Introduction: Light Sabre for Kids

By www.facebook.com/Alveole632/
About: I am just a guy who love making things Proud father of 2, I cook, build lots of things, learn new things (CAD, Arduinno...), gardening etc... Oh yes, I love cardboard, skateboards and Hydroponics/aquaponics! …

You can find lots of ways to make a light sabre on I'ble.

First I have to give credits to whom deserves it. I choose one equivalent tothis one I did a bit differently but still , good inspiration

So I build this light sabre for my son and Mardi-Gras at school. It was part of a Darth Vader Costume.

What you will need:

  • A 50 cm transparent PVC tube (or a coloured tube for fluorescent lamp)
  • A flash light, approximatively the same diameter as your PVC tube (mine was 34mm for a 40mm tube) with on/off button on the end
  • Some foam (the one that is inside the delivery boxes)
  • A transparent coloured plastic folio (the ones used for colouring the lights on scene)
  • A cardboard tube (about the same diameter as your PVC tube
  • just a bit of extra cardboard
  • Black and grey paints
  • a reflective duct tape (or a mirror or whatever reflect light

Let's build it!

Step 1: Shaping Your Light Saber

I bought some PVC tube on the net, a flash light and a coloured plastic folio used for lights during the fantastic Light festival we have in my home town ;-)

First I had to cut my PVC tube because I received it as a 1,5m. I choose 50cm because it was well suited with my 5 y-o son. To do that I used a metal saw because it has a lot of very fine saws which make a nice cut on PVC. I ended with a nice 50cm long tube.

Time to mount the light in.

I used foam to stick the lamp inside the tube. My light has only 6mm less than the tube and I wonderfully filled it with foam folio from a delivery box. The light is surely positioned and don't move while pressing on and on on the ON/OFF button.

Once done you are basically done.

I then rolled the red-coloured plastic folio and introduced it inside the open-end of the tube.

Light ON. Light Saber Done ?

As the luminosity of the saber was not as bright as awaited and as I had an open end to close, I used a reflective duct tape which I glued on a round of cardboard to close the end of my tube. This enhance the light inside the tube and the "laser" effect. It also secures the coloured folio inside the tube.

Step 2: Darth Vader Style

I had then to make from this raw sabre, a Jedi one. Well exactly, the Darth Vader one.

To do so, I took a cardboard tube which I:

  • first, shaped to fit the tube,
    • Cut the tube to open it,
    • refine the diameter according to the actual PVC tube
    • hot glue it
  • second, add 2 layers of cardboard bands around to make the ends of the handle,
  • then, painted it in the real Darth Vader Light Saber style.
    • Body in grey
    • Vertical black lines
    • ON/OFF buttons (red and green dots)

Step 3: Final Result

Here we are.

The light saber is ON, ready to fight the dark side ;-)

I am pretty happy about the result regarding the effort. Not perfect but perfect enought to entertain the family. I will make shortly two more, one green and one blue. I will post the pics here.

If you like this I'ble, please share it and favourite.

If it happens that you make one, please let me know and share your making!