Sink Tube Lightsabers: Need Help!!!!

My friends and I are shooting a lightsaber duel in and around my church. There's just one problem: we have no money whatsoever.

Most of our funds are going towards getting a new camera (to replace the one we were using, a crappy Flip model that breaks constantly). Thus, everything else is going to have to be on the cheap. Special effects shouldn't be a problem; we're rotoscoping frame-by-frame using GIMP, which works fairly well; this duel and its much-improved sequel used GIMP, and the effects turned out fairly well.

My problem came with building usable lightsaber props for cheap. I started out by screwing several PVC parts into a small copper part, which I then forced onto a long metal tube, and stuck a long piece of PVC pipe in as a blade. I then wrapped the tube in electrical tape for grips. Not only did it look horrible, it was at least twice the weight it should have been, and the top kept unscrewing.

Then, I remembered that Concrete Hustle had used saber props made out of sink tubing. I started thinking about it, and I believe a sink tube could definitely work, and they're cheap. I'm planning on purchasing rubber grips from The Custom Saber Shop to embellish the handle, and maybe add some epoxy and weld on some cool-looking stuff. Only problem is: how am I supposed to use a blade?

For Hustle, they said that they used duct tape to hold PVC pipe in. That really doesn't sound practical to me. I could always use a wood dowel, but I'd have to drill through the hilt to put screws in that would hold it. I really don't want to have to do that. Any ideas as to how I could safely use blades with this kind of handle?

 

[image=http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3972/saber2pv8.jpg]

There ya go, buddy. Enjoy.

 

Thanks so much. I think I'm going to embellish my hilt more than the one in your picture, but this is a HUGE help. THANK YOU!