Dewy and Anakin Starkiller's Accurate Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 Lightsaber Design

Okay, so I have an update on the "brass valve":

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I had long been considering the possibility that it wasn't a Presta/Schrader Valve Adapter. It seems like too many of the prequel saber parts are aerospace related, so I thought I would look in that realm. thd9791 and I had been bouncing some ideas off each other when I stumbled upon the Parker Hannifin Model #20-6 "3/8 in. x 1/4 in. Barb Brass Plug". This is a simple plug used to plug the ends of open pneumatic flexible hoses:

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The sizing looked correct, the knurling looks perfect, the only problem was the stem and the fact that the inner diameter wasn't threaded. Anyways I picked a few up, and after 10 minutes of easy modification I'm pretty happy with the results. All it took was cutting down the stem with a hack saw, and tapping the ID with (in this case) an M6 tap.

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I'm not saying this is exactly what was used, but it's a possibility, and a good option readily available for cheap:



Great find. I think you just figured it out. This type of part, previously unknown to me, is a much stronger candidate than the bike valve. The barb knurling does look perfect. The fact that it also has that extra step around the top face is a strong indicator. I like your idea about the stem being cut short and how that matches with the small set screw mount seen on that stunt saber.

The version you found does differ in some dimensions from the prop, but it's such a close match overall, that it would be odd if it weren't the correct type of part.

The trick is finding tooling to reproduce that knurling... it's close to a 45 degree knurl, but not quite... I looked around on MSC for a bit but couldn't find anything correct.

What do you think about shortening the barb knurled area from the stem side? What does the bottom of the valve look like in your high res reference photos? Does it look like it was lathed short, or do you think that the original part was just made shorter 25 years ago?
 

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So I picked up a few of Dewy's barbs from Zoro and modified one on my mini lathe. It came out great. I just eyeballed it from the photos, but with the correct knurling, it really looks good. I tapped it with an M6 like Dewy did (that took some force), dremeled off the end, and then finished it up carefully on the lathe. I tried to get the same cut as seen in the reference pics by shaving it down to the correct row of knurls.

One thing I noticed after tapping is that a very large burr was created, so I took some 600 grit sandpaper and lightly flattened it back out--looks just like the original now. I wonder if this isn't what the propmakers did after all--it would explain why there are obvious sanding marks on the face of the valve, or maybe we should be saying barb, or plug. Also, I cut the piece shorter from the bottom side, not the top, which left that miniscule step around the edge of the face intact, just like on the original.

I'm pretty happy with it. This is much closer than any of the presta valves I've been able to source.
 

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Here are a few more pics of the modified barb. I also tossed it onto an old Korbanth OWK to see what it looked like.
 

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So I picked up a few of Dewy's barbs from Zoro and modified one on my mini lathe. It came out great. I just eyeballed it from the photos, but with the correct knurling, it really looks good. I tapped it with an M6 like Dewy did (that took some force), dremeled off the end, and then finished it up carefully on the lathe. I tried to get the same cut as seen in the reference pics by shaving it down to the correct row of knurls.

One thing I noticed after tapping is that a very large burr was created, so I took some 600 grit sandpaper and lightly flattened it back out--looks just like the original now. I wonder if this isn't what the propmakers did after all--it would explain why there are obvious sanding marks on the face of the valve, or maybe we should be saying barb, or plug. Also, I cut the piece shorter from the bottom side, not the top, which left that miniscule step around the edge of the face intact, just like on the original.

I'm pretty happy with it. This is much closer than any of the presta valves I've been able to source.

That looks awesome! I had to use a lot of cutting fluid to get a smooth tap, mine did not burr too badly though.
 
I think it’s more likely that the original prop used a previous version of this part, or maybe a similar part from a different manufacturer, or maybe something completely different and we just got lucky that this is close. At the very least I can now buy some knurling wheels to figure out which ones match these parts.
 
That looks awesome! I had to use a lot of cutting fluid to get a smooth tap, mine did not burr too badly though.
Thanks! I used a lot of cutting fluid as well. My M6 tap is probably just getting dull. It did have a nice burr on there afterward, but at least that gave me a "real" excuse to sand the face.

The knurling on this barb is very weird--it isn't perfectly straight, for one thing, and it isn't a 45 degree knurl like I thought for years. When you compare it side by side with the more accurate presta valves we have, you can really see the difference. But the funny thing is, to my eyes, the knurling on this--both the horizontal diamond pattern it appears to have, as well as the slight cant, are apparent on the original prop. If this isn't the real part, you sure can make it look exactly like it with a tap, dremel, and a few minutes on the lathe.

For the run you and Starkiller are planning, it might even be worth it just to buy a quantity of these barbs and have them tapped and machined to final dimensions, rather than trying to source the right knurling wheels. The knurling really is that close on these. Kudos to you for finding them!
 
Nice work guys! Does tapping for M6 also include widening the main hole? Or is it already sized for M6 and that’s why we chose that size tap?

You guys are great machinists, and also… my knurling is also crooked on both lol
 
Nice work guys! Does tapping for M6 also include widening the main hole? Or is it already sized for M6 and that’s why we chose that size tap?

You guys are great machinists, and also… my knurling is also crooked on both lol

Thanks! I didn't widen the hole--the M6 tap worked fine with some patience (and after chopping off the opposite end of the barb to allow the tap to go clear through), but since it's such a tiny piece it was difficult to get leverage on it. The lathe chuck helped a lot.

Just so people can see what I mean regarding the cant, here's a comparison of the knurling between this replica and the original. Both are crooked, but the original is canted in the opposite direction.

I'm also starting to think the knurling on the original was slightly smaller than on these barbs, which is plausible as it's unlikely these are made with the exact same tooling as 25 years ago. But they are so close! The similarity is striking.

I'm interested to see if you do any more comparisons or overlay, Dewy. I can take more pics and match some angles for you if that would help. If we can just get a perfect model of the original, custom knurling wheels could be made to match, if nothing is readily available.
 

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Wait the second ones may be the 4mm and the first ones might be 6mm, I’m confusing myself


The knurling looks like an incorrect 30 degree knurl on the solid version--the other one with the hole is much more accurate. I was able to tap it with an M6 but had to use the lathe chuck to get a good grip on it without mashing up the knurling. You might be able to get it to work with a shop vise or even a pair of pliers, but it takes some force. Make sure you hacksaw or dremel off the end before you try so the tap can go all the way through. Then you can lathe it down or cut it short to finish.
 
Okay I tried it myself. Boring the ones without a hole in the top was not possible on my shifty drill press. This, to me, matches the height of the prop, 4 knurls plus a half on top and bottom

I at least did the cool lathe thing of keeping the drill bit stationary!
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Since the salt shaker saber was mentioned earlier in the thread:

Rubber "Salt Shaker" stunt cast (Covertec is in a weird spot, and attributed to Ep 3):

And a bonus:
Simplified stunt saber (Episode 1&2 saber, attributed to Ep 3)

To get at the larger photos, click the blue magnifying lens button, then right click the image.
 
Since the salt shaker saber was mentioned earlier in the thread:

Rubber "Salt Shaker" stunt cast (Covertec is in a weird spot, and attributed to Ep 3):

And a bonus:
Simplified stunt saber (Episode 1&2 saber, attributed to Ep 3)

To get at the larger photos, click the blue magnifying lens button, then right click the image.
I think the short blades stunt was shown awhile back as well. https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/319/lot/89070?url=/search?key=Star+wars


And there's a long bladed stunt. https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/319/lot/89071?url=/search?key=Star+wars
 
Since a lot of the prequel saber found parts seem to be aerospace related, and most (nearly all) aerospace parts distributors will not sell to individuals, I was forced to form my own LLC. This makes it much easier to procure parts via AS9100/ISO9001 certified suppliers.

Here is an example of more aircraft parts: solid head rivets. They come in this purple color to indicate a specific material. I've been doing a lot of research on which specifications and part numbers will result in the correct head shape, correct size, and correct purple color. More details to follow once I've nailed that info down.

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