Just wanted to check with you guys on this one. I've heard of a few people doing this... and I'm aware that I'll be scouring the boards and ebay for quite a while to get some of these items. I'm just thinking that if I ever built one of these, the real steel parts might be the only way I'd be tempted to do the build.
So... from those who have done it... or if you just know the approx. cost of a particular peice... sock it to me! How much green are we talking here?!
Im no expert but several thousand Im sure...
Thousand... seriously????
Several. Yes.
Real Balance Pipe: $2000 and up, if you can locate one, the correct one is very rare.
Real grenade: $150-$350 depending on condition and supply.
Real Graflex clamp: $50
Real calculator bubble strip: $50-$150 depending on supply.
Real booster: $50-$300 depending on where you find it.
Real AS Handwheel: $400-$600 if you can find one.
Mine is all real parts except the Balance Pipe.
Last edited by James Kenobi 1138; Apr 19, 2010 at 7:23 PM.
I should add those are 'best case' prices.
It could easily go into $3000-$5000 range really quickly.
but getting it all is priceless !
it's hard to find the parts on ebay - and even if you do a lot of the parts are recast/fake. I've read a lot of threads that are on this board - there were even some regarding how to spot a fake (i think)...
parts show up in the junkyard once in a while too.
g'luck!
The thing is that not only are these parts that have not been manufactured for many decades, but also some of them are parts of bigger things that were quite expensive to begin with (such as a jet engine).
Just get yourself a balance pipe and cast it and make enough money to get the rest of the parts. If I ever found one I would gladly give it up to someone to complete theirs. Lightsabers really don't do anything for me.
see, now I'm learning something... what the frick came off of a JET ENGINE?!!!
The emitter.prototype7 said:
Only Rolls Royce parts for obi.JoMamma_Smurf said:
Derwent you seek. Friend working security at millitary airplane graveyard you need... LOL!
I have a friend that has been to a few yards recently, with old plane parts and even RR jet engines... but not the correct ones to be found as of yet!
There is more to this saber than meets the eye, and a LOT of the parts were ID'd right here on the RPF!
The handwheels have been found on eBay before. It's just a case of checking every day, to see if someone's throwing out their old sink and taps. Usually, the auction will state 'Local pick up only' as the seller just wants to get rid of the old sink. This is how I found mine. It's then a case of convincing the seller to disconnect the taps and ship them.
However, if a plumber or builder is fitting a new sink, they'll just discard these handwheels as they're plastic, and are not recycled here in the U.K.
As has been stated, the emitter (Derwent balance pipe - or interconnect/er) is the most difficult piece to find.
If you find an engine, then you have to convince the owner / seller to take it apart to see if it has the correct type of balance pipe. I don't know the ratio, but I think it's around a 60/40 chance against finding the correct piece - from reports I've read here.
Then again, if you do find the correct engine - there's quite a few balance pipes inside!
I believe there's only 6 - 8 correct balance pipes in the hands of collectors.
Hi there,
Here's a picture composite (courtesy James Kenobi) of all the required parts and their origin:
Lots of Success,
-Chaim
sink1.bmpHoward said:
Two pics from old eBay auctions (daily searching UK eBay for months.) Thanks again Howard!
wrong BP.bmp
wrong BP 2.bmp
Examples of the wrong balance pipes.
MDsaber emitter.bmp
What it should look like! The iron in the Inconel will and can rust.
Mikes saber lt.bmp
I pretty much agree with James Kenobi's costs. The grenade was from the RPF junkyard, the clamp from a 2-cell flash (eBay), and the bubble strip (eBay), the ANM2 booster from a machine gun enthusiast.
6 d rings.bmp
Oh and don't forget the right D-ring. 30 cents each
ATL
Great to see you around here Mike!
You know, getting hold of the correct D-ring took almost as long as finding a clamp.
I can't see your pics, BTW.
I say go for it! Its not like your going to buy/find all of the parts at the same time right? Think of how rewarding it will be to make the hilt with the time & money you put into it. Plus I bet you have fun in the hunt of these parts...I always do. I'm working on a similar prop and I'm 5 years in. I only want original parts which has proved quite difficult.ave4uevoli said:
but getting it all is priceless !
Thanks Howard - Not sure why the pics aren't showing- I'll try JPGs rather than BMPs.Howard said:
Two pics from old eBay auctions (daily searching UK eBay for months.) Thanks again Howard!
Examples of the wrong balance pipes.
What it should look like! The iron in the Inconel will and can rust.
I pretty much agree with James Kenobi's costs. The grenade was from the RPF junkyard, the clamp from a 2-cell flash (eBay), and the bubble strip (eBay), the ANM2 booster from a machine gun enthusiast.
Oh and don't forget the right D-ring. 30 cents each
ATL[/QUOTE]
Ummmm...I have a REAL AS handwheel, with the D-ring mounted-tip top shape. How much do you think I could reasonably post it up for on this board?
The correct, vintage 4 piece metal and plastic one ? Or the modern all plastic 2 piece ?0neiros said:
2 piece, but I'm pretty sure the main knob is metal.James Kenobi 1138 said:
Last edited by 0neiros; Apr 24, 2010 at 1:13 AM.
The price estimates above seem a little off.
A real calculator for the bubble strip can be had for as little as $30 (best case) maybe $80 on the high end if there was a bidding war.
The emitter estimate seems high, but that's a tough one.
Most of us with real ones got them from a single source and we didn't pay $2000 each (although there are probably a couple people who have).
I don't think there's been a single case of any RPFer getting the parts out of an actual engine themselves. Theoretically it could happen, just hasn't yet. Plenty of scrap engines have been found but no dealer is willing to open one up to check. I think a scrap engine would run about $5000 or more.
If someone was lucky enough to find a correct one it would yield 9 balance pipes.
Onieros - I'd guess around $20-$40 for a modern plastic AS handwheel.
The main part of neither the vintage or modern ones are metal.
I have an all real correct parts OWK ANH saber that I have been considering selling lately. It's my favorite piece, and I know that I could never construct another one again. But as a broke grad student, it's hard to justify having something sit on my shelf that could theoretically pay for a semesters' worth of work.
Dan
Dan - I need the grenade, it's the only part left for me!
If you do intend to break it up, please consider me.
Chris - when I found a couple of original AS handwheels, I was offered $2,000 for one. I didn't sell it.
Hi Dan,
Do you have any more recent pictures of the OWK ANH real parts lightsaber? I found the ones
with the booster made by Serafino which you must have upgraded with a real one by now
-Chaim
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