Okay, so I started out with:
1) random piece of steel, same diameter as V2 steel rod. This thing is dense and has a black and light rust coating right from the metal shop, no clue what it technically is, but it's steel
2) 1.5" OD aluminum pipe, with an 1/8" wall
3) solid aluminum that I hand-sanded to fit, so it was already close. About 3.5 inches of it.
It took a LONG time to mathematically guess the length. I was getting 10.7 or a little over 11 inches. The 10.7 was too close to a graflex, and this thing is noticeably longer, so I went with the latter. I actually had to guess the straight angle, it's not 45 degrees, and cut about 1/8 too long, in order to have enough metal to sculpt the flat lower area of the emitter. Hard to explain, but if id cut on point there would be no flat area but a gap below where I wanted. Remember, cutting this like cutting the corner of strip molding, it's going to be further from the middle at both ends.
I then studied the profile in every good image i could find. I first cut the blunted top. Then I realized the saber has straight sides. I had to grind enough away that the profile did not curve back inwards near the top!
see? Still too curvy on the sides...
almost...
I had already hand sanded the round stock to slide inside (also ran a half round ******* file around the inside of the tube) so I went and drilled a hole for the steel rod 4/5 of the way through. My drill press drifted a little but it's not that far off
Then I took to starting the countersinking. I located each one i could see in pictures and theyre not symmetrical... at all.
I did the tube first, then slid the core in and used the first holes as a guide.
I must have bad bits or a loose drill press because they rattle, scream and leave octagonal holes unless I cram it in there. I also have a dull tap so I have to get a new one, I made my arm spasm twisting the tap through little by little.
It worked though. The core can still slide around a bit and the bolt is poking through so I am going to trim the bolts a little so it pinches better
Threw a replica clamp with gaffer tape on there... not bad!