Custom Lightsaber Hilts from Childhood Archives

I was going through some stuff from my parents' attic and ran across a rolled up paper grocery sack full of these old guys. They were probably made 20 years ago. I guess I was about 12-14 when I did these using the Star Wars Technical Journals back in the 90's. They were made using PVC pipe, window hardware, bicycle parts and random junk parts. These 3 were some of the later versions. The rest of the bag seemed like desperate attempts to really stretch and experiment with materials.. I think one is even made with a length of diesel hose. I'll have to round up the rest for being adorably ugly.

 

This one is the pride of the find though for sure. It was my Luke Skywalker (Anakin) saber from ANH and ESB. The box on the side is made with a bicycle break pad (switched out for the cleaner one in the final picture. The grips are just sliced plumbing insulation. Sliced off a dowel to fill the bottom end and attached a small D-Ring with woodscrews. 

I remember when I made these that the trick for these buttons on the bottom had an AWESOME effect I had a screw cap with a gripped edge pinning a dimensional washer conforming it to the pipe's shape. This gave an AWESOME mirrored effect on the inside of the washer that I really remember being very proud of, but unfortunately the dulled silver paint now just kinda sits there and doesnt really pop anymore.

With the cleaner clearer bicycle break pad added.

The rest of the sad sack… good enough for parts… thats about it though.