SWTOR Electrostaff (For these kind and gentle times)
Famous movie misquotes: “Game over, man! Game over! What the osik are we gonna do now? What are we gonna do?”
Luckily, there is an answer:
With a few parts from the local hardware store, a simple “non-blaster” style weapon can be made for use in these troubled times. This staff is based on an Electro-staff from the SWTOR game. Total cost for the primary components is about $40.00.
There are, of course, other components of varying costs that can be substituted/used at the builder discretion….
The primary items for the staff construction are:
1 - 5 foot long, 1” diameter, aluminum flag pole
2 - ¾” PVC compression coupling
2 – 1” PVC irrigation compression slide repair coupling
2 – ¾” PVC pipe cap
1 – 12” length of 1” PVC pipe
Additional material used:
1 – 5 foot long, 5/8” webbing (for shoulder strap)
1 – roll of bicycle handlebar tape (for staff center)
2 – 1” diameter, felt bottom adhesive sliders (to protect the paint on the ends of staff)
Consumables used during assembly:
Contact cement
DevCon 3500psi Epoxy
Dremel tool
Electrical tape
latex masking fluid
Painters tape / news paper
Primer/paint/paint brush
Sand paper
The primary materials for the project:
Close up of the PVC couplings:
Alignment of the primary components next to the staff:
Grind/sand/Dremel off the raised lettering from the PVC components. Then do initial fit up of the primary components on the staff:
The fit up of two of the components was a little excessive (sloppy). To close up the clearance (between the center PVC pipe/staff and the end irrigation slider coupling/staff) use a couple laps of electrical on the staff under the component location:
Install and center the 1” PVC pipe on the shaft and epoxy in place. Install the two compression couplings against each side of the central PVC pipe and tighten:
Epoxt together the two sections of the slide coupling (so it no longer “slides”). Install and epoxy in place the slide coupling & end cap for both sides of the staff:
Apply two coats of primer and the base coat of “hammered metal”:
Clean the areas to be painted and mask the staff with painters tape/paper/liquid latex:
Remove the masking paper/tape/latex masking. To remove the dried latex masking fluid a “rubber” eraser works extremely well:
Clean the painted areas and mask the staff with painters tape/paper/liquid latex for addition of the second color:
Remove the masking paper/tape/latex masking and clean the painted surfaces:
Wrap the center of the staff with handlebar tape and secure with contact cement:
Apply the final “environmental” style weathering. Slight overspray of desert colored paints, scratch up surface with sand paper, a light black wash and seal with “matt clear coat”:
Install the felt sliders on the ends of the staff:
Weather/paint the shoulder strap and install on the staff:
Use in good faith!
