Pool Noodle Saber Handle: mix and match light saber hilt set

thingiverse

This was designed for a 7 year old's Star Wars birthday party for the younglings to build their own unique lightsabers. While these are designed to fit a kids hand like a regular saber hilt would fit in an adults hand, they are still usable by all ages. The set of prints consists of the following components: 3 pommels 3 grip tubes 3 "Switch" rings 3 spacer styles in 2 end configs each 4 emitter styles It takes one of each piece to create a hilt installing install in that order, and they are fully interchangeable for a ton of possible unique combinations. These require 1 length of 3/4" PVC pipe to install around, and then sleeve a dollar store pool noodle cut in half over that. Pictured here I used 12" lengths which held the noodles in place fairly well with tension alone, but I would recommend about 16" for kids use to remain flexible on the ends for safety. It is still lots of fun and that is about where the center of gravity is best as well. Run it the full length of the noodle for heavier striking weight and rigidness. I super glued the pommels onto the PVC being careful to make sure they weren't crooked, and that was the only piece I glued. The rest fit together and seat into each other in the specific order above and with the noodle pressed onto the PVC it held together nicely. There is some twisting potential, so gluing them all together is an option for better stability. There is also a grip strip file that can be glued into the 4 recesses on Grip tube A for a Vader style handle. The Coupler file fits a standard Home Depot 3/4" press in PVC coupler and allows you to use these components to make a Darth Maul inspired staff that can split apart. In this configuration you need to glue the grip tubes to the PVC, and use the 13mm spacer glued to the end cap of choice to cap them when disconnected. The 3 Male to Male spacer options are intended to be glued in the center of a 3 foot PVC pipe with 2 noodles for a double sided staff that is fully rigid and minimal gluing required. Also included are a couple of belt hook options, though these are not as refines due to the fact that they are useless on a 1st graders body with the blade installed, so I didn't use them. I personally use them in our home duels to great dramatic effect... I prefer to leave the parts unglued so they can reconfigure them as often as they want. They are a little less controllable and do tend to need frequent adjustment. Older kids may want the stability of glued parts. I printed 2 of each file in 2 different colors and had the ability to build 12 full sabers for a party of 10 padawans. I would suggest more like 15 sets for 10 kids to avoid arguments and allow them to take home some swappable spare parts. I was limited on filament stock and look forward to printing some new and exciting color options. My son and I have tested these extensively and have "Accidentally" whacked the hell out of each other- with no pain- for 2 weeks now. The plastic blades would bring tears in 10 minutes guaranteed (usually mine). Even my wife has joined the battle and usually wins. These are our go to dueling blades now! These were all made in Tinkercad using a 15$ Harbor Freight digital caliper so I promise you can make these too, and I hope to see some remakes for the Pool Noodle Saber Handle! If this gets 100 favorites I will design a new set of parts based on suggestions, maybe more. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have, thanks for checking this out and PLEASE post your pics and remixes! UPDATE Oct 19th 2021- After extensive testing with ten totally amped up 7 year old padawans here is what I learned in no particular order: 1. For this age having the noodles mostly unsupported was DEFINATELY the way to go. at a 2 hour party there were ZERO tears shed from getting whacked too hard, and even the parents got into it! 2. Avoid Silk filaments for this of you are actively using them. Silk PLA simply does not have the bonding strength for the layers to hold up to actual use. A drop is instant destruction, but even with careful use it tends to delaminate and come apart. 3. If I did a party again- I would print a wider variety of colors and make lots of extra parts. They had fun building them out but then there weren't many parts left for them to swap and match so the build portion was done really fast. 4. Some kids were all about gluing their handles for ever, others wanted to be able to dis-assemble and rebuild- and didn't mind that they were not locked together. (I considered a design change that would interlock them in a single orientation, but it makes it more restrictive on creativity and complicates the build process for younglings) 5. Have enough for the adults... to defend themselves! The swarm is coming for you all, and you know it. You can't hand all these kids padded weapons and not expect them to want to battle with the parental units! Also, this ensures that every kid goes home with at least 2 sabers to dual with. 6. MAKE SURE EVERY KID HAS TWO WHEN THEY LEAVE. These are a torture device to a kid without someone to dual with, so sending them home with only one is just cruel. 7. If you want to really go above and beyond, you can also hand out these simple light saber wall hangers I just updated that will allow you to mount the saber on the wall with a 3M Command Strip Velcro picture hanger! https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4978639 8. For older kids and serious battles I recommend running the PVC 1/2 to 3/4 of the noodle length, which will provide additional striking weight and less flex in the lower portion of the blade. If you cut the bases long- say 24" and then assemble your handle and slide the noodle on (Have a well worn one on hand for this process) then check for center of balance. Cut the PVC down until the CoB is just at or under the emitter for the best battling experience all around. Also be sure to have EXTRA noodles on hand, they don't last long with full aggression duels between pre teen siblings! 9. For adults and taller kids, the belt hook is really handy, but prone to destruction if dropped on it. I will be giving these some updates soon, and am taking suggestions! 10. Balloons make for perfect target practice, draw some storm trooper helmet outlines on some white helium balloons and you have an army to take on! I hope to see your makes and hear your battle stories soon. Let me know what design changes you would like to see, or post your own remix parts!