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Author Topic: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Evil-Henchman 
Registered: Jul '04
6614_Darth Vader
Date Posted: 3/23 2:06pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
You guys are sick and wrong... and now for a lymric. There once was a man from Nan...

 

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Evil-Henchman 
Registered: Jul '04
6614_Darth Vader
Date Posted: 3/31 3:57pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread - Date Edited: 3/31 3:59pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Evil-Henchman
Below are pics of my latest saber hilt. I was going for a castle tower/medieval theme.

There is a flaw on the upper handle that is circled red in one of the pics. This was caused by a factory assembly flaw on my brand new vice that is mounted to the mill. The band around the vice showing the degrees (or the piece of metal that has the pointer on it) was not put on correctly. Turns out my vice is 1 entire degree off. Silly me for assuming the FACTORY would assemble the vice correctly. Anywho, I recalibrated the vice and everything was hunky dorey (SP?) after that.

The emitter is not perfectly cut but still looks cool (at least to me). There are three inset screws total, near the top of three of the emitter prongs for holding a blade in. This allows for pressure holding as opposed to drilling and tapping a hole in the blade should one desire one method over the other.

I sprayed on six coats of black primer and then sanded most of it off, especially on the emitter and pommel. However I did not sand the paint off the inside of the cut-outs or the grooves in the emitter. I then put on six coats of matte clear spray paint to help keep the primer from wearing off too soon from everyday use. To my surprise this darkened the metal quite a bit and made it look like brushed stainless steel. Me likey.

The rounded part of the pommel where it meets the handle was interesting to make. I had to be very careful with the lathe tool when making it. After I got that part of the pommel "rough cut" I used a large metal file on it while it was turning in the lathe to get the right shape. The rounded cut-out and the spike part of the pommel were quite easy to do. The pommel is solid aluminum and it makes the hilt a bit bottom heavy but with a blade mounted, it makes it quite nice to wield.

There is no activation button on this hilt as it is designed to take electronics. As such, a hole will need to be drilled by the future owner for an on/off switch, should said owner so desire. I temporarily inserted electronics to show what the emitter looks like when a blade is inserted and lit up.

As usual, all comments are welcome.










 

-----signature-----
"Warned you we tried. Listen you did not. Now screwed we all will be."
"Why are there no lumberjacks in the city?"
"Ninja kick the damn rabbit!"
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Sith-Man 
Registered: Oct '04
43212_Sith Acolyte
Date Posted: 3/31 5:33pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Very nice man. I love it.

I'm gonna start on designing my hilt for my lcc entry tonight, (we may get to do a short little entry after all), It's gonna be about three feet long, (give or take)... You'll see why when we film our fight.

 

-----signature-----
You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer.
Your sentence was caried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours.
How'd that go?-William Striker
It tickled.-Wolverine
From the trailer.
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Calvinthejedi 
Title: Former FanForce CR
Savannah, GA USA

Registered: Mar '04
39909_Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 3/31 7:31pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Evil-Henchman posted:














Dude, that saber is freakin' awesome! I'd love to see someone get stabbed with the spike on the end of the hilt. happy

 

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Pain is temporary. Film is FOREVER.
"... I am speechless. Congrats. "~Penitio, in response to 'Jediz and Jinxes'
Jediz and Jinxes-A Star Wars/Harry Potter Mini-Series
http://www.jedizandjinxes.net
podcast@swfancast.com -Fancast Email
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VaporTrail 
Registered: May '02
14913_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 3/31 9:02pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Blue, eh?
Yeah, I don't think so. That's an evil hilt.

-Vaportrail

 

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It's not about how the story ends. It's about how they get there.
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Evil-Henchman 
Registered: Jul '04
6614_Darth Vader
Date Posted: 3/31 9:28pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Sith-Man posted:
Very nice man. I love it.


Thank you.

Calvinthejedi posted:
Dude, that saber is freakin' awesome! I'd love to see someone get stabbed with the spike on the end of the hilt. happy


You are a violent person. I like that. wink Thanks.

VaporTrail posted:
Blue, eh?
Yeah, I don't think so. That's an evil hilt.


Very punny. It is a bit violent looking isn't it? Does that mean you like it?

 

-----signature-----
"Warned you we tried. Listen you did not. Now screwed we all will be."
"Why are there no lumberjacks in the city?"
"Ninja kick the damn rabbit!"
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VaporTrail 
Registered: May '02
14913_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 3/31 10:58pm Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
It's prolly not something I would use for myself, not quite my style, but it's definitely very cool. I'd be afraid of that cone, even though it looks like it's not a sharp point, that could get you into some trouble.

Occasionally during choreography, my hilt will go a certain way (usually if we mess up), and catch the underside of my forearm. With the cone on there, I'm not sure if it'd be more likely to glance off or dig in.

For my own hilt, I'd be more likely to have something like Qui-Gon's. I love the black detailing. Never really did take the time to design something permanent for myself, I just make do w/ hardware parts for now.

-Vaportrail

 

-----signature-----
It's not about how the story ends. It's about how they get there.
http://www.youtube.com/vaportrailfilms
http://thespenceleyspoileriffic.blogspot.com/
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Sith-Man 
Registered: Oct '04
43212_Sith Acolyte
Date Posted: 4/2 6:55am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Question, Where's the best place to shop for pvc pipe to use for hilts? I stopped by home depot yesterday, and they had nothing that I could use.

 

-----signature-----
You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer.
Your sentence was caried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours.
How'd that go?-William Striker
It tickled.-Wolverine
From the trailer.
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StickGuyProductions 
Registered: Feb '07
41676_Boba Fett
Date Posted: 4/2 6:58am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Sith-Man posted:
Question, Where's the best place to shop for pvc pipe to use for hilts? I stopped by home depot yesterday, and they had nothing that I could use.


I bought mine at Lowes.

 

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VaporTrail 
Registered: May '02
14913_Obi-Wan
Date Posted: 4/2 7:36am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
I don't know why they wouldn't have anything. If they don't have the PVC, they should have the piping that I use in their plumbing section.

Did you ask about 1-1/4" diameter PVC?

 

-----signature-----
It's not about how the story ends. It's about how they get there.
http://www.youtube.com/vaportrailfilms
http://thespenceleyspoileriffic.blogspot.com/
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elemental_fantasy 
Registered: Mar '06
24215_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/2 9:26am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread

Sith-Man posted:
Question, Where's the best place to shop for pvc pipe to use for hilts? I stopped by home depot yesterday, and they had nothing that I could use.


confused Your trippin Sith... Home Depot should have everything you need. If not, Lowes or Dixie line. It's also about 70% cheaper if you buy 5 feet of pipe instead of 2 feet. crazy.

 

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Sith-Man 
Registered: Oct '04
43212_Sith Acolyte
Date Posted: 4/2 10:03am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
Well I didn't say the didn't have anything, they just didn't have what I need. I have PVC pipe, but for the thickness that I need, they would only sell it in strips of 10 feet, and I'm not gonna buy 10 feet of pvc, because all I have to transport it in is a small car, and the store is all the way across town.

They had some scraps that they sold in one foot pieces, but they started at two inches and went up to ten inches thick.

And then with the smaller pieces that would be used for detail, they had nothing that would fit on inch thick pipe.

I'm gonna have to see where the nearest lowes is. Or even, (if I get really desperate), there's a small hardware store just outside of town that sells pvc and dowls cut to length... But then they also charge a lot more.



elemental_fantasy posted:
Your trippin Sith...


lol, I think I found the next line for my signature. grin

 

-----signature-----
You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer.
Your sentence was caried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours.
How'd that go?-William Striker
It tickled.-Wolverine
From the trailer.
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elemental_fantasy 
Registered: Mar '06
24215_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/2 10:21am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread - Date Edited: 4/2 10:24am (3 edits total) Edited By: elemental_fantasy
lol, Sith, I got a VT comin soon for saber work with PVC, I believe you will not find any PVC pipe to cover the 1 inch, you have to cut a slit in the next size up going up it's length and make that cut about 3 or 4 mm wide. That way you can then apply glue and squeeze the size up PVC to fit the 1 inch.

At home depot, they can cut the PVC pipe for you in much smaller sections, but for what you need, try out DixieLine. As soon as I get my Premier back up, I will edit the saber VT right away and put it up. I am praying for that by the end of this week.

EDIT: Also, the tools you really need are gonna be a Grinder, Heat gun, and Dremel.

 

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Sith-Man 
Registered: Oct '04
43212_Sith Acolyte
Date Posted: 4/2 10:32am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread
elemental_fantasy posted:
lol, Sith, I got a VT comin soon for saber work with PVC, I believe you will not find any PVC pipe to cover the 1 inch, you have to cut a slit in the next size up going up it's length and make that cut about 3 or 4 mm wide. That way you can then apply glue and squeeze the size up PVC to fit the 1 inch.

At home depot, they can cut the PVC pipe for you in much smaller sections, but for what you need, try out DixieLine. As soon as I get my Premier back up, I will edit the saber VT right away and put it up. I am praying for that by the end of this week.

EDIT: Also, the tools you really need are gonna be a Grinder, Heat gun, and Dremel.


Well I know how to make the hilts, I've done it before. Only I got the supplies from a small hardware store, and they had a lot larger of a selection, and plenty of pieces that fit over the 1 inch near perfectly.

And the guy at home depot yesterday told me that they don't cut pvc pipe to length any more because they had people that wanted it cut a certain way, and would bring it back the next day and complain about it being to short. They stopped cutting it to length to stop waisting pvc... At least that's what he told me.

 

-----signature-----
You were sentenced to death for decapitating a senior officer.
Your sentence was caried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours.
How'd that go?-William Striker
It tickled.-Wolverine
From the trailer.
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elemental_fantasy 
Registered: Mar '06
24215_Anakin
Date Posted: 4/2 10:49am Subject: RE: The Official Lightsaber Hilt Thread

Sith-Man posted:
And the guy at home depot yesterday told me that they don't cut pvc pipe to length any more because they had people that wanted it cut a certain way, and would bring it back the next day and complain about it being to short.



Christ, I only did that 4 times! Whats the big deal? I'm a perfectionist! grin

That sucks, at my Home Depot they have you cut it yourself.
I'll have to look around at local hardware stores, I always use HomeD or dixieline or whatever is closer, but forget how much more neat stuff the smaller hardware stores carry.

Oh, that Reflectix tape works really good for covering the PVC hilts in chrome, just if anybody didn't know.
For what you want Sith, it sounds like you should go to the hardware store, Doubt the big stores will have all the stuff you need, for me, the ones in Southern California dont.

 

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