Found! Obi-Wan Kenobi ANH Lightsaber Emitter

[rhboyd]

Holy moses....

This is the most impressive display of intuitive thinking, detective work, and research that's it's ever been my priviledge to follow. BIG cudos to all involved, for pushing the thought in one way or t'other... for beautiful renderings and manipulations... it's been a real treat to follow.

Line this up against all the petty bickerings... the sour deals... the misinterpreted posts; and the RPF comes out on the side of angels. Nicely done one and all.

-r.

 

[Gojira61]

What an absolutely amazing read, what an amazing thread.

Congrats to all for the hard work and sticking with it.

Jim

 

[gavidoc]

Originally posted by Serafino@Oct 5 2005, 09:44 PM

Amish and John--fer crying out loud, time enough to find out the Serafino/Obee1 was closest when the specs get published.   

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With beveled holes? Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

 

[Serafino]

Originally posted by gavidoc@Oct 6 2005, 09:14 AM
With beveled holes? Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

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Actually, we never got around to finishing the version with the angled ring Gav. Just the one with the right exterior proportions and size.

 

[gavidoc]

I thought it was said you did a run with chamfered holes?

not so?

Gotta be honest, how you saw a chamfered surface where it's flat amazes me.

 

[Serafino]

Originally posted by gavidoc@Oct 6 2005, 09:21 AM
I thought it was said you did a run with chamfered holes?

not so?

Gotta be honest, how you saw a chamfered surface where it's flat amazes me.

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I modified one emitter to test the angled ring idea, and a run was in the works but hadn't happened yet.

In truth, the jury's still out on exactly what's going on there. I'm a bit amazed that you're amazed. I'd have thought that by now, being so honest, you'd have a lot of empathy for people who went barking up the wrong tree.

 

[Prop Runner]

Originally posted by Serafino@Oct 6 2005, 03:26 PM
This thread has gotten so big that people aren't reading the whole thing, and information is getting missed.

I think we need to start collecting major points, i.e. issues to address, parts to look for, ways to ID the right engine, possible variations, etc. in one place so that it can be reviewed quickly.  Maybe the first post of this thread?  Or a new thread?

Good idea - maybe you and Blaxmyth or Chris can review the thread together and create in the first post a "table of contents" of links with brief descriptions to major issues and discoveries throughout the thread. I'm not sure to which posts or pages I'd create links for since everything is so dynamic and is often a result of a critical mass of posts that started with a suggestion or a link to an image and much collaborative or independent analysis. I suppose milestones like confirmation from sources and important visual references would be a good place to start.

Regarding how many emitters there are, and which one we're looking for, this is again the quote from the engineer I reached (who has not responded to my recent emails unfortunately):

"the picture you have is of a Derwent mk 8 or 9 but most likely a mk 9 interconnect. There are a few different sizes of inner bore diameter depending on your mod status and there is also two per combustion chamber with different flange diameters each. The picture you have looks like the left hand side as you look at the balance pipe."

I was afraid of that. Back a few posts I speculated that the internal bore diameters (ID) of the ring with holes, the ID and outer diameter (OD) of the inside tube, and possibly the ID and OD of the outer interconnector wall and flange might have slight variances that have yet to be discovered once a few interconnectors are collected, compared, and measured. Unfortunately, in the cutaway diagram of the interconnectors, the two facing "emitters" appear to be proportionally identical, and we already know that the illustration takes huge liberties with detail and proportions, so as a bonafide reference it's not very reliable.

Originally posted by Serafino@Oct 6 2005, 03:29 PM
Gabe it looks to me like the chamfer which looks different on the prop would affect how easily the coupling 'clamp' goes on, which appears to be what clamps the two flanges together?  Am I reading that right?

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In principle, yes, you're right, but there's more. Here's the cutaway diagram again, this time with all the visible chamfers and fillet rounds I could see:

In Chris' sample:

and in my cutaway model:

Notice how some chamfers are symmetrical (dxd) 45 degrees while others are asymmetrical (d1xd2) and have sharper angles (between 15-30 degrees). The sharper the angle, the more likely a hollow bored part fits over the chamfered edge, and the chamfer provides a nice lead-in. The small 45 degree chamfers are mostly there for breaking edges and strengthening corners. When a sharp edge isn't broken, little dings and burrs left over from machining and handling or from contact with other metal surfaces during assembly or operation can adversely affect mating with inserted or rotated parts like the the threaded coupling rings, and possibly scratch delicately finished surfaces or fine threads. Also, edge chamfers prevent interference when a mating part has a chamfered or filleted corner. The sketch below better illustrates these points:

Hope this helps clarify some.

- Gabe

 

[Ghost Host]

I may have missed this info, but what type of metal is it made of?

In the event that there won't be near enough of these sourced for those interested, I would be very interested in a casting from anyone who ends up with an original part.

 

[Serafino]

Originally posted by Ghost Host@Oct 6 2005, 10:23 AM
I may have missed this info, but what type of metal is it made of?

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We haven't got there yet, I'm dying to know also.

 

[gavidoc]

Andres,

Please don't think I don't have empathy for you. I don't necessarily look at it as barking up the wrong tree. I just don't understand the reasoning for believing there was a chamfer on the holes.

 

[Prop Runner]

Originally posted by Ghost Host@Oct 6 2005, 06:23 PM
I may have missed this info, but what type of metal is it made of?

My best guess would be hardened steel or Titanium. Titanium has a greenish-gray tint and retains its high tensile strength at very high temperatures, such as those generated inside a combustion chamber. The front of the "emitter" in Chris' photos looks a lot like Titanium, but the surface may have been discolored by repetative heating and cooling or exposure to jet fuel and combustion byproducts.

- Gabe

 

[Serafino]

Where they using titanium at that time? :eek

:lol Oh man the cost of accuracy if that's true...

 

[JOHNLP (OBI-JOHN)]

Originally posted by Serafino@Oct 6 2005, 07:04 PM
Where they using titanium at that time?  :eek

:lol  Oh man the cost of accuracy if that's true...

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Do you know how many uninals I looked at in hopes that this thing was a pluming part??? :confused
Just my luck it's part of a jet engine.... :angry
Not just ANY jet engine... :angry
BUT A FREEKING ROLLS F'ING ROYCE.. :angry
TITANIUM??????????............. :angry

DANG MAN.

 

[PHArchivist]

Originally posted by Serafino@Oct 6 2005, 07:04 PM
Where they using titanium at that time?  :eek

:lol  Oh man the cost of accuracy if that's true...

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The SR 71 Blackbird featured titanium in its hull.

 

[Prop Runner]

Titanium alloys began seeing commercial and industrial use in the mid 1940s. Today most jet engine turbofan blades are cast from Titanium alloys, and steel and aluminum airframe components are continuously being replaced by Titanium due to its high strength-to-weight ratio (it's 45% lighter than steel and twice as strong as aluminum).

Here's some background:

Titanium is absolutely immune to environmental attack, regardless of pollutants. Where other architectural metals exhibit limited lifespan, titanium endures. It withstands urban pollution, marine environments, the sulphur compounds of industrial areas and is failure-proof in even more aggressive environments. Because it is the most noble metal, the coupling of titanium with dissimilar metals does not accelerate galvanic corrosion of the titanium.

These properties make titanium perfect for use in many applications.

Aerospace Applications

Since the advent of the jet engine, titanium has been used in new alloys and production techniques to meet ever tighter standards for high-temperature performance, creep resistance, strength, and metallurgical structure.

Through triple melting, or in some cases, electron beam cold hearth melting, the highest quality titanium metal alloys are achieved. These alloys are used in aerospace applications such as engines and airframes.

Jet Engines

Titanium is used for critical jet engine rotating applications. In the newest technology jet engines, wide chord titanium fan blades increase efficiency while reducing noise.

Airframes

In the airframe structural market, innovative alloys replace steel and nickel alloys in landing gear and nacelle applications. These substitutions enable airframe manufacturers to save weight and improve aircraft efficiency.

Aircraft quality plate and sheet are hot-rolled from forged slab. To achieve critical plate flatness vacuum creep flattening is used. Superplastic forming/diffusion bonding has led to increased use of titanium alloy sheet in new airframe designs.

Aircraft quality strip, in commercially pure grades and beta alloys is produced in coil form with continuous vacuum annealing assuring extremely low hydrogen content.

With each new design, commercial aircraft manufacturers increase the use of titanium in airframes.

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium

http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1297

Titanium is finding its way into even daily consumer product applications such as lightweight but strong camera frames, golf driver clubs (larger head due to decreased weight increases the sweet spot area, range, & accuracy), orthopedic implants, racing & mountain bikes, etc.

But I wouldn't machine a replica emitter out of the metal...

- Gabe

 

[Darth Lars]

Originally posted by PHArchivist@Oct 6 2005, 09:47 PM
The SR 71 Blackbird featured titanium in its hull.

From Wikipedia:
Titanium metal was not used outside the laboratory until 1946...
The Derwent was constructed before this.

As to the SR-71, I have heard this before:
In 1950–1960s the Soviet Union attempted to corner the world titanium market as a tactic in the Cold War to prevent the American military from utilizing it. In spite of these efforts, the U.S obtained large quantities of titanium when a European company set up a front for the U.S. foreign intelligence agencies to purchase it.

I also doubt the emitter could have been aluminum, because of its low melting point, especially for an interconnect between combustion chambers.

 

[Serafino]

Gosh, you mean it might be STEEL?

 

[Killdozer]

I know this has been covered a little, but so far, I think it's all been hearsay... has anyone found out definitively if the Mk8 is the only one with the part in these dimensions? erm... trying to keep it straight. I'll shekc through the LAST 8 PAGES again...


KD

 

[Sporak]

Oh My God.
I just logged on after a few days away and I just saw it....
Oh My...
Words cannot express what I'm feeling...
My jaw dropped and I was absolutely speechless...
I called my wife in and made her look too...

She said, "Great job you guys "

 

[Serafino]

Gav--While You Were Gone

I actually have the first page of the thread where the whole beveled ring of holes idea got started, but the screen caps that got the ball rolling are in the thread above.