Hello everyone!) A lightsaber is an essential attribute of the Star Wars films, a cult craft that every person who calls himself a Star Wars fan and a follower of Obi-Wan Kenobi should have...

For years, I've wanted to get my hands on the "original" lightsaber. However, the industrial samples that were presented on the market did not meet the requirements I had stated (I did not even want to take on the plastic likeness of a majestic artifact). So I got an idea do their hands a sword that matches my desires and looks great.

In the article, we will consider in detail how and from what parts it will be possible to make this homemade.

Some of the parts used can be replaced with plastic pipes, but then the parts will lose some of their strength and the effect of realism will be reduced.

This sword glows and changes colors (no light or sound effects). With the right skill set, you can easily add additional features to this product.

Step 1: Required materials and tools

I want to immediately dot the “Yo”, I am not a plumber or a seller of sanitary ware, so the names below may be incorrect.

• 32" (81.28 cm) clear inch plastic tube;

• Inch metal pipe;

• Inch connecting split coupling;

• LED RGB strip;

• Two inch straight couplings;

• Selector switch (we only need a nut)

• Washer to be fixed on the selector switch nut.

• Inch squeegee

• Wax paper

• Long wooden dowel approximately 3/4" in diameter and 32" (81.28 cm) long.
• Super glue, epoxy resin, silicone glue.
• Engraver, soldering iron, drill, hammer and a set of precision screwdrivers.
• small switch

• A small 3 position switch that will be used to change the color of the blade's glow.

• 9-volt battery with connector and soldered leads.

• The main resource is patience!

Step 2: Assemble the battery holder (top)

Using glue, we connect together the straight sleeve, the nut from the selector switch and the washer.

Since the 9-volt battery acts as a power source, it is necessary to find a way to fix and hide it in the sword handle.

Unfortunately the 1" pipe is too narrow to accommodate, but the 1" coupler fits just right. To prevent the battery from falling out and not to "twist" the battery itself, we fix the nut and washer (previously gluing them with glue) at one end of the coupling.

Once the glue has dried, check the quality of the seam and glue again if necessary.

Step 3: Putting on the guard

We disassemble the split coupling and choose the part that you like best.

We twist together: a part of a split coupling, a drive and a straight coupling.

Step 4: Handle

Let's take an inch pipe and cut off a piece of any length (the main thing is that you feel comfortable), taking into account the fact that you will need to fix the guard and pommel on it.

Step 5: Blade

Take a polycarbonate tube and install it in the guard. Leave space in the guard for switches.

The copper wire will not only help secure the blade, but also make the sword stand out with its own unique design.

After installing the blade-tube, we will drill through holes of the same diameter as the copper wire. Cut it into small pieces, and then mount it as shown in the photo. Then, using super glue, fix it securely.

Step 6:

Step 7: Preparing the Guard for Derailleur Installation

First, decide where you want to place the switch or switches. Since I wanted the sword to glow in different colors, I had to set two different switches. One - power, the second - switches colors.

Set the switches at the top of the guard so that the copper wires protect them in the heat of battle.

I drilled, cut and sharpened the guard, getting two large enough holes that correspond to the switches.

We do not fix them yet, otherwise we will not be able to connect the wires to the LEDs.

Step 8: LEDs and dowel

Take a strip of LEDs and cut a section about twice the length of the intended length of the lightsaber blade (make sure you cut the strip in the correct place - along the cut line).

The strips should have 4 colored pinouts attached to one end (most likely red, green, blue and white).

Clean up the ends of the wires. We hold the white wire on the positive terminal of the battery, and the remaining wires (individually or all at once) on the negative terminal.

Fold the strip of LEDs in half and run it over the blade. Then we place the wooden dowel in the plastic pipe. The tape will be sandwiched between the pipe and the dowel.

Pass the wires through the guard and solder them where necessary. Fix the switches.

Step 9: Finishing touches

Finally, add a diffuser to diffuse the light from the LED strip.

It would be possible to paint the blade with white paint .... but I decided to keep a great look and just used waxed paper.

Roll up a tube of paper that is wide and long enough to fill the tube and slide on the inside of the blade around the double sided LED strip.

It will take a little effort, but in the end you will get a great result.

I filled the top of the blade with silicone to seal the plastic tube.

May the force be with you.

If you are a Star Wars fan or you have a boy in the house who dreams of a glowing sword, then you simply need to get this thing. It does not need to be bought at all, since this “weapon” can be made independently from parts that are very easy to get. About how to make a lightsaber with your own hands, tell the photo report and instructions that are waiting for you further.

We buy such diodes in the amount of 110 pieces.

We solder in parallel (here the solder is divided into 4 parts).

The division into 4 parts is made in order to be able to connect all 110 diodes to 4 batteries with a power of 3.6V each. Driver for 350mA.

Since the tape of 110 diodes is divided into 4 parts, then 350mA goes to each part (~ 26 diodes). 14ma per diode. Chrome-plated steel cylinder with a diameter of 30mm and a length of 250mm. Batteries and wires will be hidden in it.

The blade itself is a polycarbonate tube with a diameter of 30mm, a wall thickness of 2.5mm and a length of 1000mm.

Inside this tube is placed a white packaging film and a diode tape.

The bottom cover is printed on a 3D printer, where the power button will be located.

Perhaps even casual Star Wars viewers will agree that the lightsaber is the most spectacular weapon ever to appear on the screen. Combat involving this piece of equipment is so elegant that it has an almost hypnotic power. Well, the message is clear: lightsabers are the deadliest weapons in the universe. And, despite the fact that not everyone has a sufficiently stable stream of Force flowing in their veins, each of us in the depths of our soul dreams of seeing ourselves with this instrument in our right hand.

scientific fantasy

The idea of ​​a weapon like a lightsaber is simply ingenious: a light and very powerful combat weapon that requires only a small dose of energy, is capable of defeating the representatives of the Dark Side in one blow and become an effective shield against laser flashes.

So why shouldn't humanity develop a similar piece of equipment in real life? Of course, in order to start making these fantastic weapons, it is not enough for physicists to be incredibly smart. Yes, they simply must love Star Wars.

An obvious way to create such a weapon would involve using a laser, which would appear as particularly bright flashes of light. But, even though this technology is becoming more and more advanced and finds application in mechanical engineering, the glowing sword is still just a fantasy. Let's look at why.

elusive light

The first difficulty arises from the fact that the sword will need to find an acceptable size. Let's say you stop at a length of about a meter. But in order to form a sword from a laser beam, it is necessary to make it "stop" in a certain way. This will be a rather difficult task, since light has a natural tendency to move if there are no obstacles in front of it.

The best solution to this problem may be to place a mirror on the tip of the blade. But just imagine how much inconvenience this design will bring. After all, to install a tiny mirror, you will have to use additional parts. Also, it will make the sword too brittle for the weapon.

Structural issues

The second problem is manifested in the fact that the developed weapon will consume a lot of energy. But we need exactly the opposite. The blade will require a lot of force to be able to cut through certain materials. Welding lasers, which are used in industry, are capable of this. But it is worth considering that they are equipped with a huge power supply and incur costs of several kilowatts of energy. In fact, even if you magically manage to cope with this problem, then another “but” will stand in the way. The laser device will need a powerful cooling mechanism, otherwise the hot sword handle will simply burn the user's hand.

Where without effects?

In addition to everything, difficulties will arise in the practical use of light weapons. First, two laser swords can never collide with each other. They just pass through each other without leaving that amazing effect that appears in the films.

Moreover, laser light is focused on a particular direction so quickly that the human eye simply does not have time to catch it. It is for this reason that fog is used in nightclubs. Smoke particles flying around the room act as tiny diffusers. They break the laser light into many pieces and thus make the beams visible.

Plasma as an alternative

But do not despair. No one claims that a lightsaber must necessarily be created on the basis of laser technology. An alternative weapon already exists - it is made of plasma. This substance is a hot, literally red-hot, gas. Due to strong heating, its atoms break up into separate components, which are electrons and nuclei.

The most interesting thing is that the plasma is able to emit different colors. The hue of a substance depends on the gas of which it is composed. For example, neon light is the effect of neon converted to a plasma state. The green swords of the Jedi Knights can be crafted from chlorine. But the red light weapon of the Sith villains is easy to create from helium.

What is a plasma sword? A small but rather powerful power supply is hidden in the handle of the weapon. A thin thread stretches from it, surrounded by an inert gas, the function of which is to transmit an electric charge. When the sword is turned on, the effect of an incandescent lamp is created. The electrical charge heats up the gas particles, causing them to turn into plasma. The lamp becomes so hot that it can instantly melt any object.

So, you have decided to take the last step towards understanding the Force. Do you gravitate towards the Dark or Light side of it? Keep in mind that the followers of the Dark Side are given cookies... Whatever the case, no matter whose side you are going to take, you will need a lightsaber. This article will tell you how to make a lightsaber with your own hands. This project is both an entry-level introduction to electronics, as it requires no previous knowledge, and a fun way to create props for carnivals, cosplays, and role-playing games.



To assemble a lightsaber, we need:

Tools:
- PVC pipe cutter
- Hacksaw
- Drill
- Soldering iron, solder, rosin (you can probably do without soldering, but it will make working with the electronic part much easier and the result more reliable)

Handle materials:
- A piece of PVC pipe with a diameter of 3 cm and a length of 20-30 cm (the length can be any, based on convenience)
- Switch in the form of a button
- Battery compartment for 2-4 AA batteries
Optional:
- Silver spray paint
- Bike camera
- Small electric motor (for creating vibrations in the handle and amazing sound effects when fencing with a laser sword)

Lightblade Materials:
- The pipe is polycarbonate. Its outer diameter must be at least 2 cm and, at the same time, less than the inner diameter of the "handle". The length should be about 75 cm, in proportion to the growth of the future Jedi
- From 25 to 35 LEDs of the color you need
- Solid wire 0.3 mm²

The total length of the sword is: hilt length + blade length + 7.5 cm.

Notes on the use of various materials:
This project uses many different materials. For the handle, any tube of a suitable length and thickness that is comfortable to grip will do. One of the Padawans once used a scooter handle and it worked great. We also made sure that the handles of tennis rackets do their job quite well. An opaque tube is better for a blade than a transparent tube because the light needs to be diffused. So a tube of any light and durable material of the desired length will do.

Let's start making the handle.
Make a mark on the PVC pipe to get the desired handle length. The standard length is 25 cm. The following steps are not necessary, but they will give your lightsaber more personality. Wrap the pen in paper or cardboard to make a stencil, and paint the spray grip the color you want. You can experiment with paint and stencils later. You can cut your bike tube to your desired length and pull it over the handle for a more secure and comfortable grip. You can also make a belt and on it - a holder from a bicycle camera for a sword.

We continue to work on the handle. The Jedi must decide where he will place the switch on the sword. Having decided on the location, drill a hole of such a diameter that the switch fits snugly in it. Cut out a slot for the batteries at the bottom of the handle. To do this, use a PVC pipe cutter. If you do not have enough length of its blade, use a hacksaw.

Let's create the blade.

1. "Forge" the blade to the required length - about 75 cm, depending on the height of the Jedi (use a hacksaw to cut polycarbonate).
2. If the blade is not translucent, it must be made so. Any method that allows you to make the light scatter will work. Here are two ways to achieve this. The first is the method of using sandpaper. Sand the pipe lengthwise until it is almost white and you can no longer see yourself in its reflection. The second is the tissue paper method. But before its implementation, you must first take the next, third step. Then carefully wrap the blade in a single layer of white (although any color will do) tissue paper. Secure it with clear packing tape and use the same to wrap the entire length of the blade on top to hold the paper in place.


3. Choose which end of the tube will be the "point". From the opposite end, measure 0.5 cm. Then carefully wrap the blade with electrical tape, limiting the mark made, until the blade in this place is thick enough to be inserted into the handle without falling out or staggering.
Additional steps:
4. Locate a piece of hard wire or wood to be cut to the exact dimensions of the outside diameter of the blade tube. It should be long enough not to fall in and short enough not to protrude beyond the pipe wall. You will need to tie the string of LEDs (which we will make in the next step) to this cross bar to keep it from sliding down the tube. Another such crossbar should be installed at the base of the blade for the same purpose. This step is optional, but doing it will improve the lightsaber's stats and durability.
5. Glue the foil as close to the "point" as possible. It will reflect the light from the end back into the tube. If you decide to mount the LEDs on the crossbars, tie them first and only then stick the foil.

We make a chain of LEDs.
1. Strip two pieces of wire completely so that there is no insulation left at all.


2. Take one of the bare wires and screw the positive lead of the LED to it, at the very beginning. You can determine the positive lead by its length - it is longer than the "minus".


3. Continue attaching the LEDs with the positive to the wire down the length of the wire. Screw each subsequent LED where the “plus” leg of the previous one ends.






4. When you have thus reached the required length, do the same with the negative leads of the LEDs. How it should look is shown in the image.
5. Use wire cutters if necessary to cut wires.
6. If the wires short out, the blade will not glow! Make sure the wires don't touch each other.
7. If you made crossbars for tying the string of LEDs, then attach its upper end to one of the crossbars. Pass the chain through the tube and attach the bottom crossbar. If you add a foil reflector to the bottom as well, that will also help the blade glow brighter.

Let's continue. If you are going to use a motor: wind a piece of wire or carefully glue a nut to the motor shaft so that it is as unbalanced as possible. This will make it vibrate more, which will make the sound effect better. Also, if the motor is too small to fit snugly against the sides of the handle, wrap it with duct tape to keep it well inside. Your switch and motor wires should be long enough to connect to other components from the outside at a distance of 7.5 cm from the lower end of the handle (so that there is room for connection and soldering).


The wires on the battery box may not be too long, just long enough to be connected to the contacts.


1. Make sure the switch button in the hole works. Inside the tube, you will need enough clearance to accommodate the contacts and wires.




2. Solder the wires to the switch and thread them through the hole in the sword hilt. If you don't have a soldering iron, you can wind the bare ends of the wires around the pins and wrap them with duct tape. However, a soldering iron works better in this case.
3. Attach the blade by inserting it into the handle so that the LED string wires protrude from the bottom of the handle.
4. All components must be soldered in parallel on the battery with a switch in between. In the example, it is done so that the red wire is “plus”, the white one is “minus”. Black is traditionally "ground". Keep this in mind!
- solder a weak resistor (~10 ohm) to the white motor pin (this will allow the LEDs to be supplied with more current). Which of the motor contacts will be negative is chosen arbitrarily, we just need to keep track of the connections.
- Solder the white wire of the switch to the red wire of the battery compartment.
- Solder the red motor lead and the red wire from the LEDs to the red switch wire.
- Solder all white wires to the white wire of the battery compartment.
5. Carefully insert all components into the handle so that they fit snugly in it, while the motor shaft should not catch anything inside. You may need to place the wires on the outside of the handle if the inside diameter of the handle won't allow you to fit everything inside without difficulty or obstruction.
If the blade does not glow, first of all check the LEDs (for the "plus" and "minus" touching) and the motor (if its shaft touches anything inside, there may be problems).

There are many variations on how you can make a lightsaber with your own hands. The above is one of the simplest, one might say - basic. If he does not satisfy you, connect your imagination. You can make a graceful handle, age it with paint and sandpaper, experiment with the color of the LEDs. Don't stop there and may the Force be with you!