Death Star carved out of bamboo is the ultimate non-tech gift for Star Wars fans

While we don’t have a lot of occasion to write about physical items that don’t contain a processor, graphics chip, display and all the other fun bits that usually go together to make the most interesting devices, this video of Frank Howarth putting together a bamboo Death Star is just too good to pass up for any Star Wars fan.

You’ll need a workshop of tools, a lot of patience and more than a modicum of woodworking ability if you want to make your own, however.

To get the iconic appearance just right, each half of the Death Star is made out of nine rings of bamboo, made up of 13 segments per ring. There’s also an additional ring to cover the overlap where the halves join.

The video’s about 11 minutes long and will give you a good overview if you want to get started on making your own – unlikely as that is – as a gift. For everyone else, there’s fun Star Wars sound effects to keep you interested. Or you can just skip to the end for the bit you wanted to see.

Whichever route you take, that’s one hell of a bit of carpentry, and it’s nice to see something Star Wars-related that doesn’t need batteries or mains power.

Via Wired