Idea for making 'Curved' rather than 'Bent' saber hilt

[hedgehog1]

This is idea that came to me is based on the wonderful work swords4two did with a bend in an Aeon V2 hilt: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=11929

----- NOTE: YOU DO THIS - YOU VOID YOUR SABERS WARRANTY! ------  Ok - it just needed saying...  

Last night (after be amazed at  swords4two leather grip tutorial in the same link above) I got to thinking about making more of a true curve rather than a bend in the same hilt. Oh, and to not get a hernia when doing it.

I have started with the photo swords4two posted (hope that is OK swords4two) , and did some photo-shop magic to demonstrate the concept.

The idea is to cut (in this example) three groves with a hack saw - these grooves are the colored triangles you see in these images:



The bending is done using two steel rods.  The transparent blue bars represent the steel bars inside the hilt during bending:



One steel rod is inside the emitter hole and clamped into the biggest vise you can find. The second steel rod is slid down the pommel hole - this is the one you grab and bend with: make this a long rod and you can avoid a hernia!  The rod is moved out a little after each bend section is completed.

This gives a more graduated series of bends making the final hilt look and feel more like a curve.  If you want even more of a curve, do 4 or 5 notches. For a smaller curve, just do 2 notches.

swords4two used JB Weld to fill and fix the open areas at the notches - and that works for me!

[srams]

Wow, PVC is SSOOOO much easier! LOL, no but seriously thats a really cool and clever way to do that on the aluminum hilts.

[Sky Dragon c5]

I would like to see working prototypes from us, be a good reuse of some other grab bags lying around.

[Darth_Viridius]

I would like to see working prototypes from us, be a good reuse of some other grab bags lying around.

If they released a curved hilt saber I would pay through the nose for it.

[Adak Cyrnoc]

I do like the idea, however I know when you bend metal
or in this case aluminum that it gets weak... with this idea
you are bending in three different spots in one general
area.... I'm thinking it will look cool, but sooner or later
it will get dropped or something will happen causing it to
be shot.

Would be cool to see, if anyone does this I hope they
post some pics

[Adak Cyrnoc]

If they released a curved hilt saber I would pay through the nose for it.

Easy killer, I've already paid through the nose and out
other unmentionable parts... lets hope if they make a
curved hilt that it will be cheap or at least reasonable.

[hedgehog1]

...however I know when you bend metal or in this case aluminum that it gets weak...

Yes - that is absolutely true. The hilt will be weaker by bending it.  Three smaller bends instead of one larger one should (in theory) be a little 'less weak'.  The value of this is appearance. Even with the final gaps filled, well, 'JB weld' is a great product, but it will not be as strong as the hilt was before cutting & bending took place.

I still have no idea how UltraSabers could do a run of curved hilts in aluminum (and keeping to their hilt strength standards) without incurring exorbitant machining costs. 

[porkrot]

I think your underestimating the strength of these hilts and over estimating the stress you put them through. Its no like your throwing the hilt into a garbage compacter or running over it with a mac truck the stress is from the neck and you bend is way further down than that. If you wanted to have a curved hilt with out doing this yourself go get a piece of aluminium tube and have it bent and the standard threads put in either end. They will bend it with a mandrill bender so it wont crush and it will be strong and any other. sorry to ramble.

[swords4two]

Hedge The one problem with the method you have here are
1 you will bend the shape of the inside emitter area.
2 you will bend the inside pommel threads .

The 3 cuts would work just bend it by hand.
 I'll try this method with my grab bag dominix v2 today Ill post pics this afternoon.

[hedgehog1]

Thanks for being brave enough to give this idea a try!

If the sections bend OK by hand, that would be awesome (remember: the is a no hernia zone!).  Not needing the steel rods would make things easier as the fewer one-time tools needed, the better. I don't know what else the steel rods would be good for (well, keeping the annoying neighbor kids out of the yard perhaps, or affection training your cat, but otherwise...   )

Point for you for actually trying the idea!

[Raptor Shaddai]

Well, I thought I would revive this thread since I too, would be interested in a Count Dooku style hilt. 

As for Ultra Sabers making it, I think there are 2 ways that could be quite profitable for them.  As mentioned already having the hilts Mandrel bent would be the best method.  Only the initial investment of a Mandrel Bending machine is quite EXPENSIVE!  But, if they were to take some of their hilts, before they are tapped for threads & machined for looks & holes drilled, & have another company Mandrel bend them that should not bee too expensive.  The more they would have to bend, the cheaper the price is, usually.

I know in the car world we have "group buys" on Mandrel bent tubing that we use in turbo charged engine applications.  The Mandrel bends are smoooooooth & do not weaken the metal.  Smooth is what we need for turbo piping into the throttle body as that means a quicker blast of air & more linear power transitions & when Mandrel bends are used in the exhaust piping that equals faster escape of gasses which equals quicker spooling of the turbo.  So, what I am getting at here, is maybe US could do a group buy, once a certain number are paid for by us customers, they could put in the order for the Mandrel bends, make the hilt/saber & the customers here could have a limited edition saber at a decent price AND be some of the FIRST to get this type of a hilt/saber!

OR...
US could simply make a 2 piece hilt.  Then make a coupler that has about a 5 to 10 degree angle cut on each end of the coupler (or whatever degree angle they wanted to use for the look they wanted).  Then they could thread the ends of the coupler straight in on the angles.  This way when you screw the 2 hilt pieces onto the coupler the hilt would look curved or bent.

BOTH ways would be strong & I think with a group buy option on the forum here, that would allow US to "test the market" & get a really cool product out in a limited fashion first & then they could decide if they wanted to make it a hilt available all the time in their regular line up.

Of course, for those that want to modify what they have to get that curved look, the cut method mentioned on here is not a bad way of doing it.  This method has been used for a long time & won't really change the strength of the hilt much to really make a difference.  Getting the cut areas filled & cleaned to look nice would take a bit of work, but would be worth it in my opinion (if done right & with a touch of finesse).   You could also take an existing hilt & strip it down to just the metal hilt & send it off to be Mandrel bent to your specifications.  This should not be too expensive, especially if you could get a few folks to go in together & get a bunch done at once.

Oh well, just a thought I had after reading this while I have been searching & reading through the forum.  Maybe it will spark some interest from the US staff!  Hint, hint...

[Rina Ascura]

Really want to see an example of a saber hilt bent this way.

[DarthJimmer]

Well, I thought I would revive this thread since I too, would be interested in a Count Dooku style hilt. 

As for Ultra Sabers making it, I think there are 2 ways that could be quite profitable for them.  As mentioned already having the hilts Mandrel bent would be the best method.  Only the initial investment of a Mandrel Bending machine is quite EXPENSIVE!  But, if they were to take some of their hilts, before they are tapped for threads & machined for looks & holes drilled, & have another company Mandrel bend them that should not bee too expensive.  The more they would have to bend, the cheaper the price is, usually.

I know in the car world we have "group buys" on Mandrel bent tubing that we use in turbo charged engine applications.  The Mandrel bends are smoooooooth & do not weaken the metal.  Smooth is what we need for turbo piping into the throttle body as that means a quicker blast of air & more linear power transitions & when Mandrel bends are used in the exhaust piping that equals faster escape of gasses which equals quicker spooling of the turbo.  So, what I am getting at here, is maybe US could do a group buy, once a certain number are paid for by us customers, they could put in the order for the Mandrel bends, make the hilt/saber & the customers here could have a limited edition saber at a decent price AND be some of the FIRST to get this type of a hilt/saber!

OR...
US could simply make a 2 piece hilt.  Then make a coupler that has about a 5 to 10 degree angle cut on each end of the coupler (or whatever degree angle they wanted to use for the look they wanted).  Then they could thread the ends of the coupler straight in on the angles.  This way when you screw the 2 hilt pieces onto the coupler the hilt would look curved or bent.

BOTH ways would be strong & I think with a group buy option on the forum here, that would allow US to "test the market" & get a really cool product out in a limited fashion first & then they could decide if they wanted to make it a hilt available all the time in their regular line up.

Of course, for those that want to modify what they have to get that curved look, the cut method mentioned on here is not a bad way of doing it.  This method has been used for a long time & won't really change the strength of the hilt much to really make a difference.  Getting the cut areas filled & cleaned to look nice would take a bit of work, but would be worth it in my opinion (if done right & with a touch of finesse).   You could also take an existing hilt & strip it down to just the metal hilt & send it off to be Mandrel bent to your specifications.  This should not be too expensive, especially if you could get a few folks to go in together & get a bunch done at once.

Oh well, just a thought I had after reading this while I have been searching & reading through the forum.  Maybe it will spark some interest from the US staff!  Hint, hint...

I was going to say EXACTLY this! I was like, what? it's def. possible to do so without making it weak,

[Jay Nightshade]

Great idea hedgehog1
I wouldn't do it but here's a light side hedgie point for you

[swords4two]

Now that I am back at home from a long time being away i can finish the curved hilts I started I while back. Been off the forums for awhile. pics coming soon.