Leo: Zodiac 7
Around 2019, I challenged myself to machine a saber from scratch in under 24 hours. The challenge was a success, and the hilt came out great. However, that was four years of experience ago. This year, I wanted to challenge myself further, increasing the detail of the design, and installing the electronics all in under 24 hours.
In December of 2023, I attempted the challenge again, and completed The Mayfly. The owner was enthralled, and challenged me to complete one 24-hour saber build each month in 2024. This is the seventh of twelve, which I am calling the Zodiac Challenge.
The request for this saber was "Acolyte Hidden Saber". The sabers in Acolyte are befuddlingly large, so the first goal was to ensure it was slim and comfortable. The second goal was to hide a shoto inside a saber, with the blade attached, and allow it to detach quickly without the need for screws.
Originally I had planned for a J lock. This morning, my general idea was that I could use the shroud overhang and the retention screw to essentially tweak the friction and allow for a fairly sturdy, semi quick disconnect. Not perfect, but for a one-day build it would be great!
Initially I was a bit upset, as I can’t bore the shroud out once it’s cut, and filing it down would take more time than remaking it. But I noticed something interesting. The shroud lip fit perfectly along the upper ridge of the section atop the J lock.
Then, the gears started turning. Due to the geometry of the boring insert I used there was a slight chamfer on the inner ridge of the shroud lip. This meant it could, in theory, slide up and over the J lock ridge. My first thought was to use knurled set screws so you could essentially use the lip as additional security. But I kept thinking, and took it a step further. Taking apart a ballpoint pen, cutting and bending the spring, and sticking it under the retention screw, I created the locking system, and it was beautiful.
I’m still amazed at the coincidence here. Not only did my boring mistake happen to make a lip the right depth, but also the right diameter, and with the right chamfer, which happened to line up perfectly with the length of the shroud and the position of the lock. Absolutely insane. Measuring and planning this system would have taken twice as long. But they say the mark of the artist is learning to deal with mistakes instead of focusing on perfection.
The rest of the saber was regular work: cutting shrouds and grooves, drilling and tapping holes, weathering the hilt, and so on.
Total build time: 11hr 3min