grandfather, and has a 5/16 socket head on it to loosen the hose clamps holing down the scope. Since they look somewhat ambitious and relate to my cosplay and character, I decided to put them in.
The last two smaller sections were used for extra tools and “replacement parts”. In the extra tools section I put a roll of orange electrical tape to call back to The Force Awakens when there is a leak in the Falcons gas filtration systems, which is fixed by using some kind of tape. I also included a gunmetal colored PopLite which can be both a flash light and a small lamp. It has a magnetic bottom and is activated by pulling the top off of the light. And to make that easier, I added a metal ring from a hard drive to act as a pull ring.
And in the last segment I added a few things, some hard drive parts, some wires, even a bit of silver conduit tubing. I also combined a few hard drive parts with a broken ball bearing and some wires to make my interpretation of a replacement ship part, and used apoxy to glue them all together. I think it turned out pretty well.
That’s about it, and I had a ton of fun making making it, and I enjoy knowing that I’m probably one of the few people in the world that has a Star Wars tool box, and that I’m potentially the first person to make a post on the internet giving others advice on making one of their own. I hope if you make one this helps you and gives you some ideas for your own projects. Thanks for reading all this!
I couldn’t really find any tools for reference except very far away shots from particular movies and shows, so I basically made them out of scrap parts I had collected over time and made my interpretation of what would be inside the tool box and what these tools would look like. First off, the box itself.
I wanted to build a metal box like the one seen in scenes in Empire Strikes Back on board the Falcon, but with a lid and maybe a couple leather hinges and a leather clasp. However, I couldn’t find anything like it online for reference, and doing sheet metal projects can be very expensive and complicated. So, I decided to use a plastic sorting bin I had lying around in my basement and did a pass of scratches with sandpaper and screwdrivers, and then did a heavy wash of dark brown over the entire thing and whipped it off. I then put a clear coat over the whole thing and called it a day.
It wasn’t exactly perfect, so I added a handle made from an old leather belt and used a couple of button head screw with Allen wrench tightening and put a couple washers and nuts on the inside and tightened them up. I then removed a permanent plastic divider with a pair of pliers and sanded down the rough edges, using gaff tape on both sides to cover the gaps.
Inside the box I had one compartment for a red shop rag I burned a couple holes in and burned the edges a bit. In the middle compartment were some of the tools that I made and some that I actually needed for certain other things.
First, I built a couple of basic screwdriver like tools. The first tool I made was my interpretation of a Star Wars screwdriver. I used the base of a very small screwdriver and combined it with another metal stick to make for a strange off set look. Most of the tools were made with hard drive parts and screwdriver parts. This is a prime example of that. I even used a small bit for silver conduit tubing from a LEGO set to call back to all the times they’ve been used in the other props and costumes throughout the movies and tv shows. The second tool in my mind would be used for small outlets in electrical sections of engines, and the head is part of a spinning hard drive section on top of a longer screwdriver.
This tool was supposed to call back to the Podracing scene in The Phantom Menace where Anakin’s engine fails and he inserts a strange two pronged thing into the console and has to flick a switch back and forth to start it back up. I wanted to combine the two functions and cut out the middle man as this tool is supposed to be made almost 60–70 years after The Phantom Menace. I used a screwdriver part with the spinning base put inside of a brass plumbing part that had two removable nuts on either side that had a hole that perfectly fit the screw driver in backwards, which is what I did. On the other side of the screwdriver I put on a rounded nut and put a tube lightbulb plug on top of the brass plumbing piece to replicate the two prongs. The handle of the prop has a lose connection to make the flicking motion possible.
For these three tools I wanted to make a roll up fabric sleeve, so I used some scrap grey strapping I had and then hand sewed the WHOLE THING together, using some slip together clasps to hold it together. It resembles Rey’s scrap part polishing tool sleeve but I don’t use it normally as it’s a bit inconvenient, but I’m very glad I made it.
This tool is supposed to call back to the pilot episode of Star Wars: Rebels where Ezra uses a tool made for an R2 unit wall socket to hack open a door, which I imagine would be helpful for interfacing with ships without the use of a droid. I used a part of a dog crate for the handle and sanded it with 60 grit sandpaper to get a brushed aluminum look to the piece. I then added a segment of a leather belt to the handle and sewed it up to add contrast and look like the original tool. For the top part I used a screw I found like 4 years ago on the ground, and I have NO idea where it can be found or what it’s called, but it is probably findable again. (I also put a brass fastener for paper documents on the bottom and apoxyed it on to fill the hole)
And for the last decorative tool, I wanted to replicate the tig welding tool seen in Empire Strikes Back used by Chewie and Han in the opening 30 minuets of the movie. The original prop is much larger than the one I wanted to make, so I again used the dog crate parts to act as another handle and put a long and thick Knurled Screw in the bottom and apoxyed it in to add weight and plug the hole. For the adjustable head I used a part I had from a small Luxo style lamp from a store called Diaso Japan, and you might be able to find one online. I painted it white and then added silver sharpie marks to look like chipped paint. I then added ANOTHER hard drive part to act as the tip of the tool, and used flames from my stove to add scorch marks, giving it an orange and blue hue which I really like. And for the activation button, I used a broken wire I saved from a sleep study, which I have no idea how you’d get, but the brass cone looked perfect for the prop. I stuffed the excess wire in the handle and left a bit of wire exposed for detail, then apoxyed the head and the brass cone onto the prop. I then applied a clear coat to the adjustable head to make sure the paint job was safe.
The last three tools were actually practical tools used for my blaster build. The two Allen wrenches are used for screws on the scope of the blaster and one for decoration, and the other Allen wrench was used to loosen a couple of set screws holding down a small detail on the other side. The small socket wrench is from the 1940’s and was handed down from my great grandfather, and has a 5/16 socket head on it to loosen the hose clamps holing down the scope. Since they look somewhat ambitious and relate to my cosplay and character, I decided to put them in.
The last two smaller sections were used for extra tools and “replacement parts”. In the extra tools section I put a roll of orange electrical tape to call back to The Force Awakens when there is a leak in the Falcons gas filtration systems, which is fixed by using some kind of tape. I also included a gunmetal colored PopLite which can be both a flash light and a small lamp. It has a magnetic bottom and is activated by pulling the top off of the light. And to make that easier, I added a metal ring from a hard drive to act as a pull ring.
And in the last segment I added a few things, some hard drive parts, some wires, even a bit of silver conduit tubing. I also combined a few hard drive parts with a broken ball bearing and some wires to make my interpretation of a replacement ship part, and used apoxy to glue them all together. I think it turned out pretty well.
That’s about it, and I had a ton of fun making making it, and I enjoy knowing that I’m probably one of the few people in the world that has a Star Wars tool box, and that I’m potentially the first person to make a post on the internet giving others advice on making one of their own. I hope if you make one this helps you and gives you some ideas for your own projects. Thanks for reading all this!
