Nice project. I wonder if a fully clear acrylic blade with black vinyl wrap (like they use for cars) would help with the light squiggles. That said, the downside is that the finished product is less durable (if someone picks at the vinyl).
BOB: *Turns the blade on for the first time* ME: "Too bad he can't make that blur effect it has when it's in motion--" BOB: *Starts swinging it* ME: "ON THE OTHER HAND..." Awesome build, dude! xD
Nice! While I would never build this, I watched all the details because it is interesting to watch someone problem solve. It's the kind of maker improv I really enjoy.
I just got home from an absolute crap day at work which ended in my car dying on the freeway. a half hour long "just for fun" build is EXACTLY what I need right now. Thank you for this, and for all the amazing content you create.
Anytime I see anything Star Wars related, I stop what I’m doing and go see what it’s about. This video is a great example of that! Huge Star Wars fan, I am! Love the videos!
So far the best darksaber I’ve seen on RUclips. I think getting clear acrylic, painting it gloss black and then adding in the scratches, would work to make the blade look like it does in the show.
Before I even watch this video, I have liked and audibly exclaimed in excitement. I always thought the darksaber was a really cool piece of the Star Wars mythos. I love prop and electronics projects, especially weapons. I'm stoked to watch this! 👍
You can create your own black acrylic by painting one side of it... then just scrape out the light squiggles. I used this method to create a shadowbox style sign. The lettering was very precise and complex so I had the logo cut out of adhesive vinyl in reverse, stuck it to the back of the acrylic, painted over it in black then removed the vinyl letters. It worked really well and the nice part was that the finish on the outside of the acrylic was completely uniform, no matter how bad the inside was.
Perhaps it's an idea top make the blade out of one piece of acrylic . Put high power leds in the base of the blade and let the light travel through the acrylic. Paint the blade black. Sand the bevels. And scratch the lightning marks in the blade. This could give the desired result.
Create a stencil of the lightning arcs. Paint over the stencil directly into the acrylic. If he wants the lightning to be dynamic then you'd use an inner slab of black sheet metal as the basis for a tesla coil within the acrylic structure. Would be really cool if he throws in an accelerometer tied to a pot that increases intensity of the light when swung and reduces the tesla coil output.
I've tried that exact approach (LEDs in the base of the blade, etc.) - it doesn't work, because the acrylic diffuses the light out along the length of the blade, resulting in a reallly bright base, progressively dimmer along the length, and a very dim tip. ILTMS has a good solution here. Regarding the squiggles, maybe this might work: a central core of clear, with two layers (thin black and thin smoke gray) on each side, with the squiggles cut out of the black. This would preserve the shiny, smooth exterior of the blade, and allow the light to come through the smoke gray layers.
I've watched enough MAN AT ARMS to know that the best way to make the handle is to get it the right size and then cut it in half and cut out the channel for the tang of the blade.
@Justin Dolliver It's actually how _all_ wooden sword handles were made; it's the best method for creating a handle that has no side to side movement that might throw off your edge alignment. The rapier is the major outlier in this, but since it was a thrust centric weapon where edge alignment mattered far less (except in destreza), they could get away with just drilling a slot for the very narrow tang.
Love it! From concept to creation! First, just pieces of wood and plexiglass! Then you make it into what you want it to be. Amazing creativity! I really enjoy how you incorporate your thoughts thru each "problem" and how to overcome them, it just keeps it real. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see what's next
Bob, I've been watching your videos for a while and gained a ton of knowledge and inspiration. My son saw this video and wants to build one too. He had never shown interest in "making" I hope this project turns his mind. Thank you!
Matt Evans Yeah like it gives the impression this is what the dark saber looked like when it was first made, the lighting gives it a more aged look to it
To get the effect on the black part, you could do use clear acrylic instead of black acrylic and you could use got glow as masking material and paint it Black and after that take off the hot glue and the light should be able to come out the unpainted parts
Great project, Bob! Here's a tip for acrylic... If you want to get a more finished edge, sand up a couple grits then lightly and quickly kiss the edge with a propane torch. You'll get a nice polished edge. Just don't do too much or it will become too transparent and you'll see the LEDs. Of course you can always knock it back down a bit with a 400 grit or so.
You could use black vinyl instead of black acrylic. Patterns could be cut out with a plotter or stripped with a dremel. Added after the bevel would give clean lines to the edge.
That’s amazing! Also I was the second person to like and obviously the first to comment. Thank you Bob for being an amazing source of entertainment and I love seeing all my favorite props come to life! Thank you soooo much!
Had to come back and rewatch this after that last episode of The Mandalorian. Such a great project and I think the way you made the blade looks really cool!
Hey Bob! If you take regular plexiglass, and spray one side black, then you can scratch the white lines into the black paint (maybe even with a light coat of white paint on the back side of the scratches). You could get a computer board that would cause the LED to flicker, which might have the desired effect of simulating movement in the white lines. They even make LED bulbs that flicker! Going with a thin plexiglass might even make the saber lighter.
Awesome build and video! A suggestion to get the pattern you wanted: Use all white acrylic, spray paint the edges black, sharpen the edges, peel off the protective paper, and slap black vinyl with the cut outs of the pattern you wanted on the surface.
i was at an art exhibit for a college field trip called the Good Luck Gallery back in 2017 in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Its a place whose artworks are often created by mental patients. To be honest, I find a lot of these artworks very fascinating, as in my opinion they give a glance at the persons damaged and ill mind. As much as we can learn about our mental health and how to give it proper treatment and therapy, there is still so much we don't know about the mind.
I really enjoy watching you make all this cool stuff!!! I also see that I'm not the only one who is looking for an update on your R2D2 model. Even if you aren't making any progress yet, just give us a short update to keep us going until you can get back to working on it!
For the lightning effect instead of painting clear acrylic black, like a lot of people suggested below, which could chip away if used, say on a con floor, I'd use some sort of thick black vinyl decal, like the ones used to tint car windows, with an already pre-cut lightning pattern. It'd have a clearer effect for the pattern than scratching back paint which could also damage the acrylic blade.
...I'm not even mad about the sponsorship thing, which is odd, considering I usually am, but you did something good with it. You did the whole promotion thing, but at the same time, you kept the actual entertaining stuff running in the background, for which I applaud you. Great content, and clever money-making, you, sir, have earned a sub.
I think for the "light squiggles" you were talking about at the end of the video, I might have 2 possible solutions for you. The first would be to carve your lines in the black acrylic all the way through as you mentioned, and then fill the cuts with resin, provided it doesn't melt the acrylic, or maybe use plexiglass for the clear part of the blade if that works too. Then you could sand the blade smooth, and give it a gloss clear coat, or leave the sanded finish as the final finish for a rustic and weathered look. The next option is to use vinyl wrap on the clear plexiglass. After the vinyl has been applied, carefully carve out your lines, and you're done.
Bruh. There are companies that sell just the dark saber blades for nearly $200. Yours is legitimately 100x better looking than anything they sell. You should refine it, and sell them.
The Sith never used the black Saber and there has only ever been one which was created and use by Tarre Vizsla until he died. He was the first and only mandalorian Jedi.
Awesome as usual. Two ideas: 1) could you laser cut the squiggles? Or would it melt and ruin the acrylic? 2) Laser cut a router jig for routing mortise work. If you have a diameter modifier set to match your router plate, you just draw the mortise shape you want and it adds the dia (rad) of your plate. Might be handy for all sorts of quick custom templates. Great work.
one thing you could do to get the etching on the black blade, you could use clear acrylic all the way around and maybe paint the inside of it black then etch away where you want
Sorry, we had to re-upload the video this morning. The first version wasn't showing up in sub feeds for some reason.
I lov u
lov u
Is your shirt based on classic Lego spacemen minifigures?
Nice project. I wonder if a fully clear acrylic blade with black vinyl wrap (like they use for cars) would help with the light squiggles. That said, the downside is that the finished product is less durable (if someone picks at the vinyl).
... then the subsequent project would be to vinyl wrap the Land Cruiser in a color shift wrap.
It’s only been in animated shows
Mandalorian: I can fix that
Noobi Kenoobi the Mandolorian is awesome
"its only been in animated shows"
Mandolorian- "Are you sure about that?"
Did it appear really
After I saw that, I was like “wait a fucking minute how the hell did that get there”
Rebels and CW: we have you two to one!
The Mandalorian: I like those odds
An elegant weapon from a more civilised age
Derek Bradley civilized
*So uNSiVaLiZeD*
@@Leon-mg3zd It's a line Obi-Wan says in A New Hope
Before the dark times before the empire
An elegant weapon converted to an ineffecient material, the weapon of warriors converted to a piece of wood.
I imagine this will rightfully have more views and likes after The Mandalorian
I hate that
When you get spoiled but it just makes you more excited for getting Disney plus tomorrow lol
Infamas Live I’ll do it as fast as I can
S7AR LORD 2024 why you so upset about the sword being recognized as badass
S7AR LORD 2024 hate what?
BOB: *Turns the blade on for the first time*
ME: "Too bad he can't make that blur effect it has when it's in motion--"
BOB: *Starts swinging it*
ME: "ON THE OTHER HAND..."
Awesome build, dude! xD
You had me at, "How to make a from Star Wars"
When he said saber I felt that
He had me at *big bang happens*
*Pre Vizsla wants to know your location*
TheMlgFox underrated comment
*darth maul wants to know your location*
*Pre Vizsla's head wants to know your location
Unfortunately history wont see it that way
@@dank9349 Darth Maul wants to know Pre Vizsla's location
You're the first person I've seen who successfully made the Dark Saber. Awesome job!
Thanks in part to your channel, my son wants to build stuff and work around the house with me now. Thanks man!Keep up the great work
04:50 "Now I want to point out that I have no idea what I'm doing." Story of my life.
give this man a metal
Get this man a shield
This is honestly one of (if not, _the_ ) the coolest things that has every been built on RUclips!! Incredible!
you have very low expectations.
Nice! While I would never build this, I watched all the details because it is interesting to watch someone problem solve. It's the kind of maker improv I really enjoy.
I just got home from an absolute crap day at work which ended in my car dying on the freeway. a half hour long "just for fun" build is EXACTLY what I need right now. Thank you for this, and for all the amazing content you create.
Anytime I see anything Star Wars related, I stop what I’m doing and go see what it’s about. This video is a great example of that! Huge Star Wars fan, I am! Love the videos!
Great work Bob! Always fun to see more prop projects! =D
His name is Bob!?!?! I thought it was Mr make
So far the best darksaber I’ve seen on RUclips. I think getting clear acrylic, painting it gloss black and then adding in the scratches, would work to make the blade look like it does in the show.
Before I even watch this video, I have liked and audibly exclaimed in excitement. I always thought the darksaber was a really cool piece of the Star Wars mythos. I love prop and electronics projects, especially weapons. I'm stoked to watch this! 👍
You can create your own black acrylic by painting one side of it... then just scrape out the light squiggles. I used this method to create a shadowbox style sign. The lettering was very precise and complex so I had the logo cut out of adhesive vinyl in reverse, stuck it to the back of the acrylic, painted over it in black then removed the vinyl letters. It worked really well and the nice part was that the finish on the outside of the acrylic was completely uniform, no matter how bad the inside was.
Good idea.
Perhaps it's an idea top make the blade out of one piece of acrylic .
Put high power leds in the base of the blade and let the light travel through the acrylic.
Paint the blade black.
Sand the bevels.
And scratch the lightning marks in the blade.
This could give the desired result.
... or black vinyl wrap and the light squiggles are etched out of the black.
Create a stencil of the lightning arcs.
Paint over the stencil directly into the acrylic.
If he wants the lightning to be dynamic then you'd use an inner slab of black sheet metal as the basis for a tesla coil within the acrylic structure.
Would be really cool if he throws in an accelerometer tied to a pot that increases intensity of the light when swung and reduces the tesla coil output.
I've tried that exact approach (LEDs in the base of the blade, etc.) - it doesn't work, because the acrylic diffuses the light out along the length of the blade, resulting in a reallly bright base, progressively dimmer along the length, and a very dim tip. ILTMS has a good solution here.
Regarding the squiggles, maybe this might work: a central core of clear, with two layers (thin black and thin smoke gray) on each side, with the squiggles cut out of the black. This would preserve the shiny, smooth exterior of the blade, and allow the light to come through the smoke gray layers.
I can see a problem with painting the outside of the blade: You jut KNOW you're going to swing this around, and it will get scratched to hell.
"Hey, you didnt make that sword, you stole that from a RUclipsr!"
"Unfortunately, history wont see it that way"
Underrated comment
Everythings stolen from someone before
that youtuber stole it from a disney copyrighted series which one is worse?
Is that a joke
Actually again history will be rewrote, a channel called " Odin Makes" just did the same Dark Saber with the same blank blade pattern.
I've watched enough MAN AT ARMS to know that the best way to make the handle is to get it the right size and then cut it in half and cut out the channel for the tang of the blade.
I wanna see them make a Darksaber now...
THANKS FOR WATCHING MAN AT ARMS MAKE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE FOR OTHER VIDEOS 😂😂🤣🤣
@Justin Dolliver even the tsuka is made this way in traditional katana making. so pls
@Justin Dolliver It's actually how _all_ wooden sword handles were made; it's the best method for creating a handle that has no side to side movement that might throw off your edge alignment. The rapier is the major outlier in this, but since it was a thrust centric weapon where edge alignment mattered far less (except in destreza), they could get away with just drilling a slot for the very narrow tang.
I thought Tang was a drink?
Bob, thank you for again showing us that as adults it is still okay to play with toys.
Keep building and inspiring!
It's always okay to play with toys
18:00 When clamp champ is not enough, you need stack champ!
Love it! From concept to creation! First, just pieces of wood and plexiglass! Then you make it into what you want it to be. Amazing creativity!
I really enjoy how you incorporate your thoughts thru each "problem" and how to overcome them, it just keeps it real.
Keep up the great work, can't wait to see what's next
Bob, I've been watching your videos for a while and gained a ton of knowledge and inspiration. My son saw this video and wants to build one too. He had never shown interest in "making" I hope this project turns his mind. Thank you!
I am so glad someone is making props from Clone Wars/Rebels, and it turned out great!
This is literally my favorite light saber!!
It’s not a lightsaber. Its a darksaber, found by the mandalorians, before the old republic.
@@ximonmc3077 true! I already figured out along time ago! But thanks! 🙂
Something I always notice is how well produced / edited your music tracks are. Great production skills - love it!
Rebels : decentchild series.
Clone Wars: Where kids became men. 501st, for the republic.
Real men are forged by the 41st elite scout corps
@@Krosstic Lies, deception.
Can Erkin S. It’s treason, then...
@@Krosstic Execute Big Smokes Order
@@Oldsah First Order : Daddy Issues ?
This is probably the best dark saber build I’ve seen on YT
It looks unreal, I have a suggestion to improve it - apply a layer of vantablack or Black 3.0 to it
Can you even buy that stuff?
not from a jedi
@@Hammer_Of_Olympia The powers of the dark side are a pathway to many abilities (read special decor) that many consider... unnatural
Could have painted clear acrylic black where black acrylic is, then scraped away where you wanted to get the patterned effect.
@@FrikinOSM that’s my plan with the one I’m making
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY BRILLIANTLY MADE! Especially for the first time. 🔥👍
That acrylic cement works fantastically on both PLA and PETG 3d prints as well.
Wow! Your work is AMAZING!!! I admire your work ethic and eye for detail!!! Beautiful!
Personally I like how you didn't do the lightening effects on the blade, looks more streamlined with your design and I want to make one now
Matt Evans Yeah like it gives the impression this is what the dark saber looked like when it was first made, the lighting gives it a more aged look to it
@@JohnWilliams-wl9px to be fair everything outside the death star, naboo, or the higher parts of coruscant looks aged
You using the band saw to cut the handle really helped me in making the handle for my wooden hammer
I made a test cut first to get the right size
To get the effect on the black part, you could do use clear acrylic instead of black acrylic and you could use got glow as masking material and paint it Black and after that take off the hot glue and the light should be able to come out the unpainted parts
This turned out beautifully. Enjoyable watch!
Bob, I think you missed your calling as a Weapons Props Master for Star Wars or any movie for that matter.
Great looking saber!!!
it's a bit far for props master knowing the quality... but a shoutout why not...
Love when the scroll saw is playing the drums! @5:45
Glad someone else noticed 😂
i am also a big fan of starwars and ILTMS! love your work
Great project, Bob! Here's a tip for acrylic... If you want to get a more finished edge, sand up a couple grits then lightly and quickly kiss the edge with a propane torch. You'll get a nice polished edge. Just don't do too much or it will become too transparent and you'll see the LEDs. Of course you can always knock it back down a bit with a 400 grit or so.
The dark saber: perfect for any Pre-Visla cosplay
Or maul
Disk Drive that’ll be hard when the cosplay is just a head
i love that you didn't put the video on hold for the sponsor. we got to keep watching you work while we listened about the sponsor. i appreciate that
I don't know Bob, that's not how Tarre Vizsla made his sword...
True, true.
Tarre Who
???
@@metallo732 the first mando jedi
@@PrograError I find his lack of knowledge disturbing.
@@BoltGamr same here
You could use black vinyl instead of black acrylic. Patterns could be cut out with a plotter or stripped with a dremel. Added after the bevel would give clean lines to the edge.
This is so cool! You make crazy stuff time after time, thats why I love your channel so much! Greetings
Dude this has to be the coolest darksaber I've ever seen.
That’s amazing! Also I was the second person to like and obviously the first to comment. Thank you Bob for being an amazing source of entertainment and I love seeing all my favorite props come to life! Thank you soooo much!
Bowen Werner you weren’t first
Had to come back and rewatch this after that last episode of The Mandalorian. Such a great project and I think the way you made the blade looks really cool!
Anyone here after season 1 ending of the mandalorian
Shut up
Clear Shade this is the way
Yup
Yep yep, just watched it today actually lol
Anyone one here before The Mandalorian and actually knew what it was?
This guy better be the next production designer for the next Star Wars Film.
id say its a bit too big but i think that was my thoughts in the cartoons as well...
Either way, best Dark Saber recreation ive EVER seen.
the black saber was actualy one of my favorite lightsabers so i'm happy to see that it's possible to make
I'd love to see you and Odin Abbott partner together on a project.
Well they didnt but he actually copied the blade without the pattern.
Hey Bob!
If you take regular plexiglass, and spray one side black, then you can scratch the white lines into the black paint (maybe even with a light coat of white paint on the back side of the scratches). You could get a computer board that would cause the LED to flicker, which might have the desired effect of simulating movement in the white lines. They even make LED bulbs that flicker! Going with a thin plexiglass might even make the saber lighter.
The Force is with you Bob!
Loved watching the problem solving in action. Glad you finished the project!
That's true. We need to keep going as a DIY goods
This is absolutely my favorite Star Wars Prop you have made . It is Awesome!!!
I feel like you made this video just for me
Awesome build and video! A suggestion to get the pattern you wanted: Use all white acrylic, spray paint the edges black, sharpen the edges, peel off the protective paper, and slap black vinyl with the cut outs of the pattern you wanted on the surface.
PS mostly my wife's idea
Excuse a me but I think the words your looking for are “dark saber from the clone wars”
the title literally says that
@@relanarkin7146 thumbnail says rebels, mate.
@@bruhmoment5465 It appears in both, no not really a big deal...
Toxic Star Wars fan detected
@@biged961 no, just a correct fan
Great video! Gonna be honest, the one thing I didn't like was referring to a Lightsaber hilt as a handle... I know, I know. 0:20
Hey it's Violet from:
I like to watch Bob make stuff!!
Hey its egg,
From reading violets comment about watching bob make stuff
@@mr.eeggbert1340 I literally just LOL'd
What's up guys. It's Winchester. Liking Egg and Violegs comments, while watching Bob make stuff!
i was at an art exhibit for a college field trip called the Good Luck Gallery back in 2017 in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Its a place whose artworks are often created by mental patients. To be honest, I find a lot of these artworks very fascinating, as in my opinion they give a glance at the persons damaged and ill mind. As much as we can learn about our mental health and how to give it proper treatment and therapy, there is still so much we don't know about the mind.
It even looks like it’s been animated with squash and stretch in the dark when you swing it
I really enjoy watching you make all this cool stuff!!! I also see that I'm not the only one who is looking for an update on your R2D2 model. Even if you aren't making any progress yet, just give us a short update to keep us going until you can get back to working on it!
Put this guy, hacksmith, brains techkneowlogy together with TKOR they will become stark industries
That moving timelapse during the sponsor read! Now THAT was a beautiful shot. It's the little things.
Thanks! Anthony is uping our game
You have teach alot of thing i had made so far was the secret room the bathroom and the tree house
For the lightning effect instead of painting clear acrylic black, like a lot of people suggested below, which could chip away if used, say on a con floor, I'd use some sort of thick black vinyl decal, like the ones used to tint car windows, with an already pre-cut lightning pattern. It'd have a clearer effect for the pattern than scratching back paint which could also damage the acrylic blade.
Damnet almost first! I love your videos man!! You teach me allot
...I'm not even mad about the sponsorship thing, which is odd, considering I usually am, but you did something good with it. You did the whole promotion thing, but at the same time, you kept the actual entertaining stuff running in the background, for which I applaud you. Great content, and clever money-making, you, sir, have earned a sub.
Great job Bob. Would it work if you cut out the shapes from the black acrylic and pour clear acrylic to fill them back up?
It probably would, cool idea
@@Iliketomakestuff That sounds like a good CNC update to this project.
I think for the "light squiggles" you were talking about at the end of the video, I might have 2 possible solutions for you. The first would be to carve your lines in the black acrylic all the way through as you mentioned, and then fill the cuts with resin, provided it doesn't melt the acrylic, or maybe use plexiglass for the clear part of the blade if that works too. Then you could sand the blade smooth, and give it a gloss clear coat, or leave the sanded finish as the final finish for a rustic and weathered look. The next option is to use vinyl wrap on the clear plexiglass. After the vinyl has been applied, carefully carve out your lines, and you're done.
Bruh. There are companies that sell just the dark saber blades for nearly $200. Yours is legitimately 100x better looking than anything they sell. You should refine it, and sell them.
your channel is a treasure, made my day today
Aww, thanks!
If you’re a true Star Wars fan, you know this came from *legends*
Legends? I thought that darksaber came from The Clone Wars.
Guilherme Ricci Noh :u it started in legends!
Sith knights used dark sabers, they were also called “Sith sabres” if I remember
The Sith never used the black Saber and there has only ever been one which was created and use by Tarre Vizsla until he died. He was the first and only mandalorian Jedi.
Death you are not a true Star Wars fan
Death nope, Luke discovers a lost tribe of Sith who use black sabers.
looks really good in the dark.
Came here from the mandalorian
This is the way
Abdullah Rashid no
Thicc_Boi_Matt yes
Watched all 29:25! Awesome project guys! Really enjoyed seeing you problem solve through the whole thing Bob 👏🏻
How many people paused at 18:00 just to see the obvious "clamp champ"
I definitely did!
did you catch all 3? 🕵️♂️
And 19:13
and 19:20
and 19:24
Awesome as usual. Two ideas: 1) could you laser cut the squiggles? Or would it melt and ruin the acrylic?
2) Laser cut a router jig for routing mortise work. If you have a diameter modifier set to match your router plate, you just draw the mortise shape you want and it adds the dia (rad) of your plate. Might be handy for all sorts of quick custom templates.
Great work.
Hey bob are you gunna ever finish the R2D2?
Very soon!
Excellent video, very informative and well done. Great job on creating the Darksaber.
This is even cooler cause it's in The Mandalorian
My son loved this so much. Now he wants me to make one. haha. Great work as always Bob and Josh.
I just realized he was wearing the OG LEGO space logo
Sorry but at what time
9:03 fella 🙂
I see it now and then, but not this time. Every time I do see it I have to say "spaceship" lol I'm 42, still a seven years old mind sometimes.
Bob! What a great build! Thanks for sharing!
The Darksaber: brought to you by AA batteries
one thing you could do to get the etching on the black blade, you could use clear acrylic all the way around and maybe paint the inside of it black then etch away where you want
*THE MANDALORIANS WANT TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION*
Hey Bob, if you take the black acrylic off you could sand the black inside off and then you would be able to make the effect on the outside.
whos here after the mandalorian finale
Dat shot with gideon was mmph! Nice
Shut up
Black blade with white outline looks great in the dark, even better than usual lightsaber)
So Moff Gideon got his lightsaber from him.
Or he made his own
You guys do know there's only 1 darksaber, yeah?
Nice build the final piece turned out great!
Make a spider Man suit. ( The homemade one from Spiderman: Homecoming)
this was really cool. I loved how the tron-esq it is as well