Bespin Guard Blaster Relby K-23 Greeblies, research, etc.

[thd9791]

Hi folks,

There is one public shot of this gun with some actual greeblies showing, not a cast of the gun with the greeblies included. I dont have a good res shot but, its this one from google

Anyway - it got me thinking that the gears might be found parts, though the muzzle might not be. Lathe change gears are similar sizes..

Also made me think that more than one mold was made. It appears some casts include the greeblies - maybe a mold of a cast or a a mold of a decorated spear gun OR a mold of a decorated bare resin cast of the speargun.

Anyway, the trigger has to be glued in place since the lever mech goes beyond the rear of this blaster. By the way.. there are at least 2 kinds of triggers with this model of speargun. I have a picture here somewhere.

Im also thinking that tab thing is a button and the long flat part goes inside something.

 

[geordietrooper]

is this any help

STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) - Bespin Security Guard Blaster - Current price: £5500

propstoreauction.com

 

[thd9791]

Some propstore shots that might help the discussion of its construction and some greeblies. click for bigger



Hey the barrel has a flat spot!

 

[thd9791]

yes thank you!

is this any help

STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) - Bespin Security Guard Blaster - Current price: £5500

propstoreauction.com

 

[thd9791]

Ive been doing calculator research. The button is not from an exactra - there are shots where you can make out the font. Its very thin, and offset. Unisonic uses a very similar font but the brand is not a match.

 

[thd9791]

No luck on the calculator button. BUT here are the two versions of trigger. I think the correct one is found on short barreled ones, which are more rare (of course)

and a proper rear flange, 2 states of damage


and the trigger mechanism is a long skinny rod that lifts the valve/lever thingy inside the rear cylinder. You can see the barrel extends into the rear cylinder.

This is why I wonder how it's constructed because that rod holds the trigger in place, which would have been removed or cut. though it looks like a metric threaded rod holds things in the back of the gun. There is space for the threaded rod to run all the way to the front/barrel, which is intriguing

 

[thd9791]

I did more disassembly today of some scuba guns I had lying around. I can't disassemble them any further, so I chopped the rear tube to at least get them down to size. I can safely say there is no rear tube on these blasters.. As for if the original tube was sawed off or completely removed I'm not sure.

I was stuck before, so the first thing I tried was to get the muzzle off. Oops, the muzzle comes in 2 pieces!



I could not remove the other one. Nor was I able to get the main body of the muzzle off the barrel. Cooking it over a stove, smashing it with a hammer, WD-40, etc. nothing!

So I moved onto the inside of the barrel. I had already gotten the air tank off by using the valve

I tried just pouring water through the gun, to hear where it was blocked off inside. I was worried there was some complicated valve mechanism in there... so eventually I got frustrated and just pushed on the blockage with a steel rod. It slid out the back. it was the piston! (seen here after I cut the rear tube off)


So, I was left with two different states of wear on the flanged ends

and that was the extent of my ability. These bodies have cracks repaired with Testors plastic weld.

Here are all the innards I was able to disassemble!




now begs the question - did the SW team chop the front barrel too? I can't imagine the gears have such big holes in them to go over this barrel. I don't see how they would have removed the barrel completely, it's really stuck in there. Muzzle is also really stuck on and they would have had to replace that, so it's at least cut behind there.

 

[kurtyboy]

When I made mine I slid a tube over the barrel.

 

[Pedro]

Seems we're on the same wavelength, I'll join you in this build asap, I have Nemrod in hand. I'm fairly sure that they cut the barrel for the OT blaster, they had no reason to try to preserve the "history" of the spear gun as we might be tempted.

Gosh, looking closely at this (have only been gathering bits so far), it shares so many greeblies with the DL-21! A several of that long rectangular dealie with the oval cutout. Has that part been identified? I always forget to check other blasters for greeblie reference.

 

[thd9791]

When I made mine I slid a tube over the barrel.

Yes! I did this with my first one but have since been re evaluating the construction now that i have more experience with props. Ive seen some casts that suggest the barrel was separate entirely, and the gun is hollow. Theres no where for that threaded post at the back to anchor to, weirdly enough

Seems we're on the same wavelength, I'll join you in this build asap, I have Nemrod in hand. I'm fairly sure that they cut the barrel for the OT blaster, they had no reason to try to preserve the "history" of the spear gun as we might be tempted.

Gosh, looking closely at this (have only been gathering bits so far), it shares so many greeblies with the DL-21! A several of that long rectangular dealie with the oval cutout. Has that part been identified? I always forget to check other blasters for greeblie reference.

I still have to respond to your DL21 post! Yes, that greeblie is still a mystery and I hope lonepigeon gets a lead someday soon! It appears as the rear sight and on the side of the Relby K23. I think possibly being unable to remove the main tube, they cut the handle/frame out and used a new barrel, which is why its thicker. Why would they go to lengths to sleeve thicken the barrel such a little amount? Im thinking those gears might be hand cut now, one is thicker than the other

 

[Pedro]

I haven't done my homework on this one yet, so not much comment on the barrel stuff. Based on the different thicknesses of the "gears" I'd guess that it was plastic, and one cut/filed down to size, but that's total conjecture.

If you need I can help you out with the greeblie, at least until we get lucky and find out what it is! I modeled this based on a bunch of references, should be pretty damn close! I'm not 100% certain that the cylinder between the triangles in the front is actually there, but I'm pretty sure that I see it (mostly chipped away) in the Propstore DL-21 photos. LMK if you need some.

 

[thd9791]

I haven't done my homework on this one yet, so not much comment on the barrel stuff. Based on the different thicknesses of the "gears" I'd guess that it was plastic, and one cut/filed down to size, but that's total conjecture.

If you need I can help you out with the greeblie, at least until we get lucky and find out what it is! I modeled this based on a bunch of references, should be pretty damn close! I'm not 100% certain that the cylinder between the triangles in the front is actually there, but I'm pretty sure that I see it (mostly chipped away) in the Propstore DL-21 photos. LMK if you need some.

View attachment 1449162

Nice work! You cast those?! They do look pretty darn close. Ive got some modern molex connectors i can trade you (the 6 pack greeblie above it) ill message you once ive dug them out.. wherever i put them lol

 

[Pedro]

Actually I summon them from a vat of goo! (sla print) I’ve made a few tweaks since this pic. I tend to print then adjust then print then...I up with lots of greeblies. I’m doing goofy stuff like adding the ejector pin marks and molding flaws, for “accuracy”. If you PM me your address I’ll send some your way. I haven’t much digging for the molex connector, just modeled it instead. That said, it wouldn’t reject a real one!

 

[Pedro]

I started digging through vintage swizzle sticks on eBay (any other ideas for search terms? Stirrer?). This one caught my eye, the spoon has the general look of the long greeblie with the holes. Maybe we can actually find the correct bit!

 

[thd9791]

The closest I've seen are PanAm swizzle sticks but they are not vertically the same shape.



OdiWan72 (I thought) found one in a desk drawer somewhere and I don't remember if there was a maker's mark

 

[OdiWan72]

The closest I've seen are PanAm swizzle sticks but they are not vertically the same shape.

View attachment 1449872

OdiWan72 (I thought) found one in a desk drawer somewhere and I don't remember if there was a maker's mark

no logo or anything, that would give insight about the manufacturer
don‘t even know, if mine are 100% accurate, but they‘re at least so close, that I used them on my personal build(s)

 

[thd9791]

That's still pretty cool, thank you!

 

[Marv]

I started digging through vintage swizzle sticks on eBay (any other ideas for search terms? Stirrer?). This one caught my eye, the spoon has the general look of the long greeblie with the holes. Maybe we can actually find the correct bit!
View attachment 1449811

If this was made in the UK the stick is pretty much as you see it on the blaster. These were really common in takeaway cafés and had no spoon. There must have been hundreds of these things littered on local beaches through the years.

 

[mgoob]

I haven't done my homework on this one yet, so not much comment on the barrel stuff. Based on the different thicknesses of the "gears" I'd guess that it was plastic, and one cut/filed down to size, but that's total conjecture.

If you need I can help you out with the greeblie, at least until we get lucky and find out what it is! I modeled this based on a bunch of references, should be pretty damn close! I'm not 100% certain that the cylinder between the triangles in the front is actually there, but I'm pretty sure that I see it (mostly chipped away) in the Propstore DL-21 photos. LMK if you need some.

I would think that I'm not the only one who would be interested in some accurate printed parts

 

[Pedro]

mgoob This could definitely be arranged, though somewhat swamped with various projects at the moment. I haven’t made the Relby parts yet, but it’s high on the list! Don’t want derail this thread, feel free to PM me.

Say Tom, where are you with this? Any luck with the greeblies?