The Hacksmith: Building Darth Vader’s Lightsaber

2022-09-02 | By The Hacksmith

License: See Original Project

This project was created by Engineering Superheroes of Hacksmith Industries.

DO NOT ATTEMPT to Re-Create

About five years ago, Hacksmith Industries embarked on a quest to build the world’s first fully-functional lightsaber — one that was hot enough to cut through metal and small enough for a user to wield. With each new prototype the Hacksmith team built, the lightsabers became hotter and more compact. The design has come a long way in its many iterations, but the Hacksmith still saw room for improvement, which is why they’ve built an even greater version.

Check out the features of their latest lightsaber in the video below!

The first lightsaber model used a tungsten rod powered by 20 24-volt lithium polymer batteries. Unfortunately, the power supply wasn’t stable, leading the Hacksmith to create their second iteration.

The next version increased the maximum temperature to 2500 degrees Fahrenheit while making it easier to wield and carry the power source. The Hacksmith did this by switching the rod to stainless steel wrapped in fiberglass insulation and Kanthal wire. The number of batteries was decreased to 12, and improvements were made to simplify the power management system, making version two much more stable.

Version three saw more improvements to the core and power supply. The lightsaber’s core was made from tungsten with a titanium outer layer and fiberglass insulating them. The old power system with a MOSFET was replaced by one with a contactor. The battery pack was also made lighter, down to ‘only’ 41 pounds!

The next version used an upgraded battery system to simplify the design process and increase the maximum temperature to 2750 degrees Fahrenheit.

Still unsatisfied, the Hacksmith then made another lightsaber version that included additional improvements to the power system. These improvements meant the lightsaber could reach a maximum temperature of up to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. The Hacksmith also incorporated a super-heated cross guard to replicate Kylo Ren’s lightsaber design.

Eventually, they made a version that had an entirely new system. The old method of using big batteries to heat metal rods was replaced with plasma, allowing it to be retractable like a true lightsaber and achieve a maximum temperature of 4000 degrees Fahrenheit!

Check out the Previous Lightsaber Models

New Lightsaber Improvements

For the latest lightsaber design, the Hacksmith greatly reduced the weight of the power pack and made it much easier to change hilts (this design comes in both Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi styles). This lightsaber is powered by iso-butane and oxygen, making the tanks small enough to fit on a belt instead of a backpack while maintaining power output.

The new hilt system has some added features to make sounds when swinging and let the user know when the battery is low. A gyroscope/accelerometer combo board senses movement and sends that info through an Arduino to a transceiver, so a speaker makes whooshing sounds when the lightsaber is swung. It also makes R2D2 noises when the ON button is pressed or a Wilhelm scream when the battery is low. The new design uses RS232 for communication between the hilt and powerpack to make the system more immune to electrical interference, increasing reliability.

See how the new handle circuit works in the schematic below!

Schematic and BOM

More Star Wars Projects on Maker.io

Hacksmith Industries also has a Make it Real Series for The Mandalorian: