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Collecting => Customs => Star Wars Action Figures => Topic started by: I Am Sith on December 22, 2006, 10:11 PM

Title: Darth Maul Full Hilt Single Blade FX Lightsaber
Post by: I Am Sith on December 22, 2006, 10:11 PM
I've been toying around with the idea of making a full hilt single bladed Darth Maul Force FX lightsaber for some time now.  Recently I scored one that I planned on taking apart.  So I started last night.  Here are the very early WIP pictures and a how-to in case anyone else is interested in doing the same thing.

First lower the o-ring between the two sections of the hilt:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1340.jpg)

Tap out the retention pin with a nail or screw:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1341.jpg)

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1342.jpg)

Pull the retention pin out:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1343.jpg)

Heat the hilt with a blow dryer prior to unscrewing.  The threads have a glue on them that hold them in place REALLY well.  If possible, have a second person help you unscrew the two pieces:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1352.jpg)

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1353.jpg)

Undo the clip holding the blade to the rest of the electronics in the hilt.  Push the blade out through the top hilt piece:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1354.jpg)

Remove the On/Off cover and unscrew the switch:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1355.jpg)

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1356.jpg)

Before removing the electronics from the hilt, you will also have to unscrew the silver knob under the On/Off switch as well as the belt clip from the back of the hilt.  Push the electronics through the hilt:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1357.jpg)

Replace the silver knob and the belt clip, and screw the top piece of the hilt back into the main part of the hilt:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1358.jpg)

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1359.jpg)

Replace the o-ring and put back the retaining pin:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1360.jpg)

Super glue the On/Off cover back on and then super glue the switch onto the hilt:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1361.jpg)

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1364.jpg)

Lastly, put your new hilt on your 'battle damaged' FX Lightsaber, and you now have a single-bladed full hilt version:

(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e391/iamsith22/DSCN1367.jpg)

Title: Re: Darth Maul Full Hilt Single Blade FX Lightsaber
Post by: I Am Sith on December 24, 2006, 11:58 PM
*Bump* with finished product.

Once I figured out that heating the junction of the two hilt pieces would loosen up the glue holding the two pieces together, the rest was really easy.  I just wish I would have figured that out before I scratched up the hilt trying to undo the two pieces with pliers.   Either way, I'm glad I did it and I think it still looks great.

Hope you guys like it as much as I do!
Title: Re: Darth Maul Full Hilt Single Blade FX Lightsaber
Post by: BrentS on December 27, 2006, 10:05 AM
Looks really great!  Glad you figured out how to get the two pieces apart.  Well done.
Title: Re: Darth Maul Full Hilt Single Blade FX Lightsaber
Post by: roron corobb on January 1, 2007, 07:34 PM
Looks good. Plus you have some extra parts to built you another saber. Question, does the saber before you customized it have two sets of electroics? Like if you wanted you could turn on one side and not the other? I don't have the Maul saber yet, that is why I ask.
roron corobb
Title: Re: Darth Maul Full Hilt Single Blade FX Lightsaber
Post by: I Am Sith on January 2, 2007, 08:47 AM
Roron Corobb,

Yes, the double bladed is two individual fx sabers combined in the middle.  Each FX has its own set of electronics that you can control individually.  The three reasons I ended up doing what I did above was because I didn't like the feel of the 'battle damaged' lighsaber, the double bladed is nice but ultimately too big, and I ended up finding one for only $15, so I could afford to rip it apart just for the hilt!

I hope I answered your question, but if not drop me a PM and we can discuss further.