So unfortunately, I’ve ran into a bit of an issue with my ANI3 Proffie NeoPixel saber that I got, back in mid 2023.
I’ve had my saber in my box that I got from SabersPro, for a coupla’ months and took it out during a Revenge of the Sith “Watch Party” on YouTube with Star Wars Theory, for the 20th Anniversary…
Randomly, I don’t know why… A few of my hilt’s parts were loose and I’ve had to tighten them up. They definitely weren’t loose when I put the saber in the box.
Anyway, as I was “unnecessarily” dismantling my saber (not knowing where all the screws were and where they connected to these loose pieces, until after the fact), I unscrewed my blade/blade plug retention screw all the way out (as part of the dismantling) and noticed there was some thin, circular bit of metal (threading, I’m assuming) around the screw.
I cleaned it off, obviously… But now both my blade plug and blade are both… loose, when inserted and the screw is put back in and tightened-up. But the screw itself, actually constantly “over-screws” and doesn’t tighten properly, as it once did. Which I’m guessing that the threading inside the hilt has gone… Hence, what was wrapped around the screw. But if I remove the blade/blade plug and just insert the screw alone and tighten it, it does seemingly tighten all the way to the hilt.
I’ve reached out to SabersPro about this and asked for any help, advice or if there’s anything they can do… And unfortunately, they’ve basically given me the middle finger and they don’t wanna know. They said that due to my order with them being over 6 months, there’s nothing they can do. Yet they have the audacity to then try to offer me 30% off another order on their site.
I do have an M3, M4, M5 and M6 Re-Tap set on the way… Is a re-tapping essentially what I’m gonna have to do here and does anybody have any experience with this? It’s a first time thing for me, so I’m looking for whatever help I can. It’s just pissed me off that this has happened, to begin with.
Other than that, the saber is fine and everything else works as it should.
Yeah, I can try and upload some photos. The screw itself is tightened/un-tightened by an allen key. That’s the key that came with the saber. So it doesn’t use a regular screwdriver like some sabers seem to.
Is there any way to “reinforce” either the current threading or post re-tap, so that it doesn’t become an issue in the future?
I honestly don’t quite get why this has happened… I mean, I don’t exactly tighten the screw that tight anyway. Just tight enough to hold the blade and blade plug in place, so they’re sturdy and won’t budge
Well, the saber itself is a TXQ model. ANI3, obviously.
I have spoken with a guy who is much more knowledgeable about fittings and such than I am and he says that the ANI3 saber is M3. So I’m guessing by that logic I’m going to have to use an M4, because an M3 wouldn’t make any difference… With having to essentially create threading on “new” metal?
But I’m not quite sure how it’ll work… I guess I’ll give the M3 a try first and see if it makes any difference.
Sometimes you can solve this with a bit of teflon tape:
Wrap a thin layer around the screw.
Also with sabers and wrenches, try not to out the short end into the bolt and turn. You get too much leverage and can easily over tighten. Put the long side into the bolt and turn from the short side.
You can retap to M4. You need first to drill with a 3.3/3.25mm drill bit, then tap with the M4. You might have to cut the M4 screw so it barely goes through.
Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. Yeah, typically whenever I’ve loosened and then tightened my saber retention screw, I’ve always inserted the “shorter” end of the allen key into the screw and tightened/loosened with the longer end.
Ultimately though, I would argue that it’s not good manufacturing. You want your blade and blade plugs to be essentially locked-in, so they don’t move… But having an issue like this occur, does show some weakness in design or manufacturing.
I’m not saying that every saber will have this problem… But obviously, it can prove to be a pretty big issue.
The saber, the one I have… is a TXQ saber. I’m not too familiar with the history or background of their manufacturing but hopefully this would be something they would address, moving forward. Because no doubt I’m not the only one this has happened to.
True, but that’s not the job of the set screw.
The blade should fit very snugly into the hilt, and then all the set screw has to do is prevent the blade from sliding in and out.
Alright, people… Well, I’ve got a Re-Tap toolkit ordered and on the way. They include sizes:
- M3 - M4 - M5 - M6
I’ll try to keep posted in here once it arrives and then any updates (w/ images) on the process. It’s likely that I’ll need to return here anyway for advice or further info.
My tap procedure:
When I tap holes on saber hilts, I use a v-channel alignment tool under a drill press. Something like this:
I clamp the hilt in place with one of these ensuring UP is UP and centered. https://a.co/d/eBJYSMt
I have a foot pedal for the power to the press so I can kill power hands-free once I tap through.
The taps I have are combo drill/taps by Greenlee
They do drilling, tapping and deburring/countersinking in one operation.
There’s a video on the product page showing how they work.
I have the belt set to the slowest speed.
However, once I drill, and then smoothly tap with continuous pressure as the tap threads the hole, I STOP by killing power and then release the bit from the chock and unscrew the bit from the hilt by hand to ensure I don’t wreck the soft aluminum threads.
I like the V-Block fixture. But any good vice should do it. The wall thickness is very thin, and you don’t have that much of an ID for a long all-in-one drill. I would just use the 3.25mm pilot straight, since the existing hole will work as a pilot. And then tap by hand. Do 1/2 turn then unscrew 1/4. You only need to do like 4 threads. But I suspect the OP is an expert machinist and needed advise more on the particular of sabers than on tapping.
I’m actually not. This is the first time I’ve had to delve into doing something like this (Re-Tapping a lightsaber hilt) or just Re-Tapping, in general.
Personally, I’m a little skeptical about it… But I was told it was a cheaper option to me as opposed to flat-out just buying a new saber. But after SabersPro basically didn’t wanna know about it and tried to basically get me to buy a new saber (with a 30% discount), I had to look for other alternatives.
Naturally, I would prefer to buy a new saber… But unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of money right now.
So yeah, right now… I’m looking for any tips, advice or info I can from anyone here that knows or has experience with this kinda thing, so I can do this efficiently, effectively and with minimal to zero damage to my saber as possible.
