Very small "how to" cut screws for Luke ESB lightsaber grips

[eethan]

Hi,
I'm not super known and active here but everytime I find something that could help, I try to post it. I was doing grips for a Luke ESB saber tonight and thought I would share how I cut the screws to avoid drilling holes in a vintage Graflex.

first, prepare your grips, do the notches and drill a hole for the screw at the center of the notch. screw the screw into the hole and then remove it. That way, the hole is threaded.

Now, I used a piece of sheet metal, anything will do I guess, In this case I used a piece of structure for dry wall. I drilled it and screwed the screw with 2 small washers to get the exact thickness of the grip bottom

I secured the piece of sheet metal to my workbench and then used the dremel to cut the screw. If the cut is not perfectly clean, a couple of strokes with a metal file will clean it nicelly.

this leaves you with a nicelly cut screw of just the right length for the grip material:

since the grip is already threaded for this particular screw, it will go back in really easily

and the bottom will be flat and you can now attach your grip with double side tape or glue.

I hope this helps.
cheers

 

[Dann]

Sweet! I was seriously JUST thinking about doing some new ESB grips last night!

Was thinking of how to make a little jig for cutting the notches in the track. What did you do for that?

 

[eethan]

Sweet! I was seriously JUST thinking about doing some new ESB grips last night!

Was thinking of how to make a little jig for cutting the notches in the track. What did you do for that?

thanks

Well, I hesitated about explaining that part but thought it was useless as I'm using specialized tools. I'm a luthier and have a lot of specific guitar making tools. I used the specialized miter box I use to cut slots for frets into fingerboard. It's an aluminium miter box with a depth stop system.

I cut the 2 sides of the notches like that and then just removed the material with a wood chisel. Sorry I cannot help more for that mater.

 

[Drew Baker]

I used the specialized miter box I use to cut slots for frets into fingerboard. It's an aluminium miter box with a depth stop system.

Is there a particular name for that sort of miter box?

 

[eethan]

Is there a particular name for that sort of miter box?

you can buy it there, but it's very expensive :
StewMac Fret Slotting Miter Box | stewmac.com

 

[eethan]

another trick that is way less expensive and that could work, but maybe not as well is to put a depth stop directly on your saw, as seen on the same website:
Japanese Fret Saw | stewmac.com

 

[dcarty]

Excellent thread

Another more "hobbyist" option is an X-Acto miter box/Razor Saw:

 

[Dann]

Yeah, that was pretty much my plan, I've got the hobby saw and a little miter box, maybe I'll just model and print a little sleeve or something to slip over the tracks to make it go a little faster and keep them uniform.

Never seen a fretboard miter saw setup before!

I've been a guitar player on and off since '93, and I never knew that existed! I've also never had any of my guitars "professionally set-up" by a Luthier! GASP!! I always wanted to have that done, though.

AND I've wanted to get my old Block Letter 5150 head looked over for oh about eighteen years!

 

[Halliwax]

Very clever trick!! Thanks for sharing

 

[jorged123]

I just tasked this to my son with a dremel! It worked great! He did it on the first try. The screws look too small when cut, but work perfect.

 

[Dann]

I actually did something very similar to this with my first ESB Graflex, YEARS ago. It was back before T track was discovered and we were all still using that old rubber grip from John's Spot/Yoda'shouse/Blas-Tech.

I chopped my button head screws so the shafts would just glue into the grips. Later, I did the same with the slotted screws up top.

Finally, one day years later, I actually drilled and tapped one of my vintage Graflex bottom sections. *GASP!!!


But yeah, believe it or not,I STILL have yet to cut notches in actual T track!! WAAAAYY overdue!

 

[Halliwax]

I actually did something very similar to this with my first ESB Graflex, YEARS ago. It was back before T track was discovered and we were all still using that old rubber grip from John's Spot/Yoda'shouse/Blas-Tech.

I chopped my button head screws so the shafts would just glue into the grips. Later, I did the same with the slotted screws up top.

Finally, one day years later, I actually drilled and tapped one of my vintage Graflex bottom sections. *GASP!!!


But yeah, believe it or not,I STILL have yet to cut notches in actual T track!! WAAAAYY overdue!

 

[division 6]

For doing the notches in the track I attached all the tracks to a piece of cardboard then used strips of wood attached to the base of a Dremel drill press stand.
It allows you to you to adjust and lock the height of the tool.
I used a grinding bit and just slid the grips under the bit creating the channel.
Some light filing and it's done.

Poor man's milling machine .

 

[Dann]

For doing the notches in the track I attached all the tracks to a piece of cardboard then used strips of wood attached to the base of a Dremel drill press stand.
It allows you to you to adjust and lock the height of the tool.
I used a grinding bit and just slid the grips under the bit creating the channel.
Some light filing and it's done.

Poor man's milling machine .

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! This is how I'll do mine, but with a drill press drill press, not a Dremel drill press, because I don't have one of those. They ARE really cool, though.

Thanks for that!