“Fire Ice Lance” inspired by Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda series.

Hello Everybody and welcome back to this week’s post. After my exploits last week in my new TARDIS I bring you something from a much overlooked TV series from the mind of Gene Roddenberry. That show is called Andromeda and some of you may recall that it starred “Hercules” actor Kevin Sorbo as a commander of a starship (named Andromeda Ascension) which was involved in a galactic conflict between the Systems Commonwealth (an intergalactic government that presided over an extended period of peace and prosperity) and two planetary factions – the warmongering Nietzcheans and the parasitic Magog. 
Dylan (Sorbo) Hunt’s ship was very involved in one battle but was crippled, left on the edge of a black hole where it became caught in a vortex and frozen in time. During the time that the ship was frozen (over 303 years) the conflict moved on, the Commonwealth collapsed and renegades and reprobates took over the galaxy. However that wasn’t the end of the story.

So 303 years after the battle, a salvage crew manage to recover the Andromeda and Dylan Hunt is brought back to life. However he is still determined to right the wrongs of what happened and takes it upon himself to restore the Commonwealth to it’s former status. He gets the crew of the salvage ship to become his crew and along with an AI holographic representation of a First Officer the new Andromeda crew go into battle. Now the ship had the usual types of armaments a starship would have and the crew had light weapons for face to face combat which included blasters of various types but the most striking weaopns were the “Force Lances”….which kinda, sorta….er look a lot like light sabers and saberstaffs (just sayin’)…

And so I was interested to see what info there was about them online. It turns out that the show was produced by Roddenberry’s wife, Majel Barrett but was hampered by a very small budget compared to most Sci-Fi shows and the props turned out to be VERY basic. Most of the prop Force Lance handles were made from a length of dowel rod and had extra Greebling parts added to make it look otherworldly. Most had a fake activation switch mounted onto the handgrip which itself was a cutout piece of rubber matting. So….I felt I should try and 3D a slightly more realistic version and this is my Fire Ice Lance….

Now the Force Lance doesn’t have a blade but is actually a blaster (without a conventional trigger) so it is a strange breed of weapon. Not only that but there is the standard handheld version plus a version built into a staff or Japanese Naginata long handled short sword. I decided to have a look around the net again and see what the Sci-Fi community had made in way of replicas (and see if any companies made official/unofficial models) and there were quite a few fan made hilts using similar techniques as the real prop builders…

In fact these fan replicas look better than the real props (sorry Props Guy) but then these weren’t actually used on a studio set and need to be rugged to survive the action scenes they featured in. I kinda liked the variety so I decided to make an alternate colour scheme and here it is…

I am working on a few other variants and should have a post coming soon to showcase those. But in the meantime I just have a few pics of both versions on display for you….

In this batch of photos I did give the weapon a plasma based blade to see how it looked and yep,,,it looked lightsabery (<is that a word?). I also forgot to mention that I added a silvery white paint scheme that blended out to a blue finish on the pommel (I think this is known as hombre).

And that just about brings this post to a finish too…but first I suggest that you check Andromeda out if you can find copies of it online to stream or view. It suffered because critics too closely linked it to Star Trek and Voyager in particular but I thought it was ok….a bit of a cult show. And a final few tidbits of trivia….Gene Roddenberry came up with Dylan Hunt’s name back in the 1960’s and 70’s as it appeared in two lesser known pilot projects – Genesis II and Planet Earth. And Majel Barret will be a familiar voice to most of you as Majel was the voice of most Starfleet onboard ship’s computers!

OK, I really do have to end now but I want to sat thanks once more for all the support and encouragement you the fantastic viewers and friends give me. It really keeps me motivated and now I’m branching out as a result to try watching new space shows and new frontiers I’ve never been to before. Whether you are a regular viewer or a newcomer, you’re very much appreciated, stay safe and Till next time…..

“Fire Ice Lance” is a For Tyeth Editions tribute to the Force Lance weapon seen in Gene Roddenberry’s “Andromeda” show starring Kevin Sorbo. The 3d model amd renders were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite in Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Andromeda” and all other names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of Andromeda Productions, Fireworks Entertainment, MBR Productions and Tribune Entertanment.

“Who is this?” – A slight change in franchise…The Doctor is back!

Hello Everybody, I told you a while ago that I had been travelling to see distant relatives down under, well I also ventured to see some that were closer to home in the UK. Actually in Bristol to be precise, and it was while I was in Bristol I took a walk around and found this taking place….

I couldn’t believe it! My friend the Doctor seemed to be doing some filming in Frederick Place. It turns out this location in the Clifton area of the city was the site chosen to represent the exterior of Ruby Sunday’s home. It’s amazing how little coincidences happen but the Doctor must have been keeping an eye out for me or the TARDIS recognised me cos the Doctor came out to see me for a chat. He told me he was experimenting with some interior decorating and asked if I wanted to take a look. Well I normally travel in my Delta Four Interceptor (see it here: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2022/10/15/delta-four-interceptor-a-design-from-for-tyeths-shipyards/) so getting to look inside the big blue box would be fascinating. I was welcomed in….

Inside and guess what….it is actually BIGGER on the inside than it is on the outside! I gave the Doctor my opinion on the decor but he was still undecided on his final choices so I won’t post pictures of the inside…however because I had been such a great help the Doc decided to show me what the TARDIS could do and we went on a whistle-stop tour.
Here is a gallery of some places we visited…some you may recognise from the show!….

This TARDIS is quite nimble considering it’s aerodynamics! Now and then she would fly like a brick but most of the trips were smooth. The first hop put us into a nearby church and I felt we shouldn’t stay long there so we moved on to the suburbs of London. The Doctor even had the cheek to land and park in an exclusion zone but as we were only gonna be there a few seconds it was ok. We got some strange looks as people walked by and saw a Jedi Knight and a police box….so after a few minutes we set off to enjoy some nice rural scenery….

We first dropped in on Hammersmith and the MacBeth Centre that was the filming location for Coal Hill School in Remembrance of the Daleks and the first ever Dr Who episode – The Un-Earthly Child. Then we went to blow the cobwebs away and found some nice fields to set down in.
Then, as always, time was against us and the Doctor said we needed to get back to Bristol because Ruby would be waiting to discover the TARDIS and it’s secrets and the film crew were impatient. We re-entered the TARDIS and in a few brief seconds we were back in the hubbub of the film set and my trip was over.

OK…..OK…..this is a made up story but it was to showcase my latest build….did you recognise it from the first picture? That TARDIS in pic one was my 3D model which I sorta edited into a “Behind The Scenes” photo….the real TARDIS is in the original image directly above, I wonder how many of you didn’t notice the difference, hm?
I say this because I’m extremely pleased how my TARDIS turned out. It appears to be a simple object to build BUT there are many little details you have to get right to make it look accurate – for example the way the roof slopes then steps downwards or the way the door/wall panels inset. Then there are the smaller details such as the door handles and lock, along with the “Police Box” instructions plaque all need to look spot on . I have now become a Time Machine manufacturer and am so proud of the work that went into it.

Sadly this is the end of this story but you can now watch the new season of Doctor Who featuring the new Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) on the BBC TV Iplayer streaming service or if you are rich you can view it on Disney+! Reports say it is going to be a wild new ride but we’ll have to see about that. And with that I’m afraid the Doctor and I will have to leave you as I have a new hyperdrive that I added to my TARDIS that needs testing…..Till next time…..

Thanks so much to everybody that has taken time to check this latest post out. All of the support I receive is fantastic and keeps me working hard to create new material and models. Whether you are a regular visitor or a newcomer to FTSabersite you are very much appreciated.
Now I really do have to fly…….Till next time!…..

“Who is this?” is a For Tyeth Editions tribute build of the TARDIS time machine seen in Doctor Who. It was 3D modelled and animated in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and these files are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Doctor Who” and the “TARDIS” are creations on Sydney Newman and are are Trademark/©Copyright of BBC TV (UK) and Disney Studios.

“TCE – Tissue Compression Eliminator” FTX version. The weapon of the Master.

Hello everybody to this week’s post…..I made it! Thanks so much for the well wishes last week, it was very kind of you all. In a very short update my condition has stabilised and I’m not experiencing as much pain but I have found out that if I want to have an appointment with my Doctor/MD II have to book one online! REALLY? I need to be seen by a human not a website….grumble, grumble….(I have to have a sense of humour about all this) as my condition is too complex to explain/sort than just filling in a form. ANYHOO….today’s offering is another Dr Who or rather a prop belonging to The Master from the sci-fi series and it’s called the Tissue Compression Eliminator!
The Master apparently “acquired” this evil little device on his travels and it’s function was to fire a beam of Gravitons and Pym Particles that will shrink both organic and in-organic matter to a fraction of it’s real size. And the Master used it many times on humanoid victims reducing them to doll-like proportions…however the shrinking process also constricted the body and killed the target (though sometimes the process could be reversed if the Master wished). The first uses against the Doctor were during the Dr’s third regeneration era, when the Master invaded UNIT Headquarters and sneakily attacked the Doc. Fortunately he failed after the two grappled for the weapon and the Dr seized possession of it. The weapon was about the size of a lightsaber handle funnily enough and looked a bit like this….

The TCE was a simple and effective, nasty little piece of technology in the right hands. And I figured I needed something quick to build to distract myself from my issues so I decided to model a TCE and here is my FTX variant….

Just like a lightsaber, the TCE uses a crystal as a focusing lens and this gem actually has a swirling pattern (showing off the mix of Graviton and Pym Particles….neat huh?). It also features a flared emitter dish that protects the hands of the user from getting zapped. The activation control box is touch sensitive and doesn’t have a dedicated switch but requires just a touch to fire it. The ribbed silver section I suspect is the device’s power cell bank (similar to the ribbed sections of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s sabers) though I have yet to disassemble a TCE to verify, I only build them. And to see how accurate I was in my recreation here is a pair of pics to compare the two…

Once more I got pretty close with my version but I have to admit compared to Dale K, my Dalek I showcased last week this is a simple model! However the Master did upgrade this nasty piece of technology and I have the two future versions he used before switching to a more sinister tool to show in coming posts, so stay tuned (and I even have a surprise ultimate Master prop in the pipeline). But for now I will have to call an end to this post as time is pressing and I’m feeling a bit sore physically after all this talk of shrinking tissues and bodily parts….eurgh!

Thank you so much for checking this Dr Who offering and I hope you’ll return for more as I will be returning to Star Wars stuff soon…(promise because I hope to re-watch a classic SW movie in my local cinema this May 4th and I may do a review!). Thanks again for all your comments, likes and subs they are all read and responded to and much appreciated. Till next time…..

“Tissue Compression Eliminator FTX” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the “Tissue Compression Eliminator” device used by The Master in BBC TV’s Doctor Who series. The 3D model and renders were created in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Doctor Who” and “The Master” along with the TCE device (and all other associated names, logos, images and related material) are Trademark/©Copyright of BBC TV/Disney+.

Dalek FTX – They’ve Arrived!

Hello Everybody and welcome…please make sure you read to the end of this post as there is a bit of an announcement I need to make which may affect this blog going forward ok (sorta serious but hopefully something I can resolve). But over the past few weeks this site and Tyeth Towers seem to have been the subject of unwanted attention and a possible invasion….well today they broke through!

The mystery Transmat device was a DALEK TRANSMAT! And they have managed to operate it and enter Tyeth Towers! Danger…Dange….er….Hang on a minute! That Dalek, I’m sure I’ve seen it before….wasn’t he lurking on my New Year/Xmas Card I posted?…

Yes! There he is on the right hand side of the picture! It’s OK folks I can call off the emergency…It’s my friendly Dalek that I made recently! As I am struggling to find Star Wars inspiration to build new designs I have branched out into other franchises and in a big way I have started doing stuff from other TV shows. And so far I have concentrated on the BBC show Doctor Who, which in November last year celebrated it’s 60th Anniversary. As a result I felt I had to turn my hand to 3D modelling a Dalek and “Dale K” is my first attempt at building one. And it was a task…aligning the hemispheres on the lower body sections was tough…but first here are a few pictures….

Dale K: Hello Tyeth, sorry I arrived unannounced…I thought it would be a nice surprise for you.
Tyeth: You can say it was a surprise…you do know it triggered all the security systems in Tyeth Towers? But I’m happy to see you, are you well?
Dale K: Daleks are always well, we are supreme…oh do you have company?
Tyeth: Yes these are my friendly viewers of my website, my FTSabersite Fam! They have been a big support and encourage me to build all my 3D models.
Dale K: Oh you mean 3D models like me? I hope they like me…or I will Exter….No I better not exterminate them, I need to be good.

Yes this is “Dale K” a For Tyeth Xperimental design based on the brilliant Pepperpot antagonists from the Doctor Who universe. And I am so pleased how he turned out. The Dalek looks as if it would be simple to recreate but was far from it. The shape of the lower section (known as the skirt) is such that when I had to attach the spheres, getting the alignment right was near impossible. Plus I was only using one diagram as a reference to build this. The problem was that the skirt panels slope outward and are offset (kinda like the Leaning Tower of Pisa) so the top ring is off-center from the bottom ring. Once I had nailed the alignment however the rest seemed to click together nicely. OK time for a second gallery I think….

Here in the first picture you can see how awkward the angles are for the skirt panels and the way the spheres attach, You can also see the famous “Sink Plunger” manipulator of doom and the “Egg Whisk” Exterminator gun all faithfully recreated in 3D. Once I had built Dale I thought some nice cinematic style renders would be good to see how close I got to the original…so I made a few copies and arranged them around Tyeth Towers!

And as the Doctor Who series was born in 1963 I thought maybe a stylised bit of poster art would look good with an old photo of Dale with the Skaro skyline in the background. Dale looks cool in 60’s monochrome…I could almost see Peter Cushing.

Anyhoo that just about wraps up this adventure in building Daleks. Hopefully there will be more in future…but it is the future I need to address with you now,
Many long serving supporters of me and my site may know I suffer from bad health and unfortunately this past 3-4 months has seen my condition get worse and may need some serious medical attention. This could lead to me posting late or even less frequently. I will do my best to avoid that if possible as this site has been a coping mechanism for me…but obviously I can’t make promises so I felt I should let you know.
As such I can’t promise what’s coming up or when but I hope you’ll all continue to look in and check out for new content when it publishes (some eagle eyed viewers may have seen hints at future projects).
In the meantime thank you all so much for checking DALEK FTX out today and for all the support you have shown me…as mentioned it really has kept me going. Whether just knowing folks are looking in, or if people leave comments or likes it gives me a boost. So take care and Till Next Time…..

“Dalek FTX” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the Dalek characters seen in BBC TV’s Dr Who series. The model and renders are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Daleks”, “Kaled” and “Skaro” and all other names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of BBC Television UK/Disney+.

“Vultan” saber – a weapon for a winged warrior

Hello Everybody and welcome to this week’s post. Well the Transmat is still whirring away in my basement (I think it must still be using Dial-Up Internet for it’s connection 😁) and something familiar is taking shape. So I will leave it alone for now and I bring you a new design inspired by another Sci-Fi Fantasy classic movie. This saber is for a very special character in the movie and if I were to quote “GORDON’S ALIVE!!!!” you will instantly know which movie and what character I am referring to.
Of course I am talking about Flash Gordon and the ruler of the Hawkmen, namely Prince Vultan…

Flash Gordon is a favourite of mine with my favourite band, Queen, having produced the soundtrack…and also a certain George Lucas offered to direct a version of the movie in the late 60’s but he was turned down and he went on to Star Wars fame. But one of my favourite Easter Egg connections is that Prince Vultan portrayed by the imposing Brian Blessed, was also the voice behind Boss Nass in The Phantom Menace! So I had to create a hilt for Vultan and Brian and this is that saber, simply named….VULTAN…..

Prince Vultan was the leader of the famous Hawkmen species that lived in a floating city (no, not Bespin Cloud City) near the planet Mongo, and who became a hero ally to Flash Gordon in his battle to save Earth from Ming The Merciless. As a Hawkman, Vultan was an imposing figure and obviously had wings on his back. The inspiration is clear for this saber as it too looks barrel-chested and has WINGS! And those wings are very special….they are made from individual feather pieces which each consist of THREE segments….all of which were arranged to form the winged crossguard section of the hilt. In close up you can even see where I modelled the tufts and ribs of the feathers. They took a bit of effort to position them all just right but I think the wings look plausible. The pommel also sports “tail feathers” whilst the main body of the saber handgrip has black leather, armoured wrapping. I think it’s time for Gallery Two and some close up glamour pics, enjoy….

The Hawkmen highlight in the movie is of course the attack by the humans and Hawkmen on Mongo City as Dale Arden is about to be forced into marriage to Ming the Merciless. Flash is in a ship about to crash through the city’s aerial defences and the Hawkmen DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! into attack. All along with the thumping theme music “Vultan’s Theme” written by Freddie Mercury in the background.
Now, for an 80’s movie there were some nice special effects and I kinda liked the orangey-red skies seen in the final battle so I thought maybe an arty image of the saber soaring through those clouds would be nice…

I really enjoyed building this tribute to a cult classic and I hope you enjoyed seeing it. Vultan was so iconic and identifiable this saber was easy to come up with….it was just hard work with the feathers! It took a lot of time and so I am afraid I am out of time for this post once again, but I do have a bit of a teaser. Last week my friend, the Fourth Doctor Who visited and lent me his support and gave me some blueprints so I could construct something….special….and I have managed to build part of the object. I have a quick sneak peek here for you to see if you can guess what the object is….

I will admit there isn’t much to work from but this is a part from a famous Whovian object and I will show case this when completed. So I hope you will stay tuned to this site to get further updates and see the reveal. Your support is very valuable to me and helps motivate me to push my limits further, Whether you have just looked in on the site, left a comment or like, or subscribed it all adds up so thanks again. Till next time…..

“Vultan Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the story and character of Prince Vultan created by Alex Reymond. The design, 3D model and rendered images were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite using Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. Flash Gordon, Prince Vultan and all other names, images, logos and related material are Trademarks/©Copyright of Starling Productions/Famous Films.

“Sonic” – the Fourth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver replica

Aargh! Whatever this thing on the Transmat is…it’s coming through!

Er, Hello Everybody and welcome to this week’s post and you are just in time to see the Transmat continuing to operate by itself! Unfortunately non of my saber building tools will fit the casing of the device so I can’t open or deactivate it and I can’t slice it open with my saber…I don’t know how much damage that would cause to everything around me….if only I had a tool that was compatible.
“VWORP! VWORP! VWORP!”
DW: “Hello my old friend….long time no see! Are you well?….I hear you are having some difficulty with a Transmat….need a screwdriver?”
FT: “Doctor? Ah you made it! Er, I do seem to have a bit of a security issue you might be able to help with….see an alien is invading my workshop!”
DW: “Well that’s a nice way to greet me…I’m an alien, or are you alien to me…or are we both aliens? This whole scenario is alien! And here am I with a gift for you….would you like it now?”
FT: “If it will help me defend Tyeth Towers then I’d appreciate getting the gift now….thank you!”
DW: Well I think the pair of us have chatted long enough should I show your readers….Hello viewers…. your new bit of hardware? I think so….Okay viewers get your bag of Jelly Babies ready here is my gift for Tyeth, A Sonic Screwdriver!

Yes, I have ventured back into the realm of Dr Who and am now the “owner” of a Sonic Screwdriver – the favoured tool of the Timelord!
Now some of may recall when I built a saber named “The Pryndonian” for my friend “Inspector Who Reacts” I built a Timelord inspired saber and a Sonic Screwdriver as an additional model.
You can view both here: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2020/03/14/pryndonian-saber-inspired-by-the-inspector-who-reacts-and-dr-who/
Well that 3D model and file were lost when my laptop crashed a few years back but whilst looking through some Zip-drives I forgot I had…I found a copy of the file folder but it only contained the pictures from the post. Not quite what I hoped for but from those images I remodelled the device and this is it! I think it is fairly accurate to the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker’s) sonic.

I managed to model the body nicely and to scale – and I even added the slanted groove into the pommel section – then created some nice generated textures that colour match with the original prop. This Sonic also has an extending body which opens and closes. Finally to top it off, I added an accurate emitter vane in vibrant red.

I am even more pleased with my rebuilt model as the original I made used guesswork, I didn’t use images as references to mark up and shape the 3d object on top of as a test. I did use an image to match this version as close to the real prop as possible as I’d managed without before.
Anyhoo, just a few quick Timelord Tidbits of info regarding the Sonic…
1) The Sonic Screwdriver which can perform dozens of functions was first seen on screens in the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) episode “Fury of the Deep” and was used to …..unscrew some screws! (Of course the screwdriver never touched the screws). And the episode aired in….1968!
2) The Eleventh Doctor actor Matt Smith managed to break FOUR sonic props whilst filming as he was fond of juggling and throwing it into the air and dropping it! Eventually and to the relief of the Props Department Matt finally perfected the technique.
3) Sonics are either constructed by the Doctor himself to tailor it’s functions to his/her personality after a regeneration or replacements can be produced by the TARDIS.
4) Sonics are cool! Nearly on par with a saber just a little behind.

DW: I don’t have a little behind!
FT: No…No I meant the Sonic lagged a little behind a lightsaber for being cool….but I need to thank you for coming all the way here to help me out and gifting me a beautiful gadget. I hope my viewers liked t too. May I just ask what have you done to er, prevent the alien from entering Tyeth Towers? The Transmat seems to be still working.
DW: Oh I think now you have a screwdriver and saber you will be able to handle whatever is coming through OK? You are a Jedi and the traffic around the Saturn Orbital Ring road is horrendous so I need to leave to avoid the Gridlock and get home early. Tatty-Bye! “VWORP! VWORP! VWORP!“
FT: Yes I have to end this post in a moment and thank all my viewers once again for checking out this Timelord tool. I hope you’ll all call back for future posts as I have more Star Wars stuff to come and more timely adventures and builds. So thank you all very much, I love all your comments and appreciate the support. Till next time!…….

“Sonic” is a For Tyeth Editions 3D build inspired by the Sonic Screwdriver of the fourth Doctor. The 3D model and renders were created by For Tyeth on Blender 3D and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. Doctor Who, the “Sonic Screwdriver” and all other names, props, images and related material were created by the BBC and are Trademark/©Copyright of BBC TV (UK) and Disney.

“Decay Saber” inspired by Resident Evil

Hello Everybody, welcome to today’s saber offering. After last week’s positive comments about the “Nite Owl Saber” looking pretty in French Blue I thought I would post a design at the opposite end of the beauty scale. A while back I posted the Project Malice (see it here: https://ftsabersite.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/project-malice-saber-inspired-by-resident-evils-red-dress/) design for Milla Jovovich’s character Alice which featured a crystal chamber full of “T-Virus” serum. The T-virus in the film rendered it’s victims as decaying monsters most of the time which led me to wonder what would happen to a lightsaber if it were exposed to the substance, so I tried to build a hilt that was decaying. This was the result of my efforts, the “Decay Saber”….

I took my Project Malice hilt and modified the colours to this sinister black and red colour scheme (which is opposite to the nice shiny appearance of most Jedi/light side sabers). But the most noticeable difference is the now tattered and shredded shroud that wraps the hilt body. Project Malice had a curvy, sweeping tidy look but this new shroud is definitely damaged way beyond normal use. To achieve this I used two Blender 3D functions, namely the Random Selection and the Subsurface Modifier. As you may know a 3D model is made up of Vertices, Edges and Faces that form a Wireframe shape onto which textures are added. Well I took the shroud segment and added the Random Selection to it which picked out random Edges as a collection. I then deleted these selected edges which broke up the model and created “holes” between unaffected Faces (a bit like drawing a grid then erasing certain pencil lines to leave gaps). This created a “damaged” grid that was still very angular, so to make the model appear as if it was dissolving I added the second modifier the Subsurface Modifier. The Subsurface Mod takes the blocky grid and adds extra edges which smooth out the shape so there are fewer 90 degree angles in the mesh grid. This made the shroud look like shredded or peeling tissue. Phew, that was a long explanation but I hope you could follow it and it made some sense. As a treat here is Gallery Two which shows off the saber’s crystal chamber and detailing…

The chamber for now seems to be in good shape and undamaged but how long the T-Virus decay will take to eat into it I don’t know! Anyway I hope you still find this hilt pretty in a “used and worn” kinda way – I suppose it has a lot of history and character. And speaking of character I will soon be posting a series dedicated to another very famous Sci-Fi character if I can persuade him/her to take some time to visit! Hopefully you’ll check that project out.

But for now I have run out of time and will soon be ending this post, but as ever I need to say my thanks and let you know what’s coming up. There are updates to my LSG Liberator spaceship, the mystery object from my warehouse seen last week, will be identified and I will have some high tech tools to display. And now I need to say thanks again to you all for your support. It means so much to me that I’m still attracting your attention with my creations and that you let me know about it. So whether you are a newcomer or a regular visitor, thank you. Till next time…

“Decay Saber” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the sci-fi/horror franchise “Resident Evil”. The design, 3D model and renders were created in Blender 3D by For Tyeth and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Resident Evil”,, Alice and the “Umbrella Corporation” along with all names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of CapCom Entertainment, Constantin Films and New Legacy Films 1996-2024.

“Cylonblade – BYC” saber inspired by a forgotten Cylon weapon

Hello Everybody and welcome to today’s offering. And firstly I think I’m either still suffering from that infection I had recently OR I’m getting old! I forgot to mention last week that the post showcasing the Darth Logos Speeder was my 700TH! I think I must have just been distracted as I posted that design last minute and was rushed a bit. However fear not, whether I am under the weather ill, or getting old (I am) or otherwise…I am still creating new stuff. Today I take you all back to the Battlestar Galactica universe with a saber for the Cylon Centurion warriors.

As I have been watching some classic Sci-Fi on my repaired cable TV I’ve come across things I had forgotten about and in particular in BSG, the fact that the Cylons did in deed carry a bladed weapon along with their blaster rifle and pistols. There weren’t many face to face skirmishes, most were blaster battles but here’s a pic to show the weapon…

The weapon is similar to a Roman Centurion’s sword crossed with an oriental Samurai style. I felt that this might make a nice crossover saber into the Star Wars universe so I built one. Here is Gallery One…

As the onscreen prop wasn’t used very often there aren’t many clear pictures of it so there is some artistic license taken but it looks maybe 95% accurate. As you can see the hilt is imposing and is modelled in monochrome silver and black to match Cylon armour. The blade has a “Darksaber” styled cutting edge. The handgrip is chunky to allow the Cylon to grip it despite wearing thick ice-hockey style gauntlets, and the pommel is oversized to balance the weight of the blade. Normal lightsaber blades don’t normally have a metal core to them so the balance weight was needed. However I did make the blade detachable because when I first started modelling it I couldn’t decide whether to make a pure plasma blade or the edged metal blade. Ok here is Gallery Two with a few detail images….

In these pictures you can see the emitter and blade socket when the blade is detached. The weapon still looks imposing without the blade. Next you can see my first attempt at an activation switch but I thought a Cylon helmet faceplate didn’t look right so I took it off, but I didn’t discard it totally….I saved it as a decoration to use in my post’s title header image. Again not 100% but enough to leave you in no doubt what it’s meant to represent.

So watching this classic Sci-Fi reminded me of something humorous that could be the first ever “Easter Egg” I ever saw in another TV show. So…Dirk Benedict portrayed the hero Viper pilot Lt Starbuck…

But he also appeared as Templeton “Faceman” Peck in the 1980’s hit show The A-Team and this happened in one episode…(and the intro sequence)….

As a kid I thought this was hilarious! In the A-Team George Peppard’s character Hannibal Smith, worked as a part time movie extra and Face had to meet Hannibal at the Universal Studios amusement park and he bumped into an old friend!

Oh! And if you wondered what the initials BYC stand for…it is the Cylon acknowledgement of an order…they always replied “By Your Command”!

Soo, I hope you enjoyed this design and my little nostalgia trip and Easter Egg. I am currently working on more Sci-Fi inspired designs from other franchises so please stay tuned for those (as always I’ve been leaving little hints and teasers so you can have a guess at what’s coming up!) but as always time has now beaten me.

Thank you all so much for checking this post out and for all the fantastic support over the last 700 posts. It really does keep me working on new stuff and I’m glad you find it entertaining. Please call back and see what I have in store and remember, whether a newcomer or a regular…you’re much appreciated, Till next time….

“Cylonblade – BYC” saber is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by the swords carried by Cylon Centurions in Battlestar Galactica (1978). The 3D model and renders were created in Blender 3D by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. Battlestar Galactica and all names, images, logos and related material (including YT clip) are Trademark/©Copyright and belong to Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Studios.

“Project MAlice” saber – Inspired by Resident Evil’s red dress.

Hello Everybody, just before last year’s holiday season got busy I managed to arrange for my cable TV box to be repaired and my choice of TV packages re-instated. As a result I had access to much more entertainment and I was able to view some movies. I didn’t have Disney so couldn’t watch Star Wars but I did get to watch another sci-fi and horror classic, Resident Evil starring Milla Jovovich. It took me back and I enjoyed the film again, then I remembered I had made a saber way back in 2019 for Milla’s character, Alice, which looked like this…

Alice Saber inspired by Resident Evil

I was still getting to grips with using Blender but this hilt had a few nice details such as the exposed crystal chamber, custom pommel and the name Alice engraved into the handgrip. Having watched the film again I knew it was time to build an updated design so I got to work. I had built some hilts with decorative shrouds recently and I had a wild idea – I could shape the shroud to make it look like Alice’s famous red dress…

Milla Jovovich as Alice

OK you have seen the dress now it’s time to reveal “Project MAlice”

The saber has a silver inner core and is draped with the red shroud. It also has a custom 3D activation button adorned with the Umbrela Corporation logo – the Umbrella Corporation being the shadowy bio-chemistry company that created an horrific virus that wiped out most of humanity and created a horde of Zombies and other creatures. The emitter has a visible matrix assembly complete with a focusing crystal.

Following the lines of the shroud down to the pommel and you will see that I again included an Umbrella…and inside, something slightly more dangerous! Here is Gallery Two…

The pommel is again 3D modelled because I didn’t want a boring flat logo. The shroud features plunging curves similar to the neckline and hem of the red dress and slides down to reveal the saber’s crystal chamb….Er… actually it contains a chamber full of the dreaded “T-Virus”! I managed to find a way to recreate the DNA helix strands and contain them in a powercell chamber. This is a saber that needs to be used carefully!

And on that word of caution I’m afraid I have run out of time but before I go I need to tell you about the name of this hilt. I felt this weapon was dangerous (having both a mutant virus and a plasma blade) and would probably be used with evil intent or MALICE, so I named the hilt “Project MAlice” similar to the Umbrella Corps’ codename for Milla’s character,…”Project Alice”. I also need to remind folks that I still have much more to come in upcoming posts and I’ll leave a few teasers below. For now, thank you so much for checking this saber and post out, your support is phenomenal. Here are the teasers and Till next time….

“Project MAlice” is a For Tyeth Editions design inspired by Milla Jovovich’s costume dress seen in the movie “Resident Evil”. The design, 3D models and renders were created by For Tyeth and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. “Resident Evil”,, Alice and the “Umbrella Corporation” along with all names, logos, images and related material are Trademark/©Copyright of CapCom Entertainment, Constantin Films and New Legacy Films 1996-2024.

“TIE Cylon Raid-R Starfighter” – Where Battlestar Galactica meets a TIE Fighter!

Hello Everybody and welcome to the first post of 2024. I wanted to start with a bang but I am still feeling unwell from an infection I have picked up so I’m afraid this post won’t be as long or elaborate as normal (but I’ll make sure you have some pictures to look at!),

ANYHOO…last year I was beginning to struggle to come up with Star Wars inspired sabers so I decided to cast my attention to other franchises and themes. Well, it turns out another Sci-Fi franchise came out roughly around the time SW did and it was titled “Battlestar Galactica” following the struggle for survival of a rag tag fleet of ships carrying the human survivors of a 1000 year war. The series was set in the “seventh millennia” and told the story of the war between the Cylons (an army of robotic warriors created by a long dead species of reptiles) and the humans of the “Twelve Colonies”. After a surprise attack on the humans’ home-world by the Cylons (assisted by a traitor called Baltar) the humans had to flee in a fleet of 220 assorted vessels and were protected by a single surviving Battlestar….the Galactica. It was commanded by Commander Adama , and the crew consisted of starfighter pilots Captain Apollo and  Lieutenant Starbuck (portrayed by Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict respectively). The fighter pilots were needed to defend the fleet from raid attacks by the pursuing Cylons baseships and fighters. I watched a few episodes of the TV show and had a mad idea….what would a Cylon fighter look like mixed with a TIE Fighter? Well this is a Cylon ship….

And so I went to work and came up with the “Cylon Raid-R”….

The Cylon Raider features a cockpit that houses THREE Cylon warriors – two warriors pilot the ship whilst a third acts as Commander. However with Imperial advanced technology and humanoid pilots the ship’s crew could be reduced to just one person so I replaced the original cockpit with one familiar from a TIE Fighter, and it seems to bend in quite well! My particular version has space for a hyperdrive unit and shield generators, plus it features FOUR laser cannons. All of these upgrades plus human piloting makes the Raid model R a much more formidable fighter (<see what I did for the name? RAID-R….Raider). OK onto Gallery Two….

Overall I like this rebuild and it was something out of my usual comfort zone. And in upcoming posts I have quite a few other designs from Battlestar Galactica and a couple from a time hopping franchise. It will be a mixed bag of offerings but there’ll still be SW based stuff and my final few Travelogue entries. I really do have to finish here as I am worn out now but thank you for calling in to check this post out and I hope you’ll all return for more next week. Till next time……stay safe and hopefully healthy!

“TIE Cylon Raid-R ” is a For Tyeth Editions 3D design inspired by Glen A. Larson’s “Battlestar Galactica” 1978. The ship model and renders were created by For Tyeth/FTSabersite and are ©Copyright of For Tyeth/FTSabersite 2016-2024. Battlestar Galactica and all names, logos, images and related materials are Trademark/©Copyright of Glen A. Larson Productions and Universal Televison.