Taurus: Zodiac 4
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 fourth of twelve, which I am calling the Zodiac Challenge.
The request for this saber was "Katana". Years ago, I acquired an oval katana tube from the revered Darth Alice. After collecting dust, it was time to shine! First, an acid etch was drawn up from scratch, and using my laser, I etched the pattern into the hilt. This dulled the clear coat, and allowed my acid etching process to very gently etch the surface. The effect is rather unique; most etches appear black and white, and have a clear depth. This etch, however, feels perfectly flat. When tilted a certain way, the etch is bold and striking, while at some angles the etch disappears almost completely.
The emitter features a large, handmade brass tsuba complete with hand-chamfered edges on top and bottom. Wrapping around the emitter top is a piece of solid African Blackwood, not veneer.
The ito wrap was done within the 24-hour timeframe, and ultimately there was not enough time to do the wrap with the proper wrap material or rice paper. For a one-day build without any experience wrapping, it came out quite well.
The chassis was designed originally by DMag Customs, and was graciously shared with me to update to fit modern tech.
Total build time: 9hr 20min