I have dilemma

propmainiac · Jan 20, 2017

Hi all. Been wanting to build a hardware Graflex. Trouble is I want it to be as accurate as possible. I can purchase the parts such as the red buttons glass eye and clamp. Other parts I will make( bunny ears, slide switch beer tab maybe) the I will need grips d ring and bubble strip.
My problem is this. I'll probably spend around 100$ to get it where I want it. Now I saw a parks/ korbaneth model for sale at a very nice price. Not much more than what my build will cost. I will want to buy a red button. And clamp card and maybe a repro clamp with the Graflex stamping to make it more accurate. What would you do. Build or buy?

cckaiser2 · Jan 20, 2017

Build. Always build. You could also buy it as a fantastic reference for your build.

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dcarty · Jan 20, 2017

I'd buy it -- especially for the price range you're talking about. Are you looking to build one for the joy/challenge of the build or are you trying to save money? 'Cause either is a valid motivation.

By the time you tally things up you will probably have spent enough on replica parts and raw materials (assuming you don't find any freebies or already have things to hand) to where what you are saving by building it yourself is pretty minimal. The older I get the more firmly I believe in the saying that "time is money". If you have the time and the tools but don't have the money it might be worth it to build rather than buy but I don't see the savings as being that compelling. Also how accurate are you thinking? Are you going to make the tube out of brass and have it chromed? Those are additional costs I'm sure you've considered.

Best of luck to you!

Dave

propmainiac · Jan 20, 2017

Thanks for the advice. I usually build. I'm making the main tube out of aluminum. That way it's easy to cut, I can sand it polish it then sand with 600 to give it a nice brushed look. My only drawback is making g the shoulders.(the raised areas the buttons sit on) I don't have the tooling for that or that ability to make the puller. Other than that I'm sure I can make a fairly accurate prop. There's a member who is selling me the guts to a graflex flash. I used to mock up a clamp which looked good but didn't function at all and was epoxyd on. But I'm going for greater accuracy this time. If it wasn't for the inability to.ake the shoulders I wouldn't be hesitating on building.

kevin926 · Jan 20, 2017

It's all on you. I faced a similar issue while building my r2d2. I could have just as easily bought the parts but chose to scratch build them. Some parts cost less to buy than build. Some cost way more. But I had to keep chasing my white whale. Bottom line is, I started r2 almost 4 years ago and he's still not finished. Of course I have taken long periods of time off in between but still.

It all comes down to you and what you want to do.

The one thing I have always said and stuck to during any scratch build is. "AS LONG AS MY BUILD PARTS DOESNT HURT THE APPEARANCE OF MY PROJECT, I'M FINE. "

matty matt · Jan 20, 2017

I'd buy the repro personally. I like to scratchbuild things but I'm not sure a Graflex would be worth it.

kevin926 · Jan 20, 2017

A bare shell Graflex used as a working saber like a rotj vader might be a nice scratch build, however the detail and parts on a true graflex would be on the difficult side. Of course anything can be done.

spacebob · Jan 20, 2017

How about grinding/filing an apropriate sized washer to fit the curve of the aluminium tube and also the radius of the shoulder itself?
Thats what I'm planning to do

dcarty · Jan 20, 2017

Having done it myself in the old "sink tube" days -- only I made mine out of stainless steel tubing with the Target refrigerator magnets for the end cap -- my hat's off to guys who want to do Graflex scratch-builds. My original answer still stands though -- for the prices you're talking I'd pop for the replica.

I wish I still had my Graflex "shoulder puller" tool. I had one that I got back about 14-15 years ago and I loaned it to another RPF member many years ago and never got it back :facepalm

Dave

Sym-Cha · Jan 20, 2017

Have you ever smelled a real vintage G R A F L E X up close? How will you replicate that smell I wonder :wacko

This is the only time I replicated a 'G R A F L E X' ... the famous Toe-pic now with a 'vintage' Luke ESB replica :

Chaïm

propmainiac · Jan 20, 2017

I used to do the chrome sink tube saber as well. It was always challenging to see how well I could replicate parts. I've probably made 10 of them total between 1998 and 2001? Used to get a decent amount for them but also probably spent 35? To make each one. I eventually bought a real Graflex and used that to copy measurements from to make them more accurate. The hardest thing was making the emitter part. I started using a plastic film roll cannister and a xacto knife handle and brass nails for the pins. I M going going to try making a shoulder puller. Won't be as sophisticated as some here but gonna give it a go. Always more satisfying making rather than buying. For me anyhow

DaddyfromNaboo · Jan 21, 2017

You should include "hardware saber" in your thread title to generate more participatuon in tgis interesting discussion. I thinknthat hs sabers are a dying artform around here.

I have dilemma

propmainiac

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cckaiser2

Well-Known Member

dcarty

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propmainiac

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kevin926

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matty matt

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kevin926

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spacebob

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dcarty

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Sym-Cha

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propmainiac

Sr Member

DaddyfromNaboo

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