Secret extending Lightsaber

[@aithnim]

I think light-up functionality would be really cool to see. I also think there could be a point of interest in making your own blade, potentially with thicker spring steel.

[@JoelCreates]

They are so hard to work with, but making my own could be cool

[@TysonCecka]

I really would like to see something like this, have a hard time believing you can do much fencing before that spring collaspes

[@milanbusche6383]

@@JoelCreates another thing that I think would be great in v3 is after you use aluminum and a blue saber you should add your own custom metal hilt

[@dr.doodles5524]

@@JoelCreates I think a good way to execute this would be to use a semi-clear coiled plastic structure attached to the metal spring coil at the hilt and the tip, making the metal coil act as a backbone. Then springy led strips in between the metal and the plastic, like mini fairy lights but spring-coiled. Just spitballing ideas.

[@raeplaysval]

i think he could just cover the sections with glow-in0the-dark paint seems like the easiest option

[@darkpit37]

This actually fits the lore of post-order-66 star wars extremely well, too. Any surviving jedi would've wanted to keep their lightsaber sort of hidden if they didn't get rid of it entirely. Having one inside a cardboard tube might arouse a few quizzical glances, but it would dissuade the suspicion of being a jedi.

[@SaintSarcasm]

Ah of course "I am no jedi, i am just a collector of ancient artifacts. This is what is known as a "toilet paper roll". "What do you mean there are others like me? Really? We should start a galactic club"

[@danese1636]

Let me just get some more paper... BVROOOM! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@Liveordiebyinches]

*Waves hand-"This is not the wrapping paper you are looking for."

[@sushicatyt]

Obi-Wan shovel

[@klav794]

@@SaintSarcasm cccccc

[@RSpudieD]

This is fantastic!! I love how you're going back to the "roots" of the cardboard lightsabers we all played with. Your end product here looks and functions like we all imagined they did but for real! Well done! I kind of want one now!

[@lisardscool5051]

I still do it lol

[@hackman669]

When cardboard ensuthiests go full Jedi mode!!! May the cardboard entire you!!

[@GreekGadgetGuru]

Try using Delrin as the plastic instead of acrylic. Very durable stuff, can be laser cut, and McMaster sells it in 1/8th inch which should be perfect for your needs

[@JoelCreates]

Thanks for the suggestion! I used this acrylic because I love how it looks, but for my next design I would cnc some aluminum which I would probably polish to a mirror shine

[@JulzGaming-xi6kd]

Holy cow. Dude remember watching your video after school all the time. Also Joel. Amazing lightsaber design. I know my younger siblings would destroy me with it

[@integza]

Your british documentary narrator voice made my day

[@MegaGaming11]

HOLY SHIT, THE "SO BAD IT'S GOOD" IDEA MAN HIMSELF!

[@LeoMarcel-gf6hv]

we know that you hate tomatoes

[@Built_IRL]

To add to others' speculation on perforated spring steel coils, I wonder if it's possible to get access to laser micro drilling, like apple does on their macbooks, to get uniform looking light transmission? (Probably not, they seem quite secretive and I've not seen it much elsewhere)

[@Built_IRL]

Guilty as charged on the paper roll lightsaber thing, by the way ;)

[@wx39]

It would be very difficult to make something that can light up and still have that structural integrity of the spring steel. One option would be glow in the dark paint on the spring, but that would only have the light effect in the dark. And it would need to be charged before use. Idk if this would work, but you could theoretically drill a lot of holes into the spring steel to make it a lattice and shine a really bright light down the interior. Then, if possible, you could find a way to feed a diffuser over the tube and have it extend with the tube. Maybe it'll create a solid lighting effect?

[@JoelCreates]

Hadn't thought of exactly that, but you might be on to something...

[@CloudHater]

the glow in the dark paint could work pretty well with a blacklight, then the issue is "simply" managing to illuminate the blade with the blacklight somehow, perhaps with something like the lattice you mentioned.

[@novaenricarter705]

I wonder if you could have a roll of spring steel that has lights in the middle of two sheets. Then just get a polymer coating to disperse the light. Maybe you could do something along those lines for a ridgid, light up saber.

[@mediumfast]

Actually I think you could just replace the cardboard looking tape with EL tape. You might have to put a clear tape over it to make sure it was low friction and didn't wear but ultimately the whole surface of the blade would light up just as you'd want it to.

[@Francois_Dupont]

transparent aluminum.

[@johnpaulgan]

This is really good. For future designs, I really liked the bare-bones hilt with exposed mechanics, like Starkiller's lightsaber in the force unleashed. According to the Disney patent's they used a similar coiled design on their saber, but with diffusing plastic. I saw a video of its use in the themed hotel - they only show the ignition and clearly change lightsabers before dueling as the extending saber is not strong enough for dueling. The spring steel is going to be your best bet, and I saw another comment here with perforated and diffused spring steel. I'd really like to see that option attempted for strength and appearance. Most toy lightsabers use a projected light from the hilt, which although diffused, is still brighter at the bottom and weaker on top. I wonder if an LED strip attached to the steel and extended with it is an option? Great work my friend, you earned a sub!

[@danese1636]

Saberforge uses an LED light source at the hilt, a diffusing plastic blade with an interior reflective/diffusing wrapping, and a mirror at the end of their blades. The lighting is incredibly consistent throughout their blades, and I haven't noticed a drop in brightness towards their blades' ends.

[@ImpactProps]

Heck YEAH Joel! Awesome video! Now it's time for you to make a retracting Energy Sword :)

[@desdae69]

YOOOO IMPACT, love you. :)

[@simojistudios142]

I definitely would love to see a light-up more accurate version of this! You did a great job and I personally think it would be cool to see an actual extending lightsaber that is easy to carry!

[@EmoKillsBest]

It's crazy that you would come out with this video the same time im trying to design and 3d print a custom lightsaber hilt. I'm not a massive starwars fan but I love lightsabers and figured I would try to make my own. Great video, very nostalgic!

[@variares6908]

Hey Joel! Your design helped me design the internals of my prop lightsaber that I 3D printed and used a polycarbonate blade with! Thanks!

[@Brick_Science]

this was super cool Joel! nice work!

[@JoelCreates]

Glad you liked it!

[@Sloptimus_Crime]

This is the first of your videos I've ever seen, just showed up on the feed. Can't wait to binge the rest of your videos you seem like a pretty decent dude.

[@poey2811]

a light up version would be so so cool but honestly the cardboard version does have a real charm to it

[@TennoFox897]

That is awesome! Next step, lighting up. Followed by custom hilts. Followed by combat ready/stabe blades that can still expand and retract.

[@GrantWilliams81499]

I feel like you could make it retractible too. You could have it deploy with a string connected to the inside of the tip of the spring steel that can get retracted with a fast spinning motor on a spool, or you could deploy an elastic string that could get wound up right after deployment, ready to be retracted quickly at a moment's notice.

[@eggric6678]

That would work with a telescopic rod but unfortunately this is not how the metal staffs work. I have one and the way you have to make it retract is by twisting the bottom at the same time as pressing it on a flat surface. So I line connected to the top wouldn’t make it retract it would just pull the staff into a tighter formation.

[@GrantWilliams81499]

@@eggric6678 thanks for the info! Appreciate it!

[@AlternativeAltruist]

plus a retractable hilt would allow versatility for sabers that combine to form a dual bladed one

[@cyborgzloth]

i think one advantage with the spring steel is that is looks quite reflective. using that for the lightup feature in some way would probably be my direction for thinking up a design.

[@JoelCreates]

What was your favorite childhood lightsaber?

[@barrysong9111]

That random stick on the side of the road

[@cheeriosaltcream]

ooga booga

[@rakacetta5792]

@@barrysong9111 same

[@grenintias]

The one I kept like a secret to my family

[@vinshin3320]

the stick I cut off some tree

[@thekitmi9156]

ok but the choreography of those fighting clips was god tier, definitely better than the disney trilogy

[@frogsshadow4189]

Since the blade is metal, would electroluminescent paint work on it? I imagine it would give a pretty even glow as well

[@Katherine._.97._.]

great idea!

[@Mikolt1911]

I’m 50 years old and made the hair on my neck stand up. It was my childhood dream to have a cardboard light saber. That was 1979. Seeing it now brought back so many memories.

[@ArmageddonNerd]

I wonder how well something like glow in the dark or UV reactive paint would stick to the metal. It would most likely wear down after multiple extensions and retractions, but it might one of the simpler ways to get a glow effect. Reflector tape might also be interesting, but I'm not sure that it'd have the same effect.

[@tsoliot5913]

LED tape is pretty thin...

[@VIIStardust]

While seeing it light up would be really cool, I‘d love to see a version built to withstand, with stronger rings and maybe idk like, thicker spring steel? (idk how exactly that works)

[@funy0n583]

LETS GOO SOMEONE FINALLY TOOK THE HOT GLUE AND DOOR LOCK MOTORS FROM HIM

[@brandontatroe241]

Ok ok OK! Very impressive! I would love to have something like this when I was a wee lad. Having the light element could really put this design over the edge

[@jorodino1317]

This is amazing, keep up the great work. Maybe you could make color and light somehow as well. Or maybe even the Darth Maul double blade.

[@jorodino1317]

@Don't read my profile photo stfu that is not even original at that point

[@dominickeijzer5844]

Maul blade would just be two Sabers attached to each other (just like Maul did).

[@SuperEmmetMan]

What about making it able to retract? I know that would probably be really hard but maybe you can add some sort of pulley mechanism to pull a string that will pull the top of the lightsaber back, though it would probably be slow

[@JoelCreates]

The problem is that the coil has to be adjusted repeatedly as you coil it back up, it's actually somewhat difficult even by hand

[@elliotmarks06]

7:36 This should be a commercial for "performance pills" lol

[@JustJbrick]

8:30 How count dooku got his lightsaber

[@ーテイル]

I think, regardless of the method, the blade won't be as tough as a carbon fiber one, which makes it more of a thing to hold and barely move than a lightsaber toy.

[@0v_x0]

UV spray paint would be easiest and could be added to the current incarnation. Perhaps a ring of UV light from the handle at just the right angle could illuminate the blade? I think comments I've seen about EL tape have a lot of promise, though I'm not sure it's thin enough for the spring steel not to catch.

[@averin5193]

as ever, my only complaint is the length of the video! but, with how heavily edited everything is, i guess it's a small price to pay for the overwhelmingly amazing content you release ❤️

[@Matthew-zx8cs]

You could use colored neon paint/adhesive paper like they do in road signs or safety vests. UV responsive materials could also be a good fit for outdoor use

[@fangthewarrior]

The idea behind making it cardboard is amazing and unique! Especially considering you have pretty much everything to make it more 'movie like'. Also, I have heard of the metal bow staffs while I've never handled those, I have spring steel and it's too easy to get cut even being careful. I'd advise wearing gloves when stretching it out like that 😅

[@ayato4899]

Maybe a very reflective spring could be used along with lights in the handle that make it seem like its glowing, would only work in the dark to any extend though and i assume it would be a bit blinding too when looked at directly. But it could be worth a try

[@dohboy4132]

what would be very epic is if it was also self retracting :) but that might be too hard to do plus it would probably force you to completely scrap the current method that you're using :/

[@soliloquym5473]

your question at the end really has a no brainer answer my man. MAKE IT LIGHT UP!!!! :D Fantastic build and video.

[@Aras14]

There are two ways, to make it light up: 1. Have a glowing layer on the spring steel (OLED; glow in the dark paint) 2. Illuminate the blade from the hilt (fluorescent paint on the spring steel and UV lights in the hilt) 2 is probably better than 1, as glow in the dark paint would be boring and OLED would be very hard to get working, if at all.

[@danese1636]

That's a really interesting idea ngl

[@Geck0GC]

This is sick, the thinner blade also fits the concept art (and rebels) a lot more, super impressive

[@Noah-Huntsmann]

Has this ever happened to you, 7:06, if so, don't worry, this happens to 1 in 3 men by the Time they hit 30

[@terone]

I found out about the magician's batons a few years ago an immediately got one. Those things are dangerous! Very thin metal moving lightning fast, it can do some damage. I sawed the bit at the top that is there to hold it between your fingers so the shape looked better. My project stopped there; I'll look into your release mechanism as that is a non-trivial thing to figure out. I don't really think people realize what a feat that is. Truly excellent work!

[@villentretenmerth11]

I think covering the spring with a UV luminescent material or paint could have a very interesting effect. Activating it in low lighting with a blacklight (as far away from the visible spectrum as possible to avoid the telltale blacklight purple that could tip off viewers) would give you a very intense glowing bar of deadly colour all of us desired as kids

[@NukesXX]

For the light-up functionality, maybe you could take a hint from the OG propmakers. The original lightsaber prop used in episode 4 utilized an ultra reflective material on the blade portion and they just shined a light on it when filming to get it to glow. Maybe instead of putting a paper-like coat on the blade, you could use some sort of ultra-reflective tape, then shine a colored light on it to give it that blinding glow!

[@Vahnskeyblade]

I feel like I just read about someone who also used a magician's cane to create his lightsaber. He wrapped an LED strip around it, using a motor to extend the strip and retract it, the tension of the strip being what extended and retracted the cane. He hasn't gotten to the point yet, but he talked about spinning the cane a bit so that the light would have a persistence of vision effect of looking like it's coming out at every angle, kind of like how they made the original lightsaber props in the original movies.

[@Frie_Jemi]

I don't know what the best way would be to make a light up version, but I would think some very bright glow-in-the-dark paint would also be good enough.😊

[@ackthbbft]

I recognized what you used for the blade immediately. I have one of those (an old magician's "appearing cane" version), but it's not in good shape, sadly. As to a "light-up" version, you could use the same kind of 3M reflective tape that they actually used for the original lightsaber props back in 1977 instead of the packing paper tape. The original design, IIRC, used a triangular rod with the tape on each side, and it would spin (as if attached to a Dremel tool) to provide a more "consistent" yet flickering light when reflecting back.

[@EternalFinity]

oh PLEASE DO THE LIGHTUP!!!! its something we have all always wanted to see and it will be revolutionary

[@timwollaston1461]

A friend of mine and I always talked about how batman made a cape that was soft and rigid at will and how you could actually do that. Think Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and the conversation with Morgan Freeman with the magnetic fabric stuff. I'd love to see how you tackled that problem and if it's actually possible.

[@graefx]

My first thought would be to use highly reflective tape or movie screen material. Like what flash jackets use. It wouldnt give the full radiance of a lightsaber, but it would look good in flash photography and be a nice nod to the original screen props.

[@beachday4439]

Inflate a tube that will roll out and stay ridged with small air pressure from a pump in the handle. And to retract it will use a motor that will pull the tube center back in on itself and roll the thin plastic tube into the handle. The air pump will have the added affect of sounding like the hum from the light saber.

[@olah420]

Nothing like getting a random KZbin video recommendation and thinking, "Hey, I think I went to college with that guy!" Hey Joel! Congrats on the impressive channel!

[@OnBrandRP]

I have an idea for a blueprint I've been working on for a few hours now. So simple to make, yet hard to actually make. Since the saber can retract and extend on its own, you don't really need individual neopixels for the ignition effect. So you can use a baselit flashlight instead for the lighting. We already have tubes that can retract that work just as well as our sturdy dueling sabers in terms of representation. So we can just use those, we just need a hydraulic system to ignite the saber and a safety release to instantly retract the saber. Since the blade is lightweight, all we need is a basic system made from a simple motor and springs. When combines and in the right lighting conditions, we can effectively have any size saber with retractable blades.

[@JuentherJauch]

I uploaded a draft for a lightsaber on my channel. There are still improvements needed before I can build it.

[@ogdrycoop292]

You should totally make it more of a custom hilt design based off your favorites from the movies or shows. And also you did super well, but it’s a “lightsaber” light is needed

[@itsjestjay]

LETS GOO! please continue this project with a light up version! Make history for lightsabers!

[@thomasloomis1116]

I vote for clear saber housing so you can see the color and detail of the insides. I like the green, polycarbonate might add sturdiness to those rings too, but I like the green rings!

[@1975TimberWolf]

love the attention to details while trying to remain close tp source material. Future versions. Id say you have two steps to figure out. Lighting up, but also, can you use that same geared motor to retract it?

[@K_J_Coleman_Composer]

Hyper accurate design would literally be the greatest thing ever. I would legit buy

[@STSGuitar16]

dude this is awesome. If you can figure out how to make the blade retract and add lights, all that's left is for you to either create your own custom saber hilt to house the inner workings, or hollow out a preexisting, high quality lightsaber hilt that you can buy online and add your mechanism inside. That will likely be as close to a real-looking and visually/audibly accurate saber that anyone has ever seen. Seems like you're super close to that goal! If you figure those issues out and somehow started making more of them, there are TONS of people who would pay a lot of money for a realistically-sized fully functional (in all ways except for that whole real plasma blade that can cut through anything area) lightsaber. TBH, I am MUCH more impressed by your cardboard saber than that massive thing disney has shown. Really interested in seeing where this goes next!

[@mews8812]

Subscribed!! I knew within a couple minutes your channel is my kind of channel. Keep it up.

[@vev9base]

i was thinking of a spring release mechanism for a common toy layered blade, with a string pulley mechanism to retract the blade, a roll of led lighhts could also be added inside the clear blade

[@PBarecute]

I was thinking of the metal staff when I clicked on this video, and I think its awesome that you were able to use it to make this lightsaber!

[@ADCruzYT]

We will watch your career with great interest, young padawan! I hope to see the light-up design in the near future, since it's such a cool concept!

[@whysprs]

I remember the ones back in the day right after the original a new hope came out, they were huge and used a tube like the ones used in golf club bags but were in either blue or red, swinging them made a sound and the faster you moved it the louder the sound was. Essentially the handle was kind of a funnel for the sound to amplify it. Didnt remember seeing the ones that extended until ep 1 came out.

[@tomhallsworth7196]

Music 4 mins in? What a drop. Also, awesome video. Would love an extending lightsaber to add to my collection. I remember my first being one of the solid coloured segmented ones back when I was a youngling 🤣

[@ssjkakarot2000]

Make more!!! Lol and seriously pwn it get the lighting working! Maybe refraction with LEDs in strips so it can wrap with the release? Get it man, you're AWESOME!! ❤

[@matthewkirk]

If you used a spool and a fixed feed point for a monofilament line in place of the screw, as well as a mechanical release, you could make it retractable as well.

[@leotard2536]

The "What is a Lightsaber" intro was really cool. Words that I resonate with but never said out loud.

[@madmachanicest9955]

I would convert the spring still ring into a drive mechanism for the blade. Then wrap the bracing rings in burgerblatt LEDs. It's around the whole thing in a plastic transparent plexiglass spring or ring system. I'd also reinforce the thing with flexible springs between the sections probably made him a flexible 3D printed filament and then cap the thing off at the end with some kind of protective and cap. This would definitely make the blade bigger but it would allow you to have the same deployment mechanism a very strong blade and give you the ability to project a lightsaber-style upblade. What you would end up with is a spring steel cord lightsaber blade reinforced with aluminum or hardened plastic bracing rings and a armored plexiglass shell. This would make the lightsaber effectively super duper duper duper strong.

[@Gr8GooseYouTube]

If you use the unique reflective material used on stop signs and put it on the blade part you can shine a light at it and it will glow like a lightsaber, even better if you use a camera. Corridor Crew made a video about this reflective material and put it on a lightsaber but it didn't come out of the hilt.

[@wumboqwark]

Definitely need a part 2 to this! I wanna see more of this paper towel tube saber!

[@noobicpro7774]

the music you have in your video is the same music i used when I was in school and we had to do movie projects

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

For a light up one you could paint the blade fluorescent color then add a black light to the end of the saber and have it turn on when the blade extends

[@wooldyy]

I would love for you to make a part 2 in which you make this lightsaber realistic and more durable. Great video!

[@AlastorYT]

When I made my lightsaber in high school shop class 16 years ago I used a motorized antenna from an old Cadillac covered in a elasti-fabric sleeve. I'm surprised more people haven't tried it.

[@watosmate8935]

Making it an internal extendable umbrella would be really cool for another video, specially being really cool and awesome materials you can use

[@userunfriendly9304]

I'd use the hollow nature of the extendy thing to attach a wire to the end of it and then attach the other end to a compact and powerful winding servo, that way it can extend slowly and mysteriously and also retract the same way.

[@hachiroku0086]

I'm just using whatever i learned in school to come up with this but, how about covering the spring steel with a layer of some material that can diffuse light, and cover it with another thin transparent layer. As for the lighting itself, an led ring around the inner circumference of the hilt, and a glass ring of sorts with a right angled triangle cross section to refract(total internal reflection) the light upwards. the only compromise would be the thickness of the hilt ig, oh, and it would definitely wear after multiple uses idk, just something i came up with for fun

[@MorningDusk7734]

If you add some SMALL holes into the spring steel, use a translucent covering (rather than the paper tape), and have a POWERFUL light inside, the covering could diffuse the light enough to make it seem like the whole blade is lit up.

[@jedimastergarcia87]

Polycarbonate tubes/blades, they have different diameters that might work for the idea, use cree leds so it lights up all the blade sequences possibly

[@jonathankohl1440]

I have often thought a that a hollow tube with a concave mirror on the end to reflect the light from a led onto a shiny metal surface could give of the appearance of lightsaber would be cool to see if you could do that with your current build. in my mind you set and led in the hilt that will shine to then end of the blade internally and then the mirror will reflect onto the exterior of the blade.

[@Skeeballman64]

I do have an idea for the light up ver. If there's enough room in the tube, put an led light on in the front and hook it up to a fiber optic cable. Of course, make the blade clear. Maybe drill in place the cable and put it at the end of the blade, and make sure the cable is long enough so it can reach the height of the blade when it's fully out.

[@samiulalam1240]

You can use some thing like a strip led light around the coil of spring steel and switch on the light as you pull the pin

[@creysoft]

I’ve always wanted to see someone try an inflatable blade. With a bright enough LED and appropriate translucent white plastic I think it could glow convincingly. The inflatable envelope could be shaped to the correct dimensions, and retrieved for deactivation with an internal winch and cable running down the center. (Dump the air and wind the cable.) You could seal the winch mechanism into the base of the inflatable and power it with induction. One benefit would be that the inflatable blade would have enough give to handle fencing without immediately breaking.

[@kevinrogers2774]

Excellent. Well done, entertaining too. Bring it home!

[@MrKosko]

All I can say is amazing work! Thank you for showing us what is possible.

[@LemonsGraphics]

I think a little more support for the blade would be usefull, still looks like it could use some more support so its not as floppy

[@jbrew1237]

As cool as it would be to see you make a light up version, I'm also interested in the talks of your thoughts on improvements or modifications you would make to the design either in other test versions or as you make the light up version, kind of like how you mentioned switching from the acrylic to aluminum

[@GeneralTantor]

I will be waiting on the light up design! Very cool man!

[@Daniel-mz5ek]

That looks amazing! Like the cardboard design... but I think if you're gonna go light-up (which is def the next step if you have ideas how to do it) then I'd also work on a more 'traditional' exterior too. I'm no engineer but I wasn't sure if aluminium will be strong enough either. Another thought, one of the other problems with lightsabres is that when the blade extends, the centre of gravity shifts. If there was a weight in the hilt which moved towards to bottom as it extends to offset this then you'd have a more balanced blade? Look forward to your next design.

[@Fulminitro]

i think this is my favourite lightsaber on KZbin yet! :) you asked suggestions so heres mine: if u don't insist that it must be toy for kids, you could make that telescope ("blade") a bit harder and slimmer (like a baton), and should keep the metallic look of it. the end of the telescope ("blade") should has a bit wider tip on its end, that is mirrored inside. the grip should contain colored laser diodes all around on the grip's top circle element, and cover it with semi- transparent mirror, and a layer of diffuser plate. the blade's tip mirror will get an edge to the laser lights, and makin it stronger by sending it back over and over again. the diffuser plate on the grip will spread the light around evenly, and the semi-transparent mirror will prevent the melting of the grip by its own light ( at least for a while :D ) If u use strong laser diodes, you will be able to even cut and burn things with it. the only backside of this solution, that this will instantly make everyone blind in room if u dont wear the proper safety goggles, and several parts can be damaged by laser heat. but if you can do it, i think it could be the most realistic lightsaber for a long while. there are some bad tryings like hacksmith's protosaber, but it need you to wear a potentional bomb on your back to make it work, cant swing it quickly because the "blade" dies instantly, and cmon, that is just a giant blowtorch with a lightsaber-ISH grip. i think yours is already much better, but with my modification suggestions, you could make almost a real lightsaber. Plus, we can be advanced in technology as we want, but we wont ever be able to compress gases for infinite density, so the gas-solution would never work as a single handed weapon. but with laser diodes, we can have better and better diodes by time, we can have sturdier materials to make it more durable, and we can have much better power sources. so if u decide to do this, this project always can be an upgradeable and modable one. i suggest you to co-op this project with KZbinr named Styropyro, he could do the laser-science part of it for you, and i would be happy to see it. :) if you dont want to burn things, just change laser diodes for high instensity leds. and man... you must use more metallic parts instead of those frickin plastic.... :D

[@Fulminitro]

Disney just stole this idea :D u should had to make it...

[@infiniti1269]

lots of potential here. Can't wait to see what comes next!

[@fracturedfun2347]

i wonder if its possible to adhere el sheeting to the surface like you did with the paper tape. if not you could use reflective tape , glow in the dark tape. if you used the glow in the dark tape you might be able to use a uv led light ring in thr emitter ring and it might eluminate it

[@gabrielkumarasingam5644]

Although the lighting wouldn't be perfect, you could try making it out of some transparent material, and have a string of LED lights attached to the inside of the tip of the blade, so when it expands it pulls it along as well.

[@illletyouknowin20businessd34]

What would have been cool is if the sound board sounded like an actual cardboard tube, like when you hit something it made the bonk noice the tube made. Then when you swing it, it makes a swoosh sound,and when you “ignite” it it sounds like lightning that fades into a winter sounding breeze. Then when you make contact with another blade it makes electrical sounds. I personally think that would be epic, but that’s just my opinion still an epic build.

[@weaponizedemoticon1131]

If you can get it to light up, and connect it to Alexa, you could really make a very cool display, and make a heck of an entrance into a room. ;)

[@chrislaws4785]

FYI, if you want to use cardboard tubes, then you need to go buy the "Bamboo paper towels". The cardboard tubes inside of them are THICK and about 3 times as tough and ridged as regular paper towel cardboard tubes. There are a number of different manufacturers of bamboo paper towels, but they all seem to use the same thick, sturdy cardboard in them. These tubes are in fact so ridged that they even retain their shape when you cut into them. Which you WILL need something much tougher then a pair of scissors to cut these things.

[@nickolaymiltenov]

Lightless lightsaber is a phenomenal idea and achievement that deserve Nobel prize.

[@stewartbugler]

I wouldn't bother putting the masking on the spring cause with it being so reflective you could probably use a light either in or around the spring making it have the light aspect easier. The inside of battle sabers I think the one I have is called used a similar silvery lining inside the plastic tubing

[@artsy_dragon_creations]

This is really cool. If I remover correctly they did say the Disney lightsaber is also retractable and we just didn’t see it. The mechanism they used (supposedly from what people have said based on previous patents Disney made as well as the methods others have found with making prototypes) that the blade is composed of two half tubes of clear plastic with a string of LEDs in the center. When the blade is retracted, the plastic rolls up and flattens similar to a tape measure, and the lights roll up as well, and the opposite for when the blade extends. Personally I’ve always wanted a lightsaber that could extend and retract automatically, and be able to take mild hits but doesn’t need to be battle ready exactly. If you could figure out a way to retract the blade too, you’d have the perfect build.