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Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 Lightsaber Plans by RacingFB

This lightsaber was made to look as close to the original a possible. I designed it all before I took one step in the hardware store. Therefore some of the procedures can be a little difficult, but absolutly none require any kind of special skill or talent. For these difficult steps I will try to provide suitable alternatives, I would only recommend using these alternatives in extreme circumstances for they will probably not look as athentic as they should.

Parts List:
(sorry no part numbers to go along with it)
Hardware Store:
1 - 1-1/4" plumbing tube chrome
1 - 1-1/2" plumbing tube chrome
3 pkgs. - 1-1/4" poly (plastic) slip joint washer, 2 per pack
1 pkg. - 1-1/2" poly slip joint washers, 2 per pack
1ft. - 1" inner diameter PVC
3 or 4pkgs. - 1.25" rubber slip joint washers
1 pkg. - #6 finishing washers
1 - lightfixture screw cap, I got this from Project Naboo because it works too well.
1 - 1" toilet over flow tube, brass (not sure on the exact name) any 1" thin metal tube will work, as long as it sleeves nicely into the 1" inner diameter PVC
1 - roll of metal repair tape, silver colored, you could also use metal tape found in the duct work section, I think it's called sealer tape
2 - lavatory strainer washers, 1-1/4" diameter
1 - toilet bowl screw cap (also not sure of exact name), used to cover the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor
1 - rubber O-Ring 1-1/4" diameter, thickness can be chosen by you, I would suggest waiting until you are building the saber to buy the O-ring because you'll have to try a couple of different sizes.
1ft - 1-1/4" inner diameter PVC (not as inportant as the 1" PVC)
Radio Shack:
1 - twist on coaxial cable connector, for the blade adjustment knob.

Model Shop or Craft Store:
1 - small bottle of standard red model paint
1 - length of 3/8" square wood rod, I used balsa, it doesn't have to be a strong wood
1 - can of flat black or semi-gloss black spray paint
1 - can of chrome spray paint ( I used krylon chrome paint it looks very good )

Tools:
DREMEL - very important
Heavy duty cutting wheels - for DREMEL
Hacksaw with fine or medium "teeth" you want something that will make a clean cut so the rule of thumb is the more teeth on the blade the better
Vice - or something to keep the saber secure while you work
Circular Sander/grinder - This tool is essencial in building the lightsaber I know that not everyone has one so if you can't borrow one or rent one or buy one, there will be NO substitute instruction on making the saber without it.
Soldering Gun and solder - less important that other tools (explain later)
Sandpaper - 80 grit 100 grit 220 grit 600 grit 1200 grit
Epoxy - preferably metal epoxy
Masking Tape


Well that's all of it, would suggest you buy these idems one at a time as you need them, NOT ALL AT ONCE.

Cut Patterns:

Ok first thing, I got most of my dimentions off the EP1 visual dictionary, you can too. If my instruction are not detailed enough simply look in the visual dictionary with a your ruler, measure the area in centimeters and use a conversion factor of 0.45, in other words what ever you measure in the book divide the number by 0.45 and you've got your measurement. Such as, something is 3.5cm in the book, in real life it would be 7.78

Emitter Vents:
Tape the emitter vent pattern over a 3.125" length of 1-1/2" diameter metal piping.
Use the DREMEL to cut out the pattern, like anything you cut out with a DREMEL don't cut directly on the line, cut a little off the line to give you some space to sand the edges down and make everything smooth and strait. See Jedi Mike's Home page for more tips on lightsaber making at http://members.tripod.com/walruslord/Default.htm
On my pattern I did not draw the little grooves that are at the point where the two slooping sides meet (see picture) I did however make dots as to how far down the grooves go. When you are cutting the emitter out simply use the DREMEL to shave down the sides of the groove until you have it the way you want it. It might be a good idea to have the EP1 visual dictionary open while you do this as a reference. Then cut the emitter away from the rest of the pipe making sure it is 3.125" in length.

Tip for cutting pipe in half with a DREMEL:
To make a strait cut with a DREMEL take a sheet of paper wrap it around the pipe and line up the ends so that they are strait. Take a marker and trace around the pipe on the edge of the paper. And there you have it a perfectly strait line to be cut with a DREMEL.

Outer Handle:

Outer Handle:
Take 5.5" of 1-1/4" diameter pipe and place the handle pattern over it and tape it into place. Leave 1.125" of space between the bottom of the pattern and the bottom of the pipe (see outer handle picture). When cutting the bottom corners you may want to leave an excessive amount of metal in the corner and sand it to a curve later. (see EP1 Visual dictionary for reference)

The Inner Grip:
Ok, this is where we separate the masters from the padawans. The black inner grip is made from 1" inner diameter PVC, the only problem is 1" PVC has an outer diameter of greater than 1-1/4" there for it will not "sleeve" into the 1-1/4" piping. So this is what you'll have to do, take your 80 grit sand paper and in a circular motion sand off 1/8" all the way around until it sleeves tightly into the 1-1/4" piping. This method will take you a very long time but it can be done this way. I simply took a circular grinder/buffer/sander and slid the PVC over the rotating bar then placed the sand paper over the rotating PVC. This made the job much easier. You will cut the PVC to 9.5" after sanding it so keep this in mind when sanding, I would not cut the PVC to 9.5" until I was sure it sleeved into the 1.25" plumbing pipe.

A word of caution hold the sand paper in your hand while sanding the PVC, when it gets hot take your hand and the paper off the PVC DO NOT try to hold the sand paper with heavy gloves on, the heat from the PVC will not be traslated to your hands and therefore the pipe will get very hot and bend 90 degrees and if this doesn't hit you in the process it will certainly mess up the PVC. Trust me because it happened to me. I used surgical gloves instead of heavy gloves to hold the sand paper they provided some protection against the hot sand paper and still let me know when I had to stop. Be VERY careful with the sander.

Grind until the PVC can almost fit inside the pipe, then change to 100 grit sand paper then 220 and keep going all the way to 1200. You're going to want the PVC to be as smooth as possible when it comes time to paint.

If you do not have a circular sander I would first suggest trying some another tools in the tool box such as a power drill. All you need is to get the PVC turning very fast so you can sand it quickly. The circular grinder was not made to be used as a lathe so I don't see why a power drill or something of that nature wouldn't work just as well.

Of course ideally a lathe would be the best thing to use but I wasn't going to go out and buy a lathe just to sand some PVC. Just remember to be very careful when you are using a tool in a method other than how it was intended to be used and over all use common sense.

After the PVC sleeves into the 1-1/4" piping tape the grip pattern over the PVC leaving a 1.45" space between the end of the PVC and the bottom of the bottom grip cut.(Iknow that last sentence was confusing but re-read it a couple of time and it should make sense) Cut it out the pattern using a hacksaw blade held in your hand. Wrap the parts you are holding on to in cloth or tissue to prevent hurting you hand. Using a hacksaw blade instead of a DREMEL is very important, a DREMEL will not make cuts that go straight into the PVC this would make the handle look sloppy, so don't think of using a DREMEL for the grip because it just will not work. Use the hacksaw to cut all the way to where the ends of the pattern curve into the rounded edges of the grip. Don't try to cut the rounded ends of the grip with the hacksaw. Instead outfit your DREMEL with a hole cutting tool, it looks like a small drill bit shaped like a cone, it should be a standard idem included with the DREMEL. Hold on to the DREMEL really tight when you are cutting the half circles on the sides of the grip the DREMEL has a tendancy to jump and ruin your whole day. I would practice cutting one or two of the slots into another piece of PVC, one that you havn't spent the last 7hrs. sanding if you know what I mean.

Bottom Outer Ring:
Very Simple, cut 1.125" of 1-1/2" chrome piping.

Pommel:

This design was inspired by a set of plans that are sold by a guy named Paul Baker E-mail me if you want his E-mail address.
The designs are similar I think mine is better. First take the toilet bolt cap and cut it in half horizontally so that it can snugly fit inside a 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer. Then take BOTH lavatory strainer washers and cut off the bottom half leaving behind the curved upper half which is about 1-1/4" in diameter. Then cut about a 1/2" of the 1"inner diameter PVC. Now your going to slip on these idems and a few more and epoxy them all into place, first glue the toilet bolt cap to the end of the 1" toilet over flow tubing, the toilet tubing may have a flange on one end cut in off. Then glue a 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer on top of that, then a 1-1/2" poly slip joint washer on top of the 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer. Now place the cut 1" PVC on and glue it into place, then glue the lavatory strainer washer on top of the PVC. Then take the second cut lavatory stainer washer and cut a slit in it vertically so that it can be wrapped around the 1" toilet overflow tube tightly, do this then glue the the washer back together. I know this isn't a great description but if you're having problems just ask me for help. And that's the pommel, the attached diagram is slightly incorrect because I modified the pommel after I modified the diagram, here's the difference, instead of a rubber slip joint washer at the top you will use the resized lavatory strainer washer. Now take the 1-1/4" PVC and cut a .5" piece off. Then cut six 3/8" square holes into the PVC spaced uniformly around the it. When you cut the PVC there will still be a small amount of plastic still left over under each square hole. I know this description is a little confusing, so if you don't know what I mean E-mail me I'll have a cut pattern made by then. Anyway, take the 3/8" wooden rod and cut it into 3/8 X 3/8 X 3/8 cubes cover the sides with silver repair tape or spray paint them silver it's up to you. Then cut the PVC ring in half vertically and place the two halves over the 1" PVC that is already inplace on the pommel. Insert the silver cubes and the pommel is complete. Note: the cubes do not have to fit into the PVC very tightly, therefore you can make the square holes in the PVC bigger than 3/8" to better accommodate the cubes.

A Note on Assembly:
This lightsaber is made a piece at a time and all the pieces will be assembled in the end, so make a piece and set it aside.

Special Poly Slip joint washers:
There are a few poly slip joint washers that have to be sanded or cut in special ways, first the "flange" between the neck of the saber and the main handle. Take a 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer and sand the sides of it so they are flat with small flange at the top (view the EP1 visual dictionary for a reference). Then there is the flange that sits at the top of the bottom outer ring, this is a poly slip joint washer that has a small section ground out of it, take the washer and grind out about 3/4" out of the flanged part of the washer leave the bottom part of the washer intact. Angle the sides of each cut outward (again view the EP1 visual dictionary or E-Mail me for reference/support). Paint both these washers with silver paint.

Alright finally, Paint and assembly time:
Painting, coating the surface with primer before spraying anything. I did and I am also applying multiple coats of paint. Anyway, take 8 rubber slip joint washers lay them out and paint them black, also paint your entire PVC grip piece black. Then paint the pommel black, you don't have to paint the whole pipe that it is attached to just the bottom quarter or so. Also paint one more 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer black as well. Paint the light fixture screw cap red with a black bottom half. Paint a 1-1/2" poly slip joint washer silver also.

Assembly, my lightsaber is completed but I did not apply any glue to it this allowed my to disassemble the lightsaber and paint upgrade or replace any part on the saber, so you will not need any glue to hold this saber together. The only part that I do not disassemble is the emitter which is perminently in place. Ok, after everything dries slip the PVC grip into the outer handle, then slip the emitter vent over the other end just for placement purposes. Mark the exposed area between the emitter and the handle, then remove the grip and cover the area carefully with metal repair tape. While you have the metal repair tape out slip the 1" toilet tube with the pommel on the end into the 1" PVC for a test fit mark the spots where the pipe is exposed by the grip pattern, then remove the pipe and cover the areas with metal repair tape, use the grip to hide the seams of the tape because you will have to use two strips to cover the pipe. Now for the emitter, note: when inserting the rubber slip joint washers into the emitter the paint will most likely get scrapped off don't worry it is going to need another coat of paint anyway. Put the outer part of the emitter over the PVC then slip 7 or 8 of the 1.25" rubber slip joint washers down to the bottom working your way up, don't try to get the washers spaced perfectly when you first put them on just get all the washers on and use a small flat head screw driver to push and straighten the washers once they're all on. After all the washers are on and in place mask off any exposed metal, I would use tape for the fine detail on the top and wrap and tape newspaper around the bottom, this would also be a good time to give the grip another coat of paint if it happened to get any scratches. Now slip an O-Ring up into position where the emitter meets the neck. On the top of the Emitter put the 1-1/2" poly slip joint washer in place as the "focusing lense". Then put the outer handle in place over the PVC grip and slip the special ploy slip joint washer into place where the outer handle meets the neck of the saber. Slide the other special poly slip joint washer, the one with the section ground out of it, in place where the outer handle meets the bottom outer ring (see diagrams). Put the bottom outer ring in place and secure it in place by wraping a layer or two of duct tape around the bottom of the outer handle. Put the black 1-1/4" poly slip joint washer in place at the bottom of the bottom outer ring (confused? see diagrams). Then slide the pommel into the saber, a little duct tape should be placed around the area of the 1" pipe that sits inside the bottom outer ring to keep everything in place.

Accessories:
Glue the red button to the emitter with epoxy (see EP1 visual dictionary for placement)

The blade adjustment knob: the knob is made of the coaxial cable connector mentioned in the parts list. You will have to cut the connector in half horizontally and glue the smaller half to the saber, put it in the same position as the activator button but one slot to the right. If you need more on this process or pictures or part numbers E-mail me.

The three "blade intensity adjustment knobs": take the finishing washers; with the solder and soldering gun melt a small ball of solder into the center of the finishing washers while it's taped in position on the emitter. After they have hardened they will stay in place, but they can pop off Epoxy them back on if they do. I think I've glued every one back to the lightsaber because they can pop off just from handling. Once they are glued in place though they arn't going anywhere.

Belt Clip: If you're looking for 100% accuracy get the covertec pocket liberator, if you don't know what that is E-mail me. And if you do find a good source for them let me know I am still looking. Other wise go to a cell phone store and pick up a swivel clip it can be attached to the lightsaber with a screw just drill right down to the core of the saber and attach it using a nut and bolt.


Well that's it you now have a lightsaber, and it's hollow so you can put in a blade of some kind, go in the garage and swing it around making swoshing huming sounds. Send me pictures of your completed sabers I'd like to see how they turn out. If you have any questions about the saber E-mail me at RacingFB@aol.com This is a very brief set of instructions so I'll probably be able to help you solve what ever problems arise.