Star Wars is a beloved series, and the favorite weapon that is a collector's item is the lightsaber. Find out what you will need to create a 3d printable lightsaber.
Fans or audiences are no strangers to the wars of the sci-fi world in the movie Star Wars. Images such as warriors and battleships in the series are cosplayed in many forms, and popularly 3D printed. In which the product is equally popular, and the most innovative product is a 3d printable lightsaber. Let's find out what it's all about and how you can create your version.
When Star Wars premiered in 1977, it immediately became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. Today, Star Wars has one of the largest fan communities in the world.
Both the Jedi and Sith warriors in the Star Wars universe are most famous for their weapons, the sword. It includes a plasma sword powered by Kyber Crystal - a weapon that requires a lot of skill and training.
The film's early props used old camera flash combined with gun parts, submersible knobs, suppressors, and other random junk to create a lightsaber. Unfortunately, those parts are no longer readily available as they were back then. People have tried making their replicas with PVC pipes and plumbing, but they have never been so successful.
3D printing comes in: With a 3d printable lightsaber, you can create almost any model with high precision and low cost. Here are the best templates you can print!
A printed and painted lightsaber. (Source: AstrosGames / Thingiverse)
After losing her first lightsaber on Geonosis, Anakin Skywalker decided to build herself a new lightsaber. It later became the Jedi weapon of his son, Luke Skywalker. Swordsmanship is constantly changing from Jedi to Jedi, so Brad Harris (CaseStudyno8) didn't make swords out of a Jedi but instead created a mixture of his favorite parts from every movie and combined them.
This lightsaber by Greg McRoberts (sirnukesalot) is a lightsaber that you can unfold to see the components inside. The model includes a battery, crystal chamber, gain chamber, beam chamber, and enclosure that looks a lot like Darth Vader. There were problems with some parts that easily broke, so we recommend printing the remixed version by BbrnKyle.
Another Brad Harris file, as usual, the details and accuracy are amazing. This time, he crafted Kylo Ren's three-edged sword from the third Star Wars trilogy. The sword consists of eight pieces, so some may require a support structure to print successfully. Do a quick paint job, and the model instantly becomes 100% cooler.
When John Mulac (3D PRINTING WORLD) uploaded his collapsible sword, it quickly popped up on the page of the most popular 3D prints on Thingiverse. He then uploaded a crumbling pirate sword, collapsing spotlight, crumbling katana, and a collapsing dagger, all with a blade that can stretch and collapse to pour.
This particular model is Luke Skywalker's sword. He made it himself after losing both his old sword and his right arm in a fight with Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode V. In addition to its stunning beauty, this model is also very well made with detailed instructions. On how to print it.
Last and certainly not least is Obi-Wan Kenobi's sword from the old Star Wars trilogy. Creator Jacky Wan, aka Velcro of the Redicubrics, has created two versions of these lightsabers: a normal version and a complicated version. The difference is how many parts the model includes. DANIELJOSVAI did a great remix of the complex version in which he reworked a few parts and reinforced the weak parts that it easily broke. The resulting model is a film-accurate beauty that looks stunning and feels good in the hand.
The model consists of 15 parts and includes instructions on assembling and painting it with easy step-by-step instructions. It is simply a must-print for every Star Wars fan.
To 3D print your lightsaber, you'll need a few things:
● 3D printer
● 3D printed filament
● STL file for lightsaber 3D printing
● A power source (battery or power supply)
● 3D printing software
● 3D model of lightsaber (optional)
● Once you have all of these, you're ready to 3D print your lightsaber!
Now that you have an STL file, you can print your lightsaber in 3D. If you don't have a 3D printer, you can use services such as Shapeways and Sculpteo. Printing on ABS is recommended as it is more durable than PLA.
Once you've printed all the parts, it's time to assemble your 3d printable lightsaber! Start by attaching the hilt to the blade. Then add buttons and switches. Finally, screw on the bomb cap.
Now that you have a 3d printable lightsaber, you're ready to fight Darth Vader. Be strong!
This project is perfect for anyone who wants to recreate one of the most iconic weapons in movie history. 3D printing has come a long way in the last few years. Now you can print your lightsaber at home.
STL files for 3d printed parts are included in the attached ZIP file. Print them following the instructions below:
● Everything is designed to be mostly hollow, print at low temperatures (depending on your filament), and use slow speeds for best results.
● Parts 8 and 9 require slow printing due to their size. Print them 2cm apart on a print bed with 30% ink.
● Rims and brackets are not needed for any parts, so don't use them. They will affect future mounting.
● Print anything with a layer height of ~0.15mm.
● After printing, check that the assembly fits snugly, as shown by the accompanying pictures, making sure to assemble in alphabetical order.
● The clamp is the most complicated part, and the final pin suffers a lot of friction, but it will hold the whole thing together. To get the perfect fit, you may have to shave a few millimeters on sections 8 or 9.
Note: The 3d parts used in this May Tutorial were designed by Jacky Wan (aka Valcrow) and provided under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license.
To paint the Lightsaber and apply the weather effect, I used the following colors, but feel free to change the colors to suit your taste. Use the image of the finished sword as a color guide:
● Metallic Gold / Brass
● Metallic Silver
● Matt Black
● Copper
To create the weather effect, you will need the following additional items:
● Crushed sea salt works best
● Water
● Small paint brush for water painting
● Clean and dry toothbrush
Lightly sand the 3d printed parts with fine sandpaper to smooth and prepare the surface before painting (I use a P800 grinding wheel). Take care to remove any loose debris and dust after sanding, I've found that spandex works well for this. The pieces are then primed with a surface primer and left to dry for 24 hours.
We'll start by painting the components with a rust/corrosion tint to give them a weathered look. I used multiple coats of copper and let them cure for at least 24 hours in my instance. For the following step, the paint must be dried. I'm just going to erode the non-gold/brass pieces, not all of them.
Tip: Read the directions for your paint and follow all safety precautions. I used a paint can/spray, but if you have an air compressor paint kit.
The weathering effect is achieved using salt and water. Use a paint brush to apply water to areas where you want signs of corrosion, focusing on areas where moisture and dirt will naturally accumulate (such as in and around grooves).
Sprinkle salt on the wet area, you will see the salt will stick to the wet area and start to crystallize. After the wet areas are covered with salt, you'll want to leave it on for at least an hour to let it dry completely.
Once dry, you can gently blow away the loose salt sections, then spray paint the Lightsaber pieces over the final color (I recommend at least two coats). Leave for another 24 hours to dry completely.
Here's the fun part, using a salt-removing toothbrush. You can brush pretty hard, removing all the salt and revealing the sword with its finished look. If you're happy with everything, seal with clear lacquer to protect the finish.
You can now reassemble the 3d printable lightsaber as in the previous step, hopefully it still fits together nicely. If it's difficult, you may need to lightly sand the tight spots until it fits snugly.
Tip: Bring your finished sword to life with some special effects tweaks
The above is a summary of the versions of the 3d printable lightsaber that have been shared and received a lot of love from the community, you can easily find the STL file and print it easily. We also have a few tips and tutorials on making a 3d printable lightsaber. Do more research to create the product exactly as you desire.
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