Maker.io main logo

The Hacksmith: Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber

2020-05-04 | By The Hacksmith

License: See Original Project

This project was created by Engineering Superheroes of Hackmith Industries.

DO NOT ATTEMPT to Re-Create

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is one of the most iconic lightsabers in the Star Wars saga. As the first weapon featuring a crossguard, it certainly packs a powerful punch. Like its wielder, Kylo Ren’s blade is unstable due to the cracked Kyber crystal it was forged with, giving the blade a more menacing and chaotic look in contrast to other Sith lightsabers like Count Dooku’s and Darth Vader’s. From the sound it makes to its fiery look, this lightsaber is like no other, which is why The Hacksmith team decided to bring it to life. Although creating lightsaber prototypes is nothing new to The Hacksmith — the team has have come up with several different designs over the years — due to its unique nature, recreating Kylo Ren’s lightsaber didn’t come without some challenges.

See how it was made in the video below!

 

Earlier Lightsaber Builds

The first lightsaber prototype used a rod of pure Tungsten, the metal with the highest melting point. Although the rod could handle all the heat and over 10 kilowatts of power, Tungsten tends to flake off material, causing potentially poisonous gas fumes to emanate from the lightsaber.

The second lightsaber prototype used a stainless steel core insulated with ceramic and wrapped with nitinol wire. Unfortunately, as the stainless steel core was heated, it became weaker, causing the lightsaber blade to become floppy. That version also used high voltage DC, which caused the lightsaber to short out.

The third lightsaber prototype used a Titanium shell around a Tungsten core with ceramic insulation between them. This setup allowed the blade to stay solid, even at 1500 degrees Celsius.

The fourth lightsaber prototype made some small adjustments to the core and circuit. It was the first prototype to successfully withstand a duel!

How Does This Lightsaber Work?

Kylo Ren’s lightsaber uses the same metal core as the fourth lightsaber and has very similar circuitry. Making a hilt that allowed for electricity to heat three rods instead of just one was a significant challenge. The previous lightsaber hilts had been made with a CNC machine, but this one had to be metal 3D printed in seperate pieces made from titanium and assembled later. Titanium is a very hard metal, so it isn’t easy to work with.

The three blades (tungsten rods) are electrically connected in series inside the hilt. All three rods heat evenly because they share the same current.

The last challenge, which Hacksmith Industries is still troubleshooting, is the chaotic sparks that come from Kylo Ren’s lightsaber. After several experiments coating the rod, the solution remains elusive. Feel free to leave suggestions of possible materials to use in the comments below!

Previous Lightsaber and Sword Projects

Hacksmith Industries’ lightsaber project has been going on for several years. Check out its design improvements on Maker.io:

Also, check out these other sword projects:

Have questions or comments? Continue the conversation on TechForum, DigiKey's online community and technical resource.