Giant Lightsaber Table Lamp

Who wouldn't like to have a giant Lightsaber table lamp? If your answer is yes, then this instructable will demonstrate how one could be built. Any portion of this Lightsaber lamp can and should be modified to suit your own needs. This instructable is fairly involved and does require many hours of machining.
This lamp will not have a shade in order to maintain a classic Lightsaber look. Because of this, the lighting will be subdued and be more of a mood lamp than a reading lamp. However, if you want a shade and more light, then use the force and design one in!
After all machining and polishing is completed, some or all of the aluminum pieces can be anodized or left as is. The finished Lightsaber height is 32 inches. The final weight is 28 pounds but may increase if any upgrades are added in the future. Alright you young Padawans, go forth and build something! And may the force be with you...

Metal Lathe
Bandsaw
Drill Press
Various Drill Bits and Taps
3.5 Inch Diameter Heavy Walled Aluminum Pipe
4.5 Inch Diameter Solid Aluminum Stock
1.5 Inch Diameter Solid Aluminum Stock
1.5 Inch Diameter and Smaller Brass Stock
Various Diameter Button Head Cap Screws
1 Inch Diameter Orange Plexiglas Rod
1/8 Inch Thick Fluorescent Orange Sheet Plexiglas
1 Inch Thick Hardwood Stock of Your Choice
Miscellaneous Sandpapers, O-Rings, Epoxy, Etc.
Band-aids

I will use Osage Orange for the base. Cut 4 equal length pieces with 45 degree mitered sides. This base will be about 9 inches square. You can use dowels, biscuits or glue "only" to assemble all 4 pieces. This step is fairly easy and allows for a solid foundation. After gluing, round over all edges and sand smooth. The 2nd photo shows the drilling into the aluminum base top.

You could start to build off the wood immediately but an aluminum base top creates a more sophisticated look. I had this 2 inch thick piece of aluminum leftover from another project and it will work fine for a base top. Drill and tap the aluminum for 5/16-24 threads and attach to the wood.

This is the first part of the Lightsaber and an important piece. It will attach to the base and will have to be strong. This will be machined from 4 inch diameter solid aluminum stock and cut to 2-1/4 inches long. A center hole is drilled and tapped for standard 1/8 IP-27 threaded lamp nipples. Mounting holes are drilled for attaching to the base. The forward end has a shallow recess to accept and align the handle. Sand and polish to your liking.

The transition from the base to the Lightsaber is made with 1/4 inch thick machined brass. First the Lightsaber end is used to attach the brass to allow for easy machining. Use a paper template to precisely mark 8 drill holes. Use a center punch and drill 5/16 inch holes. Drill (4) 5/16 inch holes to attach the Lightsaber end piece. Now machine a smooth, rounded edge. Sand and polish for a shiny look. This part took several hours of work but was worth the effort.

The handle is the largest single piece and is machined from 3.5 inch aluminum tubing. The wall thickness is 1/4 inch which provides strength and enough metal for machining recessed grips. Each recessed grip is about 1 inch apart and 1/8 inch deep. Total length is 14 inches.

The power core body is machined from 4 inch diameter solid aluminum stock. A through hole is drilled and tapped for 1/8 IP-27 threads. Three 1/16 inch thick brass access ports are curved to match the diameter of the power core body. Four corner holes are drilled into each piece. Drill and tap for 8-32 threads and attach all 3 pieces.

This part was machined from 4 inch diameter solid aluminum stock and provides a pleasing transition from the power core forward. Drill a through hole and tap 1/8 IP-27 threads.

These Flux Converters add some detail to the base. They are machined from 1-1/4 inch diameter aluminum stock. Each is a little over 4 inches long. (13) 1/8 inch grooves are machined to accept large O-rings. These can be removed later if the converters are to be anodized. A rounded top piece and flared bottom mount are machined from brass stock. These assemblies are attached to the base with 1 inch long 1/4-20 set screws.

The bulb socket section is machined from 2-1/4 inch diameter aluminum tube with a 3/8 inch wall thickness. A 1/2 inch thick aluminum disk is machined and pressed into place. This disk is drilled and tapped for 1/8 IP-27 threads. A miniature bulb socket is screwed into place.
This section is also machined with grooves to accept large O-rings for an interesting look. Next drill (12) 1/4 inch holes in circumference for attaching exhaust vents later. At the bottom of each hole, drill and tap for 6/32 threads.

These miniature exhaust vents are machined from 1/4 inch diameter brass rod. Drill a through hole and tap one end for 6-32 threads. Insert 6-32 set screws and attach to the matching holes that were drilled into the bulb socket section.

This section is where the light will flow forth. I had the internal mechanism from a gasoline storage tank pump handle. When you see gasoline being delivered at a station, this piece was inside the large pump nozzle handle. This part is modified to fit into the design. The bulb socket will be housed into this piece.

There is no easy way to fit lenses into this section. Although there are many different ways it could be done, I decided to build a jig using the actual nozzle part. After machining and fitting together aluminum pieces, the jig is ready. 5 pieces of orange fluorescent 1/8 inch thick plexiglass are softened in an oven at 200 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Each piece is then pressed into place with great force and allowed to cool for 30 seconds. After cooling, trim each piece to fit snugly. They fit very tight but a drop of super glue into each corner assures they will stay put.
This step took some time but the end result looks fairly sophisticated.

Any quality switch would be sufficient but a machined rotary handle will have a more custom look for the switch. The handle begins with machining a base from 2 inch diameter aluminum stock. Machine to about 1/4 inch thick with (6) 1/4 inch diameter evenly spaced holes.
A center shaft with a pivot arm will then be connected to a rotary switch inside the base. This is a little more involved than it looks but is worth the effort.

The front emitter is machined from 1.5 inch diameter solid brass. A 1 inch diameter orange plexiglass rod is machined and polished for a nice looking tip. Both ends have to be finely polished to transmit light well.

A power gauge is added to the base for a custom look. Locate a small gauge (preferably all brass with a glass lens) and disassemble in order to create a custom dial. Please see my Instructable on "Gauge Art" for custom dial tips.
Polish the gauge and reassemble with the new dial. Decide the placement of the gauge and drill, tap threads and attach.

A lanyard is machined to match the scale of this Lightsaber. A section of aluminum pipe is machined to the proper diameter of the base and is then cut out, drilled and attached with 8-32 button cap screws. The thickness of this part is slightly less than 3/16 of an inch. This will become the base for the actual lanyard. Brass stock is cut and fitted to the base with a 1/4 inch rod spanning the distance.

A small brass wire fitting is machined with 3/8-24 threads and a 1/4 inch through hole. A hole is drilled through the aluminum base and is threaded to accept the brass fitting. I prefer a round cloth powercord for a nice look. Snake the powercord up through the center and attach to the bulb socket. This was the easiest step for the whole project. Almost finished!

This instructable took many long hours to complete. The finished Lightsaber is 32 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds. At some point, it could be disassembled and certain parts anodized or left as is. Any step can and should be modified to suit your needs and taste.
Wait! What if I don't have a metal lathe? Don't let that stop you. A project like this could be built using found objects only and no machining. Mmmm, I might just do that.
OK you young Padawans, go forth and build your own giant Lightsaber lamp. And as always....may the force be with you.