[Light Saber; The Jedi's Weapon]
Not as clumsy or random as a blaster, an elegant weapon from a more elegant time...

My Third Lightsaber


[Project Graflex Luke ANH Hardware Saber]

...Is now nearly complete. When I finished this one I knew this was THE ONE. Oh yeah, very cool to hold, and wear, as I made lightsaber noises around the house chasing my cats.

Parts List
Part Supplier Approx Cost
1 12"x1.5" chrome tube Home Depot $8-$12
1 1"->.5" pvc pipe converter Home Depot $1
1 sheet aluminum (for duct work) Home Depot $2
2 co-axial cable network connectors Found Free
1 red "screw protector" Home Depot $.15
2 sets of 1 small screw, 1 washer, 1 small nut Home Depot $.75
1 set clear rubber feet Home Depot $2
2 replacement windshield wipers Canadian Tire $7
1 toggle bolt Home Depot $2
1 D-Ring assembly Found Free
1 hole plug Home Depot $1
3" x 1/4" Steel Key Stock Home Depot $2


What I Did

Well, this one was quite fun, I started it a week or so before I got married, (February 29, 2000...yes I'm rotten, anniversaries once every 4 years....oh well.) Using a template I found on the Web, (I forget where, but I hope the owner/designer of the template doesn't mind me using and passing it on, they probably won't since I'm not making any money off it, and I didn't pay to get it either) Anyway, using the template, I prepared my plumbing tube, by cutting the appropriate curve at the emitter end, and drilling the proper holes.

Now, I went to attach my windshield wipers, I was going to glue them on, but was worried about glue spilling out onto the tube, or not holding very well when being gripped. So, I drilled a pilot hole at the base of the tube for each fin, and scored up the tube with my Dremmel, making a notch for the bottom of the wiper, (which looked like an inverted "T") to slip into and slide up. Now looking at this, I see I left a gap at the base of the tube to the grips, which should not have been there. Ah well, live and learn, I should have been paying more attention and researched a bit more.

Next, I attempted several times at cutting out the "bulb fins" for the top, without success. The first plans I had showed them as two separate fins, cut separately, and folded into the "H" opening, and attached with a pin, or screw or whatever...this didn't work for me...I was fortunate enough to find this template with not only the tube cut, but the fin plans, and a plan for the "Graflex Clamp". Finally I got my fins cut, and into place. To hold them together through the "H", I used a small finishing nail, and a lump of solder on each end for good measure, they're not going anywhere now.

I inserted my plumbing adapter, which I painted black, and cut off the top "ridge" from, or else it was ust too long, and stuck out awkwardly from the emitter. Now, this is where I realized I hadn't drilled the holes for the buttons, so those got drilled in, and I prepared to set into them.

I decided then to get away from the tube for a bit, and went to work on the clamp, which I cut out of the sheet of duct work metal, made the appropriate cuts into, and filed down, and folded on the dotted lines. Next, I carefully rolled the flat clamp around the tube, to give it the round shape. In the centre I cut the steel key to size, and ground down a groove in the middle for a screw to fit across the clamp, which held half the toggle bolt head in place as the "lever".

Back to the buttons, I cut out the bulk of the network connections, (from a bad "T" connector on our computers at work, that I had replaced) and took the scored parts. In through the top, I epoxied a small screw into the plastic insulator. This screw went into the hole on the top of the tube, to a washer and nut inside the tube, which were also epoxied for extra safety to the inside surface. The same procedure was pretty much duplicated for the bottom where the "glass eye" is found. For the red button on top I cut the red "screw protector" down, and slipped it into the top of the button sleeve with a dab of epoxy to hold it tight. The bottom eye was one of the clear rubber feet, epoxied for good measure to that sleeve.

To finish up, I added more rubber feet to the handle along the clamp, where the steel key was clamped in place, and the hole plug was epoxied onto the end, after screwing the D-ring into the bottom, and attaching it through with a bolt.

There it is, my finished Hardware ANH Luke Replica Graflex. All in all I'm pretty happy with it, except for the clamp. I love it, but it needs a better clamp, the one I fashioned came across pretty poorly, but okay for my first attempt I think...

Lightsaber #3 in Progress]


May The Force Be With You.

[R2D2]
Allow Artoo to take you Back.
Or
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