Lightning
Master Member
I think the threaded tube part is just turned inward away from us. a couple of the prongs might be cut off but I'll bet the top left one is going throught the hole in the disk to prevent spinning.
Greeblie Identification Help
- Thread starter Blue Leader
- Start date
I think the threaded tube part is just turned inward away from us. a couple of the prongs might be cut off but I'll bet the top left one is going throught the hole in the disk to prevent spinning.
Sweet find! So it looks like it’s from an Ampex Quad Video Head and the part is called a quad rotary head. And they’re really expensive. It definitely seems like this will need to be 3D printed.
Ampex Quad Video Head | #110254525
This is an Ampex 2-inch video quad head. Comes with a depth gauge used to measure tip projection. Also included are a couple of quad rotary heads and one other head from a helical video tape recorder,www.worthpoint.com
Though that isn’t the compete greeblie, there is a base to it as well. So there’s still another half.
Edit: the bottom half appears to just be what it sits on in the machine. Here’s a video showing more information about the machine (or a similar one)...
Shoot….too bad this didn’t end up being part of the tread of some fairly common rubber boots, or something like that
Blue Leader
Sr Member
At least the part isn’t too hard to replicate. I already made a 3D model a while ago that’s almost spot on, if I make a few minor tweaks it should be just about perfect.Shoot….too bad this didn’t end up being part of the tread of some fairly common rubber boots, or something like that
Now, as for that wedge greeblie... XD
Neat find! So now we can add video equipement collectors to the lamp collectors we p*ssed off last week!
Blue Leader
Sr Member
I went ahead and tried to tweak my original greeblie model to match the accurate part. It still needs to be cleaned up a little bit what do y'all think so far?
Blue Leader
Sr Member
Which edge are you referring to? What should be lower and straighter?
ywingfighter
Sr Member
I wrote to Propstore a few days ago and received this answer yesterday: "Hello Frank, Thank you for your interest in Lot 327, Production-Made B-Wing Pilot Helmet from our Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction. The disk you're highlighting is made from a hand-painted and hand-labeled composite of metalized plastic and metal alloy. The scratches you see in the picture here are to the metalized finish on the paneling. Hope that helps, and happy bidding," So maybe the disc has already been recreated by the Lucas Model Builders? I have no idea if the Ampex parts were rare in the eighties but it is possible. As far as I know, the disk has already been used for 2 Y-Wing helmets, at least 5 movie B-Wing helmets and then all of the production made helmets, I think 5 more pieces. So we are already at at least 12 pieces.
Blue Leader
Sr Member
That's an interesting but if information. They might just be telling you what the disc is made out of, not that the prop builders made the discs. I don't think that the prop makers would bother to cast anything like that with metal alloy, it would be too expensive and too time-consuming for something that would never be known about when it could have all just been cast in resin which would have been cheaper, faster, easier and would have worked just as well for the use. I also don't think that the prop makers would scratch those numbers into the disc.
But y'know, if these were from video projectors/cameras then chances are these pieces were fairly common in a studio setting. Perhaps they were just trash items that were thrown away when worn out, and were phased out of use in later years, which is why they're pretty much impossible to find now.
But anything's possible. Replicas are probably going to be the ideal way to go for now... I saw a couple Ampex machines on eBay but the asking price is in the thousands, and who knows if they're even the right model to have used those disc heads. At least we know what they really look like now.
...And don't forget, they were on the A-wing pilot flak vests, too.
Sorry about that, the actual rim of the piece, I'm not sure it's so curved, more of a flat bevel
Very interesting - yea I'd interpret this as the piece itself is made of multiple materials. Neat!
Skysurfer, do you know if the RCA and Ampex heads were the same? There is another very similar one on another Y wing helemt, but has some differences. Zoom in on the base of the ear hole and you can see that it has 8 holes instead of 4, and some differences in the structure.
Skysurfer
Member
Neat find! So now we can add video equipement collectors to the lamp collectors we p*ssed off last week!
I have seen several different head types over the years and it's getting close to 20 years since I last worked on one of these machines, that's why I couldn't say for sure if it was an RCA or Ampex initially. It does look like one but couldn't say for certain what make/model it came from.
A
Blue Leader
Sr Member
Nice. What did you search for to be able to find it? I couldn't find much with my searches.
Blue Leader
Sr Member
Ooh, I think I see what you mean. The edge around the top half you think appears more conical than beveled. It could be, it's hard to tell from the pictures. If it is straighter it would certainly make modeling it easier.
But I think you might be right. I'll go play around with that on my model. I also think that I made the middle hole a little bit too deep.
I used Ampex quadhead and got a hit. It was the only one on there.
AMPEX Quadraplex 2 inch Video Head Wheel Panel assembly very old! | eBay
(We think from an AMPEX VR-1000 A or B. Video Tape Head Wheel Panel Assembly. Serial Number 1619. Miami Fla. ).
www.ebay.com
Blue Leader
Sr Member
Ah, yeah, I saw that one. Way too expensive for me.I used Ampex quadhead and got a hit. It was the only one on there.
AMPEX Quadraplex 2 inch Video Head Wheel Panel assembly very old! | eBay
(We think from an AMPEX VR-1000 A or B. Video Tape Head Wheel Panel Assembly. Serial Number 1619. Miami Fla. ).www.ebay.com
