For Tyeth’s First Build – The Update!

Hello again Everybody! Yes this is post number two and it has some exciting news for me. A long time ago in a cave workshop, For Tyeth bought a new lightsaber handle that looked like Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinns’s. Unfortunately, it was just a hollow hilt with no electronics so it didn’t light up or make any “Swoosh!” “Swish!” or any other noise actually…however I intended to install some electronics and make it a fully operational custom hilt! Here is my saber arriving and a picture of the hilt itself…

Yes way back in March 2018 the Stormtrooper brought me a OneReplicas Qui-Gon Jinn replica saber and the next two pictures show how it looked. I love the hilt but as I mention…it was just a display piece. You can read my initial post here https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2018/03/16/first-look-at-my-new-hilt/

Fast forward 2 years and I finally had the means and opportunity to start constructing the internal electronics to make this hilt function. I had priced up circuit boards (also known as a soundboard) that produced the light and sound effects in custom sabers but whenever I found one I felt would suit my needs it was either too expensive, hard to purchase (because the vendor operated through Social Media sites not a website) or they sold out. Long story short, the Force and the planets aligned recently and a new soundboard was launched and I finally had some funds to buy one. I also purchased a few other parts needed to complete this project…here is a quick gallery of parts….

The first image shows the circuitboard or Soundboard and this particular one is produced by KR Sabers, a UK based supplier of replica hilts and parts to build your own lightsabers. (I WILL JUST ADD HERE THAT I AM IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THE MANUFACTURERS OR VENDORS MENTIONED IN THIS POST – I AM JUST A CUSTOMER AND AM NOT RECIEVING ANY PAYMENT OR GRATUITY). Now I have cleared up the legal stuff I’ll continue to discuss the items I bought. So the soundboard can store a set of sound effects on a Micro SD memorycard which can be updated when you get bored with the noises. It also controls the lighting and effects of the blade. It does this by sending varying amounts of power to three individual LED diodes (bulbs) which are red, green and royal blue in colour. In a similar way to how a TV mixes colours so too does the soundboard electronics meaning this saber, when installed can have any colour blade I program it to have….it also flashes a bright accent colour when the blade hits another, just like the movies! The second image shows an LED assembly and there are three small dots (in this case two red and one white) that are in fact LED bulbs mounted on a polycarbonate base disc called a Star. The LED shown is a Red/Red/White meaning it would shine red and flash a white colour but mine has three colours so I can program any combination. This is all very good but there is one thing I have to point out…the LED Star assembly is less than 1inch in diameter….less than 25mm so this thing is TINY and I have to solder wiring onto it! Then the saber needs power and unfortunately working Kyber Crystals aren’t available on planet Earth so I had to buy a couple of high power rechargeable batteries called Li-On 18650 cells. All of this and a speaker and the activation switch, have to be installed into a plastic printed chassis/frame then inserted into the hilt….oh and that measures at 1 inch in diameter internally so it s going to be a very, very tight fit!

This is a redacted screenshot of my order form with a few of the other needed parts in the list of bought items – there is a battery charger, the speaker for the sound effects, the LED and a polycarbonate deuling blade. And I have to say I was so impressed with the service and their delivery time. (AGAIN, I AM NOT ENDORSING ANY COMPANY) I ordered this package of parts on Sunday evening (the 20th) and by 9:40 am on Monday morning (the 21st) I had recieved an email with my tracking info saying the parcel had been prepared. I had it on my doorstep on Tuesday afternoon….less than 48hrs after I placed the order,,,phenomenal.

I still have some sundries I need to buy (such as the various lengths/gauges of wiring, soldering supplies like flux and solder itself and a few various other bits) before I actually start building anything but I have come a big step closer to realising my dream of building a “real-life” saber, I will post further updates on my progress and hopefully it won’t take 2 years for the next installment! Thanks for looking in and I hope you cal back to see if I succeed in becoming a fully fledged Jedi Installer. Till next time….

Some images courtesy of KR Sabers via their webstore https://thesaberarmory.com/ Images are Trademark/©Copyright of KR Sabers/The SaberArmory.

For Tyeth/FTSabersite has no affilation/connection to KR Sabers/The Saber Armory, I am just a customer describing my purchase and am recieving no payments or gratuities.

The Living Force Lightsaber – Homage to Qui-Gon Jinn

Hello Everybody for the first of TWO posts today…yes I have big news in a second post coming up at the end of this one. But first I have a tribute hilt for the (possibly) greatest Jedi ever…Qui-Gon Jinn! Now I may be biased in my opinion about QGJ being the greatest because I kinda look like him so I’ve been told, but QGJ was the first Jedi to achieve the ability to manifest himself after death. QGJ was judged by the Force Priestesses (beings who reside at the centre of all the known galaxy/universe and oversee the Force) to be worthy of learning the knowledge to become a “Force Ghost” due to his belief and devotion to the “Living Force”. The Force has two distinct parts, one “The Living Force” which is the conscience of the Force as a whole, while “The Cosmic Force” is the actual “powers” or abilities which using the Force entails. Qui-Gon believed that ALL life had value and right to prosper and he also believed in “quieting the mind to listen to the will of the Force” and allowing the Force to guide your actions rather than looking too far into the future at “things that might happen”. Qui-Gon usually used the Force with reasoning and negotiations to resolve situations but sometimes he needed to resort to using a lightsaber and here he is with his…

©Copyright Disney/Lucasfilm

Well, recently I discovered a new Blender plug-in app that made modelling quicker, neater and easier and whilst exploring it’s features I decided I wanted to make a replica of QGJ’s hilt. I own a real life replica of this hilt (more on this later 😎) but wanted a 3D model that I had constructed. This was what I came up with….

I think it is obvious I was inspired by QGJ, but I made a few tweaks to this model, again just so I didn’t carbon copy the design 100%. The chrome shroud is slightly different, the profile of the “hook” is not quite identical and the switch is mounted slightly differently than that on the original. I also used the new plug-in to create a sliding removable panel to access the internals of the hilt.

Now I have been a bit busy this week so don’t have as many studio/WIP pictures but I did take my 3D model outside to see how it looked so here are a few Glamour Shots….

I think this hilt looks rather nice in the real world, the balance of black and chrome reflecting the balance Qui-Gon demonstrated as a Jedi…along with the beautiful green blade he is so famous for, that’s why it’s my favourite hilt. The white guy with the package is a…..WAIT A MINUTE! Oh yes the Stormtrooper…he brought me a package of items I purchased recently…and the contents are very interesting….they are REAL WORLD lightsaber parts. I have taken the plunge and am about to start a real world saber build!I will chat more about this in my next post coming up in a few minutes, so please be sure to check it out.

This just about wraps up this post, I apologise that it was shorter than normal but the exciting news of my recent expansion into real world building meant I was busy. But please stay tuned to FTSabersite as I will be updating/posting a “Build Diary” for my new project and I still have over half a dozen new 3D sabers to bring to you (and maybe some artwork and spaceship models). There is a lot more to come. I’d like to thank you for your visit today it’s much appreciated and hopefully you’ll click over to see my second post shortly. See you soon….

Here is a Quick Link to post 2: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2020/09/26/for-tyeths-first-build-the-update/

“The Living Force” lightsaber is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the saber belonging to Qui-Gon Jinn as seen in “The Phantom Menace”. The 3D model and renderings are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. “Qui-Gon Jinn”, “The Phantom Menace” and all other names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

“Syndulla” A saber for Hera

Hello Everybody, I hope you are all well as I have another new design to showcase for you today. This time we are staying in the galaxy and time period seen in Star Wars Rebels, and as I have built sabers for Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger and more recently Sabine Wren’s staff I felt the Captain of the rebel ship The Ghost should get a hilt too. The Captain of The Ghost is a young female Twi’Lek named Hera Syndulla, who is a wily, cunning, battle hardened warrior revolutionary. Not surprising as her father was Cham Syndulla, a prominent activist and thorn in the side of the early Empire led by Palpatine and Vader. Hera was born and raised on Ryloth but didn’t have the greatest of relationships with her father, it started well but in war it deteriorated. It got so bad that when a rebellion starfighter crash landed in the Syndulla homestead’s grounds Hera recovered the astromech and repaired it, then formed a friendship with the droid.

Eventually the situation got to the point where Hera left to become a pilot and formed her own band of rebels (who you can see above ^^) whilst her father continued his efforts against the Empire around their homeworld. Over many skirmishes Hera recruited her crew and raised trouble for the Empire, irritating Grand Moff (Governor) Tarkin and Vader. So, even though Hera is famous as a crack shot with a blaster I felt Captain Syndulla needed a saber. I built one and sent it to her…but I think she may not recognise it….

Can you see a saber in the picture above? Well, after the events of the Clone Wars and Order 66 (the Emperor’s purge on the Jedi) it was illegal to use, own or even carry a lightsaber (or any parts thereof) so I had to be clever and disguise her new saber so it would go undetected. I think I did a good job…it looks like there are just a few tools and measuring devices on Hera’s workbench right? Then may I show you this….

Yep! I turned a Hydro-Wrench into a lightsaber…cunning aren’t I! I doubt any Stormtrooper or Imperial official would recognise this as a saber. The Hydro-Wrench has a power activator that I modified to be the ignition switch so the on/off switch was camouflaged already. The saber also features hidden controls that adjust the lightsaber’s blade length and power settings and to access them you have to twist the red torque adjuster lever to open the grille covering the settings panel.

Form and function plus a bit of ingenuity (if I say so myself 😎) This panel is accessed when you twist the red lever which in turn rotates the grille There are two Hex-Head dials that alter the blade length and power settings along with four light emitting diodes that display a traffic light colour scale to show settings. Oh and the red Torque Lever also acts as a convenient belt hanging device – just clip it onto your workbelt and the saber is hidden with your other tools! I think that’s pretty neat…

A Hydro-Wrench Lightsaber? OK that’s pretty clever!

Ah! I think Hera likes the saber, now she’s recognised it. I felt this reflected her character of being resourceful and able to adapt to difficult, dangerous situations. Her calm thinking and skills saved the day on many occaisions leading to her (and her crew) being recruited to a Rebel faction led by the mysterious “Fulcrum” who we met a few posts back. She even managed to reconcile with her father when one particular mission resulted in their paths crossing. And an interesting fact: If you watch the movie Rogue One when we see the ships parked outside the Rebel Base on Yavin 4 listen carefully and you might hear a General Syndulla being summoned on the tannoy – General Hera Syndulla!

Soo, that just about wraps up this saber offering, I hope you liked it as much as Hera seems to. It was fun thinking “outside the box” to come up with a design so well camouflaged. Star Wars Rebels has really sparked my imagination and as a result I still have a few more “Rebels” hilts and a couple of ships to bring to your attention in future posts. I sincerely hope you’ll call back to see those as I also have more Guardians of the Galaxy hilts too. But for now I’d like to say thanks to all of you for visiting and supporting me and the site, whether a first timer or a regular visitor, you’re much appreciated. Till next time….

“Syndulla Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the cartoon “Star Wars: Rebels”. The 3D models and renderings are ©ForTyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. “Star Wars: Rebels”, “Hera Syndulla” and all other SW names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm.

“Dume” Saber – Inspired by Lothal’s Wolf

Hello Everybody hope you’re all doing well. Today we are returning to Star Wars Rebels and the naval shipbuilding planet of Lothal for a new saber. This saber is not based on the ships that are built on the planet but on one of it’s creatures, the Lothwolf. These mystical animals appear throughout later episodes of Rebels and are a sort of “Force Guide” or “Force Spirits” – and one has a connection to the former Jedi Kanaan Jarrus. Whenever Ezra Bridger, Kanaan’s padawan or the crew of The Ghost get into difficulties the wolves seem to appear and lend a paw to help the heroes out – and usually in a spectacular way. The Lothwolf, though rarely seen looks like this…

They are canine in appearance but are MUCH larger in size being large enough for Ezra, Hera Syndula, Sabine and Zeb to actually ride on their backs. And in one episode the heroes were stranded on one side of Lothal but needed to get to the opposite side of the planet quickly. The wolves appeared and indicated that the heroes should climb on and ride to their friend’s location. However, as the wolves began to run and gather speed, their surroundings blurred and warped causing the heroes to partially lose their senses. When they came back to full consciousness the group discovered they were in fact on the far side of the planet….apparently the wolves had carried the heroes THROUGH the planet! That is some serious Force ability! So knowing this I set to work on a saber inspired by these creatures…

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These studio wireframe images show some very complex modelling on the handgrip – this was to replicate a very distinct feature of the Lothwolf. The feature was most visible on one special wolf, the leader of the pack which was named DUME and here is a gallery of images showing DUME and the saber…

The saber is a monochrome white and black to resemble Dume and the emitter shrouds are almost like “ears”, though unintentional. But I did make an effort to replicate the ridges on the bridge of his nose and his eyebrow area. These are the black oval nodules on the handgrip. To model them I created several Torus knots (a 3D knot similar to a Pretzel that forms an endless loop) and stacked them to make an object that looked like a rope. I then sized the “rope” so that it was inside the handgrip but just big enough so small lumps appeared on the outside surface. This created the ridges!

As the story continued it became known that the pack leader was named after a former Jedi known as Caleb Dume….who after the events of Order 66 and the Jedi Order’s downfall, became known as Kanaan Jarrus. This hints to the fact these creatures may be some form of Guardian Canine that appears when their “subject of care” is in danger. All very mysterious.

I hope you liked DUME and his saber, I loved how the handgrip and the “rope trick” worked out. It worked so well that it inspired a few more variants which I’ll post in upcoming articles. Yes I still have more new sabers to come as well as working on ships and containers of Coaxium! Hopefully you will return to see those and find out what I am using Coaxium for. But for now I want to thank you all for visiting and supporting me and my site, whether this is your first visit or you are a regular caller thanks so much. So Till next time….

“DUME” Saber is a For Tyeth Editions design and the 3D models and renderings are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. “Dume”, “Lothwolf” and all other Star Wars related names, images, logos and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.

“Vornyx” – A new breed of Starfighter (Lord_S_Gray and FT)

Hello everybody hope you’re all doing well. As promised I have another Lord_S_Gray collaboration in the shape of a new starfighter to accompany his Star Destroyer I posted last week. Click here to check it out > https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/destroyer-a-new-breed-of-star-destroyer-by-lsg-and-for-tyeth/ . The Aetherean battleship needed some fighter escort protection and LSG asked if I could muster up a design based on his description. I accepted the request as I figured it would be fun to build a fighter that had a similar look to it’s mothership and I have sorta caught the shipbuilding bug. I got LSG to send me a design brief and a sketch or two and here was his initial idea…

I am an avid aviation fan having attended many airshows of your military and civilian earth planes and I had an idea as soon as I saw this shape and the idea was named “Have Blue”. Have Blue was the codename that the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed gave to the world famous Stealth Fighter or F-117. And as you may know the F-117 has a very distinct shape and outline which almost mirrors LSG’s diagram! Here is a schematic courtesy of Wikipedia…

This plane looks like it came from outer space (or a galaxy far…far away!) and if you “clip” the wings a little you can see the “Diamond” shape from LSG’s sketch. So I went with the idea of making a Stealth Starfighter. Here are a few pics…

This was the design I came up with. It appears slightly shorter than the sketch but that is a bit of an optical illusion. The design however does have the Maser (Aetherean technology equivalent to a laser) cannons on the leading edge of the fuselage and it has twin self defense turrets on the upper rear surface panels. I did have a version with a turret on the underside but the 3D model file was lost in one of my laptop glitches. However, the underside of this fighter still has some interesting features I’ll show later. The fuselage and body panels were again achieved by using the “Discombobulator” function but I turned the settings down so I didn’t have multiple layers of panels, just one or two layers to hint at the structure. This ship is meant to be sleek and any parts that stick out would cause it to be visible to sensor sweeps, so I tucked as much of the details away. This leads me to the underbelly and the “hidden” features….

In these images you can clearly see the “stretched diamond” shape of the fighter along with two retractable landing gear skids and two very distinct launch tube channels for the homing missiles! Yes this ship is packing serious offensive weapons as well as the defensive turrets. I modelled a basic “Space to Space” missile similar to the famous Sidewinder missiles used by earth aircraft. You can make out the control fins and the purple “seeker sensor” in the nose cones. The red chevrons are electro magnetic propulsors to help launch the missiles (a bit like the steam catapults on aircraft carriers).

I showed LSG my initial build and after a few exchanges this was the final model and it was time to take this fighter out and put it through it’s paces. Here are a couple of galleries showing the ship from different angles and environments during test flights…

The ship handled well in the atmosphere of a planet and flew well interstellar around regular space. It even flew nicely in a nebula or two! But as the Star Destroyer last week had Hyperdrive then I felt this Starfighter needed to keep up so I installed a Hyperdrive unit to this ship too….looks pretty in the wormhole….

The Vornyx Fighter passed it’s test and trial flights with flying colours I’m pleased to say and LSG approved. This was fun to build and there is still room for me to make improvements – so I will be making some updates. Whilst photographing the Vornyx and Destroyer I discovered that while I concentrated on how it looked outside….they actually looked interesting inside! So one of the updates will be a cockpit for the Vornyx with control panels and for the Destroyer I will add some models of military equipment inside it’s hull. Here is a slideshow of a mix of pictures including two “interior” shots that will get updated….

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Oh yes! I forgot to mention this fighter has gone into production and I have a Squadron of Vornyx ships! (Sorry I haven’t worked out a pluralised version of the name yet😁). And with that I am just about ready to fly home to my Destroyer knowing LSG has a very capable fighter to defend his fleet. Thanks Lord_S_Gray for allowing me to build this for you.

Thank you so much for checking this new Interceptor out and for all the fantastic support over the past four years (I passed my 4 year Blogaversary earlier this week). You are all very much appreciated whether a first time visitor or one the regular crowd, thank you. I hope you will return to see future posts as I have a few more Star Wars Rebels inspired hilts and I have a rather nice arrow design from Guardians of the Galaxy! Till next time….

“Vornyx Foghter” is a Lord_S_Gray and For Tyeth Editions collaboration and is ©Copyright of Lord_S_Gray and For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2020. The F-117 Stealth Fighter is Trademark/©Copyright of Lockheed Martin Industries – Schematic image via Wikipedia.