instructables
Build a Lightsaber
by MrTinkerer
So you have decided to take the final step to
embracing the force. Does your path follow the Light
or the Dark side? (I hear the dark side has cookies).
What ever side you are on, what follows is how to
make a Duel-Worthy Lightsabre. That means, you
should be able to wield this sword and bash it against
things and other lightsabers with little fear of actually
breaking the lightsaber. You may end up breaking
other things, but the lightsaber will remain intact.*
Total cost of this project is $60 to $1,000 USD. The
wide range in cost all depends of how crazy you get
with your design. The cost of lightsaber I built for this
instructable is about $160.
The Video:
NOTE 1: This Instructable is very TEXT intensive.
NOTE 2: This instructable is VERY dated (old).
Technology has changed quite a bit since this set of
instructions was made. Additionally, a lot of new
vendors have appeared as well as new forums and
online resources. Reddit has a subreddit
r/lightsabers.
NOTE 3: Most of the parts used in this tutorial came
Build a Lightsaber: Page 1
from The Custom Saber Shop (TCSS). I am not
affiliated or employed with them. I am just a
customer.
NOTE 4: So you built a lightsaber, what next??? Join
a group of like minded people and start swinging your
sword at each other. There is The Saber Guild, The
Saber Legion, Lightspeed Saber League, just to new
a few. Trust me, it's more fun when you have others
to duel against.
* The author of this instructable is not responsible for
property damage, personal injury, amputation of
limbs, decapitation, and/or death resulting from the
building and use of the lightsaber prop. All legal
responsibility or resulting civil action due to said
property damage, personal injury, amputation of
limbs, decapitation, and or death belongs solely to the
builder. The author is also not responsible for anyone
falling into the Dark Side. The author will also not be
held responsible if an agent of the Dark side decides
to fry you with lightning coming out of his/her
fingertips*
//www.youtube.com/v/E21LJiFJ7zM&hl=en&fs=1&
 3

1 4
2

1. Luxeon III RED

2. MR Darth Vader
3. ElectroLuminescent (EL) Aqua
4. Dual or Maul style ElectroLuminescent (EL) Blue

1. Declaring my allegiance
2. My Less-than-authentic Jedi costume.
3. Yes, this was photoshop'd.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 2

 1

1 2

1. These brass accents used to be a sink tube. 1. The lightsaber built for this
2. These brass accents used to be a sink tube. instructable features a crystal
chamber with a real quartz
crystal. Here is a closer look at
the chamber assembly.

Step 1: Gallery - My Past Creations

These were my past creations and experiments.

I used to own a 7x12 metal lathe.
I sold the lathe

Build a Lightsaber: Page 3

 1

3
2

1. These two are Electroluminescent (EL) Wire.

2. This is a stock Master Replica Darth Vader with the LED array in the blade. Not
duel worthy as the array would break creating dark spots on the blade.
3. This was a test of 3 watt read led and a clear mylar film I was testing. LED and
lense was not aligned so the blade was not evenly lit. That changed when
installed into a hilt.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 4

 1

1. EL Blue, double-sided lightsaber.

1. My first LED lightsaber.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 5
 1. My first LED lightsaber.

1. Crystal chamber.

1. EL Aqua.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 6

Step 2: Parts and Tools
You need PARTS.
Go to your local hardware store and buy parts (some
parts will not be available at your local hardware store
and must be special ordered). If you have a local
Surplus Electronics Recycling store near you
(Weirdstuff, Electronics Goldmine), go there and
rummage around at the old electronics. Gather
anything that looks "cool", geeky, futuristic, funky, hi-
tech, or would seem useful later on.
Go to The Custom Saber Shop to buy specialty parts:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/
OR Ultrasabers
http://www.ultrasabers.com/
Also go to
http://www.onlinemetals.com/
http://tapplastics.com/
http://www.mcmaster.com/
If the parts do not make sense now, don't worry, I will
explain each section of the lightsaber in detail in the
steps to follow.
The Blade:
1 x 30-36 inch long Polycarbonate (pc) tube, thick
wall 1 inch outside diameter (OD). Wall thickness
should be 1/8 inch. This is the blade.
1 x end cap for the pc tube (blade tip)
1 x blade film ("corbin" film is great)
1 x reflective material with a diameter smaller than
the inner diameter of the PC tube.
The Hilt:
1 x blade/LED holder (aka the emitter)
1 x 1.5 inch chrome sink tube. 12 inch long
1 or 2 x sink tube adapter. 1 to attach the blade
holder to sink tube and 2 if you have opted for a
machined pommel.
1 x switch or button
1 x pomel or end cap
What ever else parts you want to attach to the hilt
body - grooved section, plates, gold trim, jewels,
tapered section, leather. BE IMAGINATIVE. MAKE IT
Build a Lightsaber: Page 7
DISTINCTIVELY YOUR OWN.
The Electronic Guts:
1 x High power LED (luxeon III, K2, V, Rebel; seoul
P4, or any LED with a lumen output above 60).
Decide if you want to buy an LED emitting a certain
color or a white LED and use color filters. The
lightsaber I built for this instructable in theory should
be pumping out over 300 lumen... In theory. You will
see later how I accomplished this.
1 x compatible optical lense to focus the LED to 10
degrees or less.
1 x method to control the current going into the LED -
for the example a BuckPuck was used. A Resistor
can be used but that method is less efficient.
Sound: Optional, but without it you just have a stick
that lights up. At the very least consider pulling the
board out of a Hasbro toy.
Batteries, battery holder, speakers, sound board, lots
of screws, vibration motor, crystal chamber, and
wires.
Tools.
Solder iron 45 watt or higher and some good quality
solder.
Hack saw
Rotary tool (Dremel) with sanding drum, cut-off
wheels, grinding and shaping tools.
Drill and drill bits
Jeweler's files
a screw tap set
screw drivers
allen wrenches
hammer
Glue for metal or epoxy
Elmers glue
Graph paper
Pencil
Sharpie
Sand paper, course and fine assortment
 1

1. Polycarbonate Tube: Clear. 1" OD. 30-36 inches long. 1. This can be clear or frosted acrylic or polycarbonate. Glue to one end of the PC tube
AFTER you attach a reflective surface on the flat side.

1
1 1

1. Film rolled up inside the PC tube. It acts as a diffuser. 1. 1.5" chromed brass sink pipe.
1. 1.5" chromed brass sink pipe.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 8

 1 1 1

2 2

1. High powered LED mounted on a Star 1. Collimator. Get 5 or 10 degree.

2. Star with one LED emitter
1. Collimator. Get 5 or 10 degree.
2. Star with one LED emitter

1 1 1. The collimator/lense
1. The collimator/lense

Step 3: Make Plans

First thing is to consider what your lightsaber will look
like. What color blade" how long is the blade? how
long is the hilt? do you want it to look intricate or just
a plain chrome flashlight? Where do you want to
place the buttons or switch?
To help you out use this useful tool called the
1
1. This is crazy long.
Build a Lightsaber: Page 9
Modular Hilt System (MHS) Builder:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/mhsbuilder/
Not only is it great in helping you visualize your
concept, it also will provide you with a parts list.
Below is an example of a hilt created in MHS Builder.
4
3 6
2 1
5
7
1. This is a section of sink tube slipped over MHS parts after being shaped with
a Dremel.
2. This is my warning label :p
3. Thumb screw
4. This is the switch
5. This is a section of sink tube cut and slipped over Blade holder style 12.
6. This is Blade holder style 12
7. this is a covertec button or stud. It snaps into a covertec belt clip (normally
 7. this is a covertec button or stud. It snaps into a covertec belt clip (normally
used to hold a PDA or cell phone)
Step 4: The Blade
The blade is made out of four (4) parts;
the polycarbonate(pc) tube
an end cap (blade tip)
a small reflective disk
a light diffusion film.
You can build the blade yourself
Or you can order the blade pre-made from TCSS:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/LED-Corbin-
style-Battle-blade-1-OD--P198.aspx
Or you can order a premade blade from Ultrasabers:
http://www.ultrasabers.com/UHB_Blade_p/blades-
hvy.htm
Details on each part:
The PC tube should be 1" OD with a wall thickness
of 1/8" and CLEAR. It should be 30-36 inches long.
Longer than that and the blade is harder to use and
does not light up evenly.
The end cap and the reflective disk go on the end of
the PC tube. I use an adhesive backed foil for the
reflective disk with a small hole cut out the center. I
then stick that to the bottom of the end cap and glue
the end cap to the PC tube. You can also buy a small
bag of assorted round mirrors at your local hobby
shop. The only issue with using a glass mirror is that
you are using a GLASS mirror inside your dueling
blade. The end cap with reflective material does two
things; give you a rounded end for your blade and
reflect some of the light back down the blade to make
it brighter.
The diffusing film I use is "Corbin" film. This is
Build a Lightsaber: Page 10
named after Corbin Das, the username of the person
who perfected the use of diffusion film. Without this
film the clear pc tube will just let the light inside pass
through and will not look bright. The film reflects and
spreads the light for a bright even blade. Role the film
into a tube that is the same length as the PC tube and
slide the film inside the PC tube. The film will then
unfurl a little and press against the inside wall of the
PC tube. Static cling will hold the film in place inside
the PC tube.
Corbin Film is purchased from TCSS. Item
description:
"The special refractive qualities of this blade film are
such that they produce the optical illusion of a central
beam of light within the blade when illuminated. This
"core" is surrounded by a more colorful "aura" that
appears to taper towards the tip." -TCSS
On purchasing corbin film, you specify your blade
diameter and wall thinkness. Then you specify if you
want one layer, two layers, or four layers of Corbin
film. I used 2 layers on the green lightsaber in the
video. TCSS sent me enough film to cover a blade 40
inches long. I trimmed the length to fit my 34" blade.
NOTE: when rolling the film, make the area as lint
and dust FREE as possible.
Ultrasaber also sells a white polycarbonate blade. No
blade film needed!
http://www.ultrasabers.com/MG_Blade_p/blades-
edge-fx.htm
Build a Lightsaber: Page 11
Step 5: The Blade Holder
The blade holder is the emitter section of your
lightsaber hilt - the business end. It can be made into
various styles and shape but it needs to have a hole
in it for the blade to go into. It serves three purposes:
1. It holds the blade securely.
2. It holds and aligns the LED and the Optics under
the blade to light it up.
3. It is the heatsink that prevents our LED from
burning out.
Choose from the different styles on this page:
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Blade-Holders-
C32.aspx
Mine is LED Blade holder style #3 with a stack of
rubber o-rings and part of the sink tube overlaid on it.
1
1. Blade inside blade holder
2. This brass screw holding this brass decorative plate is actually my blade retention
screw.
Build a Lightsaber: Page 12
A small hole needs to be drilled in a spot somewhere
in the middle. That hole then needs to be tapped to
accept a machine screw. A screw then needs to be
put into that hole so the end just barely juts out the
inside wall of the blade holder. This screw is the
blade retention screw. Now when making a blade
retention screw you want it small and inconspicuous.
OR you want it to blend in with the rest of your hilt
design. Thumb screws work well in blending in with
the design. a small 6-32 screw works well for being
inconspicuous. On my example, the blade retention
screw was incorporated into the brass accents
decorating the hilt.
(Blade Holder images used with permission from
TCSS)
1
1. Style 4 blade older
2. LED is mounted on this heatsink.
3. screws to hold the LED down
 1 1

2
2

1. Style 8 1. blade holder style 10.

2. This holds your LED star 2. It appears to be made of pure copper. It is heavy. I lapped mine to a
mirror finish using wet sandpaper. Lapping is done with the following
sandpaper grit - 300, 600, 1000, 2000

Build a Lightsaber: Page 13

Step 6: The Hilt Body
This makes up the bulk of your hilt. Not only is this
the place where you can add a lot of personal style
but this is also where most of the internal parts
reside. How roomy or cramped this area is really
depends on how long the main body is and if you use
machined aluminum parts or a chrome sink tube.
The main body can be a single aluminum tube
chosen from here (mhs main body):
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Main-Bodies-
C33.aspx
These are 7 inches long and just under 1.5" in
diameter. They are machined and have female
threads on the ends to allow the attachment of other
MHS parts like the blade holder, pommel, and
extensions. They also fit perfectly inside a chrome
sink pipe. There is a predrilled hole for a switch. This
provides the second most roomy internal space for
electronics.
Or combination of the above and parts from here
(mhs extensions):
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Extensions-
C59.aspx
http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Chokes-
C58.aspx
Extensions could be plain, milled, slotted, ribbed or
taper to a narrower outer diameter (choke). They add
length and design elements to your hilt. It could
provide you with the extra space for more batteries or
give your hilt a completely different look and feel. If
you really wanted to, you can build the entire hilt body
out of several extensions. Internal space however is
very limited on these parts. Some extensions barely
have enough space inside to pass wires through.
Something to keep in mind. Like the Main body, these
are perfectly sized to slip inside a chrome sink pipe.
Or combination of a Chrome Sink Tube and this piece
(mhs sink tube adapter): So the next step is to show you how to cut the sink
tube into your own personal design.
Build a Lightsaber: Page 14
rel="nofollow">http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/
MHS-to-15-sink-tube-adapter--P162.aspx
The sink tube can serve two purposes. It can server
as the main body tube Or it can serve as a
sleeve/overlay that slips over your MHS parts. Using
a sink pipe as the main body tube provides the
greatest amount of space inside since the pipe
diameter is 1.5" and the walls are much thinner than
the machined aluminum MHS main body or MHS
extensions. Using this method, you will have a main
body tube that is smooth chrome that you can add
design elements to like screws, jewels, leather strips,
grips, cut holes and slots into. Just use your
imagination.
OR The sink pipe can serve as an overlay - a sleeve -
over the aluminum body tube and extensions
purchased from TCSS. You can build your hilt using
the MHS main body and extensions above and then
cut and shape your chrome sink tube to slip over hilt
to add additional depth and design. The contrast
between aluminum and polished chrome is also quite
amazing.
An endless combination of cuts, slots, extensions and
main body combinations are available to you when all
three components above are used. All you need is a
dremel, some files, a drill and some screws.
OR you can shape your sink tube to serve as BOTH
a main body and an overlay. To do this, take your 12"
sink tube and select a portion that will be cut and
shaped into a design and leave the rest intact. This is
the method used for the example lightsaber in the
video. For the hilt I used for this instructable, I used a
combination of 1 extension, 2 sink tube adapters and
1 sink tube I cut into a design I wanted. The sink pipe
acts partially as a body tube and partly as an overlay.
 7

6 1
2 34 5
8 1

1. chrome sink tube 1. Lightsaber build ENTIRELY from Modular Hilt System parts.
2. sink tube adapter
3. MHS Extension
4. chrome sink tube overlay/sleeve.
5. Blade holder
6. Pommel
7. MR Lightsaber Construction Kit
8. MR Lightsaber Construction Kit.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 15

Step 7: Cutting the Chrome Sink Tube
Cut your sink tube to the desired length. Next get
your graph paper. Cut out a section big enough to
wrap around the sink tube with maybe a 1/8" overlap.
Now remove the paper and draw your cut out design.
when you are happy with your design wrap the paper
back onto the tube and check for fit and aesthetics.
Looks good?
Take the paper off again and put a thin layer of
elmers glue all over the sink tube. Stick your graph
paper back on. Wait for the glue to dry.
Once the glue is dry get out the Dremel and cut-off
wheel.
CAREFULLY cut away the unwanted metal from the
sink tube. DO NOT cut directly on the drawing lines
you made on the paper. Cut maybe 1/8" of an inch
1. the sink tube has been cut to a design I had in mind.
Build a Lightsaber: Page 16
from it. A vise or a pipe clamp really helps during this
process.
Once the design has been roughly cut out, switch to
your sanding drum and grinding bits. SLOWLY and
CAREFULLY grind away closer and closer to the
drawing lines. Remember, you can always take a little
more off, BUT if you cut or grind too much you can
not put it back on.
For intricate areas of your design use the metal files
to carefully take off metal. Sand the edges with
course sand paper to remove burs (metal splinters
hurt a lot).
Sand the edges with fine sand paper to round out the
edges so you don't cut yourself. When you are
satisfied with your work, remove the paper and wash
the tube with warm soap water.
 2 1
1

1. The blade holder is on this end. 1. And the MHS parts are now inside the freshly cut sink tube.
2. The MHS pipe adapter will be on this end

Step 8: Intergrating the MHS With the Sink Tube

Now you have a sink tube that does not look like it Put the adapter back in the sink tube and secure with
should be connected to the bathroom sink anymore. the screws.
You should have something that looks like a work of
art, or at least a piece of machinery. Test fit the hilt parts.

Take your Sink Tube Adapter(s) and slide it inside the Video of the hilt put together but no electronics yet
sink tube with the threaded section facing towards the (except for Crystal Chamber LEDs):
edge of the sink tube. With your sharpie pen, mark
the sink tube with dots in the locations where the
screw holes are going to be. Collect random parts. Keep them in a bin. Go get
some thumb screws, LED bezels, leather
Remove the sink tube adapter. Drill holes a little studs/spikes, machines screws, etc. What ever you
larger than the screw being used in the sink tube. can think of to dress up your hilt body.

//www.youtube.com/v/XWLCxtSREVE&hl=en&fs=1&
The sink tube adapter comes predilled and tapped for
10-32 machine screws. All we need is two holes on
the sink tube to secure the adapter to the sink tube.

1 2

1. This is my "Junk" parts bin. Parts came from

optical drives, hard drives, old vcr, dead dvd player,
Build a Lightsaber: Page 17
 optical drives, hard drives, old vcr, dead dvd player,
etc.
2. This is my "useful items" parts bin. It has switches,
speakers, crystals, screws, motors, etc.
3. switches

2 1

1. Thumb screws look great on the lightsaber body 1. I also keep a handful of crystals.
2. these are metal 5mm LED bezels. They look great on the lightsaber body. Even more
so when the LEDs actually light up.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 18

Step 9: The Electronic Guts
How bright do you want it? Do you want sound? How
about some extra stuff like fake electronics, a crystal,
feedback motor, or accent LEDs? This is when it
could get expensive.
Lets break it down in the next few steps:
* Basic with NO sound
* Basic with advanced LED control
* Basic with Sound
* Mid Level (with sound)
* High Level (with sound)
* Premium (with customizable sound and MP3
Player!)
For my example I went with THREE (3!!!!) Rebels
mounted on one Star as close as possible. All are
green. This was purchased from Xwingband who has
made an investment to be able to produce these
custom mounted Rebel LEDs. Powered by one buck
puck and three Li-Ion batteries. Each Rebel I think
puts out 130 lumen at 700 mAmp. I have three so i
think I am over 300 Lumen. More lumen equals
brighter blade. i have been told my blade hurts the
eyes when you look at it too long.
A fourth Li-Ion battery is used to power the sound
board and accent lights. The sound is from a 616
board. There is a crystal chamber, and a feedback
motor.
Here is what the functioning electronics look like
outside the hilt:
Try to get as much technical specs on the LED you
Build a Lightsaber: Page 19
want to use. A good example to start is here:
http://www.philipslumileds.com/products/luxeonk2
Read the Datasheet. Important things to know about
the LEDS are:
1. Minimum, normal, maximum Forward voltage.
2. Minimum, normal, and max Amperage
3. Light output in lumens at min, normal and max
amperage
4. thermal management requirements
5. Size and mounting methods.
Note that white, blue, and green take a higher forward
voltage than red, yellow and amber.
Also note that LEDs respond more to current than to
voltage. Feeding your LED with current (milliamps) as
close to what the datasheet states will provide the
most optimal performance.
Picture 1 shows my 3 REBELS mounted on one
STAR. Besides the challenge of how to power these
beast up was having a solution for the optics.
Xwingband provided the solution by mounting the
LED emitters as close as possible to each other and
providing a collimator with a large enough opening
underneath to ALMOST encompass all 3 Rebels.
Picture 2 and 3 shows how the lense (collimator)
would normally fit on top of a star with 1 LED emitter.
Not shown is the Optics Holder which keeps the
lense centered.
//www.youtube.com/v/j2HPgWTEs8c&hl=en&fs=1&
 2
1

4 3

1. One Rebel
2. Two Rebel
3. Three Rebel
4. The LED emitters are connected in SERIES.

1. See how the LED emitter dome is INSIDE the

collimator (aka, lense)

Step 10: Electronics - Basic Lightsaber, NO Sound

Build a Lightsaber: Page 20

Basic - No Sound.
For the High Power LED we have: Luxeon Star in III,
K2, V, and Rebel; Cree; Seoul.
There are others but I leave it to you to do the
research. Which ever LED you choose, you have to
make sure that there is OPTICS available for it that it
will fit in the very small space we have inside the
blade holder.
For the basic lightsaber with NO sound we will need
the high power LED(s), Optics, batteries, a resistor or
a buck puck, battery holder and a switch.
That's it. Easy. And this method leaves lots of space
inside the hilt. Space that can be used for a larger
battery capacity or more voltage. If you want to have
an INSANELY bright bright lightsaber, this would be
the best way to achieve it. "Class III laser warning"
bright = higher voltage and amperage reqirements.
Plus there is heat management to take care of, i.e.
larger heatsink. Not having sound and a speaker
means more room for batteries and a larger heatsink.
You also have to find the right kind of Switch. For the
basic no sound lightsaber you will need a switch that
must be pressed/flipped/moved to turn it on and
pressed/flipped/moved again to turn it off. This can be
a slider, toggle, push on/push off, or latching switch.
You must consider the size, mounting hole
requirements, voltage and amp rating and look of the
switch.
About Battery Choices:
A standard 9 volt battery is not going to cut it. You
need something with decent capacity (measured in
mAh - milliamp hours) and voltage. The best choice
would be rechargeables.
-- Three AA NiMH is a good choice for powering a
single LED. The mAh of most rechargeable AA
battery is above 2000.
-- The next choice is a battery pack for RC remotes
and airsoft guns. These also tends to be NiMH
technology and can be purchased in different
mAh/voltage/size configurations. Using a battery pack
means you can install a recharge port on your
lightsaber and just plug your saber to a charger to be
Build a Lightsaber: Page 21
recharged.
-- The newest technology is Lithium Ion (Li-Ion). Li-Ion
batteries pack a lot energy density in a small space,
that means that 1 AA size Li-Ion battery puts out the
same voltage as 3 NiHM AA connected in series
(3.6v). So you can get away with buying ONE battery
to power 1 LED. This makes wiring much simpler and
saves on space. The thing to note about Li-Ion battery
is that they are VERY sensitive to overcharging and
discharging. Overcharge a Li-Ion and they tend to
EXPLODE into a fireball. Overdischarge a Li-Ion
battery and it will not ever charge again. There are
special chargers and protections circuits used to
prevent both cases. Often times the circuit is built into
the battery. Li-Ion battery sizes are designated by
their diameter and lenght in millimeters. So a size
16340 means the battery is 16mm in diameter and
34mm long (remove one trailing zero - thanks for
catching that Dr. dB). A 14500 is equal in size to a
AA battery (14mm x 50mm).
Current Control:
To control the current going into the LED we have two
methods. 1) Have a resistor between the LED and the
battery. 2) Use a Buck Puck.
If you go the RESISTOR current limiting method, you
must calculate the correct resistance needed to limit
the current going into the LED. Get this wrong and
you either get weak light or a fried LED.
Go to this site to calculate the correct resistance:
http://ledz.com/?p=zz.led.resistor.calculator
If you go the BUCKPUCK method, then you just need
to purchase the buckpuck that comes closest to the
mA of your LED. Buckpucks come in 350mA, 700mA,
and 1000 mA. The 350 is hardly ever used in our
hobby. Again, look at the typical mA of your chosen
LED and match it as close to one of the buckpucks
above.
The higher level lightsabers build on the principals on
this page of LED, current limitter, switch, and battery.
 3

1
2

1. 700mAmp output 1. This is the microswitch used in the example saber.

2. Each LED puts out 130 lumen @ 700 mA. i have the three connected in series so each
LED is getting over 650 mA. That means I still have over 300 lumen total output.
3. 3.6v Li-ion battery. only three are being used to power the LEDs. the fourth is used to
power the sound and accent LEDs. 3 bateries in series = 10.8v is being supplied to the
BuckPuck
the amp rating of this tini switch is very low and it
would melt if the power went through this from battery
to LED. instead it is used as a "logic gate".

1
1

1. The LED under the Optics. 1. Push on/Push off. This switch is well suited for high amp usage.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 22

 1 1

1. These are Normally Open (NO) switches. The circuit 1. I keep an assortment of switches in my parts bin.
is ON when you push the button, BUT turns OFF the
instant you let go. This is no good for a basic lightsaber
but is used on the high end sound boards.

Step 11: Enhanced Basic - LED Control Board

A step up to just light with no sound is having a * can be configured for Momentary or Latching
Controller Board provide the power to the high power switches
LED. http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Luxeon- * can be integrated into a sound board (hasbro or
3w-driver-V2-P230.aspx MR).

This board was also an innovation of Corbin Das. What does all of the above mean? Well, it adds some
flexibility in our design. We can use different high
Brief description: power LEDs, different types of switches, different
* the board ramps the light up for ON and ramps voltages. We can even configure the look/feel of the
down for OFF. light being emitted. There are also options to connect
* Shimmer effect * Flash on clash and flash on lock this to a sound board.
up.
* can handle input voltage up to 30v

Build a Lightsaber: Page 23

Step 12: Basic With Basic Sound

For the budget minded, you can purchase a plastic
lightsaber toy (with sound) at your local big store
(wal****, Tar***, ToysR**, etc). gut it and use it to
power the LED and provide sound.
Here is an example of the Hasbro toy electronics
powering an Red/Blue/Green (RGB) LED.
The purple blade lightsaber is using the hasbro toy
sound board in this video:
soundboard and split the positive wire going into the
LEDs - one wire to the Blue LED and the other wire
into a resistor then to the Red LED (remember, Red
needs less voltage than Blue, hense the resistor).
Both LEDs use a common Negative wire. Green was
not used. Blue+Red = Purple.
See Picture 2 on how to wire a Hasbro toy circuit
board.

//www.youtube.com/v/NR7zRhEdWi0&hl=en&fs=1&

How did I get purple? Well, I put 4.8 volts through the

1. Hasbro Board. This board requires a Momentary (N.O.) switch.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 24

Step 13: Mid Level - Force FX Based

For higher sound quality and better light control,

people have stripped the electronics out of Force FX
Lightsaber previously produced by Master Replicas
(MR). MR lost the license to the Star Wars brand but
the Force FX product line was picked up by Hasbro.
The most popular sound board to use is the one in
the now discontinued product called The Force FX
Lightsaber Construction Set - AKA, the 616 or "Joe
Jedi". This was sold exclusively at Radio Shack. Why
this one? Well with a flick of a switch you can go from
lightsaber sounds based on Jedi to Sith (yes, there is
a difference). Heck, the set gives you the ability to
switch the blade color from Red to Green to Blue.
They only place I know to get them now is Ebay. I got
two refurbished ones for $40 each.
The MR sound board can only handle 6 volts MAX.
Any more and you fry it. The board requires a latching pack with higher voltage going to the
switch similar to the one used for the Basic
lightsaber. Using this board to power the LED will
limit your choices of high powered LED. Basically if
your LED choice requires a forward voltage of more
than 6 volts, this board can not do it alone (example
would be the Luxeon V , or multiple LEDs like I did).
This is the board that I used. Huh?? I know... I just
said that this board can not handle over 6 volts. And
my 3 Rebels in series would need 9.45 volts. In fact,
the voltage put out by my three Li-Ion batteries is at
10.8v. How did that work?
Well with some applied electronics you can regulate
the power going into the board and have the board
just provide sound. Then have the rest of the
electricity go into a buckpuck. That way you can have
the MR board getting less than 6 volts and the LED
getting what ever it requires (7.2, 10.6, 12 volt what
ever).
Another method is to use a double pole/double throw
switch and have two battery packs. One battery pack
with low voltage to the MR board and another battery
buckpuck/resistor/led. Press the button and two
different voltages are sent to two circuits isolated from
each other. This is the route I went with.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 25

Step 14: High Level - Ultra Sound Board

Hardcore lightsaber makers are busy making other powered LED

sound board solutions in the mid-to-high price range. * Has an overdrive function to send extra amps to the
LED
Ultra Sound Board 2.5 is currently available and more * Supports multiple low power accent LED.
people are developing new boards. If the trend * Has multiple Sound Options
continues, soon there will be several to choose from. * Supports an auxilary button for clash lock and
blaster block.

The Ultra Sound Board is found here: Wiring of this board is very customizable and feature
http://www.ultrasabers.com/ rich. The maker of the board provides instructions on
how to wire it all up. As mentioned earlier the
It is also sold by TCSS. Ultrasaber website also sells completed blades (or
complete hilts if you don't want to build your own).
Brief description:
* the board supports most of the available high

Build a Lightsaber: Page 26

Step 15: Premium - Erv's Crystal Focus

Well, if you have the money and the luck, Then the
Crystal Focus is the way to go.
The Crystal Focus can be pruchased from here:
http://www.plecterlabs.com/catalog/
* The main LED can be controled to gradually power
up, gradually power down, shimmer, and flash on
clash.
* Auxillary buttons can be used to add extra functions
like blaster blocking, and lightsaber clash locks.

Follow the link to the "Electronic Modules". Just to
warn you, these boards are pricey and they are very
limited in quatity. Erv sells them in batches of about
80 boards and they sell out in about 5 minutes. He is
currently on version 4.x.
To give you an idea what this board can do here is a
link to the Crystal Fucus 3.0 Manual
http://www.mediafire.com/file/hznmeummyyn/Crystal
FocusSaberCoreV3.0-GB.pdf
(I put the file on a different website so as not to
overload Erv's website).
A brief description:
* The CF can handle different types of high lumen
LEDs. In addition it can provide power to multiple low
power accent LED and make them blink in different
ways.
* The true power of the CF is the customizable sound
"FONTS". Basically, you can create or download your
own unique lightsaber sound. The master mixer of
lightsaber sound fonts is NOVASTAR. Here is a link
to his YouTube Channel to see the many things he
can do with lightsaber sound fonts:
http://www.youtube.com/user/greytale.
* The Crystal Focus CAN PLAY MUSIC. ANY music.
Just copy it to the SD card.
The sound fonts are stored on an SD card. Thats
right, the board has an SD card slot. I will not go into
how to wire the Crystal Focus. The instruction manual
Erv Plecter provides does a great job with that
already. Download the PDF above if you really want
to know how it all works.

1
1. Crystal Focus version ##.##
2. I did not want to give away Erv's secrets so the
boards parts are pixelated.
2

Step 16: Final Assembly

Build a Lightsaber: Page 27


Well, by now you should have a really fancy metal
tube between 10" to 15" long. Perhaps 20" to 22" if
you decided you wanted a Darth Maul type of
lightsaber. The most common length tends to hover
around 11.5".
You also have a plastic "blade".
And last but not least a pile of electronics parts - LED, that you are not twisting up your wires and breaking
circuit board, puck, battery, switch, speaker, low
power LED.
Ohh, and wire. A spool of it. preferably two colors.
Well, lay them all out on your work table like the
picture above and measure out your wires.
Remember that space is a premium inside these hilts
and a little extra wire here and there tends to eat up
all that space.
Where it makes sense, go ahead and solder up parts
and wires together.
When it does not make sense to have parts
permanently soldered together, use corresponding
male and female connectors. Use as small a
connector as you can find. I used male and female
Header Pins like these:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php
?products_id=553
~~~~~~~~~TEST IT FIRST!!!~~~~~~~~~~~
While the electronics are OUT of the hilt, connect up
all the parts and power it on. Does it light up? Is there
sound coming out the speaker? Yes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, now comes the most frustrating part...
Disconnect the wires that are on connectors. Now
cram all that stuff inside the hilt. Each lightsaber is
different. The layout of wires, switches, and
electronics is as unique as finger prints. So I can not
really tell you how to do it. Just cram it all in there one frustrating.Just step back, take a deep breath and try
way or another. Sometimes a compromise is needed, again when you have cooled off.
or a part needs to be abandoned. Or maybe your
Build a Lightsaber: Page 28
lucky and there is tons of room.
Reconnect the wires.
I have built several lightsabers and I can tell you that
even though I learn a lot from each build, something I
have NEVER had is plenty of room.
NOTE: MHS parts screw into each other. Be mindful
solder points as you screw in the parts.
Tightens the screws, bolts, nuts. Put in the blade.
Tighten the blade retention screw. Hold your breath
and move your finger to the ON switch...
POWER IT ON. :)
Have fun.
UPDATE 11/20/2010:
I accidentally fried one Li-Ion battery on the lightsaber
last Monday (11/16/10). I took it a apart to make sure
the rest of the electronics was OK. It is. (I should
have taken pictures). Total time to take apart 5
minutes.
On putting it back together, it took me an hour! Keep
in mind this is the lightsaber I assembled. I had
hemostats holding wires in place while I used a
needle nose pliers to manuever the connectors and
plug parts together. I had so many wires going every
which way that I forgot what goes to what! Thank
goodness I thought ahead and color coded everything
(all negative wires are black, clash sensor is orange
wires, speaker wire is brown, switch wires are yellow,
etc)
While working I looked at my wife and asked her
"Why do you let me do nutty things like this?!" She
just laughed...
It is tricky and it is confusing and it can get
 1

1. Here are all the parts. Already to assemble.

1. Other than removing the background this picture was not

photoshop'd. My lightsaber really was that bright.
2. Yes, this is me. Yes, this is a lightsaber I built also.

I built a Lightsaber out of an old Motorcycle Front Fork. (it has no sound board)

Hell Mr Tinkerer,
I have a question I have a Cree LED and Lens and lens holder but I do not have a copper heatsink.
Is there any other part that can replace this? IF so how should i attach it to my sink tube hilt?

Build a Lightsaber: Page 29

Thanks
Here is one of my old builds:

That's awesome! How did you manage the crossbeams?! Are they split from the main led?

Thanks!
No it is not split from the main led. I just used two other led for the cross-guard/cross-beams.
Here is another couple photos for your interest.

so cool man

on an old build prior to having access to a lathe, i took a heatsink from an old computer. it had
really tall fins and was about 1.25" square. I cut the corners with a hacksaw then used a dremmel
drum sander and sanded the edge until the heatsink was round, or a close approximation of round.
I then drilled and tapped the sides and held it in place with screws.
so cool i love it so much

Hi, great article. I've done a lot of research and I'm stuck on how to supply power to my hasbro
soundboard without frying it. It takes 3 AAA batteries and supplies the soundboard, led and
speakers. I know I want to get a high powered speaker, preferably one that uses 3 volts. Now If the
battery has 4.5 volts total would it have enough power to power the soundboard and speakers after
powering the new led? Thanks
Also, what kind of LED did you use for step 12?

An RGB LED 1 watt. I believe it was Cree. I was trying to make purple, so I only drove the red and
blue LEDs. I used different resistors for each LED so that I could get the shade of purple I wanted.

I don't think they make them anymore. Most LEDs we use now are 3 watt (Luxeon Rebel, and Cree
XP 2).
I used an RGB star. I think it was a Cree star. I did not use the green LED on the star.

Hi,
if you've got problems with the Hasbro soundboard, I think it would be better to take a higher
sophisticated one - if it's not too expensive.
Have a look at http://thecustomsabershop.com (mentioned in the articel), or http://sabertec.net (a
European source).
I agree with MathJoker. A Nano Biscotte cost me $67. Now there is even a less expensive one, for
$57 (I have not tried it). I have fried two Hasbro boards even when I was supplying power from 3
AA batteries. I believe the reason why they fried was because of the current draw of the LED for
the blade. The mid-range sound boards (from $50-$80) are better at handling voltage and current.
Would there be a way to create a vibration function? Such as a very low power oscillating motor,
like this one?https://www.adafruit.com/products/1201?gclid=Cj0KE...

Build a Lightsaber: Page 30

Maybe hooked up to a contact sensor, instead of a speaker. That way, you could get a more real
hand feel? Idk
Actually, some of the boards have a flash on clash function. It would be possible to connect the
flash output to a motor driver instead of an LED so instead of flashing when the blade hits
something, the lightsaber vibrates.
where did you find the cap for the blade tube? I'm having trouble finding a caps

http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/Shouldered-1-thick-walled-blade-tip-with-reflective-disc--
P139.aspx
hi guys just wanna ask your opinion about my LSB i made that 1 year ago
its made of brass pbc, and i made the blade out of fiber mat, since my country don't have much of
materials to sell, can you share me some of your layouts regarding wiring and hilts.

The blade looks nice and bright. Can you share a picture of the hilt? What kind of wiring scheme
are you asking about?
You should use Electro Luminescent wire (www.elbestbuy.com/)

While Electroluminescent (EL) wire can provide an even light distribution for the length of the
blade, the light output is dim compared to LED. If you look at the very first picture, you will see that
the two shades of "Blue" are actually EL.
I started making EL lightsabers in 2001. I switched to LED a couple of years later. EL wire has a
lifespan far shorter than LED. My first EL blade was half brightness after only 1 year of use. LED
takes 50,000 hours before diminishing in brightness. EL is an old technology that is cool, but the
future is LED and OLED.
im new to the lightsaber design idea myself. ive designed a few nice hilts out of pvc pipe since i
don't have money or materials to buy aluminum ready built stuff and want to take them to the next
level. My question is about the blade however. i know polycarbonate is typically the way to go but
is a bit expensive on my budget. what is your take on using 3/4 clear furniture grade pvc pipe for a
blade and cellophane wrapping paper as a diffuser? Would it work the same?
Can you give a link for the clear PVC pipe you have in mind. I am not familiar with it. I have banged
around schedule 40 pvc pipes before. The plastic does have a good bit of flex. However, hit it hard
enough and it does shatter. Now, if you are just building a show piece instead of a dueling saber,
that should be fine. But if you plan to duel with the blade, polycarbonate is the only safe clear
material that I know of.
Side emitting fibre, see
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-newly-2mm-sma...
only 2mm OD, but others available.
The ID of a 1" PC battle blade is 3/4" or 19.05mm. can you provide link for fiber optic that would
properly fit into a blade and we would want to avoid the fiber optic rattling inside the blade.
You can get side emitting fibre optic tubes, they sell them for swimming pool lighting.
Plug your light source on the hilt end, with a mirror on the tip end, all the light should be evenly
emitted.
If this fitted snuggly inside the PC tube, it should all look good!!

Build a Lightsaber: Page 31

Yes, i have often thought about using side emitting fibre optics, but cost has been prohibitive in the
past. perhaps prices have gone down since last I checked. Can you provide a link to a source of
side emitting fibre optics that is the right diameter?
Way cool dude.
But for a cheap version would something work with an LED laser. plasctic tubing and some kind is
glass or plastic beads ?
Maybe those ones they use for plant watering (gel?)

Make It SO ! - oops sorry wrong movie ;-)

this is really cool, although it's way out of my price range. well done!

Hi. It depends on what tools you have available to you and what materials you plan to use.
Aluminum would be the most difficult. I start with a 3/8th inch drill bit and drill all the way through
round stock. This can be done on a lathe or a drill press. I then increase to half inch then 3/4 inch. I
stop there if using a thin 3/4 inch blade. But most people (me included) prefer 1 inch blades. So I
attach the round stock to the lathe and use a boring bar to increase the hole to 1 inch diameter.
This is because drill bits beyond 3/4 inch tend to be expensive and hard to find.
If you don't have the tools above, buy a blade holder for $25. Less headache and cheaper than
DIY.
Finished! Thank you

Wonderful work. I love the color. Thank you so much for sharing.

Such an amazing tutorial... I'd love ta' go buy the electronic toy one, then rig it up from there...
Make a new blade and handle, and junk the rest. ;)
Thank you.

Step #5 Blade holder... Can I make my own blade holder that won't break my Saber? I don;t wanna
spend $2318423403240 on one from a web page...
Yes, it is possible. I have made many blade holders of my own. The only thing is, i have had
access to a lathe and other heavy duty type tools. It would also be possible to 3D print a blade
holder, but again, you have to be fortunate enough to have access to that.
The issue is that most blades are 1" diameter and boring out a hole that size accurately and
properly into metal is not easy. Perhaps if you make your blade holder out of some sort of high
density plastic light Delrin or HDPE rod...
Another stupid question; What sort of cap do you recommend?

Hi, I was wondering what changes would need to made, to make a lightsaber cane ? (with light and
just the sound of warming up..no fighting sounds needed for a cane). Thanks
I need help. I am trying to build my own heatsink. I found a brass coupler that fits perfectly with my
cree led and optics. The problem is that the coupler is too small to fit snugly in the hilt. I think pvc is
a bad idea but I'm not sure. Thoughts?
Hi I am new at building lightsabers. The only one that I have made is a style four lightsaber from
http://bigyellowbox.tripod.com. This may be stupid questions. Is it possible for me to put wiring
inside my lightsaber and battle with it? If so, what would you recommend I do? Should I take a toy

Build a Lightsaber: Page 32

lightsaber and transfer the wiring into mine? I want to make my lightsaber green. What parts do I
need?
hello,
The Big Yellow box is a great website. It is great that you went there to build a lightsaber.

There are no stupid questions.

However, i may sometimes give a stupid answer, haha.

Yes, buy a toy lightsaber, take it apart, put all the electronics into your style 4 saber. Make sure
you are using a polycarbonate blade if you are dueling with it. Use the LEDs I recommend in my
instructable.
Good luck. Share pictures.
Hi MrTinkerer,
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I definitely share my pic when I have it all set up.
Here it is guys! Tell me what you think. Thankyou very much Mr Tinkerer

That looks great. Looks bright too. Awesome work.

Thanks! And thank your for this very inspiring and helpful tutorial!

Hi I am new at building lightsabers. The only one that I have made is a style four lightsaber from
http://bigyellowbox.tripod.com. This may be stupid questions. Is it possible for me to put wiring
inside my lightsaber and battle with it? If so, what would you recommend I do? Should I take a toy
lightsaber and transfer the wiring into mine? I want to make my lightsaber green. What parts do I
need?
hi im just starting out, and I have a few questions about the inner workings.
I've looked online, but luxeon seems to be out of stock of their main 140lm rebel leds. are their
420lm tri star led's too bright for a lightsaber, and do they require more power? if so, where else
can i buy star leds?
Also, I'm very confused about how to wire a soundboard into the system. I have one of those
sound-effects toy lightsabers from hasbro, but it seems that either the speaker or battery pack
inside is fried and wont work. I know you gave a diagram on the connections of a hasbro
soundboard, but i am still REALLY confused on specifically where i need to wire one thing to
another.
Additionally, i've looked in the comments and have seen multiple posts about having both a lithium-
ion rechargeable battery AND a AA or AAA battery case in the same saber. Do you need to have
both in order for this to work?
Finally, do you have any specific way to keep all the parts inside the hilt from banging around when
you twirl and swing the finished saber?
Thanks.
Hi,
Lots of questions. Many of these questions have probably been answered on the many forum
dedicated to lightsaber creation. Places like FX-sabers, thecsutomsabershop, rebellegion, and
ultrasabers just to name a few. With the upcoming Star Wars movie(s), these forums have become

Build a Lightsaber: Page 33

very active again. Become part of those communities. In addition, i highly recommend that you also
learn as much about electronics as time will allow.
If you are using a hasbro board (that works) and a single High power LED, you can get away with a
single power supply. Just run the sound board and the LED in parallel. You probably want to keep
your voltage below 5 volts. A single li-ion puts out 3.7 volts, so that should be good.
For purchasing an LED, I am not affiliated with any store so I cannot tell you when inventory
becomes available. I highly recommend that you contact the vendor and find out when they will get
more.
On tri-rebels... Too bright??? no such thing. The green lightsaber I built for this instructable is tri-
Rebel. 420 lumens was easily achieved. I found myself in the Grand Canyon one evening without
any gear (tent, sleeping bag, flashlight.. weird back story). BUT I had my green lightsaber. I used it
to light my way. Kept me from falling off the edge... True story.
On too much room inside the hilt, banging around and all that. Nope... If you built a lightsaber of
the proper diameter and length (no wookie sabers) with sound board, batteries, speaker, switches,
charging port, accent LEDS, heatsink, and yards of wire... and you have room in it for the parts to
bang around, then you are a very gifted sabersmith.
Ok thanks. I have found a good site that has the parts in stock. However, I am still wondering
something. If I choose to use a tri-led, do i have to buy a special optical lense for the lights to fit? If
so, where? Also, how much power will i need with a tri-led compared to a single led?
Oh wait forget about that last part. I would need around 9.7 volts for the tri-led.

Build a Lightsaber: Page 34