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Author Topic: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T  (Read 11214 times)

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Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« on: March 23, 2015, 08:41:46 PM »
Zark_T is the most recent new member to join my local chapter of the Rebel Legion and he was in need of a new lightsaber. He had one that worked well for getting membership,  but once we were costuming together at the recent Grand Rapids Griffins Star Wars Night,  and seeing my personal sabers and the ones I recently upgraded for the other members of the club, it became apparent to him that he needed something....different. Since i had finished most of the upgrades for other members,  I offered to see what I could do for him and suggested looking through my site and see if any of the previous builds interested him,  and he chose my re-worked Chrome Saber 2 design:

 

As with that saber, this one will be built on a budget,  but hopefully will still look good and most importantly,  function as a good trooping saber.

So,  here's the basic parts for the hilt:



These are the RICE and recharge ports....I was thinking about putting these in the pommel,  but that will depend on a couple of things that will be worked out between Zark and myself:


This is the led housing/heatsink assembly:


These pieces will make up the front and center sections of the hilt....these started out as a 4" MHS extension that I had Tim at TCSS machine some grooves into to make it easier to part it up into the pieces you see here:

The threaded ends will allow for attaching the blade holder and pommel,  the un-threaded center section will house the main switch,  and possibly the aux switch as well.  The other piece shown there with the polywashers on it will serve as the front grip.  The washers are on there as a place holder for now,  and may be used on this,  but I might have something else in mind for that part,  too.

This last piece is obvious,  I think. The chrome tube will serve as both the rear section of the hilt body and also will be used to make the emitter sleeve/shroud.


Cutting has already commenced,  and I will update this as work progresses.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2015, 08:44:17 PM by QUI-GON JINN »


Offline Caine

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2015, 09:30:08 PM »
Chrome saber 41? Dang, I didn't realize it was THAT far into the series. These sabers were always fun.

Folks, I go back to CS-12...my 2nd-ever custom saber from "back in the day".  8)

Offline jedirobe

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2015, 11:35:14 PM »
I'm diggin' the middle section. Very nice.


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Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2015, 09:03:16 AM »
Chrome saber 41? Dang, I didn't realize it was THAT far into the series. T ;Dhese sabers were always fun.

Folks, I go back to CS-12...my 2nd-ever custom saber from "back in the day".  8)
lol, yeah, I took a bit of a break on building these the last few years, or I'd be a little further than 41.


Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2015, 09:45:40 AM »
This is what I managed to get done yesterday before going off to work at the real job. ;D

I started off by cutting the chrome tube down to size...I went with 5"on this piece.  That should be enough to house everything that will go into this section,  the pommel mount,  speaker,  battery and probably the RICE port on a pigtail since this one's battery pack will be removable:


The un-threaded section of the MHS parts goes in one end:

It has a nice flush fit with the end of the tube...I squared off the tube and the MHS piece on my disc sander...sorry no pics of that.  :-\  This piece will be held to the chrome tube using a few 8-32 button head screws.  The forward grip piece will fit inside this part and will have a nearly press-fit secured further by the aforementioned 8-32 button head screws.

The pommel mount fits in the other end of the chrome tube,  obviously:
 
This also has a nice,  flush fit.  This piece will also be secured to the chrome tube via 8-32 button heads screws,  and also the CT button screw.  I'll add those later,  after I finish up the forward grip section.

Here's the rear grip section as it is right now:
 
This part will likely get my tubing cutter grip marks in a pattern I have yet to determine...

For the forward grip section,  I'll need to cut down the 1.25 x 1.15 aluminum tube.  I'll use the tubing cutter for that,  since it isn't that thick,  and being as short as it is,  would be nearly impossible to do on the mitre saw (no way to really secure it due to the design of the saw's table):
   

The tube will fit into the two MHS pieces seen here:

This is basically how I make the Padawan Series sabers I also build,  and they seem to hold up to some spirited dueling,  so I know this one will be pretty sturdy as well. 

These grip tube will slip into the MHS parts like this:
 
The intent is to have to practically press-fit the parts,  to maintain structural rigidity,  and alignment so we don't end up with a bent saber.  (I've done that before on a couple of others in the past for myself....oops.)

I'll have to hone the inside of the MHS parts for this work, since the I.D's of the pieces is identical to the tubing's O.D. of 1.25".
 
This is my 1.25" cylinder hone I got from McMaster-Carr.com. I attached it to my variable speed drill motor,  and this won't take long, due to the low amount material I need to remove.

I fit the hone into the MHS part:
 
I started with the emitter mount and because I didn't want to hone the threads,  too,  attached the emitter to act as a stop for the hone.

I put on my heavy-duty leather glove:

Another option would be to put the part in a vise,  but I was not going to run the drill very fast,  so friction heat build up isn't a concern this time around.

After a few minutes of checking and honing,  the parts fit:
 

I did the same to un-threaded piece,  and eventually it fit as well:
 
cool...it's starting to look like a saber!

I happen to have a piece of chrome tubing I cut for something else and hadn't ended up using,  but it seems a perfect fit for the cover on the blade mount:
 

Now the real work begins....next post!
« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 09:47:23 AM by QUI-GON JINN »


Offline COUNT DOOKU

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2015, 10:38:40 AM »
Looking excellent. Will you be coloring the nylon rings? Or leaving them white?

Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is. We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters. ~Master Yoda~

Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2015, 11:28:07 AM »
If I use them, I'll be leaving them white...paint just slides off of them. I have an idea I'd like to do on this one, but I'll get to that when I get to it.  ;)


Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #7 on: March 27, 2015, 09:23:50 AM »
Okay,  got some time the other day to do more work on this one. The next step in this one's build was to drill for the main activation switch,  so I set up the drill press with a 3/8 bit (I like to start with a smaller hole,  then step up to the 5/8").  Next,  I marked off the hole location on the un-threaded MHS section:
 

After drilling with the 5/8" bit,  the hole just needed a little be-burring:
 
I used a sanding drum on my Dremel for that..no pics,  sorry.

Test fit the switch and the mounting bezel:


Now I had to decide if I wanted to try and drill a corresponding hole in the Chrome tube (which can be a pain to align properly if you don't drill both parts at once,  or try something a little different:
 
If instead of a hole for the switch,  I decided to make a slot to ease assembly of the saber later on.

I started by drilling a hole using the 5/8" bit that was still in the drill press:

This has to be done slowly,  or you risk destroying or damaging the tube.  This large of a bit has a lot of bite,  and the chrome tube is very thin,  making it easy to deform if you drill to quickly.

Using a reinforced cutting disk on the Dremel,  I cut the section out between the hole and the end of the tube,  following the lines I had drawn:
 

I then spent a few minutes with a sanding drum on my Dremel and cleaned up the cuts,  removed the burrs,  and enlarged the slot's radius around the switch.  Once that was done,  I hand sanded the edges with some 400 grit paper and checked the fit:


Now I'll need to drill and tap for the 8-32 screws that will secure the rear section to the switch mount:
 
I have three way to do this...either 2 screws on either side which would also secure the front grip section to the switch body,  or three screws equally spaced around the diameter of the tube...or I could use 4 screws with two on either side of the saber....the front screws being used to secure the connection to the forward grip,  the other two securing the rear grip and possibly the recharge port c-clip,  which isn't really required.  We'll see what Zark thinks,  since it's his saber.  ;D


Offline Wildcard

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2015, 11:43:20 AM »
If I use them, I'll be leaving them white...paint just slides off of them. I have an idea I'd like to do on this one, but I'll get to that when I get to it.  ;)

Looking great, but I can't wait to see what your "idea" for the rings is - that white keeps drawing my eyes away from the rest of the lovely shiny saber. :)

Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2015, 09:04:58 PM »
I worked on this a bit before going to work Monday afternoon,  here's what I got finished....

I had to mark the chrome tube for the mounting screws that will hold the saber together,  and in order to ensure that they are drilled in the proper alignment to each other,  I used my drafting circle template to mark the tube at 90 degree intervals, starting by finding the center of the slot I cut for the switch:
 
Using the drafting scale to draw the line (it is three sided,  so it fits on the curve of the tube perfectly) I was able to line it up on the 1 1/2" hole in the template:


I marked it off all the way around:
 

I then measured and marked for the first of the four mounting screws I decided to go with,  and drilled the hole in the chrome tube first:
 

I slid the switch body piece into place and then drilled and tapped the hole in that,  too:


I did the same on the other side:
 

I measured,  marked,  drilled,  and tapped for the other two screws,   and installed the 4 screws:
 

I did the same for the MHS section that will house the speaker mount and also the pommel:
 
I went with just one on either side here,  because to add two more to balance the appearance would mean drilling and tapping into the threads for the pommel and once the screws would be installed,  it would be impossible to unscrew or screw in the pommel.  One of these screws will be removed and replaced by the covertec button and it's screw.

It's starting to look like saber:
 

Next thing I worked on was the front grip tube:

I removed two front screws on either side and used the existing holes as guides for drilling and then tapping the forward grip section.  I tapped the holes,  re-istalled the screws,  and checked for straightness using my drafting scale:
 
Looks pretty good!  I spun it in my hand as well,  and it looked straight and true to me.

I'll need to remove a bit of the grip tube to clear the switch:

That won't take much,  I'll use the Dremel to do that.

I also need to shorten up the chrome sleeve for the top of the forward grip,  since this was originally cut to work with a style 5, 8, or 16 blade holder and would extend just beyond the base ring on those:

I'll see if I can get to that tomorrow,  along with the shroud for the emitter.  I haven't decided how I'd like to mount that shroud,  I think this has enough screws showing already....


Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2015, 08:44:36 PM »
A little more work on this....

I put the forward grip section in the drill press vise and used the cutting wheel on my Dremel to wedge out a section for clearing the switch:
 

Since I had it all apart again,  and to prep the grip section for my alternative to the white washers,  I put the parts on my adapter and gave them a spin on my drill with some sandpaper to clean up the parts and then re-assembled it (with the washers for now):
 

I also cut down the chrome sleeve for the emitter mount on the forward grip:
   
It's nice and square with the MHS section,  so that's almost done....i just need to drill and tap for two more screws,  which will hopefully be the last ones I use on this.

Next up,  cutting the emitter shroud in the Graflex s-curve:

Once that's done, I'll see what I can do to replace those washers with something...better....hopefully.  (I do still need to keep this within Zark's budget ;) )
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 08:46:41 PM by QUI-GON JINN »


Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2015, 08:49:57 PM »
A small update on this build...

After drilling and tapping for the two screws that secure the blade mount to the aluminum grip tube,  which for some reason turned out to be 10-32 threads (I don't know what I drill with that bit before putting this saber in the press) I went with those screws and finished up that bit of work.

I moved on to the emitter shroud after that:
 
I drew the S-curve on the chrome sleeve by hand,  loaded it into the vise on the drill press then started by using the cutting disc on my Dremel to remove as much material as I could,  then I switched to a 60 grit sanding drum and removed the rest:
 

I checked it for fit,  and looks,  and it looked good:


I deburred the edges and removed the remainder of the marks from the marker:


A shot of the whole saber with the emitter shroud sitting in place:
 

I looked at it for a bit trying to decide which way to go for mounting the sleeve to the emitter....I started out by drilling and tapping for the 10-32 blade thumbscrew,  then added the two 8-32 screws on the sides for continuity's sake...it doesn't look that bad, I think:
 

Now it just needs some detailing on the rear grip section:
 

And something besides the white washers:

Working on that next....and then it will time to figure out what we're going to do for electronics,  aside from the blade led (a triple Cree or Rebel) and sound board (Crystal shard 2.5) which we already have.


Offline EXAR KUN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2015, 09:09:55 PM »
This is looking really sweet.

Nice shroudwork. Placement of all the screws looks good indeed. Really attracted to the shine on this one and its not even polished yet.



Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2015, 09:58:51 AM »
I worked on the alternative to the washers today!

I have a bunch of pieces of aluminum tubing that can slide over each other for layers on a saber,  so I used a scrap piece of that for this:

This is a piece of 1.375" x 1.259" tubing...I marked off three locations for holes to be drilled and used a 1/4" drill bit to drill it:

I went all the way through for each hole.
Next,  I marked off some line with my tubing cutter,  connecting each set of hole to the corresponding hole on the opposite side:


Then,  using a reinforced cut-off wheel on my Dremel,  I cut along the line on the first set of holes:


Then did the rest,  and after some time with the files,  I had this:

Now it's ready for some sanding and determining if I want to paint & bake it.


Offline Zark_T

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Re: Chrome Saber 41 (CS-41) Build for Zark_T
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2015, 02:09:11 PM »
So much awesome!

 

retrousse