ANH lighsaber Exactra strip fitment theory

[Aison]

I have been pondering for a while how the Exactra strip was modified to fit the graflex clamp, most people just sand them down to fit since they are too thick.
I have some vintage Exactra's and still have not yet been brave enough just to take one out and sand it to fit. I personally think it would take too long to do,
to be something a prop builder for the movie to do under the pump. There is also another issue about the clamp lever on ANH saber not being all the way shut,
this has been the main reason why I don't believe the strip was sanded to spec, slid in and fitted and clamped perfectly shut.

I thought about T track, and seeing the Ranch saber photos, it is clear from the marks a exacto knife was used to cut out the parts where the "fastners"
go, and likely the track was cut with and ends shaped. I now can't get out of my head that the exacto knife may have been the prop guys best friend.
So I thought, if the Exatra strip is too thick to slide into the clamp, why not shave down the edges on both sides quickly, they would be tapered/wedge like,
the strip would slide in with the clamp open, but when you clamp up the strip is becoming thicker as it is closing because of the taper, and would cause
the reason why the clamp lever is not done all the way up.

Just my thoughts and welcome any feedback or discussion

 

[Sym-Cha]

You maybe on to something ... however just don't forget, even back then, those propguys had plenty of large handy tools to their disposal ... just a quick move along a belt-sander and voila ... bubbles ready to install in Luke's G R A F L E X as well as OB1's and Vader's clamp

Chaim

 

[Probe Droid]

Highly possible. I used a combo of the ol' Exacto and sandpaper on my strip. Worked fine.

 

[Edraven99]

Yep... I rubbed mine over a flat file and it trimmed down fairly quickly...

 

[Panaflex]

I've used hand tools, band saws and belt sanders. Each with different results. I've got one saber that uses the pinch method and another thats a custom slide in the clamp job.
Make it yours!

 

[thd9791]

Not sure about the bevel but I think you're absolutely right. The bubble strips aren't wide enough to slide into the clamp. It's much closer to the diameter between the bars, so I DO believe they quickly sanded/filed the sides down and didn't have enough time to finish the job. They got it stuck in there with the lever half closed, and had time to finish it later.


They may have done a complete job for the promo shots too.

 

[JoeG]

I used an exacto knife to remove the bubble strip from the circuit board, then a sanding block to sand the bottom flat. Took about 10 minutes to get it fit properly. I doubt the original prop makers did much more work than that.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

I wasn't aware this was a thing. Is this a thing?

 

[jkno]

I wasn't aware this was a thing. Is this a thing?

Everything is a thing on the internet.

And prop theories and building methods are a thing on RPF.

 

[Aison]

Thanks for the comments, I think it was either cut and shaved to sort of fit with a bevel mainly because is supports that the clamp lever can't be closed up, and by that point the prop guy was probably like, 'near enough good enough.' Sanding the edges on a beltsander to fit between the two sides of the clamp would work too if the prop guy was too lazy to get it just right so it clamped all the way upt, in fact this would be the better way and it would be easier to get the clamp to shut. Due to the rushed job as it would seem since the lever does not clamp up, I am not to sure if it was sanded to slide underneath which would have been the best option but the more time consuming, maybe later? Still not 100% sure. Thanks again for the comment.

 

[Gytheran]

Honestly, there's no telling how it was 'trimmed' to fit. We have no idea if they rushed the job or not. Could they have rushed it? Sure... Could they have taken extra time and made it perfect? Yep. It's one of those things that you will never actually know without having the real, complete, prop in hand.

 

[Sym-Cha]

And even if you'd have the original prop in hand today . . . all evidence of how the original was made for ANH has already been altered since I have a distinct feeling it was re-used for ESB . . . and because OB1's ANH hero has been missing for a long time, only Vader's ANH/ESB/ROTJ remains with an Exactra bubblestrip attached ... alas in a private collection :wacko

Chaim

 

[Aison]

Yes it is all speculation, and I feel and agree with Sym-Cha ANH saber was likely altered for ESB, there is a promo of Luke in ANH costume but you can tell the saber has a different D ring and the circuit board clamp card. So I guess the real prop is no more, or should I say transformed into another.

However it is fun to speculate and try to work out the mysteries of these props, it's what makes the hobby fun. All in all there is only so many ways you could trim the strip to get it to fit, it has to a least be one of them with a reason why it did not clamp up all the way.