Any tips?

[Vadajah]

Im hopefully going to be customizing my very first saber soon and i have all the plans drawn out needless to say im a little nervous and was hoping i could get some helpful tips on customization such as weathering, cutting, painting, etc as i really dont want to mess it up lol

[Ninja-Jedi]

need more details what saber are u gonna customize, what part on the saber are u gonna be cutting, are u gonna paint and then weather it, try to be a little more descriptive so us peeps on the forums can give u good advice on how to proceed

[Vadajah]

Im going to be using a Dark Initiate V3 LE as my saber and will be cutting along the top silver rings about halfway through the saber. I also want to make a V shaped cut down the middle of the top two rings and on the sides of the top just about the top gripping point. I would also like to drill two wholes near those areas as well. Im weathering the edges of my cuts and the edges of both grip points with a rust colored paint and im wrapping the bottom portion of my saber just bellow the second gripping point with a cloth.

Part of my problem is that i have never seen this hilt in person so i do not know how far up the wiring and electronics go and where i can or can not cut on my saber, im also not sure if the paint that i have will work on the sabers metal

[Darth Dau Kho]

Make sure the paint you're using can be used on aluminum. As for the depth of the blade socket on the v3, it is about 1-1.5 inches depending on how far down the mls is pressed by the blade. What do you plan on using to cut the saber?

[Vadajah]

1. what is a mls? 2. i plan on using a dremel though what kind idk yet as it is my friends equipment. Also idk if my paint can do aluminum or not ive never really tried it out on metalic objects i usually use it for my clay scultptures but thats not the actual intended use for that paint XD it just looks to nice to want to pass up on my clay work

[Darth Dau Kho]

Mls stands for modular led system. Basically it's the led and it's housing inside the saber. What is the paint you're using? Rattle can, brush, etc. what's the brand? It should say somewhere on the label what it's able to be used for. Another important thing you'll want is clear coat to lock in your work so it doesn't rub off.

[Byourel]

I do not have much technical experience with anything, but what I can offer up is practical experience. What I say may be obvious, but sometimes people overlook the simple things because of all the excitement and worry of customization!

1. Practice, practice, practice. If you can simulate the steps on something before you actually do it for real, then try your best at a trial run! You might find out that you don't like it or have trouble with it before you ever start working on your saber!

2. Most Important! PATIENCE - go sloooooooow. Many wise men (and women) have said, "You cannot rush perfection."
If you want something to be absolutely perfect, go incredibly slow and make sure that every step you perform is to your exact specifications. Don't settle for anything less than your absolute best!

[Ninja-Jedi]

for cutting out the windows u can use a dremel if want precise cuts then milling them is the best option if u know someone has one. but  a dremel will work it will be a little more work cause u will need to do more sanding. For weathering the black anodized i would use like a 300 grit sandpaper and go slow to make sure it is weathered to your liking. Painting aluminum u first need to clean and degrease the surface. Use light coats only dont do heavy coats or paint will be thick and tend to rub off same goes with the clearcoat.  I havent done to many wrap jobs but stay away from electrical tape it can get sticky.  I have made a grip with electrical tape but used shrink wrap over the top to prevent any stickiness

[Vadajah]

i was going to use the dry brush approach on the weathering with Citadel paint that i have and i was going to use a clothe for the wrapping

[Azriel95]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum (new here) but I'm considering ordering a fully assembled Dark Initiate Lv2 and I'm also considering buying some color disks. Are the fully assembled sabers able to have new disks put in to change the blade color? If so how is it done?

[Akos_Amun]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum (new here) but I'm considering ordering a fully assembled Dark Initiate Lv2 and I'm also considering buying some color disks. Are the fully assembled sabers able to have new disks put in to change the blade color? If so how is it done?

yeah, this is someone else's thread, if you ask your question in the questions section you'll get better responses. the discs are interchangeable and just sit under the blade and on top of the LED module. you'll need to be sure to order either a mixed color (AB SRD VA not GB CG BR or FO as they are single die LEDs) or the silver (white LED) color for the discs to do much. If you bought a saber and asked for a red LED, you can't do anything to the color because that's the only color light there is from that LED.

Questions: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?board=6.0
common abbreviations: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=2773.0

[Azriel95]

Thanks man, and again, sorry for the mix-up with how the forums work.

[Master Nero Attoru]

Here is a tip, get a life

Here is a tip, don't be a jerk to new members just looking for information.  Got it?

[BenPass]

There was definitely no need for that crap

[Vadajah]

I didnt even notice someone commented that XD i assume someone deleted it or something? but thanks guys