Things You'll Need
Instructions
Creating the Handle
Sketch out the design for your handle using graph paper. This design will not only keep your lightsaber handle on track, but will help make sure the cuts are symmetrical.
Determine how long you want your handle to be. The average lightsaber handle is 10-inches long, but you can make it shorter or longer for your personal comfort. Measure the chrome sink drain and mark the length for your handle. Wrap the handle in masking tape to protect it from scratched during the cutting process. Use a Dremmel saw or hacksaw to cut the pipe to your measurements. Sand the cut edges to smooth them out and prevent splinters.
Add some form of grip to your lightsaber handle. One method is to use a black corrugated drainpipe. Cut out your paper design, tape it onto the handle and then trace around it with a permanent marker. (The marker will wipe off with nail polish remover.) Cut details into your handle with the Dremmel saw. Measure and cut a piece of corrugated drainpipe to fit the length of your lightsaber handle. Insert the black pipe into your handle. The pipe's diameter should be small enough to fit snugly into the handle.
Another option is cutting slits up the handle with the Dremmel saw and sliding windshield wipers blades into the slots. (This method was used to create Luke Skywalker's lightsaber in the original Star Wars movie.)
One other design uses rubber o-rings for grips. Slide the o-rings up the handle. Determine the spacing that feels most comfortable for your hand and use super glue or adhesive caulking to hold the rings in place.
Insert the chrome drain-hole plug into the end of the lightsaber. You may have to reposition the plug prongs to make the fit tight. If you cannot get the prongs to fit right on their own, use adhesive caulking along the inside rim of the lightsaber handle and then insert the plug. Allow the caulking to harden before continuing.
Add additional detail to your lightsaber handle by attaching lock-up caps. These are found in the electrical supplies and secure glass shades to ceiling light fixtures. Drill short screws into your handle, leaving enough of the tip of the screw sticking out to push the caps onto. The heads of the screws should be roughly the same diameter as your lock-up caps. Place a dab of super glue into the lock-up cap and push the caps onto the screw. Let the caps dry. You can use any other types of buttons or knobs to customize your look. Do not forget to provide a power button for the lightsaber.
Adding the Lightsaber Blade
Use a hacksaw to cut a piece of half-inch piece of PVC to the desired length for your lightsaber blade. Sand the cut edges smooth. Wrap the PVC pipe with clear packing tape. Insert the PVC into the top of the handle of the lightsaber handle. If it does not fit snugly, wrap the ends of the PVC blade with duct tape a few times around until it fits tightly into the handle.
Another blade material to use is a wooden dowel rod, which is sturdier than PVC pipes. Insert the dowel rod into your handle. Dowel rods though are more dangerous to use and when hit creates a lot of reverberation through the blade.
You can also use polycarbonate plastic tube to create a see-through lightsaber blade. For advanced DIY models, you can add colored LED lights to create the glow cast by the movie grade lightsabers. While this makes the design more real, the bulbs and motors used to illuminate the blade are too fragile for game play. To supply color without the danger look for colored acrylic tubes, which come in red, green, blue and purple, common colors for Jedi and Sith lightsabers.
Spray paint the blade to add color to the blade if you use PVC or wood for the blade material. Add a protective top coat of polyurethane to keep the paint from chipping too badly during game play. Touch up and reseal as necessary
Use a drill and screw a screw in through the handle and into the blade. Repeat the process and attach another screw to the three sides of the blade for stability. Use lock-up caps or other decorations to conceal the screws.