Remember that Vader MOM ROTJ tutorial? FINISHED (pg 1 - post #24)

NeoRutty · Aug 2, 2013

Remember waaay back there was a group project to put together a tutorial on a scratch built ROTJ saber?

Well I don't! Cuz I hadn't fallen into the prop replicating world just yet... but I understand that it MAY have started here...

When I first started looking into saber builds, I found this tutorial... this incomplete tutorial...

Darth Vader's ROTJ Lightsaber Tutorial: Main Page

I've wanted to test out this build for a while, figuring this would be a fun, cheep thing to do with my spare time... but the tutorial is incomplete... the control box is never fully explained.

Now I'm planning on building a scratch graflex type base, but I'm kind of stuck on the best way to do the control box and the clamp band...

If anyone from those days knows of this project, or built this hardware saber, I'd like to hear some ideas for it...

at this point I'm thinking of just cutting some sink pipe for the band, slicing down the side to split it and wrap it around... then just glueing a styrene modeled control box on. While I may get a decent look out of that, it seemed that the tutorial was going somewhere that probably was a lot neater/cleaner.

thoughts?

Thanks!

theJUDGE · Aug 3, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

well the ROTJ based saber i made (almost done) was largely put together based on some of the tutorials from that website. As far as what i did for the clamp band/control box was modifiy an aluminum "textured" clamp band piece from a anakin MR FX saber. Were you wanting the clamp band to have a low profile/thin? materials be metal, plastic, rubber, or whatever looks good? You might be able to locate come aluminum tube online that would fit over your hilt (whether good fit directly or split down the middle). The hardware store might possibly have some pvc or other tubing you could fit in the same manner that could provide a thicker somewhat flexible band than a sink tube. Another possibility is using thick black rubber floor mat material.

Also, regarding your control box are you wanting to make your own like in the incomplete tutorial, or do you have a resin cast one? I can post some up close pics of any saber part i made if you want or think that may help.

OB10 · Aug 3, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

I still haven't added the bottom D-ring on mine... or added the latch. But I made the control box out of a thick piece of sintra, sawed and filed a bit. I put on a couple plastic plug hole covers where the screws should be. And I think I used a piece of 1.5" o.d. PVC plumbing pipe, slit down one side, then just slid it over the tube.

I should dig that out. I don't remember some of the specifics real well.

NeoRutty · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

If people were still casting the control box, I would be all over it. I lover the Vader rotj.

I'm making the "graflex" bit out of a sink tube, and thought of cutting another tube as the band... This is all fine, but I'm I'm nut sure if I make the control box out of styrene (for example) how I would put it all together... without just glueing it all in place.

I'm kind of a stickler for "well made"... just pasting together won't cut it.

So any pics you have of what you've done, would be cool.

theJUDGE said:
well the ROTJ based saber i made (almost done) was largely put together based on some of the tutorials from that website. As far as what i did for the clamp band/control box was modifiy an aluminum "textured" clamp band piece from a anakin MR FX saber. Were you wanting the clamp band to have a low profile/thin? materials be metal, plastic, rubber, or whatever looks good? You might be able to locate come aluminum tube online that would fit over your hilt (whether good fit directly or split down the middle). The hardware store might possibly have some pvc or other tubing you could fit in the same manner that could provide a thicker somewhat flexible band than a sink tube. Another possibility is using thick black rubber floor mat material.

Also, regarding your control box are you wanting to make your own like in the incomplete tutorial, or do you have a resin cast one? I can post some up close pics of any saber part i made if you want or think that may help.

NeoRutty · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

I think the tutorials ideas (or beginnings of) for the control box/band is not going to work for me... I think I'll just have to look at pics and try my own thing...

You SHOULD drag yours out, take some pics...

Let's bring out some old ROTJ hilts... I want one, will make one, and can use all the inspiration/pointers I can get.

OB10 said:
I still haven't added the bottom D-ring on mine... or added the latch. But I made the control box out of a thick piece of sintra, sawed and filed a bit. I put on a couple plastic plug hole covers where the screws should be. And I think I used a piece of 1.5" o.d. PVC plumbing pipe, slit down one side, then just slid it over the tube.

I should dig that out. I don't remember some of the specifics real well.

theJUDGE · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

No doubt you are seeking to make a more accurate hilt than mine, i just wanted to make a fun luxeon led saber to play with. I made sure anything i made by hand was sturdy and well put together and would not fall apart though. For the box I took styrene sheet plastic and glued two together to make it thicker and less flexible. I used super glue, which seemed to fuse the plastic together and not just "stick together". I then drew the proportions i wanted and cut out with dremel. I sanded and filed to clean it up. Next I took a pvc tube piece (pretty thick) and cut out a "rectangular" shaped part to be the base that attaches to the band clamp. I sanded it to fit the contour of the hilt better. I then drilled holes for my electrical switch and the two bolts that hold the box onto the hilt. Next i glued the sides to the base piece, including brace pieces to hold the sides to each other as well as the base (keep it more sturdy). I filled in gaps with epoxy putty and more super glue and sanded down. I need to refine it more add some more styrene sheet but as of right now it holds together like a rock even if i grab one side of the box and thrash the hilt around in the air.

Cenobyte · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

There used to be a member here that went by "Brevin-Din-Shay" that made absolutely beautiful Vader ROTJ sabers from scratch.
He is a great guy to talk with. Years ago, we first met online here and after talking to him for a while, he really wanted a Star Wars blaster.
I had one I had just built off of a Denix and sent it to him free as he was a struggling educator at the time.
We built up a friendship from there.
A while later, I received unknowing to me his first Vader ROTJ saber as he knew I had a Vader costume that I trooped with and eventually wanted a ROTJ saber for my collection.
I had a plaque made for it, and to this day is my favorite prop in my vast collection.

NeoRutty · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

Looks like styrene will be the way to go. I used it for the first time on a yoda saber project I'm currently toying with, and seeing how yours is looking, it's probaby the way to go.

I like your band... I then went and read up in the thread... ha. MR Anakin isn't an option, but PVC pipe painted matte black could work.

I think I will turn this thread into a build thread, and let people chime in as I go, with any problems I'm having.

I love that last pic. This is probably my favorite of the sabers... I'm surprised it's not more popular.

theJUDGE said:
No doubt you are seeking to make a more accurate hilt than mine, i just wanted to make a fun luxeon led saber to play with. I made sure anything i made by hand was sturdy and well put together and would not fall apart though. For the box I took styrene sheet plastic and glued two together to make it thicker and less flexible. I used super glue, which seemed to fuse the plastic together and not just "stick together". I then drew the proportions i wanted and cut out with dremel. I sanded and filed to clean it up. Next I took a pvc tube piece (pretty thick) and cut out a "rectangular" shaped part to be the base that attaches to the band clamp. I sanded it to fit the contour of the hilt better. I then drilled holes for my electrical switch and the two bolts that hold the box onto the hilt. Next i glued the sides to the base piece, including brace pieces to hold the sides to each other as well as the base (keep it more sturdy). I filled in gaps with epoxy putty and more super glue and sanded down. I need to refine it more add some more styrene sheet but as of right now it holds together like a rock even if i grab one side of the box and thrash the hilt around in the air.
[url]http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af236/theJUDGE1989/IMG_1310.jpg[/URL]
[url]http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af236/theJUDGE1989/IMG_1306.jpg[/URL]
[url]http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af236/theJUDGE1989/IMG_1308.jpg[/URL]
[url]http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af236/theJUDGE1989/IMG_1303.jpg[/URL]

- - - Updated - - -

If you could throw up a pic of your saber, that would be cool.

Like I said, I love this design, and it's cool to see what people have come up with in their builds.

Cenobyte said:
There used to be a member here that went by "Brevin-Din-Shay" that made absolutely beautiful Vader ROTJ sabers from scratch.
He is a great guy to talk with. Years ago, we first met online here and after talking to him for a while, he really wanted a Star Wars blaster.
I had one I had just built off of a Denix and sent it to him free as he was a struggling educator at the time.
We built up a friendship from there.
A while later, I received unknowing to me his first Vader ROTJ saber as he knew I had a Vader costume that I trooped with and eventually wanted a ROTJ saber for my collection.
I had a plaque made for it, and to this day is my favorite prop in my vast collection.

theJUDGE · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

here is an interesting pic i found buried in my computer from some time ago. I do not know whose it is so sorry if i am stepping on anyone's toes by showing it, just mean to help. It looks like the band they are using is flexible styrene sheet that has tabs that lock into place within the inside of the control box itself.

NeoRutty · Aug 4, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

Good pic!

I may have to look into the styrene idea when I get to the band. Ideally a PVC pipe that just happens to have an inner diameter the same as the outer diameter of the sink pipe would be best... but I think I'm making that up.

NeoRutty · Aug 5, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

Alright this is now a build thread!

Bringing back the glory of the scratch build ROTJ Vader!

IMG_0897

OB10 · Aug 7, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

IMG_5555 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5554 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5552 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5551 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5553 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!

Okay, I'm too tired just now to get the picture links to work properly. But here are a few pics of my WIP hardware Vader saber.

The control box is a thick chunk of sintra. The grips were made from Evergreen or Plastruct styrene strips. The emitter spike thing was... a cheap bookcase hardware part from Menards, although I've seen better looking, nice thick rivets at hardware stores that would have worked better. The grips and control box are currently held on with masking tape. The shoulder was pulled with a Honeck shoulder puller. The stand was made from more Menards parts.

That's all I can think of for now.

NeoRutty · Aug 7, 2013

Re: Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial from back in the day???

I like it!

Was your shroud from the old tutorial, or was that a resin cast?

I actually have no idea what a shoulder puller is, or how to get ahold of one... I take it that's the hole for the "glass eye" of the graflex?

OB10 said:
IMG_5555 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5554 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5552 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5551 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!
IMG_5553 | Flickr ? Condivisione di foto!

Okay, I'm too tired just now to get the picture links to work properly. But here are a few pics of my WIP hardware Vader saber.

The control box is a thick chunk of sintra. The grips were made from Evergreen or Plastruct styrene strips. The emitter spike thing was... a cheap bookcase hardware part from Menards, although I've seen better looking, nice thick rivets at hardware stores that would have worked better. The grips and control box are currently held on with masking tape. The shoulder was pulled with a Honeck shoulder puller. The stand was made from more Menards parts.

That's all I can think of for now.

OB10 · Aug 12, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

Yup, the shroud is from the old Tutorial. Direct from Walmart!

They don't seem to carry those things anymore. The right type of hitch cover thing seems to be tricky to find. I've seen some made from a hard rubber (blech!). I haven't glued mine on yet, cuz I want to pull a mold. It took more fiddling with to get to work than I thought, and also since the hitch cover is harder to find, I though it'd be nice to have some others available. Still haven't molded it yet, though.... :facepalm

Yeah, the famous "shoulder puller" was made by Honeck back in the misty ancient past of the RPF for the glass eye or red pushbutton... It was a block of metal with a 1.5" channel to put the sink tube in, with a bump milled out of it, and a kinda tapered washer with a bolt through it. You'd drill the hole in the tube, put the bolt and washer assembly in the proper place, torque everything down..... and voila! You'd get a nice Graflex shoulder pulled. Not sure where mine is right now...

And this seems to be a hardware version or proof of concept:

These pics are not mine; if the rightful owner wants me to take them down, I will. I also have some diagrams that Dana Jan and someone else posted of the device. Again, I didn't create them so I'll take them down if the rightful owner wants me to. I don't get online as much as I used to, so it might take a little while.

Rhapsodyred99 · Aug 12, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

Technically the saber we have always identified as the ROTJ saber is actually a stunt saber in ANH and may have some screens in esb and Jedi. There is a popular shot on one of the starwars vader toy cards that shows it in his hand in the ANH costume. The hero mpp was lost to lucasfilm (showed up in a casino display) and they had the stunt hilt so in museum displays they mistakenly labeled it as a Rotj saber.

There are multiple screen grabs of vader in ROTJ with his "hero" esb style hilt.

Here is a pic from ROTJ to show what I mean:

This image Vader is holding the MPP

This is the MPP, Its not a curved slanted emitter

And the graflex in ANH:

Here is a shot from ANH showing Vader holding the stripped down Graflex with black emiiter....

And here is the hero mpp as it exists today back in the Lucas archives:

This is the only MPP that made it through all 3 films.

Thanks to Vader45 on the Sith Lord forums for those shots.

Still I love that version of the saber and will get around to building one one day, interested to see your results!

NeoRutty · Aug 12, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

OB10 said:
Yup, the shroud is from the old Tutorial. Direct from Walmart! They don't seem to carry those things anymore. The right type of hitch cover thing seems to be tricky to find. I've seen some made from a hard rubber (blech!). I haven't glued mine on yet, cuz I want to pull a mold. It took more fiddling with to get to work than I thought, and also since the hitch cover is harder to find, I though it'd be nice to have some others available. Still haven't molded it yet, though.... :facepalm

Yeah, the famous "shoulder puller" was made by Honeck back in the misty ancient past of the RPF for the glass eye or red pushbutton... It was a block of metal with a 1.5" channel to put the sink tube in, with a bump milled out of it, and a kinda tapered washer with a bolt through it. You'd drill the hole in the tube, put the bolt and washer assembly in the proper place, torque everything down..... and voila! You'd get a nice Graflex shoulder pulled. Not sure where mine is right now...

View attachment 219121 View attachment 219128

And this seems to be a hardware version or proof of concept:
View attachment 219122

These pics are not mine; if the rightful owner wants me to take them down, I will. I also have some diagrams that Dana Jan and someone else posted of the device. Again, I didn't create them so I'll take them down if the rightful owner wants me to. I don't get online as much as I used to, so it might take a little while.
View attachment 219123 View attachment 219124 View attachment 219125
View attachment 219126 View attachment 219127

Woah... Lot of good info there.

Yeah I think I have the right "Reese Hitch" it's a hard plastic... Ordered off Amazon. While it would be awesome to just get a casting, I'm actually stoked to get going on trying that old tutorial.

As for the puller, I'm not trying to figure a way to go about something similar. I would LIKE to have to the pulled part on the pipe, but I don't know if that's something I can pull off with my limited tools.

- - - Updated - - -

Rhapsodyred99 said:
Still I love that version of the saber and will get around to building one one day, interested to see your results!

Yeah I read a ton on the saber and just decided to call it ROTJ, cuz I couldn't figure on what it's current designation was.

I do plan on getting on this build next... I'm just currently making a quickie Arc Reactor for my Iron Man obsessed daughter's B-day.

Sym-Cha · Aug 12, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

Actually that ROTJ MPP in the pix above post#15 is not in the Archives of Lucasfilm Ltd. ... that MPP is in Hollywood Casino in Grantville, PA ... read the follow-up story here :

http://www.therpf.com/f9/visited-esb-rotj-vader-saber-pics-75176/

+ additional links of the discovery of this magnificent MPP and it's history!

Chaim

NeoRutty · Aug 24, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

Finally getting started on this...

IMG_1002

I'll probably have to use a sink tube, unless someone has a line on a cheap, beat to hell graflex I can buy for this...

NeoRutty · Sep 11, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

So got a little more done on this scratch built "ROTJ but not ROTJ Vader Saber". It's when working on stuff like this I wish I had decent tools and a space to work in. I just work on my living room coffee table, or my tiny balcony.

I can tell my wife's impressed with my mess. heh.

anyway.... cut all those plastic pieces down, sanded the crap out of everything, and mighty putty'd it all up.

Now with a nice coat of grey sandable primer, and flat black paint... I have a not-too-bad looking shroud.

In the old tutorial they added a thin styrene sheet to give that edge to the half of the shroud... I decided to try scoring it in. It's not perfectly straight (practically free-handing it), but works well enough.

fun fact!:

In Vancouver, Canada, you can't buy 12 inch sink pipes at 1.5" diameter... I had to go to Seattle, where there were multiple types and gauges... weird.

But I now have chrome pipe to fake a Graflex.

Anyone got any leads on where I can get a thumbscrew for the shroud?

EDIT____

The little screw on top of the shroud.... Which I THINK the "8-32 x 1/2" thumb screw" would fit the bill... can't seem to find anything definitive.

For whatever reason, "thumb screws" don't seem to exist here in Vancouver...

Maybe someone has an alternative for it?

NeoRutty · Sep 26, 2013

Re: WIP - Remember that Vader ROTJ tutorial? Now a build thread!

Still working away at this scratch built monster saber...

So the tutorial is missing the second part of the control box build... but when looking at pics of the final saber, I wasn't that impressed with the look anyway... so I figured I would attempt my own.

So going off some rough measurements from Sym-Cha... I grabbed some styrene, sandpaper, files and a drill...

I say this again... not a model guy... so this was a HUGE pain in the ass...

I split the build in 4 parts, stacked (2 parts in the pic are already glued together...

After sanding the crap out of it, I sprayed it with sandable primer to see where I was at...

The gaps are pretty obvious... so I guess I'm going to put a little epoxy putty on it tonight and see if I can't fix it.

This is usually the point I get too picky and ruin things... guess I'll see.

Remember that Vader MOM ROTJ tutorial? FINISHED (pg 1 - post #24)

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