DIY Lightsabers for my kids! (No spoilers LOL)

Well, I had a great time at the Home Depot with my spawns tricking out PVC fittings for lightsaber builds.

No plans on electronics for now, mostly because 3/4 and 1/2 pipe doesn't lend much room for much!

Each PVC saber cost less than $7, nearly indestructible, and very modular and replaceable parts!

My daughter's


I had no part in it aside from verifying the fittings and painting it. She already has plans for another!

My son's

No surprise on the design for a 7 year old!
The blade is red PEX pipe, it has some flex for the hard hits he deals out... I screwed in some various screws for buttons and such, the crown thing on the riccasso is from some old breathing apparatus we had lying around. Makes the piece sinister looking in our opinion!

"Dad's"

Next to my daughter's for scale I suppose.
This one i intend to get a real blade from CustomSaberShop, I think its hilariously awesome looking because of the nearly unmodded drain pipe!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and having a look. I highly recommend anyone to try it, especially if you have kiddos!!

Cheers!

It's been a long time since I S&F'd a thread

This is simply genius, all the fun of a light sabre and you get to build it with the kids as well.

I take my hat off to you..................and though my kids are 20 and 17, I'll be heading off to the hardware store just for the fun of making one. I can give to a friend's kid to annoy his sister.

Cody

a reply to: Butterfinger

Nice! I want one!

a reply to: Butterfinger

Please post a video of them going at it with those things. It would be even better than the original lightsaber kid.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: Butterfinger

Please post a video of them going at it with those things. It would be even better than the original lightsaber kid.

Have to agree here I want to see these things in action even if you just show the sabers whacking away!

Nice work!

a reply to: Butterfinger

These projects are what your children will remember years from now.

My son still talks about the very intricate Borg costume I made for him one Halloween

you can get soundboards from custom sabres too (:

So what materials and technique did you you use to make these?

Lol.. just had to add.. a jedi knight in brown corduroy trousers..

a reply to: Misterlondon

Thanks everyone for the kind encouragement!

We just picked up some 3/4" and 1/2" fixtures and just went nuts trying out combinations that felt good and looked cool.

The red PEX pipe though for those interested, it is a little undersized, probably by 3/16th or 1/8 smaller than the rated size.

For the Kylo saber I had to get 3/4" although the hilt for it is all 1/2" fittings.
In this case we just cut a slit into the pipe about an inch long which allowed it to fit tightly into the 1/2" holes.

I'll get some fight footage and a little detail pics of the PEX resize mentioned above if you'd like.

Brown corduroy is standard issue for Jedis now, no more Judo Gi!

Seriously cool!!!!

Might want to get endcaps made somehow for the sabres to protect against errant thrusts. The sawed off tips might cut if jabbing soft skin.



What style Sabre Duelist are you and your kids?

lightsaberacademy.com...

a reply to: Butterfinger

Yeah...

Quality PEX crimp tools aren't cheap

Waits for the big saber battle of 2016

a reply to: BASSPLYR

My son is definitely Ataru, he lets the hate flow through him! LOL

Djem So is my favorite, based on the fluidity.

I'm no lightsaber pro, but I have had a year of traditional sabre/cutlass training but none of the forms Ive seen in action use much of this European style. Seems most Lightsaber duels are based on oriental martial arts.

Watching some pros go at it LudoSport international LightSaber tournaments its a beautiful dance!

a reply to: Butterfinger

Hey re upload that link it says error....And I wannna seeee it!!!


I've got Oriental Sword training. I see Kendo in much of the star wars lightsabre fighting especially from 2. The stuff you see in the original films. I see (for instance when Anakin kills Dooku) some South East Asian techniques. Especially the watiks or abanicos he does momentarily in the duel. They're hard to notice but they're in there. Kudos to the choreographer. Also, I think I've seen some payong (umbrella and roof blocks) in the movies too. They are a type on indirect counter offensive entering moves. Again briefly and hard to notice with all the editing. Kylo Ren does a florette I think in his duel. Common in Kali/Escrima/Arnis but originally taken from spanish sword technique. Yoda likes to do a bunch of Redondos and doble doble strikes while flipping around in the air.

a reply to: Butterfinger

Hey got to look at the link. Pretty cool and it looks like fun.

Great thing about a light sabre is control of the blades edge and orientation is irrelevant. So you can really let loose.

Noticed the second duel was won by a demonstration of good largo mano technique. Long range tactic to sever the weapon wielding hand. The rolling around would have cut their own legs off though. The first duelists were technically better. Some better entry techniques would have helped them seal the deal easier. But I suspect those guys know the real combative applications of their footwork and are going for a good performance.

Awesome fun that looks.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Youre right, the lightsaber's cutting edge is itself entirely! I'd imagine most targets would hardly be felt as the saber passes through it, just tapping it would do some hurts on ya.

a reply to: Butterfinger

you're right.

but having no blade edge also opens up your options dramatically since you don't have to concern with weapon control and wrist alignment or blade orientation. you can literally, just so long as you don't touch your self, do anything with the blade. swing it like a stick. swing it like a sword won't matter.

a way to visualize what i mean is if you have one handy go grab a machete. the blade will always align with the second knuckles of your fist. when you swing the blade you have to be very sure of how those knuckles align with what you intend to slash or cut. if the alignments off the blade bounces off the target, cants too heavily and buckles, glances, or even breaks.

now hold a stick. it opens up your wrist more because you can hit with any part of the circumference. it opens a lot more techniques up to availability.

the lightsabre functions much more like a big stick in that regard. I just think it's cool. granted you dont tag yourself with it its really the best of both worlds between a blade and a stick or impact weapon.

an elegant weapon indeed like master Kenobi said.