Disclaimer: I am NOT taking any money or plan on taking any at this time, nor welcome any. This post and thread is to seek assistance in making something by information and guidance alone in how to decrease costs further if possible. I type up to 90 words per minute and rather then get that message lost; I am posting it up front.
Introduction
My idea is not one I have discussed with anyone else here at the Temple yet, but my idea is to make a fully detailed instructional on how to make your own lightsaber, minus the embellishments which depend on each individual. I once forged a sword from iron infused peat and all too often as described in the fictional lore of the Jedi it is very similar, the act of making your blade infuses part of you into it. The act, not the result, is part of becoming.
Labor and Cost
The cost to build in the way I am making this lightsaber build is roughly $75.00 USD per, if you make five(5) of them at the same time, or roughly $374.00 USD per build cycle. The parts cost is only considered in this post, labor I am not including and all parts costs have been rounded up if over half of a USD. Labor is thus to be considered provided for free, however given the reasonable time it would need to make one of these, I would assume you could add on an additional $40.00 for labor ($20.00 USD per hour) but only because it would include some soldering and circuit testing.
I have all of the tools I need for this build; soldering iron, hacksaw, power drill. Rounding up to the nearest dollar is meant to help with shipping costs only.
Intent and Purpose
So what I would like to do is make my own Lightsaber. I consider it a rite of passage to create something that represents part of the symbolism of the path I follow. I would want my own Lightsaber to be a labor of love, but I do not want to “hide” or “market” the core of what it takes to make one. Would I like to make Lightsabers at cost for the Temple? Yes, I would as not everyone has the time/ability/confidence with electronics, however I think actions speak louder than words and before I can commit to even doing that I need to make my own lightsaber builds and progress down the Path set before us all by the Temple further before I consider my own self viable to provide such a service, at cost.
Should I ever make Lightsabers for the Temple, I am sure it would be discussed in private though with Temple leadership, so this thread should be considered a thread on seeking a way to reduce my costs and as a way for me to update progress on things. I do not plan on buying any of these parts until AFTER my birthday on the 17 th of February, as I will be 35 and I have committed to spending the three months after my birthday on fixing my inner and outer temple (mind/body) as well as my spiritual self. It is the start of a longer plan to change my life, not just seek to improve it by doing something over the short run.
To stay on topic though, I am looking for recommendations/ideas on how to improve the price listings below. I will be making the diagrams and such in the coming month, but the circuit is simple. I would improve the costs a lot by soldering my own LEDs on strips, but to be honest with the amount of work it takes to make that, I would only consider doing that for one lightsaber as that would be up to 80 connections for the LEDs alone that would need to be set up. I’m not against it though if the savings are high.
This lightsaber build requires a one inch (1”) connection between the blade and hilt. The connection has to be a screw and pvc. My goal is to make this device completely devoid of metal that would inhibit its carrying in high security locations. The strips of the LEDs would go into the clear PVC pipe and route down to the hilt, where the connections would be soldered into a headphone jack that can be disconnected/reconnected, allowing for flexibility of function as then you could disconnect the clear PVC blade which would be able to hold up to a pretty good beating. Due to the modular nature, it also means that should damage occur to the major contact region of the hilt or its connection to it, could be replaced without redoing the entire project and would not be expensive to replace/change. For example the cost to replace the Lightsaber blade would be roughly $44.00 for a complete blade rebuild, if we rounded up.
I want to do an instruction on this and present it to the Temple of the Jedi Order, that is my intent, and at no point during this process am I going to accept or welcome any outside income from anyone through or associated with the Temple of the Jedi Order. This is a voluntary thing that has not been commissioned or even sanctioned by Temple leadership. Any help in guidance on how to improve this project’s costs would be great for a first stage of help. Later builds may have more complex circuits, but I wish to avoid making circuit boards and want to keep the Lightsaber build as simple, durable, and function worthy as possible.
Production Cost and Development
I did a price check and found that to build my first Lightsaber(Green) build would cost me $374 (rounded up). This is only for my first build which would allow me to make 5 Lightsabers, and most are Amazon.com prices. This price is high but reasonable in my eyes as I could divide it by 5 roughly and hand out “at cost” with no labor costs, the core of the Lightsaber. Who, what, where, when, and how are not being discussed her. Why though will be, I want to make a Lightsaber for my daughter and son as well as myself. I would also make one for my own wife should she be willing to entertain the thought… this leaves one that I would donate to the Temple of the Jedi Order along with full instructional with photographs and diagrams made by me.
Note #1: This does not cover labor costs, all of this I am doing myself and is a rough estimate with most of the costs rounded up if over half a dollar in excess.
Note #2: Costs do not cover shipping/taxes (Add 10% for overall cost, as I get reduced shipping on bulk).
Note #3: Does not cover hilt paint or décor, just function with a switch and a screw on-off “Blade,” so the lightsaber can be made to carry for show or to use for fun.
Then the Build Cost:
5 Pack sets or assumed roughly in the case of solder/tape/cement: $61.00
(5xLightsaber) Lead-Free Solder: $6.00
(5xLightsaber) Switch (5 pack): $6.00
(5xLightsaber) Vibration Motor (5 pack): $6.00
(5xLightsaber) 2x10’ 22 gauge wire: 1 lb pack, $26
(5xLightsaber) Scotch 2-in x 66.66-ft Clear Packing Tape: $4.00
(5xLightsaber) PVC Cement(glue): $5.00
(6xLightsaber) AA Battery Holder (12 piece): $8.00
Multiply the following by 2 = $28.00
(2.5xLightsaber) SUPERNIGHT (TM) High Density Green Waterproof Led Light Strip, SMD 3528, 600 LEDs 5 Meter or 16 Feet LED Strip 120 Leds/M: $14.00
Multiply the following by 5 = $285.00
(1xLightsaber) Polycarbonate Tubing, 1" ID x 1-1/4" OD x 1/8" Wall, Clear Color, 36” length: $16.00
(1xLightsaber) X2 headphone jack female to male: $6.00
(1xLightsaber) Sandpaper: $4.00
(1xLightsaber)Charlotte Pipe Pvc Sch 40 Solid Pipe 1 " X 2 ': $8.00
(1xLightsaber) Durable Adaptor w/ Lock Ring, Male and Female: $10.00
(1xLightsaber) 8 ohm Resistor: $1.00
(1xLightsaber) 1x PVC Clear Cap: $9.00
(1xLightsaber) 1xPVC Cap, Opaque: $1.00
Any and all help is welcome. I have already begun working on the diagrams, however I will not be able to get to it in detail until near Valentine’s day.
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