Lightsabers
Recently my Apprentice and I completed our builds on our first lightsabers. I say these are our first as the previous ones had no internal electronics. So in many senses they were not lightsabers, as the larger saber community thinks of them.
Let me start by saying if you are considering crafting your own because you think it'll be cheaper than buying one, think again.
Rough cost of a Hasbro ForceFX lightsaber: 110-150 depending on model.
Rough cost of a Scratch Built (No detailing, no sound):
-Blade holder/Heat Sink: 20
-Electronics kit: 17
-Blade: 30
-Sink Pipe: 8
-Misc (wire, end-cap, electrical tape, solder, etc...): 5ish
-TOTAL: 80
And thats just to have a pile of parts sitting on your table. Now you have to assmble them properly. You'll need at least a soldering iron, drill with 2 sizes of drill bit, wire cutter and various hex-key sizes. And assmebly time will probably take about an hour. And voila! You have a saber that looks like a chrome tube with a light-up plastic rod sticking out of it.
Oh you wanted something that could be out of the movies or comics? At least in appearance?
Take that 80 dollars and hour of work and start adding. More sink pipe, more wiring, possibly better electronic parts, rubber o-rings, epoxy, more specialized screws, and accent bits. Also add in, hacksaws, a rotary tool (Dremel, craftsman, etc...) with various cutting bits, sanding bits, grinding bit, and polishing bits. For time, well, how fast can you cut and sand metal with precision? You're talking a few hours of work a day for several days realistically.
Oh! Want sound? Soundcards alone run like 125. Let alone the added wiring, battery upgrades, internal speaker, and driver cards. You're looking at 250-300 dollars with sound.
So why do people create their own lightsabers if not to keep costs down? Simple, customization. It's unique to the crafter. Much like the Jedi or Sith in the stories people want their own, personalized weapon. Its a right of passage if you're really into the mythology, and in the fandom in a way.
However there is a problem. It becomes kind of an addiction. You start thinking about what upgrades you'd make on your "next" saber. What new design elements you'll add. What you'd do differently next time based on what you learned this time. There's rarely a question about IF you'll make another, it's WHEN you will.
All in all I had fun making mine. I bled on it several times. Learned to solder better and use a dremel tool vastly better. AI learned a bunch about small scale electronics.
And yes, I already have my next design in mind.
Let me start by saying if you are considering crafting your own because you think it'll be cheaper than buying one, think again.
Rough cost of a Hasbro ForceFX lightsaber: 110-150 depending on model.
Rough cost of a Scratch Built (No detailing, no sound):
-Blade holder/Heat Sink: 20
-Electronics kit: 17
-Blade: 30
-Sink Pipe: 8
-Misc (wire, end-cap, electrical tape, solder, etc...): 5ish
-TOTAL: 80
And thats just to have a pile of parts sitting on your table. Now you have to assmble them properly. You'll need at least a soldering iron, drill with 2 sizes of drill bit, wire cutter and various hex-key sizes. And assmebly time will probably take about an hour. And voila! You have a saber that looks like a chrome tube with a light-up plastic rod sticking out of it.
Oh you wanted something that could be out of the movies or comics? At least in appearance?
Take that 80 dollars and hour of work and start adding. More sink pipe, more wiring, possibly better electronic parts, rubber o-rings, epoxy, more specialized screws, and accent bits. Also add in, hacksaws, a rotary tool (Dremel, craftsman, etc...) with various cutting bits, sanding bits, grinding bit, and polishing bits. For time, well, how fast can you cut and sand metal with precision? You're talking a few hours of work a day for several days realistically.
Oh! Want sound? Soundcards alone run like 125. Let alone the added wiring, battery upgrades, internal speaker, and driver cards. You're looking at 250-300 dollars with sound.
So why do people create their own lightsabers if not to keep costs down? Simple, customization. It's unique to the crafter. Much like the Jedi or Sith in the stories people want their own, personalized weapon. Its a right of passage if you're really into the mythology, and in the fandom in a way.
However there is a problem. It becomes kind of an addiction. You start thinking about what upgrades you'd make on your "next" saber. What new design elements you'll add. What you'd do differently next time based on what you learned this time. There's rarely a question about IF you'll make another, it's WHEN you will.
All in all I had fun making mine. I bled on it several times. Learned to solder better and use a dremel tool vastly better. AI learned a bunch about small scale electronics.
And yes, I already have my next design in mind.