This will be somewhat lengthy of a post, for I am detailing the build of two separate sabers. These are the Vader ROTJ and Luke ROTJ that were sold together as the pair named REDEMPTION.
The first saber built for this pair was the Vader ROTJ (Yes, I know the Vader ROTJ is a different saber, but this version is the one most commonly attributed, so I went with it. Bite me). The saber began life as a 20 ga nickel plated sink tailpiece.
Using a template found on the Internet, the tube was laid out, cut and drilled as necessary to begin to resemble the saber.
These shots of the saber are from it being about 90% complete. The shroud is a hand-built piece as per instructions on the “Sith Archives”, as is the front D-ring assembly and the control box. The aforementioned instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The center band is nothing more than a 2” long section of 20 ga sinktube that has been split down the middle.
The ball catch directly behind the shroud was an eBay find, although it is a rounded version and the “original prop” used a square topped version. Minor inconsistency. Other additions to the saber were a replica Kobold D-ring.
This is the saber as completed. All assembly has been done, and basic weathering has taken place. Now it is time to begin on the second saber in the set…
This is the Luke ROTJ I built for this set of sabers. It is comprised of MHS parts, a replica Graflex clamp, and features extensive weathering to make it look close to the prop.
It was a bold move, and quite a gamble to try and sell two custom sabers together at the same time. Ultimately, I lost money on the deal, but they went to a good home. Each saber featured a 7.4V Li-Ion battery solution comprised of 14500 Trustfire cells, an Ultrasound 2.0 board, and TCSS HO speaker. The Vader featured a momentary switch placed in one of the sockets of the control box, like so:
The Luke featured a tactile switch mounted behind the lever on the Graflex clamp, like so:
The Vader ran a Luxeon III R/O and the Luke a green K2 (I think). Regardless, they were very bright, very loud and very nice looking together. Here’s some shots of them on a custom stand made for the project by Araki Halon:
Finally, here’s a few shots of the sabers lit, separately and together: