A little closer - T Track sources?

[thd9791]

I'd like to open this topic up again to see if anyone's found any better sources or styles of T Track. We still haven't come close to saberfreak's (I think right?) but we'll get there.
I still don't believe the weather stripping idea, that came from the recent Reddit AMA, as it contradicts better information.
Here are some things I found today - I always run across Marv's source, but I'd rather let John take the horns on that one.

915 A bottom track - much too low but general shape
http://hangingdoorhardware.com/pocketdoors/sliding_door_bottom_roller/bottom_roller.htm


9110 series aluminum track. Good shape, probably too tall
https://www.hagerco.com/products/sliding-door-hardware/9110-series-and-9130-series-by-pass/9114



Better shaped (!) bottom guard rail. Same dimensions as above
http://kvdoorhardware.com/?page_id=396





Note the red T Track Saberfreak found


I'll post some pics of the original track just for kicks. Credit to whoever owns these photos, shout out if you want we to add it!

 

[Trooper_trent]

I swear I remember Mark Hamil saying something about the grips being metal. That everyone always made them rubber but the actual prop tore up his hands because of the jagged metal edges.

 

[Sym-Cha]

View attachment 535356

You can see clearly there's a glue channel on the T-track on the right ... and eventhough Mark Hamill may have said the metal grips gave him blisters ... I still doubt they were metal ... it would make for so much more effort to bend them in all those stormtrooper E-11 blasters needed on set. Also if you handle your lightsaber with hard plastic T-tracks such as GINO's, saberfreaks or Roy's ... take after take ... I bet even I would get blisters or at least sore insides of my hands :wacko

Chaim

 

[dcarty]

To add to the general confusion, my recollection is that Mr Hamill could not say what the grips were made of only that they were "something hard and callus inducing". So could be hard plastic as much as metal.

 

[thd9791]

Yes - I'm of the belief they were hard plastic. The new products I found just happen to be metal, You don't see this type of product anywhere anymore.

 

[scottjua]

And RC said they were draft excluders most recently.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I just can't believe they were metal because at some point over all these years looking at images of lightsabers and blasters utilizing these pieces, we would have seen at least one scratch or edge wear exposing the metal.

 

[intwenothor]

The t tracks on the Vader ESB/ROTJ hero are cracked and snapped just as one would expect of plastic. I don't think these are metal.

 

[Darth Lars]

People (on this board) who have been in the archives have studied the T-tracks: They are plastic.
Some props have brown plastic T-track that have been painted black.

 

[thd9791]

I wish there were more current sources than Marv's for track like this. Hoping someone trips over some in their garage or something..

 

[deadbolt]

Here's some ROTJ track photos that I used when I was working on the ANH blaster project. It shows the shape pretty well, and also helps confirm that the track is likely black plastic as well.

Right-click and view images, or save for full-size:

Also notice that the undercut on the underside of the track appears to possibly have small beveled transitions on each side of the undercut:

-Carson

 

[Spyhunter2k]

Wow, awesome photos. I could see how that small detail (bevels on inside edges of glue track) could help track down the original stuff if it is still to be found.

 

[thd9791]

YES! Thank you for posting those. They're the best yet of good detail on the Original screen used track. Wow..going to sit here and study these for a bit.

 

[l33tLX]

Does this look like steel t track to anyone else? Almost looks spot welded together, and also like there's rust?

 

[thd9791]

Nope, that's definitely plastic. The pattern you see is from sawing or sanding, as are the frayed edges. The goop is probably glue or putty to keep them in place or fill nail holes. We already have proof they're not metal, that's not what I meant this thread to turn into!!

 

[l33tLX]

Nope, that's definitely plastic. The pattern you see is from sawing or sanding, as are the frayed edges. The goop is probably glue or putty to keep them in place or fill nail holes. We already have proof they're not metal, that's not what I meant this thread to turn into!!

And the rust?

 

[JoeG]

And the rust?

Did you view the images that deadbolt posted at their full resolution? Its clearly not rust, its paint.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

And the rust?

If you look really really close at what you think is rust, you will notice it is has a thickness to it that shows that it is on top of the surface like paint or some other goop. It is not embedded in the surface like rust would be.

 

[deadbolt]

Most likely black plastic, no metal track has ever been seen on a real SW prop as far as I've ever seen. The rust is just rust-colored paint that's all over the blaster for weathering, over top the base dark-grey paint.

Any brown track on other exhibit props was probably from the Kurtz/Joiner rebuilt props that were auctioned off years ago, with replica brown track painted black and added to spare graflex units and such.


-Carson

 

[l33tLX]

Ok I'm with ya now. Didn't realize this was boba's rotj blaster. That last pic cleared things up