Lightsabers & Blasters Anyone have any idea what to use for grips on a lightsaber?

i dont know what to use, i tried weatherstrip, it came off. but other than that I dont know...
I also dont know what to use for a on/off switch. anyone have any ideas? (i dont have calculator bubbles)

 

windshield wiper strips

 

they arent big enough, they are too small

 

How are they too small?

 

I cut some grips out of some black PVC pipe. It worked great: the pipe was curved, so it fits the curve of the saber hilt perfectly. Just be sure to sand the inner surface of the grip material (the part that will be glued to the hilt) to ensure a good adhesion.

There's another thread about this back a page or two...you might check that out too...

--Kai

 

I can't remember what gauge pipe, but there is a 1 1/4" PVC pipe that fits perfectly over the 1 1/2" chrome pipe a lot of folks use for the sabre hilt. (check the Big Yellow website)You don't have to use the exact pattern they have available, I plan to eventually make a second one that will have longitudinal grips made from the same PVC.

Additionally, you can use a 1 1/4" chrome pipe and stack polywashers over that to made a grip similar in appearance to the grenade portion of OWK's ANH sabre.

Other options include leather strips, wire rope, the possiblities are many.

 

The PVC pipe is the thinner of the two: SCH40 is the thicker, and will not fit. (from experience!)

 

I've been cutting grooves into my latest saber hilt and slipping rubber o-rings into the grooves.

 

The PVC is the 160psi kind. Pretty thin, and easy to cut with a dremel (rotary tool)

Smiling-Otter, how are you doing that? Do you have pics?

 

I have a cool idea that I'm using for my lightsaber. I used the insides of some bike tires as grip. I know it sounds strange, but if you take out the tire part that holds all the air, the whole other section of the bike tire that just comes out of the inside tire itself, you'll have your grip. Then, measure how long your hilt is and how long you'd like to have your grip on your hilt. Go ahead and cut the tire into a rectangle. In other words, cut a top and bottom. Now, cutting is a bit tricky, but you've got a lot of rubber to use, so use it abundantly. The reason it's tricky is that the rubber part curves and when you put it on your hilt, after you've cut it the wrong way, then you'll get a curved rubber grip. Probably not what you'd want. So try cut it into as perfect of a rectangle as you can. Also, just to let you know also, if you do decide to use this you have to really glue or tape the grip to the hilt, because it will move if not. The other thing great about this is that the rubber from the tire will just slip on the hilt from the top or bottom. It fits perfectly!!! I'll try to get some pictures to demonstrate what I'm talking about. I hope this wasn't too confusing. It's really easy and very good as a grip. REALLY.

 

go to an auto body shop and look for hoses that connect the radiator. They are rubber, with metal reinforcement, and have ringed corrugation all along them. Those are great, you actually make it as part of the saber, not as something that surrounds a tube.

 

I have to say, windshield wiper blades did the trick for me....the only problem was how to attach them to the hilt. I went the extra mile and drilled 16 precise holes for 16 nuts and bolts (8 sections, two bolts each). The real challenge was screwing the nuts onto the bolts while they are 6 inches inside a 1 1/2 inch pipe... Long story short, it looks cool, and the grips are never coming off.

 

The o-rings don't work with sink tubes - my preferred hilt before I got a lathe - since they're not thick enough. But on thicker material, with either a lathe or a simple pipe cutter, you can cut grooves into the material. Slide the rings on and you're set. One thing you might do, cut a groove and then slide the o-ring on before you cut the next groove. Might make things a bit simpler, since you don't have to slide o-rings over each other.

 

I wrapped my hilt in leather strips. It works VERY well.

 

Yeah I used leather strips and actually wrapped it around the hilt, giving it almost a braided look.

 

It depends on how much action it will see. I have a copper pipe with a 3/4 reducer on the top to hold in the dowel rod for the blade. I use electrical tape. Stays in one place and grips really good. If you want to get fancy, Try Felt or a type of synthetic leather. Just an idea.

 

Home Depot/Lowes carry 3' wide rolls of rubber carpet runner/protector in their flooring isle. This stuff runs about $1.50/ft., and you don't need much. They have several patterns - I used a ribbed version that works great for grips. Use epoxy to adhere it to your saber. I measured then cut and wrapped a piece around a sink tube saber, glued with epoxy, and then rubber-banded all around to hold it to shape while the glue cured (5-minute epoxy recommended). Works perfectly.

 

If you're using wiper blades, you could attach them with pop rivets instead of bolts and nuts.

 

anyone ever thought of trying one of the online "parts" webpages ?? the ones that sell kits to finish your 'sabers?

NWJEDI
dave

 

You can cut up a mouse pad and use the back side for your grips. Then you can make them wider than a wiper blade.


In fact I am about half way done with a saber were I am doing just that.

o' rings are what I use the most for my grips though.

 

A thought...

For the Vader/Anakin sabers (graflex/MPP/Heiland), I thought about using the wiper blades, but rather than glueing, riveting, or screwing them into the tube, I thought about cutting the tube so that you could slide the blades into the tube, similar to what you'd do to the wiper itself. The trick would be to measure out the precise cuts. But with a little patience I'm sure it could be done.

Of course, if you want to make it with the 1/2" or so that's between the grips and the 'pommel', then you'd have little cuts, but if you just make it to length, then it wouldn't look too bad, and would work nicely, no?

Just some ideas.

 

Actually, thats how many believe Anakins was done in Attack of the Clones...

 

I tried that with a sink pipe once. The problem I had was the sink pipe became very weak where the several cuts were put into the end. You may want to think about re enforcing it some how. I didn't get mine to turn out

 

Yeah, I see what you mean. I wonder if a wooden dowel would be big enough to fit in there for support? I'm sure something can be put in there for added strength.

 

I've used fiber conduit, rubber washers, bat tape, and pvc pipe. The fiber conduit looks great once it's painted:

[image=http://www.rmff.net/gallery/Meeting%2010%20-%20StarFest%20April%2020%202002/Props%201.jpg] (top right saber).