Lightsabers & Blasters How can I build my own lightsaber?

Hi, Summer just came for me and I want to build my own lightsaber, and I have looked around for "How to's..." and found none.
This topic has probably been answered before but I dont know were to look.
thanxs,

DM


By the way, I'm looking for the CHEAPEST(as a teen, aint got a lot of money...) way possible but that it atleast looks good.

DM

 

You have 3 options.

Very Cheap: Rubies

Cheap: Hasbro

Not-so-Cheap: Hardware

Look for sites under google for Hardware sabers...most famous is the "Big Yellow Box"

Don't feel like mark ups today

Good luck

Boy we need a sticky!

 

There are a lot of tutorials online that can help you make a custom lightsaber, from parts that you find from your local hardware store. I made mine for about twenty something dollars. Here are some helpful links for you. I used the Padawan's guide to help make mine. Make sure to use referance photos for what you want.

Edit: Yes, you can always get the hasbro lightsabers... but, for a little more money, you can get a really neat looking one that you can say you made yourself. I'd go for hardware store.


Padawans's guide to lightsaber making

project graflex

 

Don't forget The Big Yellow Box which is cheap if you want it to be, and you can get very nice results.

 

EDIT: I really souldn't advertise this here...

 

ALso, if you don't want to buy a saber, just go into your local hardware store in the plumbing and homeware section. You'll find a lot of good stuff there. Lowes or homedepot would be your best betm, but try walmart first.


I know what you mean by not making lots of money-I'm a teen, to!

 

*clears throat* ....I forgot to say this, but I live outside the US....

DM

 

Me too, but ordering something from parks or other lightsaber sites are fine from what I've heard, I'm talking to the person I pm'd you about just now and he's finding out about shipping to the UK for me, where do you live?

 

Ahh, darn


Well, go to the equivilent of Lowes/Home Depot (home improvement shops) or walmart (a superstore, convienience store, ect)

 

I live in Costa Rica, Central America


DM


Ill go to the hard ware store but, What do I need is the question...

 

Everything you need can be found on the site I posted. Starting with a peice of chrome sink-pipe works well. Then add some PVC, but in a pretty design, add some rivets, and you're good to go.

 

That padawansguide website is quite helpful as someone else suggested

 

THANK YOU!!!!!!

*runs to her nearest hardware store*

DM

 

If you don't already have any tools for cutting, drilling, etc. the cheapest way to go is a dremel from the hardware store. But you will still have to spend about $50 on a decent cheap one. I do NOT recommend getting the cordless ones. The battery runs out to fast and they burn out WAY to easy. The faster the better.

 

I have built two custom made sabers (based on original designs of my own) one regular, one electrum. They are made out of sink pipes, a door bell, a sink plug, a D-ring, windshield wiper blades, and then there are some differences in the rest of the materials. For the reg. saber I used a flashlight reflective emitter for the emitter, and a thumbscrew for the blade adjuster. In the electrum saber I had to buy brass plates to give it some electrum detail, and the emitter is a sink aerator, and the blade adjuster is a knurled nut. Both of them cost about $40 something to make. You can finish them in a few days if you work diligently... at the most it will take weeks. That Big Yellow Box site was helpful, as was Kal Joren's Academy

 

A doorbell? What for?

 

The activator button perhaps?

 

if you're going to make it to hold a blade, you won't need the sink filter, etc. for the emitter though...and what's the point of having a lightsaber w/o a blade??

To make it hold a blade you can get some 3/4" ID PVC pipe and some sort of spacer to fit it into the sink pipe (I recommend the 1 1/4" pipe rather than the 1 1/2"). Then just put a hole near the emitter and put a thumbscrew or two in there to secure the blade. You can get acrylic rods, or use wooden dowels. For costuming purposes, I recommend the colored acrylic rods (you can get them from plastic stores online if you don't have one in your area).

However if you spar with them I'd say use wooden dowels as they're cheaper and easier to replace if you break one.

NOTE: I am not saying that you should spar, nor am I condoning sparring with your saber. But if you do, be as careful as possible. If possible make a padded blade and wear all proper protective equipment to prevent unnecessary injury. Thank you, that is all.

 

I'll just make my little plug for the list of everthing costuming related page I created here now: link. My tutorial on building hardware sabers is right at the top. Many more links are provided at bottom.

 

This may not help your supreme cause but here is a link to a site that has very detailed pics of ALL sabers used in the movies. The site is in german but all you will need is the pics.

Good Luck

DW45

 

I recently made a saber, and have a removable blade for it made of one of those paint-roller extenders(kinda like a broomstick, but shorter and a little thinner) I then attatched the end to a male threaded pvx and attatched the female end to the inside of my saber(both attatched with epoxy). Then just below where the blade comes out of the hilt I wrapped duct tape around as a shock absorber of sorts. This works very well as a removable blade, though I wouldn't recommend fighting with them.

 

This is making me want to build another saber that will hold the acrylic blade I have.

What is "threaded pvx"? Specifically, what is pvx?

Thanks.

 

pvc?

 

yodaismygod: I also have been using threaded pvc for quite some time. I currently have two sabers that use piece of pvc with threads on the end and a female connector.

The connector had to have some duct tape wrapped around it to get it secure and then I glued it in place further to secure it.

I found the pvc in the plumbing dept at Lowes. But instead of being sold in the 10 ft sections, they come in 4ft sections and are called "pvc risers". They are a dark grey and are a thicker gauge than the white pvc I've seen. Because of this, they're ideal for fighting and use in fan films since the blade can be quickly removed. Unfortunately, each one of these 4 ft pieces is $2.00-$3.00. However, I've not yet been able to break one.

I definately recommend this for anyone wanting to add blades to their saber.

 

Yeah sorry, didn't proof-read my post that would have been pvc