An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
January 3, 2011 2:59 PM   Subscribe

"I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete. Indeed, you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen." The lightsaber prop to own all lightsaber props, complete with crystal chamber and a blade bright enough to blind with the lights switched on. TL;DR? YouTube vids - with the blade attached; the crystal chamber. [via Geekdad, via Make]
posted by obiwanwasabi (41 comments total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
No match for a good blaster by your side.
posted by chinston at 3:08 PM on January 3, 2011 [24 favorites]


Projects like this are why I dream of having a few pieces of machining equipment in my garage...
posted by JibberJabber at 3:10 PM on January 3, 2011


Impressive. Most impressive.
posted by Saxon Kane at 3:11 PM on January 3, 2011 [4 favorites]


Epunysterical.
posted by kmz at 3:11 PM on January 3, 2011 [3 favorites]


This is beyond awesome, but would it have killed the guy to zoom out on one of the videos to show a full shot of the thing in action?
posted by Atom Eyes at 3:13 PM on January 3, 2011 [2 favorites]


Between the lathe pornography and the beautiful movie prop fabrication, I'm feeling a bit dizzy.

Clever blade lighting too.
posted by quin at 3:14 PM on January 3, 2011


GODDAMNIT WHERE'S MY REAL LIGHTSABER?
posted by mrnutty at 3:30 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


*I* would like to see the vibrator built to keep his significant other distracted & happy while all this lightsaber-making was underway in the basement.
posted by chavenet at 3:35 PM on January 3, 2011


Kinda makes Norm Abram look like a chump.
posted by Capt. Renault at 3:43 PM on January 3, 2011


chavenet: “*I* would like to see the vibrator built to keep his significant other distracted & happy while all this lightsaber-making was underway in the basement.”

Significant what?
posted by koeselitz at 3:52 PM on January 3, 2011 [12 favorites]


This is especially impressive considering most of the actual prop lightsabers were built using things like kitchen drain assemblies and wiper blades cut up into lengths and stuff like that.
posted by hippybear at 3:57 PM on January 3, 2011


No match for a good blaster by your side.

This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.
posted by brain_drain at 4:05 PM on January 3, 2011 [4 favorites]


Significant what?

Computer? I think he means computer. But I don't know why you'd vibrate a computer. That can't be good for it.
posted by loquacious at 4:05 PM on January 3, 2011 [3 favorites]


That's nice, but I asked for a flying car.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:15 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


That's nice, but I asked for a flying car.

Fuck that, I'd asked for a Death Star.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:21 PM on January 3, 2011 [3 favorites]


Ear buns.
posted by cavalier at 4:23 PM on January 3, 2011


This lightsaber, it doesn't vibrate?
posted by 7segment at 4:23 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


Or a Natalie Portman.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:24 PM on January 3, 2011 [2 favorites]


This is truly, truly awesome; but I can't be the only one hearing the mouthbreathing in the background. Sort of lays bare my delusions of being a "cool" star wars nerd, eh?
posted by littlerobothead at 4:30 PM on January 3, 2011 [2 favorites]


Dad: Here's my present. I think you'll like it *wink*
Son: Oh boy! It's a... lightsaber. awesome. i'll keep it with the others. thanks dad.
Mom: I got you socks.
Son: SOCKS! Oh my god, you are the best Mom ever! I've wanted socks like ever since it started snowing! MY FEET ARE GOING TO BE SOOOO WARM!
posted by Ritchie at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


My god yoda, its beautiful.
posted by uni verse at 4:34 PM on January 3, 2011


I think the U.S. Marines are giving these away.
posted by swift at 4:44 PM on January 3, 2011


I can't be the only one hearing the mouthbreathing in the background

Please don't do this.
posted by hippybear at 4:47 PM on January 3, 2011 [2 favorites]


That's nice, but I asked for a monolith.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:52 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


*I* would like to see the vibrator built to keep his significant other distracted & happy while ...

This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a vibrator well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:56 PM on January 3, 2011 [5 favorites]


This is amazing. Looking at that glowing green crystal makes me improbably happy.

Also - really? People that do awesome things(like making lightsabers) could not possibly do other awesome things(like maintain significant others and have wonderful and fulfilling lives) now?
posted by sawdustbear at 4:58 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


Looks like I'm going back to the shop today...
posted by Askiba at 5:06 PM on January 3, 2011


Obligatory youtube link: Not as clumsy or random as a blaster...(YT)
posted by wuwei at 5:24 PM on January 3, 2011


Wow, that's pretty. I really can't wait till they figure out the science to make real ones (c'mon, you _know_ it's gonna happen. Cell Phones anyone...?)

... and sawdustbear: This is Metafilter - they're just funnin' ya:)
posted by djrock3k at 5:27 PM on January 3, 2011


Geez. A lot of work to mimic something that was constructed out of an old flash gun.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:36 PM on January 3, 2011


You don't understand littlerobothead! He ain't mouth breathing. That's his Darth Vader breathing!
posted by jeffburdges at 5:49 PM on January 3, 2011


The Chatty Duelists.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:28 PM on January 3, 2011


This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.

Feh. Then the Jedi is a completely racist organization. What would a Baragwin or a Yam'rii Padawan do with a lightsaber?

Sign me up for a bowcaster.
posted by Brocktoon at 7:34 PM on January 3, 2011 [1 favorite]


ChurchHatesTucker: Geez. A lot of work to mimic something that was constructed out of an old flash gun.

Indeed, although to be fair, he has done others.

Oh well, this all goes to show that I could never be a Jedi. I hated shop class. (The image of Yoda or Luke sweating away over a metal lathe also kind of ruins the whole thing for me.)
posted by moonbiter at 2:14 AM on January 4, 2011


I SEE YOUR SCHWARTZ IS AS BIG AS MINE
posted by pxe2000 at 5:22 AM on January 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


What would a Baragwin [...] do with a lightsaber?

Ask Astaal Vilbum.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:43 AM on January 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or a fusioncutter—but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary.

Wouldn't a Jedi be able to use a blaster even better than ordinary people? We've seen what a Jedi can do with a lightsaber against an opponent with a blaster. Wouldn't a Jedi with a blaster be even better?
posted by VTX at 8:57 AM on January 4, 2011


Well, the things about blaster bolts are, they have a lot of their light-speed movement energy transformed into kinetic force, which is why the bolts move so slowly and can be dodged or deflected by a lightsaber. The lightsaber, however, can move basically as fast as the Force allows the Jedi to wield it. They aren't ranged weapons, but overall they are much more difficult to defend against because of their power and speed.

Or something.
posted by hippybear at 9:05 AM on January 4, 2011


They aren't ranged weapons,

Clearly you've never Force-chocked someone and then cut them in half from a distance by throwing your lightsaber sideways.

It's wonderfully evil.
posted by quin at 9:15 AM on January 4, 2011 [1 favorite]


The image of Yoda or Luke sweating away over a metal lathe also kind of ruins the whole thing for me.

I would think that most of the mundane parts (like the casing) are done by some sort of droid or automated machinery or something after the Jedi tells it the specs. The Jedi does the important parts themselves...with the force!
posted by VTX at 10:10 AM on January 4, 2011


Ask Astaal Vilbum.

I smell a blog idea.
posted by Brocktoon at 7:43 PM on January 4, 2011


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