Automatic Lightsaber AKA The Puncher

Automatic Lightsaber AKA The Puncher. Slide the button to extend and retract the blade/fist.

Caution! do not print anything until you have read the assembly instructions.

Here it is in action. It uses a system of pulleys and fishing line. The pulleys don’t rotate, they are fixed curve channels. It's fairly durable except if you twist the blades too far. If it doesn't retract all the way, don't use the button. Pull the blade out, clock it to a different position and try to push it back in. Repeat but don't keep clocking in the same direction.

Assembly instructions:

Quit now! This thing is extremely annoying to assemble and requires sanding, gluing, good eyes, soothing music, and EXTREME PATIENCE with very wily fishing line. I almost didn’t finish it but it got easier after design changes and making several. So here it is if you’re brave. 

You need:

Fishing line.“12 pound test” has a diameter of approximately .3  mm. 

Fishing line. "30 pound test" or about .5 mm dia.    (you can use the .3 in place of the .5 but I don't recommend it. Do Not use .5 in place of .3) 

~ 1.7mm drill bit

Petroleum jelly

Sand paper

Crazy glue

I use “Overture PLA pro” . It has good layer adhesion. And plain solid colors seem to work best. .2 layer height is ok but I use .16 for parts that need sanding.

I used a Bambu P1S .4 noz. Tolerances may differ on other printers.

Important ! ! Blades should be printed in "vase" or "spiral" mode with .8mm wall thickness. 

1. Sanding. If you don’t sand, it will probably work but not well.(it will be hard to push the button and may get stuck) Use a dust mask or air filter or ventilation  etc. Sand the vertical part of the BaseBeam. And the outside of Base 1 and 3 large diameters. Sand the insides of blade1 and 2. You want the blades to slide together quietly without the zippy sound. On the outside of the  blades use tape to mask off the top of Blade1 leaving 44 mm on the bottom exposed and sand that area. Do the same for the bottom 35 mm of Blade2 and the bottom 18 mm of Blade3. Sand the inside of the top of the Hilt. Less important is the inside of the body of the hilt, but make sure it’s fairly smooth. Wash all the dust off of everything.

2. Slide Beam1 and 2 together and make sure they slide freely. Squeeze them together and slide them to work out any snags. Glue Beam1 to Base1 and Beam2 to Base2. Make sure of the orientation and make sure they look square/straight..

3. Cut a meter long length of (.3mm dia) fishing line. See picture of Base3, Loop it through the two holes with an equal amount on each end. Loop it through as many times as you can Keep the line tight. Make sure the  ends align with the hole shown in the picture. Pull each end to ensure the line doesn’t slip through.

4. Look at diagram 1. Fish the lower line from Base3 through the bottom pulley of Beam2 and tie it to the top of Beam1. To tie it, use diagram 2, but pass the line through the first two holes only. Hold Base1 and Base2 together in the retracted position. Pull tension on the line moving Base 3 to its bottom position. Keep the line just tight enough to keep it straight, then finish the knot shown in diagram2.

5. See diagram 3, pass the upper line through the top pulley of Beam 2. Then down through Base3 and 2 to Base 1. See diagram.4. Loop it around once or twice to hold it in place. Test the operation by sliding Base2 up and down. Keep the line tight enough to stay in place. If it’s too tight, it will be hard to slide up and down. But you can stretch the line later if need be. Loop the end through the holes a bunch of times and glue the loose end in place. 

6. Attach two pieces of fish line to Beam 2. Make sure it’s on the side that is shown in the diagram 5.   Look at the “ mechanical diagram” and diagrams 6, 7, 8.   One line will go through the top pulley on Beam 1, then tie to the bottom of the BaseBeam. The other will go through the bottom pulley and tie to the top of the BaseBeam. Always run a new line OVER any existing lines.This process is extremely annoying as the fishing line will loop behind the beam or somehow tangle into something. Carefully tighten everything up while checking operation by holding the BaseBeam and sliding Base1 up and down. Make sure it goes through the full range of motion before fixing the ends by looping through holes many times and gluing the loose end in place. When tying to the top of the BaseBeam, put it in the retracted position shown in diagram 9. and push the Beams out of the way to access the holes. Make sure the line is tight enough to stay in place. Make sure the tie points are neat and don’t have loops hanging out. Lubricate all the lines with petroleum jelly and work it back-and-forth so it gets into the pulleys. Be careful not to get it on the Bases where you will be gluing the Blades. Wipe off excess.

7. Before you glue the Blades onto the Bases, put everything together and  test that it is smooth and free. It should basically fall out when you point it down and fall back in when you point it up. Glue Blade3 first then 2 then 1. Be careful not to get glue in the two little holes on Base1.

8. Now use the heavier .5mm fishing line and attach it Base1, See Diagram 10. Make sure it won't slip. Fold a crease in a piece of fishing line and push it through the top pulley on the Hilt. Use it to draw the line from Base1 up through the Hilt and out of the pulley. Put the bottom line through the Basebeam pulley, then slide the blade into the Hilt. Temporarily put the bottom cap on. Alternately pull the top and bottom lines to check for smooth operation.(don't push the blade because the line will bunch up inside the hilt) Use Diagram 11, 12, 13 and the mechanical diagram to run the all lines(top and bottom) through the Slide/button before putting it in its track. When you put it in its track, it’s easier if the lines on top are tight when you try to slide it in. Make sure all the lines are in their proper place under the slider. Put the bottom cap on. While keeping the blades retracted, push the slider up while pulling the loose end of the top line to take up the slack. (You may have to loosen the bottom line)  Adjust so the top line is tight with the blade retracted and the slider is about 2 mm from the top of its travel. Carefully move the slider down(or pull the blade out) while you keep the line in place. Now finish the loops shown in diagram 11 to hold the line in place. Once the top is adjusted, make the bottom tight (in any position) then add loops and tie it to the top line. Put some glue on it and put the button cover on. Now lubricate the slider and all the lines so lubricant gets into all the pulleys. wipe off excess, (some may get on blade1 because the line inside is next to it)

9. To attach the covers, Clean up the holes with a 1.7mm drill then push a piece of filament in the holes to secure it.