Lightsaber Construction Tips

The building of a lightsaber is a required step in the training of a Jedi. Only Jedi and those closely attuned to the force can make these deadly weapons. The reason why is that the crystals need extremely careful alignment. Failure to do so would cause self destruction upon activation. A Jedi can sense how the crystals should be aligned.

There is no exact instruction to build a lightsaber, due to the irregular shape of the crystals. Thus, each saber is unique in their own way in both the interior and the exterior construction. Often, the design of the saber reflects in the fashion of the builder. Some are very different in overall design, such as Darth Maul's double bladed lightsaber. however, some appear to be normal, but are different. An example is Qui-Gonn's, which contains several small power cells stored in the scalloped handgrip. The average saber has one large cell. Many older sabers lack a flashback water seal. This causes them to short-circuit when ignited underwater The construction of a saber takes an extreme amount of concentration. A minimum of one month in needed to create such a sophticated weapon. In order to build a lightsaber, you must follow these steps:

Gather the proper materials.
Design the whole project on a blueprint. Make sure that the handle does not exceed 30 centimeters (one foot). The total weight should not exceed 3 1/2 pounds.
Go to the temple on Coruscant. Once there, use the laser cutting tools and adhesive bonds to create the exterior. Using a diatium laser, make a lateral cut along the completed exterior, so that the handle is in half (the long way). The handle is made of advanced titanium alloy, which is the same material used to make starships.
Once the exterior is completed, insert the power assembly. Often these come all in one piece, but if a larger or smaller one is needed, it must be built from each individual part.
Next comes the crystal chamber. You must decide whether or not to use several crystals. This makes the blade length adjustable, but for a steep price. The proper alignment of the crystals becomes much harder to make. Take extreme care in aligning the crystals using a low power laser.
After that, the blade generation module must be in. This converts the energy into arc wave energy. Unlike the power assembly, this must be constructed part for part.
Finally, use a molecular welder to attach the handle halves. This will make it look as if no cut has been made. The last and most dangerous step is activation. Make sure the crystals were properly aligned, or you may kill yourself.

The recharge socket on the saber is rarely used. Once every few years, a Jedi must plug his saber to be recharged. This takes about 24 hours, depending on the intensity of the blade. Power cells last so long because they are continuously recharged. The blade is a loop of energy, and when released, it simply goes back to the power cell. The only time it loses power is when a saber strikes an object. The loop is discontinued, and the energy flows through the target, destroying it.

The lightsaber is a distinctive weapon known throughout the Republic as the traditional weapon of the Jedi Knight. Jedi always carry their own lightsabers, which they build themselves as part of their training. A weapon of unusual power and capabilities, the lightsaber can be more dangerous to a novice wielder than to an opponent, and only a highly trained individual can hope to survive with a lightsaber against an onslaught of blaster plasma bolts. However, for the skilled Jedi, the lightsaber is an amazingly useful weapon which can deflect attacks back at an enemy even as its whirling blade both defends and threatens. The sight of an ignited lightsaber is often enough to end a conflict, since would-be gunmen know that they are likely to find their own deadly shots deflected right back at them In essence a blade of pure energy capable of cutting through almost anything, the lightsaber is the noble yet powerful weapon which the Jedi Knights have masterfully wielded for thousands of years. Although each lightsaber is unique, the weapon's basic design remains the same. The handle, twenty-four to thirty centimeters long, holds a power cell as well as one or more crystals - seldom more than three - whose purpose is to focus the energy released by the power cell into a tight, blade-like beam. The blade's color depends on the nature of the jewel it springs from, and while its length is fixed in the case of a single jewel lightsaber, lightsabers equipped with multiple crystals can have their length varied by rotating a knob which allows the focusing crystal activator to subtly modify the refraction pattern between the gems. After losing the lightsaber that had been his father's in a duel with Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, in accordance with tradition, builds his own lightsaber as one of the final steps of his Jedi training, before he confronts Jabba the Hutt in his palace on Tatooine. The lightsaber is intimidating enough, but recent reports describe a variation of this weapon that seems truly formidable. The equivalent of two lightsabers end-to-end, this double-ended energy blade can cut through anything – twice. It can be selectively used like an ordinary lightsaber, with only one of the blades ignited, but with both blades activated it becomes an extraordinary weapon requiring extraordinary skill and training. Only the patience and concentration of one truly attuned to the Force can lead to the mastery of such a dangerous martial art. If such a weapon is actually in the hands of a rumored Dark Lord of the Sith, then a real threat to the Light Side has emerged.

The Basic Lightsaber

The basic lightsaber is the favored weapon of most Jedi. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster, in the hands of a master it can be either the most beutiful of items or the most terrifying.
Most Jedi will construct the basic lightsaber using a single, natural crystal. The best type of crystal is a near perfect crystal, either of a type from their world of origin or their birthstone. A blade length of 30 CM is typical for this type of lightsaber.

The Variable Lightsaber

A variable length lightsaber is one of the most complex items a Jedi can construct. These require the use of two to three near perfect crystals. The focusing ring of the saber is then used to vary the length of the blade by changing the distance between the crystals. Blades from 30 Cm to 2 Meters are average for this type of lightsaber. 2 crystal sabers have only 2 lengths while the 3 crystal version can vary the length anywhere in between. Usually the blade color will change as the length changes.

The Dual Blade Lightsaber

The dual blade lightsaber is only slightly most comple to construct than a basic lightsaber, but, is almost infinitly more difficult to control. Essentially, the dual blade lightsaber is two sabers connected together sharing a common power supply.

Erik the Jedi's personal Lightsabers

I am one of the few Jedi that uses 2 lightsabers. My primary is a basic lightsaber which has my birthstone, an emerald, as its crystal. This gives the blade a green color. My secondary is almost what could be termed a lightdagger. It utilizes an amythist as the crystal, giving this weapon a purple blade that is only 30 CM long. The two weapons are used similar to the Earth Samauri, the longer blade being used primaraly for offense with the shorter blade used for defense.

The Functioning of a Lightsaber

To keep it as understandable as possible, I will give a brief explanation of the components:

DIATIUM POWER CELL-a compact energy source that provides a constant flow of energy of which the blade consists.

POWER FIELD CONDUCTOR-surrounds the power cell and causes the energy to be focused parallel to the blade.

PRIMARY CRYSTAL-converts the power cell's energy to the correct frequency.

FOCUSING CRYSTAL-additional crystal (no more than three) to direct the energy beam towards blade generation.
note- when only one focusing crystal is in place, the blade length is fixed. If multiple crystals are added, then the blade length can be adjusted by changing the refraction pattern between the crystals.

BLADE LENGTH ADJUST-knob that changes the length of the blade when rotated

BLADE POWER ADJUST-changes the concentration of the energy beam to make it more or less powerful
note- while training in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, young Jedi's lightsabers do not have a power knob. They must use training sabers that are set on "low". As they practice, contact with the blade would merely cause a small burn.

Lightsabers - Principles and Components