Dewy and Anakin Starkiller's Accurate Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 Lightsaber Design
- Thread starter Dewy
- Start date
I’d love to go To Bob’s… that said, I am pretty close to Apex hardware here in LA which is much the same!
AnubisGuard has a theory that the saber in that crate that went to Ki Adi Mundi also shares a lot of design cues from the Obi ANH hero and that they were probably doing this on purpose.
Wow, how have I never heard of Apex? I’m ~25 minutes away.
We should totally do an LA RPF-er field trip!
Not to hijack your thread, but here's a few pics from the last time I went:
Those things in the last pick-- various models of jet engine combustion chambers. I had dreams of finding different types of balance pipes in them for custom sabers... but alasd, they only rent them. As evidenced in the last pick-- a screen grab from an old episode of Star Trek Enterprise!
Not to hijack your thread, but here's a few pics from the last time I went:
Those things in the last pick-- various models of jet engine combustion chambers. I had dreams of finding different types of balance pipes in them for custom sabers... but alasd, they only rent them. As evidenced in the last pick-- a screen grab from an old episode of Star Trek Enterprise!
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Is it a rental house or can you actually buy their garbage?
Not to aid and abet in your hijacking... But that place looks freakin amazing!
Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Ok, regarding the bike valve, here are my thoughts. I have collected several styles of valves over the years, and the one that is closest has the 45 degree knurling. I've used this version on several replicas I've done and shown on my YT channel. Most valves have an incorrect 30 degree knurl.
The original piece was, without doubt, a presta to schrader valve adapter. People have had a hard time finding the original one, and there is a reason for this: the original one on the prop was filed down. If you look closely, you can see that the surface of the valve shows evidence of grinding. I have done a study and I'll post a picture of it confirming that this is the process that resulted in the prop valve. I've attached a picture showing four valves--left to right, let's number them 1, 2, 3 and 4. #1 is the one with the correct knurling and seems closest in diameter, but is nonetheless incorrect, because the internal threading does not go right up to the face of the valve (i.e. it starts out too short).
Numbers 2, 3, and 4 are all the same valve. #2 is unmodified. #3 is milled in half to show a cross section, and #4 has been ground down to size. #3 shows that on these type of valves, there is an area inside that is meant to contain the tiny o-ring. #1 has this, and if you remove the o-ring, you will not have the internal threads going right up to the face like on the original prop. So #4 was my experiment to show that if you take a valve that is taller in height, grind it down, you get one that is closer in height to the original, and thus brings the internal threads right up to the face like on the original prop.
So the trick is to find a taller valve, that also has the correct knurling. Currently, I have a lead on this and have ordered a few samples, and will post them if they are the correct version. I don't want to post the source yet because I don't know if they are correct or not, and I'd rather other people not waste their money until I see what shows up. If they are correct, I will happily share the source. These are not rare or anything like that, as they are current production. Finding a vintage one from the mid-1990s, however, would be much harder.
After looking more closely at Dewy's renders, he has already modeled it exceptionally well. There really isn't much to improve on. It would be nice to have a vintage original, if you could track it down, but a modern equivalent or a replica based on Dewy's design should be completely satisfactory.
The original piece was, without doubt, a presta to schrader valve adapter. People have had a hard time finding the original one, and there is a reason for this: the original one on the prop was filed down. If you look closely, you can see that the surface of the valve shows evidence of grinding. I have done a study and I'll post a picture of it confirming that this is the process that resulted in the prop valve. I've attached a picture showing four valves--left to right, let's number them 1, 2, 3 and 4. #1 is the one with the correct knurling and seems closest in diameter, but is nonetheless incorrect, because the internal threading does not go right up to the face of the valve (i.e. it starts out too short).
Numbers 2, 3, and 4 are all the same valve. #2 is unmodified. #3 is milled in half to show a cross section, and #4 has been ground down to size. #3 shows that on these type of valves, there is an area inside that is meant to contain the tiny o-ring. #1 has this, and if you remove the o-ring, you will not have the internal threads going right up to the face like on the original prop. So #4 was my experiment to show that if you take a valve that is taller in height, grind it down, you get one that is closer in height to the original, and thus brings the internal threads right up to the face like on the original prop.
So the trick is to find a taller valve, that also has the correct knurling. Currently, I have a lead on this and have ordered a few samples, and will post them if they are the correct version. I don't want to post the source yet because I don't know if they are correct or not, and I'd rather other people not waste their money until I see what shows up. If they are correct, I will happily share the source. These are not rare or anything like that, as they are current production. Finding a vintage one from the mid-1990s, however, would be much harder.
After looking more closely at Dewy's renders, he has already modeled it exceptionally well. There really isn't much to improve on. It would be nice to have a vintage original, if you could track it down, but a modern equivalent or a replica based on Dewy's design should be completely satisfactory.
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Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Here are some pics of the version that I currently have on order. They have the correct knurling and *should* be able to be filed down to the correct height, as long as the diameter isn't too far off, or anything else. I'll post what I find.
FWIW, the third pic is something I also found on Google and have cropped the original image, which is of an older version and has a thinner stem, interestingly. Perhaps that is closer to the original, as the cast stunt versions seem to suggest.
FWIW, the third pic is something I also found on Google and have cropped the original image, which is of an older version and has a thinner stem, interestingly. Perhaps that is closer to the original, as the cast stunt versions seem to suggest.
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That third picture looks really good! I can confirm 100% the hero prop has the unthreaded thin neck section before the external threads, as shown in my model.
Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Unrelated to the presta valve, but something I wanted to bring up in regard to the discussion of the emitter ring, here is a screenshot from the final duel with Maul showing the emitter ring sitting higher than the fender washer/machined piece & threaded rod, suggesting that the emitter ring was able to move up and down slightly on the hilt, since the emitter ring in the reference pics is slightly below the surface of the "washer." Or the washer/rod were able to move up and down inside the emitter ring, but the ring moving seems more likely to me. The rod and washer would have been mounted solid if the whole hilt was built around them, but I could easily see how the emitter ring, depending upon how it's made and attached, could get bumped up and down. And this is all assuming the hero in this screenshot is the same one in the reference pics.
In other words, if these are the same prop, how do you explain why the washer/rod appear recessed below the emitter ring in the duel screenshot?
Happy May 4th, y'all.
In other words, if these are the same prop, how do you explain why the washer/rod appear recessed below the emitter ring in the duel screenshot?
Happy May 4th, y'all.
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Well based on the reference photos I have, it is obvious that at some point the hero prop was badly damaged. Perhaps from Maul kicking it over the ledge about 2 seconds after your screen shot? It would not surprise me one bit if this thing had to be repaired and reassembled.
Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Yes that's the best one I've seen as well. I'll attach the uncropped pic of it, as well as some other places that have stock photos of the same valve, but long out of stock. Maybe someone can track this down, finally. I've spent many hours on it but never could find the exact one currently available. Might be worth checking some older bike parts stores up in the UK, for any RPFers over there! The ones I just bought are from Ireland, but don't have the thin neck. I could always cheat and throw 'em on the lathe...
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Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Very nice model! You've got it down.
I wonder how the original was shortened. I've always thought it was quickly cut down on a sanding belt, or filed down, but if that's the case, I wonder how it's possible that there is that small edge without knurling right below the face? If it was ground down like that, the knurling should go straight to the edge. Maybe it was shortened up on a lathe, which could explain that tiny lip.
Of course, there are striations on the face of the valve, but perhaps that's from a file or sandpaper afterwards to finish the piece.
Excelsior
Well-Known Member
That's fascinating. I've never seen pictures of the prop in a badly damaged state. I wish I could see what you're seeing. So I'm guessing that the hero prop reference pics that are public were taken at some point during production when the hilt was still undamaged. The worst damage on it in those pictures is some very slight chipping of the black paint in the emitter area.
Does anyone actually know if the original still exists, and if it's in the possession of a private person or if it's over at Skywalker ranch somewhere?
Excelsior
Well-Known Member
Excellent. Yes, that has to be the same. It just looks the same--the finish on the aluminum and the paint are a match. What's interesting is that you can even see where the paint has been more worn and gotten more shiny from handling in the main grip area, where the actor would have held it the most, whereas the paint up in the emitter still has a slight matte look to it. I've always taken this as evidence that the black areas are machined aluminum and were painted black. That's the simplest explanation. The black areas are not anodized, which is something most replicas of this saber have gotten wrong over the years. Some have even suggested delrin, but if you look at the top two black rings below the emitter ring, you can see where the paint has chipped off, revealing the aluminum beneath. There are pictures of the Qui-Gon hero showing paint chips also (it's even visible in screenshots), thus corroborating the existence of paint here.
FWIW, the later three-hole emitter version of this saber definitely did have the black areas anodized. But on this earlier Episode 1 prop, they just painted it.
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