How many saber enthusiasts can guess what saber I'm using here?
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Yep, that's the Anakin Skywalker saber with the annoying gold slider. And even with all the great customizations I've done with a new Ultra-Edge blade and a AB LED, it still turns off randomly during swinging. Here's a simple fix for that problem that will work on Anakin model sabers. This is a fairly simple mod that doesnt require a lot of work, I did it in like 5-10 minutes, and it's already paying off with a much more useful saber.
You will need:
1 Ultrasabers guarded switch (6 dollars)
Hot glue gun
A phillips screw driver
A knife or box cutter
A wire cutter/stripper
A sturdy cutting tool meant for snipping wires or plastic
Step 1: Slide your knife into the ignition box at the pommel side of the saber between the black plastic and the gold emitter box cover. Wiggle it in gently and pry upwards. You should be able to gently peel off the gold cover to reveal the screws underneath.
Step 2: Remove the two screws that hold the box on.
Step 3: Gently wiggle out the actual ignition piece and its wires, to do this, gently lift up the box, and then press the switch downwards until it pops out. Now you should have 2 blue wires connecting to the ignition switch and a big old hole in your saber.
Step 4: The cutty part. Cut the wires going to the ignition switch close to the switch so theres plenty of wire left. The switch is unimportant. Next, disassemble the box. There may be two plastic bits sitting in the inside of the slider. Wiggle these out and then using some pliers, press the two tabs on each side together so you can slide it out. The 2 tabs at the center need to go, but leave the oens that held it in. To get rid of the tabs just wiggle them back and forth. Finally, cut the black piece near the middle so theres an open space in the center and it's in two pieces, the open space should be large enough to poke your pinky finger between. Same goes for the part we're going to cut out of the gold emitter cover. You see the pattern on it where theres a bunch of lines and then sort of a grid in the center? Go ahead and cut near the first black line beside that grid in the center, that's your guide line. Try to cut just outside of that black line so there'll be plenty of space.
Step 5: Strip away some of the insulation from the blue wires. Return the silver part of the blade box to its place, threading the wires through the hole in it. Secure it by putting the black parts back in and putting in the screws. This makes the next step much easier.
Step 6: thread one of the wires through one of the holes at the base of your switch. Twist it a bit to secure it and then dab with a dollop of hot glue on one side, then on the next, letting it dry between applications. You want just enough glue to coat and insulate. Do the same with the other side and test to make sure it turns on. Wiggle it a bit to make sure no stray wires dont make contact by accident.
Final step: You now have essentially a working lightsaber. Gently press the entire button into the saber to make sure it will go in, but dont press it all the way in. First, apply hot glue and press the two halves of your activator box cover in until they're secured. Press the button all the way in until its flush and finally press the slider back in to the side of the box.
Done correctly, this is a simple mod that will save you the bother of accidentall turning your saber on or off, and at 6 dollars its very cheap and well worth it. Anyone having an Anakin converted should seriously consider asking the US staff to add one of their buttons to make the saber more functional.
