Saber Build Log 1

So, I've decided that my current financial stability and semi-abundance of free time mean that it is finally time to build my own lightsaber. I've been designing different versions for a very long time now and I think I've finally got the design that I want to start with.

My whole design philosophy is that form follows function. A lightsaber is first and foremost a weapon. Weapons are not supposed to be flashy or highly decorative, they're supposed to work. They're supposed to be comfortable in the hand and easy to use. They should be robustly created and easy to maintain in less-than-ideal circumstances.

I also wanted to make something that looked "real" all the way through. I have a few replica sabers in my possession and they look pretty great on the outside, but once you open them up they're just battery packs and wires and PCBs and it ruins the immersion.

First, here are some pictures of some of the other designs I've come up with:

And these are just all from the last few months. As you might be able to see, I've been circling some basic concepts. One of my main inspirations is the shroud from the Aggressive Negotiations line from Vader's Vault. I also liked the concept of having a crystal chamber but nothing too flashy.
Since I don't live in a house with a garage or workshop space, I am limited as to what I can do. I decided to go with a main body built out of MHS (Modular Hilt System) parts from the inimitable Custom Saber Shop. Using their builder I played around with a few ideas and finally came up with a desing that I liked.

MHS Builder View

Then I modeled up those parts in Creo and assembled them so I could design the shroud.

MHS Parts

I then designed a shroud to cover the entire saber

Saber with Shroud

I ran into a real problem here, though. The shroud I designed is a hair over 14" long, and The Custom Saber Shop only sells 12" lengths of the shroud material. I tried to find another supplier, but couldn't find anywhere online selling aluminum tubing in the dimensions I needed. Finally I decided to contact Tim at TCSS to ask if he could get me a longer piece. He responded very quickly and said he had some 18" pieces that he would sell me. Perfection.

I ordered as many of my parts as TCSS had in stock, which turned out to be the main hilt piece, the switch box, the double female adapter and the switch box, as well as the shroud material. Everything arrived quickly and was completely perfect. 

First Round of Parts

I have to say, TCSS has great quality items. The machining is clean and precise and the parts fit together perfectly.

I still have to wait for several more parts to come into stock, but I will keep updating this build log as I have news to share.

Thanks!

-Zack