Luke's Severed Hand Stunt Prop from ESB

[roygilsing]

Hello!

Any love for the ESB severed hand stunt? I haven't seen any thread specifically about it, and since it is such an enigmatic prop, I thought I start one.
Why now? Because I was approached by Diego86 with the question if I would consider doing some replica parts for this and we had a nice discussion going so far. This does NOT mean that every question I get will result in a new WannaWanga project, but it happens!

Here are some known pictures:

This first image is from a book called Objets du Mythe. The French book from a French collection. The second image I have no clue where it's from.

These images also seem to be in a French book, and I would really like to know which book (it's not in Objets du Mythe), because I couldn't find a better version of the total image on the left. A good scan would be a great reference.

And some screen shots:

And this one from behind the scenes, with Mark's hand holding Luke's hand:

While looking at these images I had a few thoughts:

1. I'm really intrigued by the mechanical solution of the grip handle and my first thought that it looks like a pop rivet gun, holding a pop rivet in the hand part. I have searched for vintage rivet guns but couldn't find a similar looking one. Anybody knows what it might be?
2. There are two Michell cone knobs in the Graflex port holes, but what's that part in the glass eye hole in the BTC pic? It doesn't look like a glass eye. But it DOES look a bit like the valve part from the DV6 stunt! But it obviously fell out and left glue residue in the socket. Intriguing!
   
   
   
3. Diego86 suggested that the red button might be similar to a Kobold red button. But a Kobold red button has a dome. But looking at this red button it DOES like as if it was sanded down. I don't know why on earth a prop maker would do that, but it could be. I haven't investigated if the size matches yet. The collar might be a shaft collar, but I haven't seen any set screw hole on it. And we do have a view on both sides but no hole visible. So it was probably something else.
   
   
   
4. I wonder about the area between the Kobold flash and the Graflex top:
   
   
   
   All the Kobolds (and Linhof) flashes I have and I have seen, have a knurl on top and that area is thinner. So what do we see here? Is it a custom connecting bracket that is used?
5. Then the faux 'clamp box' connector part. I actually don't have any thoughts on that. It's still a mystery where it came from. What does strike me as odd, it that it attached on one side with a screw (and tiny internal bracket) but not on the other side. Strangely asymmetrical. How then is it attached close to the thumb? Maybe just glued.

That's it. I wonder what you think and if many made replicas and if so, please show them!
And yes, I am considering doing a small run of the parts: the connector box, the cone knobs (thanks to Diego for measuring his vintage cone knob) and red button with collar.

I'm very excited as you can probably tell!

Cheers,
Roy

 

[Diego86]

Can’t wait!

 

[thd9791]

Roy, I made one of these a few years ago. I learned a few things - especially that we don't know how its held together.

The fake box... I used a piece of curtain track splicer, and made my own rectangle nut to slide in one end. Unfortunately, there are already two screw holes in the wrong place on the real item, and I had to grind off that lip on the side, though that doesn't seem a big deal to me considering the kobold ring has been lathed down. That was my best inference at the time and it does make the saber seem more cohesive. The graflex shell and the kobold lathed area are about the same diameter.

As for the red button, I used a Caplug and I had to sand off the lettering on the cap. In your close-up it has always looked to me that the red thing is tapered, not a cylinder. A caplug fits the bill and I think the flange acted as the washer underneath the beer tab.

It is my belief that the set screw for the drill stop is facing the back of the saber, it may have moved?

I think the greeblie in the front is flat, with a hole. I don't know where it went, but I think the putty is still visible inside the glass-eye hole today.

to me you can see the set screw for the drill stop, and the flat face of the front greeblie in this shot.

 

[thd9791]

My project before sanding the logo off I think

And I knew I had the photo! It's a public one, as far as I'm aware

SEE THAT BLACK DOT!!!

The fake box is interesting, as all the sides are the same thickness, and the bars on the front are rather wide. The channel is a lot skinnier than anything I've ever seen, even milling bits would leave a thicker slot

*edit( sorry the black dot on the fake red button, thats the set screw for the drill stop. Also the missing greeblie on the front left a flat surface in the glass eye hole

 

[3251bimmer]

This is great news! Any chance of a cool severed hand stand for the completed builds

 

[roygilsing]

Nice Thomas! I agree, the hole on the collar is indeed visible. I'm working on the perspective overlay to determine the correct size.
Unfortunately, I have no experience is hand castings, but it would be cool to make. Maybe someone else is good in that?

Anybody knows from which book this image is coming?

 

[roygilsing]

Here we go:

Don't take those numbers too literal. I'd say +/- 0.1 is the tolerance.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

The handle always looked like crocodile battery clips to me (square handle ones, not round like these)

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Just as I always suspected….

Luke Skywalker lacks a skeletal structure, muscle structure, and circulatory system. Rather than the internal construction of a normal human, this Level 10 midichlorian count creature appears to be made up of skin filled with a red gelatinous mass—likely raspberry jelly.

 

[v312]

Nice Thomas! I agree, the hole on the collar is indeed visible. I'm working on the perspective overlay to determine the correct size.
Unfortunately, I have no experience is hand castings, but it would be cool to make. Maybe someone else is good in that?

There are decent-looking ones on ebay for about $70 that can be posed. I was considering getting one to build this saber some time ago (and I think they used to be somewhat cheaper) ...

I could not find anything close enough to use for the control box so I ultimately moved to other projects.

So if there's a run I'll definitely get a copy for my collection.

 

[division 6]

Bob of "I Like To Make Stuff" did a video at Thingergy making a Luke hand casting.
LINK

 

[thd9791]

The handle always looked like crocodile battery clips to me (square handle ones, not round like these)

View attachment 1668393

I agree with this, its always had that vibe for me as well.

Roy, that is spectacular work. If the box is closer to normal american measurements it might be an american thing. since just shy of the next mm seems a bit weird for a found part

 

[Poikilotherm]

In the picture, I can see the red button is skewed which makes me think of glue, you can see the button seems to come off in the picture. The red button head stretches longer. The kobold knurling has been removed from the lathe, but the upper step of the knurling curved step is still there, as for the fixing method, there is a single screw on the control box [there may be a screw hidden under the control box, the top of the kobold flash seems to be a solid aluminum, and the screw part from the control box fixes the Graflex and kobold.


This is my.

 

[roygilsing]

There are decent-looking ones on ebay for about $70 that can be posed. I was considering getting one to build this saber some time ago (and I think they used to be somewhat cheaper) ...
View attachment 1668414
I could not find anything close enough to use for the control box so I ultimately moved to other projects.

So if there's a run I'll definitely get a copy for my collection.

Great tip! I found a few on Etsy as well.

View attachment 1668464

In the picture, I can see the red button is skewed which makes me think of glue, you can see the button seems to come off in the picture. The red button head stretches longer. The kobold knurling has been removed from the lathe, but the upper step of the knurling curved step is still there, as for the fixing method, there is a single screw on the control box [there may be a screw hidden under the control box, the top of the kobold flash seems to be a solid aluminum, and the screw part from the control box fixes the Graflex and kobold.

Thanks Poikilotherm. Great picture this one! Never seen this angle. You can see a spring in the handle mechanism. That rules out the battery clips. And it doesn't look like a pop rivet gun either.
Great build.

I agree with this, its always had that vibe for me as well.

Roy, that is spectacular work. If the box is closer to normal american measurements it might be an american thing. since just shy of the next mm seems a bit weird for a found part

Thanks! Don't take the measurement too literal. They might be off by one or a few tenths of mm. 49.9 might be 50. 15.9 might be 16.0mm Sounds likely.

 

[Poikilotherm]

Thanks Poikilotherm. Great picture this one! Never seen this angle. You can see a spring in the handle mechanism. That rules out the battery clips. And it doesn't look like a pop rivet gun either.

Yes, the back of that clip-like thing I can only associate with electrical welding clamps, but the actual role in Mark Hamill's wrist I'm not sure. The actual behind the scenes video can see the explosives explode from the back half.

 

[Mottrex]

Nice Thomas! I agree, the hole on the collar is indeed visible. I'm working on the perspective overlay to determine the correct size.
Unfortunately, I have no experience is hand castings, but it would be cool to make. Maybe someone else is good in that?
View attachment 1668365
Anybody knows from which book this image is coming?

I use Dental Alginate ( Im in the dental trade) it's super easy to mix and sets within 3 minutes and you just pull your hand gently out, the trick will be to holding a section of bar to attain the correct positioning of Hand to hilt.

Can't wait to see what you do with it..


Mott.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

I think the spring and piston you see in the wrist part is designed to pop forward and strike the metal stud/nub in the hand part to ‘launch’ the hand out so it doesn’t just fall down.

You would squeeze the handles to open the end up and then compress the spring/piston and release the handles to close at the top and hold the spring/piston in place, attach the hand, and when Mark squeezes the handles the mechanism is opened and the piston is released and strikes the stud/nub.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Interesting thread. This is, by far, the ugliest of the Graflex hilts. But, I can’t help but want one.

 

[JoeG]

This thread just gave me a cool idea how to display a Luke ESB saber. I wasn't going to add a ESB Graflex to my collection at first, but now I want to just for the display!

 

[Poikilotherm]

Nice Thomas! I agree, the hole on the collar is indeed visible. I'm working on the perspective overlay to determine the correct size.
Unfortunately, I have no experience is hand castings, but it would be cool to make. Maybe someone else is good in that?
View attachment 1668365
Anybody knows from which book this image is coming?

As long as you can find human skin color AB silicone in the local market, you can make any shape of hand, the price is much cheaper than the market, wrist break in the mold of AB silicone solidification after the application of petroleum jelly before pouring the wrist break part of the silicone to complete the wrist break effect.Silicone is also available in different hardnesses from 0-30 degrees, so I personally prefer 5 degrees.