Stunt Sabers

I have a question. Look at this picture:


[image=http://www.wilcoxusa.net/saber/images/fromvisitors/lightsabres_bg.jpg]

What are those blades made of?
Are they light, and did they paint them?
Would you recommend them for stunt sabers?
Thank you.

P.S, I'm using an RLSA Saber hilt, and it's weighs about 0.5 to 1 pound.

 

I'd like to know too. They probably aren't very durable, that's why they've got two on set like that.

 

Well, in Episode III they were using some titanium/aluminum type alloy stuff, if I remember correctly (If I'm wrong, someone please correct me)

But for the earlier films like Episode I in this picture, I believe they were using straight aluminum rods, and they bent big time. If you watch BTS of Episode I on the DVD, I think it shows Nic Gillard bending the rods back into shape because they hit them so hard.

On the Behind The Scenes on our LCC entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpmRM6kuVNU

We used basically what Ep I used, probably a bit more durable. The props we used were from sabershop.com.

 

That's funny because I saw this video before I came to this thread.

 

Hah nice..
Yeah ours were aluminum 1/2 hollow rods purchased from our local hardware store. All we really did we color them neon orange.
If you plan to go this direction, buy at least 2-3 blades for each saber.
Another little tidbit: The fighter with the red lightsaber in our lightsaber duel actually used a wooden dowel because we couldn't afford two sabershop.com sabers at the time. But either way, the aluminum is still going to bend, so just buy a few for each to be safe..

 

How far did those sabershop.com sabers set you back?

 

Well it wasn't major, but I didn't have much a job back then.

Plus, it was right when SaberShop was just going online, and Ryan was opening up shop. He put them on eBay, but it didn't have the exposure it does now..

Here are the props that we used..

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/DavidAdametz/Lightsaber003.jpg] [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/DavidAdametz/Lightsaber001.jpg] [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/DavidAdametz/Lightsaber004.jpg]
[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/DavidAdametz/Lightsaber002.jpg] [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/DavidAdametz/Shot2.jpg]

 

That hilt looks so awesome!

Btw, I watched your documentary on your LCC entry. How did you manage to illuminate the blades? Is there a light emitter within the sabershop.com hilt or were you using a completely different hilt?

 

We used the Hasbro Toy sabers. We noticed, when first filming, that the cheap flashlight that lit the blade wasn't bright enough.
We literally pulled the handle right off, and duct taped an LED flashlight to the blade, and it gave a much brighter appearance. There really wasn't a handle, just a mini LED flashlight grip to hold onto to, with an insane load of duct tape for some serious grip.
The shots with the lights off were dark enough to where we could get away without anyone really noticing the hilts.

 

I use 12mm diameter, 1mm thick aluminium tubes. They are very light and durable as well as cheap.

 

Actually, for Episode 3, they used carbon-fiber dueling rods like the ones you can buy at randomsabers.com. They're about $30 a blade.

 

What if the core of the hilt is only fits 3/4 rods? And btw, what is the price range for those aluminum rods?

 

I bought 2 tubes for $10. Each 2m long. I cut on in half for two standard sabers and the other one for a doublesided saber.

 

Those are props from "The Phantom Menace". The blades are made from aluminum tubes (they switched to carbon fiber tubes for Episode 3). I'm guessing they are either 5/8" or 3/4" in outside diameter.

They are very light and were indeed spray painted (supposed wrapped in shrink wrap as well to prevent the paint from chipping).

Would I recommend them for stunt sabers? No. Why? 1" outside diameter polycarbonate tubes (with a 1/8" thick wall) and 1/2" outside diameter carbon fiber tubes are both far superior to aluminium. However, if you can't afford those materials them aluminum may just be for you.

 

Oh, okay thanks. What if my hilt is only fits 3/4 diameter rods? What should I do then?

 

Get 3/4" diameter tubes/rods.

 

One INCH OD? That's huge! To the point of genuine hilarity.

Alright, here's the skinny.

In Episode 1 they used resin castings of the hero sabers with steel cores. The steel protruded about 6 inches from the emitter and had threaded holes in it. The blades were aluminum tubes with holes also drilled into them, which were attached to the steel with screws. In some promotional stills you can see the screws. They were wrapped in heat-shrink material that colored them red or green.

In Episode 2, as far as I am aware, they used essentially the same process, though they might have started casting the blades directly into a replaceable emitter.

In Episode 3, Ryan tells me that they were doing the replaceable emitter thing, with the carbon fiber tubing instead of aluminum.

M. Scott

 

I don't know if you remember back in '04 when I put my first duel out with the massive 1-1/4" dowels as the basis, and Funk comparing them to tree trunks?

Ahh, the good ol' days.


The other day I ordered a couple of those carbon fiber blades you guys have said you used (and didn't break) on RvD2. Any recommendations for use? Cover them in tape, paint, deflector shields, anything?


-Vaportrail

 

What I recommend best is spray them with a neon color, preferably orange.
Then take some packing tape, whip out a piece as long as the rod (vertically), and then wrap it around. About 2 wraps should be good.
The spray will start to chip and fall apart with its held inside the tape, so you hardly notice.

 

Colored tape works too

 

Actually 1" OD is not that bad. I most certainly would never want to go with a thicker prop blade and would love to go thinner when using polycarbonate. However, if you want a sparring blade that you can make "light up", is not very whippy and that can take a major beating, you really need that 1" OD with at least a 1/8" thick wall. Obviously, if you don't need a blade that lights up DURING filming (or that lights up period), a thinner rod, tube or dowel is a better way to go... IMHO.

If any of you need a good reference as to what a lightsaber prop looks like with a 1" OD blade that lights up, take a look and any of the Force FX lightsabers from Master Replicas. Their blades are 1" in outside diameter. Of course most of those props have oversized hilts so the comparison may not be that great, lol.

 

For my film, we're using 1" PVC for handles and 7/8" wooden dowels for blades. I used various PVC connectors and caps for emmiters and pommels, painted all the PVC silver and/or black, and secured the blades in by wrapping the ends in duct tape until they were a snug fit. Spray paint the blades neon pink, and there you have it.

Dowels are cheap and relatively strong, they shouldn't break unless your actors are hitting too hard. Also, if someone misses a beat and gets clocked in the head, you'll be less likely to need a trip to the ER than if the same mishap occured with metal tubes.

That's my two cents anyway.

 

Actually in this case wooden dowel will hurt far worse and cause more damage than either carbon fiber tubes, polycarbonate tubes or thin walled aluminum tubes. Why? 1. 7/8" dowel is heavier (this being the main reason why dowel will hurt more) and 2. 7/8" wood dowel has less give (flexibility) to it than the above mentioned materials. I have used just about every prop blade material under the sun (except bamboo) and sparred with it so I can attest to this. I don't neccessarily expect you to believe me so please try all the materials for yourself. Though common physics would tend to side with me.