ESB Bladed Stunt Graflex Lightsaber "The Core!"

[Mouse Vader]

Got more fabric tape today. £3.99 for 5 meters (50mm wide). The only dif, from genuine M3 is that it's slightly less silvery to look at (same graininess) & maybe a tiny bit less bright but it has to be side by side to notice. Everything else is identical in look & feel. Will certainly do for my tests. I only went for this as it's UK seller & I wouldn't have to wait. Glad I did.

New tape is top strip, real scotchbrite bottom strip, both on Chinese stuff as back cloth.

cloth side all 3.

brightnesses.

 

[thd9791]

I'm beginning to think the Bespin Duel used different reflective stuff than what I was thinking. The blades there look painted, with bits chipping off. Does anyone know if reflective paint was available in the 70s? Looks like all thats available now has glass stuck to the paint.

I also realized my original idea for this saber came from the Dagobah filming scenes.

Those deleted scenes are very good. There's a shot with luke/yoda with reflective material on the blade, (these are just screenshots of my computer)

then a B&W shot with some misaligned rotoscoping ontop of it.

I was trying to see what the color of the reflection was... maybe that would give a hint to the type of tape or paint they used. I think I got the length pretty right, my blue blade is maybe 4-5 inches too long

 

[thd9791]

I'm bad at modern video uploading/sharing, its like I'm stuck in 2013, anyway, I did a swing test for plain old Reflexite and the luminosity changes with position.

I also forgot how tall I am, you can hear the clunk as I hit the ceiling

 

[redbutton]

Great Tom - I like how you grab the blade at the end of the movie! Funny how
your hand doesn't melt. You are the prop making gawd!

 

[Halliwax]

I'm bad at modern video uploading/sharing, its like I'm stuck in 2013, anyway, I did a swing test for plain old Reflexite and the luminosity changes with position.

I also forgot how tall I am, you can hear the clunk as I hit the ceiling

Tom I love this freak’n video!! You have me in tears with the ceiling!!

This so much reminds me of the Vader hall way scene!!

That blue looks amazing buddy! All your hard work and research has paid off! Congratulations!

 

[thd9791]

Thanks! Next step is to make another blade covered in gray chinese reflective fabric, once I get it in the mail.. thats 1) drill and tap set screws 2) slice a threaded rod to length and add dimples 3) trim and coat the blade

Or use another golf club, I mean, the Dagobah shot does have a rather thin blade

 

[thd9791]

Still waiting on material from china. In the meantime I screwed my terrible Scotchlite blade into the graflex just to get a look at it. Couldn't get this stuff to hug the tapered pole very well, but it still reflects hard

 

[Dann]

Cool!!

 

[Halliwax]

That dat boy!!!

 

[Halliwax]

Looking for reference for god only knows what I bumped into this gif the other night, thought of you Tom

 

[Dann]

Hahahaha is that a young Warwick Davis and is that Mark Hamill? The part that's NOT showing Warwick is so fast, I have NO IDEA what the heck is going on!

But, for whatever reason, it's still funny!

 

[thd9791]

So, in yet another experiment, I decided to make a double collar, like Brandon had talked about. This is using a graphite golf club. Half inch round tube inside (3/8 ID for the threaded rod) and on the outside is round tube that's the same diameter as the golf club. All aluminum. I also used a rivet nut to start off the inside collar since I didn't tap the inner bushing.

I drilled the outer bushing first, and used it as a guide to drill the golf club and the inner pieces at the same time. (I super glued the inside pieces together so they wouldn't slide down the shaft inside while I drilled!)

I tapped the farthest hole first, and then drilled the other two and tapped them. Kept everything situated while I worked.

My set screws at 5/16 are too long. I think 1/4 will be better if I can find them.

It's pretty sturdy, and when I get back to my place I'll stick it in a graflex. I plan on wrapping this one with a reflective material. Seems like the Scotchlite looks like what was used but the Chinese fabric may look better!

 

[thd9791]

Actually the outer sleeve may be stainless or something, totally different finish!

 

[Halliwax]

Look at this guy go!!

 

[Halliwax]

Tom I am a visual learner, I have a hard time reading something being explained

I always thought the double collar meant this,

but now I get what your saying. Thanks for visually explaining

 

[kurtyboy]

I always thought the collar went on the outside of the blade.

 

[thd9791]

Nice drawing! That core made me smile

I remember him saying that there was metal on the inside and outside of the bottom of the blade. This is why, for a quick interpretation, I went to the metal store and got two pieces of round tube.

technically I've got,

1) the threaded rod
2) inner Alu bushing (to fill the space inside)
3) Graphite tube
4) outer Alu bushing (more meat for the set screws to grip)

and the thickness is important on the inner bushing. There aren't any gaps in diameter.

Tapping the graphite tube was WEIRD, it sounded like cutting construction paper.

 

[Halliwax]

Nice drawing! That core made me smile

I remember him saying that there was metal on the inside and outside of the bottom of the blade. This is why, for a quick interpretation, I went to the metal store and got two pieces of round tube.

technically I've got,

1) the threaded rod
2) inner Alu bushing (to fill the space inside)
3) Graphite tube
4) outer Alu bushing (more meat for the set screws to grip)

and the thickness is important on the inner bushing. There aren't any gaps in diameter.

Tapping the graphite tube was WEIRD, it sounded like cutting construction paper.

Dude I know!! I can’t do it!! Just like the sound of a cotton ball being squished!! Oh my god goes right through me!!

 

[thd9791]

I have a new found respect for all you guys who use 3M spray adhesive.

I got the Chinese fabric today, and I love it. Much easier to work with and very reflective without that grainy ness.

I opened a new can of spray adhesive and used it on a scrap of the fabric and on one of these kid sized ski poles.

All I could do was yell **** **** ****

With the strength of epoxy, I glued the fabric to the newspaper beneath it, and glued the newspaper to the floor almost instantaneously. This was my second attempt and I had to peel it off itself and peel paper off the pole. Did not get it all off but decided to smear the fabric in place anyway, terrible wrinkles and folds sticking out. This is a couple
Wraps of fabric... but holy crap that stuff is like super glue! How does everyone work with it without sticking to everything?

Still...look at how strongly it reflects from a couple feet away

 

[Dann]

Which spray adhesive did you use? Super 90? Super 77?
And wow! That's bright!!