Okay, I want to bump this cause I have a theory...
Mostly, I am obsessed with trying to make sense of all the paint schemes on the ROTJ sabers.
Let's assume as a starting point the V3 is painted the same as the V2 during ANH: flat black booster and grenade, bare metal clamp area, windvane something in the bronze family to match the OB1 hero.
During ESB both appear to be chipped and flaking, we know the V3 has no clamp.
Now for ROTJ, I get confused as to the order of things. We do know the order of production schedule-- Elstree first, which was all the interior stuff (sandstorm, Death Star, Rebel ship, bunker, Jabba's palace, Dagobah, Ewok village). Then they went to Yuma for the Tattooine exteriors/Sail barge stuff. Then to the Redwood forest for the Endor exteriors. Then things ended back at ILM where they did additional blue screen work, and later still, inserts and close ups.
One thing you have to remember-- is that other units would be in prep while the first unit would be in production. Meaning, while they were shooting in London, sets/props/lighting/etc would have all been in the works in Yuma.
One big clue that Brandon dropped awhile back that I think is key to this V3 timeline, is that there were resin Graflex sabers made for the R2 air cannon gag. This makes sense in terms of prep-- assuming Luke would be using the Graflex, they were prepping the gag while filming was starting in the UK.
In the UK, on day one of shooting, the Graflex is swapped for the V2 to avoid the continuity error. If the V2 is literally a last minute addition, it makes sense they'd prep the other shared stunt as well-- so the V3 gets a graflex clamp and edge card.
At this point neither the V2 or V3 has been repainted. The V3 is going to be the bladed stunt, and is also the basis for soft resin stunts as well.
My theory is that resin copies of the V3 are made in the UK, and sent to Yuma. I think the nice big high res one we've seen was painted to match the V3 as it was at that time. There was probably more than one.
In Yuma, they prep one/some of these resin copies for the air cannon gag.
In the UK, the V2 is used as the belt-hanger, and the V3 as the bladed stunt in the throne room duel.
In Yuma, they need a short-bladed stunt. The long blades are used for duels, but looking back to ESB, outside of the duel, short-bladed stunts are used. It's safer, especially when you go swinging it around other people.
At this stage there is no short-bladed stunt to match Luke's "new" saber. If they had been planning to use the Graflex, maybe they still had the one(s) from ESB. Either way, they didn't have one that matched the V2/V3. So based on the resin V3, new metal sabers were made.
We know several were developed based on the eBay bucks, and the one vadermania has. These would have been painted from scratch, which results in them having more coppery neck area cause some prop dude didn't have bronze. One of these is given the short blade and becomes the Yuma.
I think more resin copies were made/painted off the new metal masters, which gives us the resin stunt Yuma for the sail barge leap.
The first unit comes to Yuma and shoots everything. The V2 is there as the belt-hanger, but the V3 isn't needed.
On Endor the V3 is used for one shot, otherwise it's the V2. Paint job is is still iffy on the V-- in fact, AFTER being used in the duel it could be in worse shape-- especially given how aggro Luke gets. This maybe explain the chunkier paint, and possibly even gaffers taped, that we see in the new pic of the V3 on Endor from the archives book.
Production ends and the Yuma is cleaned up and transformed into the HERO for the ISYHCANL and cave-build scenes. The coppery neck of the Yuma is exaggerated even further by given a full coat of paint so the saber looks new and not weathered.
In the post world for museum tours or promotional events, the V3's pcb card is swapped out and the body is repainted to match the colors of the hero leaving it to look like the hot garbage it is today. I have no input on when/why the chrome tape was added.
Mostly, I am obsessed with trying to make sense of all the paint schemes on the ROTJ sabers.
Let's assume as a starting point the V3 is painted the same as the V2 during ANH: flat black booster and grenade, bare metal clamp area, windvane something in the bronze family to match the OB1 hero.
During ESB both appear to be chipped and flaking, we know the V3 has no clamp.
Now for ROTJ, I get confused as to the order of things. We do know the order of production schedule-- Elstree first, which was all the interior stuff (sandstorm, Death Star, Rebel ship, bunker, Jabba's palace, Dagobah, Ewok village). Then they went to Yuma for the Tattooine exteriors/Sail barge stuff. Then to the Redwood forest for the Endor exteriors. Then things ended back at ILM where they did additional blue screen work, and later still, inserts and close ups.
One thing you have to remember-- is that other units would be in prep while the first unit would be in production. Meaning, while they were shooting in London, sets/props/lighting/etc would have all been in the works in Yuma.
One big clue that Brandon dropped awhile back that I think is key to this V3 timeline, is that there were resin Graflex sabers made for the R2 air cannon gag. This makes sense in terms of prep-- assuming Luke would be using the Graflex, they were prepping the gag while filming was starting in the UK.
In the UK, on day one of shooting, the Graflex is swapped for the V2 to avoid the continuity error. If the V2 is literally a last minute addition, it makes sense they'd prep the other shared stunt as well-- so the V3 gets a graflex clamp and edge card.
At this point neither the V2 or V3 has been repainted. The V3 is going to be the bladed stunt, and is also the basis for soft resin stunts as well.
My theory is that resin copies of the V3 are made in the UK, and sent to Yuma. I think the nice big high res one we've seen was painted to match the V3 as it was at that time. There was probably more than one.
In Yuma, they prep one/some of these resin copies for the air cannon gag.
In the UK, the V2 is used as the belt-hanger, and the V3 as the bladed stunt in the throne room duel.
In Yuma, they need a short-bladed stunt. The long blades are used for duels, but looking back to ESB, outside of the duel, short-bladed stunts are used. It's safer, especially when you go swinging it around other people.
At this stage there is no short-bladed stunt to match Luke's "new" saber. If they had been planning to use the Graflex, maybe they still had the one(s) from ESB. Either way, they didn't have one that matched the V2/V3. So based on the resin V3, new metal sabers were made.
We know several were developed based on the eBay bucks, and the one vadermania has. These would have been painted from scratch, which results in them having more coppery neck area cause some prop dude didn't have bronze. One of these is given the short blade and becomes the Yuma.
I think more resin copies were made/painted off the new metal masters, which gives us the resin stunt Yuma for the sail barge leap.
The first unit comes to Yuma and shoots everything. The V2 is there as the belt-hanger, but the V3 isn't needed.
On Endor the V3 is used for one shot, otherwise it's the V2. Paint job is is still iffy on the V-- in fact, AFTER being used in the duel it could be in worse shape-- especially given how aggro Luke gets. This maybe explain the chunkier paint, and possibly even gaffers taped, that we see in the new pic of the V3 on Endor from the archives book.
Production ends and the Yuma is cleaned up and transformed into the HERO for the ISYHCANL and cave-build scenes. The coppery neck of the Yuma is exaggerated even further by given a full coat of paint so the saber looks new and not weathered.
In the post world for museum tours or promotional events, the V3's pcb card is swapped out and the body is repainted to match the colors of the hero leaving it to look like the hot garbage it is today. I have no input on when/why the chrome tape was added.
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