DL-18 Jabba's Palace Blaster Metal Side Plates Discussion

[lmakeltraln]

I've been wanting to contribute to the community by keeping up my search for what these side plates were or where they came from
I've taken photos of the original prop and flipped one image horizontally and noticed subtle differences in the plates highlighted in red

The differences in them make me think they were trimmed up from the original part to make the shape they were going for

A part of me thinks they could be part of the folding hinge assembly of a vintage film camera

I'd love to see some input and ideas

 

[Alan Solo]

That looks like a good candidate. They always struck me as such an ugly addition that I can't imagine the prop maker went to any great effort to create them. I can see them having been roughly cut to remove them from a camera body.

 

[thd9791]

So, fun fact, the top plates are pretty much identical but banged up. The top tab has a bevel on the left side.... on both. So the outside of the left side of the gun and the inside of the right side!

 

[BlandoCalrssian]

It would explain the placement of those greeblies on the plates if they were covering up rivet holes and slots for hinges.

 

[lonepigeon]

It's very unlikely they were anything vintage. They made quite a few DL-18s and as you said, the sideplates on each side are identical (even the bevel on the same side). Meaning wherever they came from it took two donors to make one gun.
My current best guess is that they were airgun or replica gun internals, but I'm far from positive on that.
These parts and the "scope" are high on my want-to-find list.

 

[lmakeltraln]

Does anyone know if the hero blaster was the actual umarex and just recast for the movie

It would explain the placement of those greeblies on the plates if they were covering up rivet holes and slots for hinges.

Exactly! That's what I was thinking either they used putty or something to fill it in the holes and slots, covered then with greeblies

 

[lmakeltraln]

It's very unlikely they were anything vintage. They made quite a few DL-18s and as you said, the sideplates on each side are identical (even the bevel on the same side). Meaning wherever they came from it took two donors to make one gun.
My current best guess is that they were airgun or replica gun internals, but I'm far from positive on that.
These parts and the "scope" are high on my want-to-find list.

My hunt list too. The scope definitely looks like a multimeter electrical tester of some type. Ive heard lot think these side plates were trauma shears but I don't see it. They seem too thick

 

[lmakeltraln]

 

[thd9791]

Yep. Unless I’m mistaken, there was an unused blaster with the same scope but much longer. I think this was a cut-down high voltage probe, one of the giant 12 inch ones or something.

 

[lmakeltraln]

Yep. Unless I’m mistaken, there was an unused blaster with the same scope but much longer. I think this was a cut-down high voltage probe, one of the giant 12 inch ones or something.

Hey I never knew that. Do you have any info on this pics links?

 

[thd9791]

I will deliver if I can. It’s going to take me a bit to track it down, it’s one of those stupid old RPF “wow that’s cool, it will be here forever no need to snag that photo..” lol I want this too, I’ll see what I can find

 

[lmakeltraln]

I will deliver if I can. It’s going to take me a bit to track it down, it’s one of those stupid old RPF “wow that’s cool, it will be here forever no need to snag that photo..” lol I want this too, I’ll see what I can find

One thing I found about those old posts is that depending on how they uploaded the image like photo bucket or to therpf itself, the image could be long gone. Was it from an exhibition? Auction?

 

[Marv]

Could they be from a type writer or something similar?

 

[lonepigeon]

The tip of the "scope" looks like a mini audio jack. Don't know if that's a coincidence or it's actually audio related.
I can confirm the longer scope on the unused (or at least never clearly seen on screen) blaster. I'm not sure if they were all cut down or if the long one is just a different size. I don't know if that other blaster was posted publicly. It may have been on the old SW Behind the Magic CD Rom. The photo is from production.

 

[lonepigeon]

The tip of the "scope" looks like a mini audio jack. Don't know if that's a coincidence or it's actually audio related.
I can confirm the longer scope on the unused (or at least never clearly seen on screen) blaster. I'm not sure if they were all cut down or if the long one is just a different size. I don't know if that other blaster was posted publicly. It may have been on the old SW Behind the Magic CD Rom. The photo is from production.

Looked at the long "scope" again. It's doesn't have the pointed tip just the cross part (+). They might have just stuck a mini jack into the other one to give it a pointed tip.
I really don't think it's a voltage probe. It's hard to envision the part as something else though.
Someone else swore it was a vintage marker. I haven't seen any markers like that.

 

[thd9791]

Looked at the long "scope" again. It's doesn't have the pointed tip just the cross part (+). They might have just stuck a mini jack into the other one to give it a pointed tip.
I really don't think it's a voltage probe. It's hard to envision the part as something else though.
Someone else swore it was a vintage marker. I haven't seen any markers like that.

Thank you Chris, I was afraid it was a private thing. Good to know about the tip… I definitely think the part below the sight is a casing from some kind of audio jack, so maybe there’s a connection? That part sort of looks like an altered artist marker cap

 

[lmakeltraln]

Looked at the long "scope" again. It's doesn't have the pointed tip just the cross part (+). They might have just stuck a mini jack into the other one to give it a pointed tip.
I really don't think it's a voltage probe. It's hard to envision the part as something else though.
Someone else swore it was a vintage marker. I haven't seen any markers like that.

do you have a photo? just out of curiousity

 

[lmakeltraln]

That looks like a good candidate. They always struck me as such an ugly addition that I can't imagine the prop maker went to any great effort to create them. I can see them having been roughly cut to remove them from a camera body.

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder
The DL-18 is my favorite blaster

 

[thd9791]

The place I saw the parallel bevels on the upper bits was from kurtyboy and I’m not sure if that source is public either. Maybe at least he can confirm?

The plates are thick, like 3mm which is around 1/8” here in the US. I traced and hand carved my plates from 3mm sheet aluminum and I had to drill holes all the way around and use big metal files to shape it.

The lower parts are very thin and bent about 1/3 from the tip. The rear part is almost flat against the gun and they tilt up, then bend flat before they reach on top of the thick plates.

I really have no idea what they could be!

 

[lmakeltraln]

kurtyboy I'd love to see any info on this if you could share, I've seen and followed your posts
always appreciate your research and insight