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Look, we all know that Star Wars has been flushed down the toilet, and it’s not what it once was. However, some people like me still love things like toys, and remember when we used to use sticks and pretend they were lightsabers. Childish? No, it’s a core childhood memory. There’s a difference. I wasn’t sad! If I did it today, then I would be tragic.
I have a Force FX Master Replica lightsaber mounted on the wall in my office, and it’s something I’m proud of. If a Sith ever breaks into my house, I have the Duel of the Fates on my phone, ready to play, and I’m ready for action.
Lightsaber
Sword fights have been in movies for as long as you can remember. They have always been an impressive spectacle. From the days of Errol Flynn, even to the present day, they are fun to watch.
George Lucas took swords and took them to a new level by adding lasers! Adding lasers to anything makes it awesome. The lightsaber, or laser sword, caught the imagination and became one of the most iconic images in cinema.
If you were a kid of a certain age, you played with a stick, made ‘whoosh’ noises, and shouted, ‘You’re not my real dad!’ while playing Star Wars.
Now I’m a little older, I don’t use sticks, I use my nuts. As in, I got some nuts and bolts from a local hardware store.
Build Your Own Lightsaber
While browsing Instagram, I found there’s a trend going around of people building lightsaber hilts, but from items you can buy at Home Depot. We don’t have Home Depot in the UK, but we have other hardware stores.
A local hardware store has all manner of nuts, bolts, screws, and everything else I’m not usually allowed to play with at home because of the risk of hurting myself.
I manned up by puffing up my chest, putting dirt under my fingernails, and learning new swear words. I marched into the local store like I knew everything about building, electrics, and football. It worked, and I bought the things I needed for my new space toy.
All of the guides I found online were American, which means they were all in imperial measurements, which is stupid. In the UK, we use metric, which is much easier and not as silly. Here is what I purchased:
M10 x 300 Cup Square Bolt
M12 x 250 Bolt – Which I didn’t end up using
2 x Hose Clips 30 – 40mm – I only used one
A cellophane wrap dispenser – cut to size
M12 washers – various sizes, standard, 18mm, 25mm, 38mm, and 50mm.
M12 brass washers
M12 rubber washers
M12 dome nut
M16 full nuts – for padding out
38.0 wiring grommets
A small pipe, that was free, as no one wanted it
A clothes rack holder – Which I was going to use as an emitter, but didn’t
The good news is, this cost me less than £10.
Padawan Training
Then, it was just a case of putting it all together. There’s no right or wrong way, as I wasn’t following any plan. Some people online copy Obi-Wan’s or Qui-Gon’s, but I wanted to make my own, like the little Jedi I am.
Half the fun is making your own. I used the M12 x 300 cup square as the main bolt, as it looked flatter at one end.
I planned on making the emitter by using a clothes rack holder, but in the end, I went with a series of M12 washes, going from Form A (standard), 18mm, then 50mm, which I think looks pretty good.
Depending on how to plan the lightsaber, it turns out to be a pretty good size. Here it is compared to my Force FX lightsaber.
I know it’s far from perfect, but it looks pretty good. I plan on getting a stand for it and putting it somewhere in the office. All I need now is a khyber crystal, and I’m all set!
How about you all make one and share with everyone? The best one will get a prize, and all of the losers will have theirs thrown in the trash.
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