Lightsaber Tutorial FAQ

[TheLegos123]

Lol garila glue is beast

[TheDBZKai100]

whats a dile on a lightsaber.

[TheLegosammy]

the darth vader looking light saber looks like a replica darth vader saber nice job

[legostarwarsjedi2]

hey lflank how did you make the blade red did you paint it or raped red tape plezzzzzzzz respond:D

[lukakrosty]

its a shame that you dont sell your lightsaber

it can be good business

[22monkeymadness]

you should try a lightsaber  with another handle coming out at a 90 degree angle much like a baton the police use it is called a Guard shoto (also referred to as "lightsaber tonfa") look for lightsaber on wookieepedia you'll find it...also, may the force be with you

[dakiller231]

what do you mean star wars isn't real of course its real i get caught in space battles all the time 

[SpotTheSteez]

i dont understand how the wood doesnt break and if you the paint wood and dual with it wont the paint just chip right off?

[sketchysquad]

im sry there are alot better ways to make lightsabers i mean if ur broke this is a good way but ur much better off saving up your money and getting a parksaber or a sabershop novus of even going to the custome saber shop and making one of your own.

[lflank]

@sketchysquad Of course any doofus with a checkbook can buy a lightsaber on a website somewhere and have something that a bazillion other people also have. This tutorial, of course, is for those who want to make their own lightsaber that is unique because they made it themselves--and of course making a lightsaber of one's own requires imagination, creativity and talent, something few people have.

[sketchysquad]

@lflank yes i realize that ive made 2 hardware sabers my self but if u want a good movie feel for dueling its easyer to get one from a profetional. and most saber smiths do custom work

[AnthonyRF1996]

what diameter do you use for blades? i don't want it to be to thick, but not twiglike, so what diameter do you use?

[varun009]

0:24 lies, all lies!

[007majinbuu]

can u please make a video where u lay out all of your lightsabers and tell us where u got the design from

please respond

[007majinbuu]

can u please make a video where u lay out all of your lightsabers and tell us where u got the design from

please respnd

[matt25876]

this goes back to your a couple more lightsabers video where you explain how you hang your sabers; you explained that a cell phone clip works great but is expensive. My question to you is why don't you just attach a round object that fits securely in the clip to your saber that way you only need one clip for all of your sabers

[YHVlogs]

Hello, I am taking your advice and making my own lightsaber from scratch. My design consists of the very first lightsaber you made with the o-rings and all except instead of cutting of the flanges i'm keeping it on there and removing the thread of the 12-inch pipe. Instead of separating the o-rings, i'm planning to put them all together and all. Can you run through all this information and tell me the flaws of how it can prevent me from making this type of lightsaber?

[ultimatefunster]

you can use is maker it is a lot eaiser

[capnpac]

you could use epoxy... it takes various amout of time to dry but its the best choice

[evilshadow08]

you make each one in photoshop????? :( that must be... incredibly boring... I use adobe affter efects, its waaaay easier, and if you already know how to make them in photoshop, its even easier, try it :)

[flembagg966]

Hey, you should make a modified version of Yoda's lightsaber! And no, I don't mean a copy, I mean something like Yoda's saber.

[adudesea0]

Starwars is real =(

[DarwinwasWrong]

@adudesea0 It's real as in it's a movie, but the technology is fiction.

[1011Ev]

What is your favorite lightsaber?

[1011Ev]

The first question cracked me up!

Inside I had a lot of joy/happiness

that someone think that a ightsaber was real!!!

[erfy97]

it lil come to us in 2050 meibie Michi Okaku lil make a lightsaber

[MrThebombman]

there are real lightsabers they made it on some show and it cuts things but i seriously doubt there gonna sell shit like that

[shadowclaw46]

Hi, I'm a young and aspireing film maker and I would like to make some lightsaber videos of my own. Problem is that your meathod for inserting a blade doesn't help much because the blade keeps slipping out and will break after using it a few times. Do you know of another object that I can use as a blade that won't break so easily?

[lflank]

If you have inserted a screw through the handle and into the blade to hold it in, as I have described, there is no possible way on earth that the blade can keep coming out, unless the screw is too short and you are just in the padding, not the wooden blade.

And if you are breaking the wooden dowels, then you are using wayyyyyy more force than is necessary -- or safe. You should be more worried about breaking skulls than breaking blades.

[shadowclaw46]

Lol good point. Thanks for the info, I owe ya one..

[sweetmusick619]

@shadowclaw46 you could buy a lightsaber balde from the internet and put some led's in the hilt and screw the blade on

[gamergameinfo]

I am a fan of you.... so here is a question..... can u put wiring into your lightsaber and put a hollow clear tube about 1 meter long and use LEDs to light it up?

[lflank]

Yes. The interior of all my lightsabers is hollow, so there is room for all the batteries, wiring etc that you will need to add an LED blade.

[22monkeymadness]

@lflank have you ever done that before, because your double bladed lightsaber would look cool with some LED lights(but then it would be more of a "look at thing " and not realy a prop) ahhh well its your decision, ......may the force be with you

[22dragonrider]

u rock ur the best builder on lightsabers and blasters thats so kool keep on rocken and may the force be with you

[terminator0405]

u probably made alot of 7 year olds sad by saying starwawrs isn't real lol

[flembagg966]

hey Iflank, when you made the Obi-Wan lightsaber in your "A Couple More Lightsabers" video, what did you use for the grip?

[lflank]

As it shows in the video, I used a piece of PVC pipe that I carved channels into using a dremel tool.

[deathbysword99999]

also i find that for keeping the blade in just drill a hole on the black thing on top and put the screw through there i think thats what they did in the movies look at yoda's,anakin's,darthvader's,l­uke's and darth sideus's lightsabers

[deathbysword99999]

i just us ls maker

[lflank]

I often use Andrew Kramer's AE plug-in. But neither LSMaker or After Effects look as good as the Photoshop/rotoscope method. But of course if you're making a long movie, the time saving is worth it.

[patrick34page]

how do we build a chewbaca?

[yoyoace02]

I don't know about the costume, but I know how to make Vader's lightsaber with plumbing parts. I can make a video about it and post it on my page if you like.

[Skeddie11]

Wat about a darth vader comstume I need to know how to make one

[Skeddie11]

make a darth vader lightsaber i love that one

[moneyboi50]

can u make a tutourial on the saber that u used in the dueling question cuz i really love that 1!

[guitarshreder43]

the first question he tries to kep from laughing at it

[cafemm]

your videos are great

[swlover1]

question.what if you don't have adobe premier? then how would break the video down into a film strip file?

[debeste95]

he said there are many ways to do! just search google, and you'll find a way you can do too, i do it with sony vegas!

[barfsonyou99]

use lsmaker its a crappy free software that does do some good but i like adobe after effects better

[ballpallfall]

my friend and i made a star wars blaster. how would you make a ammo pack that comes out and is able to put back in

[lflank]

The ammo port would be an open box with the opening facing out. The ammo itself would be another box, just small enough to fit snugly inside, with the closed end facing out. If you wrap tape around the inside so it holds the ammo in there snugly, you won't need any spring release system -- you can just push it in and pull it out..

[RORSHACH360]

Cool. Could you make one based on Darth Sidious' saber? That seems like that one would be challenging.

[jedijosh8]

that be cool

[swlover1]

HELLO! I think it was made abundently clear that he doesn't copy lightsbaers.

[novert7531]

why have the tutoriuls if you dont want us to do the same as you

[swlover1]

so we get the basic idea of it.

[samsote]

he wants to show you the basics so you can make a personal saber. most tutorials dont want to be followed exactly.

[xXShadowKrowXx]

Yeah, you're right dude. The point of making your own lightsaber is making it your OWN design, not a copy off a real character's, that's being unorigional and pretty much boring. It's more fun to customize it and see what you can come up with.

[niddhog007]

Did someone really ask if they are real lol

[darthtomygun]

lol

[whackawoodle]

does the saber light properly?

[grantnlivvy]

wich video did you make that has that sweet sith lightsaber?not the darth mual one the other one , with the spikes?

[peraza66]

sweet!

[MattPlambeck]

you have just answered all my movie prop making problems thankyou SO MUCH! because in my movie sort of thing im trying to make there is alot of stick clashing with lightsabers so i will need to modify them to make them sturdy for it and also for your lightsaber effects you do you can get adobe after effects and do the same thing faster frame by frame with the setup now all i have to do is find all the parts to make lightsabers in australia some where

[magicancalin]

you're great man.i am a star wars fan too.i subscribe you but you must sub me too.

[SecondHandStudios]

"Its a movie, not a documentary" hahahaha lol. Nice vid, helped me lot thanks.

[jamietopp007]

hi, can u make tutorials for how to make obi wans episode 3 lightsaber please - like out of plumbing parts or something? if u have made it already please tell me... i think ur videos are reli helpfull and great... even if you arnt going to a fancy dress party!

[lflank]

Use the methods shown in my "Some More Lightsabers" tutorial video.

For Obi-Wan Episode 4-6 saber, use the methods in my "A Couple More Lightsabers" tutorial video.

[jamietopp007]

thanks

[Littledude514]

What kind of room do you do your tutorials in? Is it somewhere in your house?

[spior]

copying lightsabers is boring it's more fun to make them yourself like a real jedi :)

[MythicManProductions]

jedi dont make there lightsabers... they are formed in a temple with crystals and such and then they are given to masters and they give them to there padawans.

[vivere00]

ya they do. in the cartoon a jedi made one in a saber crystal cave. an hourglass like tube goes around the crystal then a metal case goes on top of the glass

[TheMovieEditor]

The problem with film strip, is you cant get a great effect on the swing effect.

You can however make a fabulous lightsaber thats standing still or barely moving. Use adobe after effects for great results!

[lflank]

Yes, you can make great-looking swing effects with filmstrip/Photoshop --- all you have to do is draw a "fan" instead of a straight line.

I don't like any of the After Effrects plug-ins that I've tried, because they all give edges (especially on the inside) that are too sharp, and don't give the nicely blurred look I get with Photoshop.

But I just got an updated version of an AE plug-in, so maybe I can tweek it a bit to get something I like.

[TheMovieEditor]

Why are you using a preset? Just rotoscope them with the mask tool using 3 points on each side. Add some blur, color balance, boom, a fantastic looking lightsaber, and its fast. I cant imagine frame by frame(photo by photo, in photoshop, that must take forever!)

[lflank]

It's actually pretty much the same process. Filmstrip shows each frame, but presents them all as one single image. So you can rotoscope the shape of each frame, then run some filters to blur and color all the frames at once.

[DarthMalak1000]

Just so you know, you can make lightsabers glow by using LED's, Lithium Ion Batteries, and other things too.

[zakkatakk16]

can you???

can u make a vid on how to do it ??

[lflank]

Yes, but they don't look right on camera. Indeed, they look awful on camera.

[Littledude514]

Can you use epoxy as your glue instead of gorilla glue?

[lflank]

Yep.

[m2brewer]

where is the best place to get those thick pipes for the lightsaber handles?

[greenxgreenman]

lowes or home depot...i live in Canada and it didn't show up at home depot. there are a bunch of them at lowes

[jumper360]

actually i went tonight to home dept, and i live in canada too, and they had all the supplies that i needed

[crazycal95]

Hi please can you help me i realy nead your help! i love the lightsabers you make but i cant spend any money at a home depo or anything so i need to make things from household objects and i would like it to be metal. can u please make a tutorial tellin people how to do this and i would be really greatful thanks.

[spartanr16]

i have a question what web site can i get the force effects from please comment me back!

[dangkoen]

Thanks for the reply, dude!

[blobber01]

I'm realy lazy and I know I heard you say in one video (probably this one xD) what's the name of the program that brakes every frame of the video into pictures... So insted of watching all you'r vid's I'm just asking you straight away what's the name

[Littledude514]

which is more expensive: wooden dowls or skinny PVC pipes/ (I want to use the least expensive kind for my lightsaber blade)

[lflank]

No, you want to use the safest one. PVC breaks, easily, into lots of very sharp shards. You don't want to use it.

[kingjared88]

thanks man.

[killer7227]

hey iw as wondering if you could make a tutorial on how to make a anakin skywalker episode three model. you seem to know what your doing and ive been looking all over the internent for the anakin lightsaber episode threee prop construction and theres nothing.

[Littledude514]

how easily can you break a wooden dowl?

[lflank]

Not as easily as PVC pipe -- and unlike PVC, wooden dowels don't break into lots of sharp splinters.

But it's also a good thing that wooden dowels break more easily than, say, heads or arms. . . .

If you are hitting hard enough to break a 5/8 inch wooden dowel, then you are hitting too hard anyway.

[skaterfreak84]

your tutorials are awesome but i really think you need to see ryan weibers tutorial in after effects that might change your mind about photosops effects

[lflank]

I've already tried the After Effects version. It just doesn't look as good as the Photoshop process.

[Zeroximus]

Its much easier using Adobe after effects for the glow effects. Your way is way too complicated. Thanks for the handy tutorial on making the sabers.

[jedimaster316]

Can you do my question?Do you do fighting videos.

[lflank]

I'm working on it.  :)

[ctaylorproductions]

instead of creating files for each individual frame and exporting to photoshop, you can export the entire clip into after effects. you still need to rotoscope frame by frame, but it might save the hassle of importing individual pics back into premier. oh, and your designs are awesome!

[lflank]

Actually that's not a problem, since Premier exports its filmstrip files as one large file that places each individual frame in sequence in one single large graphic. So I can rotoscope them all at the same time without having to open and close each individual frame..

[amz565]

he's a real light saber expert

[phoenixsabers]

do you know that there is only 1 o in doku

[shockerbandman]

Umm, no, it is spelled "Dooku."

[SithUnlimited]

can u make an anikin 1 from episode 3 ... pleeezzzzz

[alexdarkpark99999999]

nice lightsabers you should make a lightsaber fight video

[lflank]

I'm working on it --- but with a different twist. 

;)

[elnarkillo91]

which city do u live in so i could go buy one or u could show me how to make one

[phoenixsabers]

dude i luv ur sword at the bottem left its so cool

[PunkU180]

I don't really understand how you make the lightsabers glow. Do you now an easier and less complicated way please.

[lflank]

There is no easy or uncomplicated way to make the lightsabers glow. No matter how you do it, it's long, boring, tedious work. There simply is no alternative to doing it one frame at a time. Some programs let you make a couple of keyframes and let the computer fill in the rest, but the computer never matches it right and it always looks awful.

The one I use is the method that I think produces the best-looking results.

For more details on how to do it, do a Google.

[foxstriker10]

LOL you would be rich if you sold your sabers. :D

[foxstriker10]

lol you would be rich for sellings those lightsabers :D

[DatoFarid]

man ur good man.

u really put a lot of effort huh.?

since rotoscoping using photoshop is really tiring n need a lot of patience rathen than using after effects.

thank u sir.

[lflank]

I've tried After Effects, and I don't think it looks as good.

But no matter how you do it, making a lightsaber glow is boring monotonous work.

[DatoFarid]

yeah. agreed.

try to use FXHome sir. u will like it :)

[gsavage12]

but im not so creative

[gsavage12]

can you make me a list so that i know what to get?

[lflank]

Just get anything that looks like the parts in the tutorials.

[gsavage12]

i understand and i left you a message on a tutorial

[gsavage12]

mr IFlank

cant you send me 1 lightsaber or some material?

i cant find material because im from romania

i cant go to a hardware store i cant find any

[lflank]

I don't sell lightsabers.

Even in Romania you must have metal pipes and plastic pieces. That's all you need.

[shroomboy800]

dude your awsome i cant wait for more vids from you you rock!!!!!!

[liverpoolvictor]

what happens when you press the button. i can see it's on how do you make it ? you use a neon or smth like that ???

[Zeikial]

dude ive watched all your videos like 7 times..... tommarrow i am going to ace with my dad!!

[Littledude514]

...lucky ;) lol

[gwar9023]

i use LS maker but that sucks

[COWDEN841]

You are a youtube legend. i love ur handles...and the sword in the background. How do i get the program you use for the effects?

[lflank]

I use Photoshop and Adobe Premiere. There is a freeware open-source version of Photoshop called GIMP that you can download for free. But I use Adobe Premiere to split the film into a filmstrip of individual frames for rotoscoping -- I don't know if there are any freeware video editing programs out there that can convert films into frames . . .

Anyone else know?

[LivLifeAnimations]

well, i have this one program called Lsmaker, it splits the video in frames and you just put what color you want and add dots to where you want the blade.

[arsenal2pr0ductions]

ha i use adobe after effect i like your tutorials there great!!!

[CptReed]

actully they have made a mechine like a lightsaber in some colodge but it took up a whole builiong

[zinnkio1]

If those people who do think lightsabers are real one reason there NOT is you cant stop light.

the lightsaber blade stops about a metre (and a bit more) long you cant stop light like that.

LIGHT saber

-----

U CANT STOP LIGHT

I am done (\_/)

(='.'=)

(")_(")

[Kyosho101]

its just a fictional story. it was made for the enjoyment of people. not to be torn appart, screwtinized, and have every little detail picked at. duh they arent real! they are made up objects! ask lucas himself!

[arsenal2pr0ductions]

ya true that also make laser guns not real either yet we do have lasers in rl....

[xrz8]

yes its only fiction but you are realy wrong, the lightsabers don¨t use light they use laser in little amounts.

[Kyosho101]

Gorrilla Glue ftw. A Hot Glue Gun also works, too. And, the way you make lightsabers if very complicated. A much easier way is to download Adobe After Effects, and download the Lightsaber Preload v2.

[lflank]

I've tried a couple different lightsaber programs, and none of them, I think, look as good as the Photoshop method.

But there really is no simple way to make lightsaber effects. It's long, boring, monotonous work, no matter how you do it.

[thekrapster]

dude..ur seriously awesome..maximum cool..soo lurv ur sabers..

[jehrohm]

I was wondering if the photoshop, or what ever you use, can create good lightning?

[lflank]

Yes. I haven't tried it yet (will be doing this soon, though), but there are lots of tutorial ot be found. Just Google "photoshop force lightning".

[jehrohm]

sweet

[ObiWanShinobi12]

First question is the best!

[lflank]

You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people ask me that . . . . not just here, but when I go to an event wearing a Jedi costume with one of my sabers hanging on my belt, TONS of people ask me if it's real, or ask me to turn it on for them.

[ObiWanShinobi12]

OMG, how old were these people?

[lflank]

All ages. Some are little kids who just don't know any better. Many are adults who SHOULD know better. And a few are adults who seem to have some trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality, and probably belong in a padded room.

[coolunknown2]

how old r u?

[lflank]

Me? I'm 47.

But I'm 18 at heart. :)

[lflank]

If anybody makes any variants of my saber designs, please post a photo or video somewhere so we can see -- you might even inspire someone else to make a new design based on yours.

:)

[NinjaTyler]

I'm tryin to due tht but 1st i got to buy a cord so my camra can upload the vid onto the computer.

[NinjaTyler]

Thanks,u answered pretty much all my questions.I'm stupid cause I've been using hot clue just 4 the fact that it dries in less that a minute. But now i'll just buy gorilla glue,How much does it cost? I've takin some of your designs and messed around with them. I took ur pop-drain saber and made gave it an obi-wan design and put a screwring at the bottom to clip onto a clip attached to my belt. the other is like my first except it's mostly bare and is made to resemble one that a sith would use.

[lflank]

Gorilla Glue is about $4 a bottle, but a bottle will last you forever.

[lflank]

Doh! I wanted to cover "attaching the saber to a belt" in this FAQ, and forgot.

The D-ring method is the one used in the original trilogy. It still works well, but can be a little complicated to do.

The prequel trilogy used cell-phone clips -- these have a little round knob that glues onto the saber, and a belt clip with a slot in it that the knob slides into, holding the saber on your belt. It works well, but it's about $10 a pop.

[lflank]

The method that I use for attaching sabers to my belt is extremely cheap and very easy. I attach a small metal hook to my belt (you can find these in a leather supply place, or you can even bend a piece of wire into shape and glue it on). Then I glue a small loop of paperclip onto the butt end of the saber. The paperclip loop on the saber then fits over the hook on the belt, and holds it securely.

The double-bladed sabers are a bit heavy for this, so I use the cellphone clips for those.

[NinjaTyler]

thnks, iv'e been using the origanal trillagy method but i want to use the new movie version! Where can i get the cell phone clips besides a cellphone store?!?

[lflank]

WalMart probably has them.

[NinjaTyler]

Thanks.

[jehrohm]

wait, how do you draw a glow?

[jehrohm]

wow, you way of making a lightsaber glow is kind of hard, I just use adobe after effects.

[lflank]

I've done that too. I think the Photoshop method looks better and gives a better glow.

[jehrohm]

ooh ok, I think it looks good

[lflank]

Another possibility is to add an LED or ElectroLuminescent wire blade (like the ones Novastar uses) and film with those. I don't like that option, though, because (1) although it looks great in the dark, it doesn't look good in sunlight, and (2) it doesn't look like the movie blades (the color in an LED or EL blade is even all the way across, but in the movie, the blades have a white core and just the blurry outer fringe is colored).

So I prefer to do all the saber blades digitally.

[jehrohm]

Ya I was thinking of buying one of those for my movies, but the when lightsaber is turning on, you still see the blade core, if you know what I mean.

[lflank]

Yes. The other problem with them is that even when it's turned off, you can still see the fake blade, making it a problem to film it without the blade (hanging from a belt, or when it's first powered-up).

[jehrohm]

true, but at least they look better than the toys.