Here is a custom lightsaber I just made for my youngest son.
Very nice. Is it based on found items, or is it all from scratch?
Every time I see one of your posts I am just filled with admiration for your work. I keep going back to your Peak Sabers picture with all of them lined up and can't stop drooling! I've got a few star wars related props and projects going on but a lightsaber is not presently one of them. I'm constantly searching for a vintage flash like your Peak flashes or King Sol's to name a few, but without much luck. One day I hope to build a custom OT inspired saber half as nice as anything you've made. Thank you for posting your projects and writing so much about them, it's always a joy to see your work.
My personal saber. TCSS parts, custom made shroud, Crystal Focus v7.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...m Lightsaber Project/IMG_0249_zpsboubinfa.jpg http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...m Lightsaber Project/IMG_0310_zpscprldeuo.jpg
In the end, I bead-blasted the grips, heated them up red-hot with a torch and dipped them in used oil. It made them look terrible, and that's when the inspiration hit.
Every custom saber that's ever been on my bench has looked like a "good guy's" Lightsaber. Why not make one that looks like a war-torn relic, like Kylo Ren's Lightsaber?
The "Bad Guy" custom Lightsaber was born. The Graflex clamp was kicked aside (not literally) and a beater clamp from a Peak 3 cell was used instead. Mini circuit board from my greeblie stash, D-ring from the Custom saber shop, (also cooked with a torch) shorty 2 cell Heiland shroud dipped in some very overused Aluminum Black and the Heiland tube was rolled around in it, too. The chrome plating had some pitting, so the AB affected those areas. No paint used anywhere.
Here is a custom lightsaber I just made for my youngest son.
So, I bought some things, and started a project.
During the long search for suitable vintage flashes to make into a saber I stumbled upon a couple auctions for Minicam flash guns. They were cheap and I had the itch. So I took a gamble on whether or not they'd be suitable for my intentions and bought a couple. I'm very happy with what I've managed to throw together so far but I've hit a bit of a road block in the build.
Here's where I'm at so far. The one on the left is pretty much what they are like unmodified. I'm happy to say I have a healthy pile of assorted parts to tinker with now.
http://i.imgur.com/r5RHKHh.jpg
Here's a better look at the flashes (and my progress) by themselves.
http://i.imgur.com/WvIOoXk.jpg
My dilemna is, the saber is simply too short. It needs something extra above that clamp/grip section to balance it out.
My current solution which is not perfect is to use the Minicam slave I got as a sort of extension of the tube. I'm not the biggest fan of this plan simply because I believe it adds TOO MUCH length. Ideally I'd add about an inch and a half to the overall length, not almost two and half inches like my extension is!
http://i.imgur.com/DoVDj2s.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/z7b4TUG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/41Egiei.jpg
Until I figure out a solution to that problem I'll likely try to find a D ring to add to the bottom, and maybe stick some wires in the connector bits of the flash tubes.
But overall I'm so happy with my first lightsaber ever.
Big thanks to Peep and others (that includes a very nice non-RPF member on Ebay) for the very kind compliments. I'm hoping you can score a Peak or a King Sol very soon. :thumbsup
Finished one of two Heiland SOL custom saber projects today. This one went through a big change from the original concept.
I was going to make this one into another custom with a silver theme and a new Parks replica Graflex clamp. I've also been thinking about making a custom utilizing my stainless grips, but have them to be black (or at least darker) in color.
I didn't want to use paint, so I watched a few instructional Youtube videos where people have "blued" stainless steel by heating it up with a torch and dipping the part in wet coffee grounds. I tried it, but it didn't work very well.
In the end, I bead-blasted the grips, heated them up red-hot with a torch and dipped them in used oil. It made them look terrible, and that's when the inspiration hit.
Every custom saber that's ever been on my bench has looked like a "good guy's" Lightsaber. Why not make one that looks like a war-torn relic, like Kylo Ren's Lightsaber?
The "Bad Guy" custom Lightsaber was born. The Graflex clamp was kicked aside (not literally) and a beater clamp from a Peak 3 cell was used instead. Mini circuit board from my greeblie stash, D-ring from the Custom saber shop, (also cooked with a torch) shorty 2 cell Heiland shroud dipped in some very overused Aluminum Black and the Heiland tube was rolled around in it, too. The chrome plating had some pitting, so the AB affected those areas. No paint used anywhere.
[URL]http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb333/Scott_D_1969_007/Prop%20Collection/DSC03838_zpsdv9oson9.jpg[/URL]
[URL]http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb333/Scott_D_1969_007/Prop%20Collection/DSC03842_zpsegsxpqpd.jpg[/URL]
Nice. I bet what looks like a safety on the activator would actually be a booby trap like on Blade's sword (for those who saw that film), if not, little imagination is needed to what happens to other than the hand of the "Bad Guy".