If you ever get a Parks Graflex ANH Conversion...Well, don't.

[Jamanticus]

Rrrrr....

I've been trying and trying, but I can't remove this sillily inaccurate bubble strip from my Parks Luke ANH saber.

Does anyone have any tips? I've tried tapping it with a chisel, hoping the shock would break the superglue or whatever holds it on there. I've heated it up with a flame, hoping that'd loosen the glue's hold, and I've tried just physically pushing at the thing from both ends, all to no avail.

Any advice?

 

[Coffee Addict]

Re: How on earth do you get the bubble strip off of a Parks Graflex Saber?

Its glued and held in place by protrusions from the frame its in. I nearly destroyed mine getting it apart. I ended up replacing the clamp so be careful. Not quite sure why they made it so difficult to take apart.

 

[Jamanticus]

Re: How on earth do you get the bubble strip off of a Parks Graflex Saber?

Oh goodness... It's like the saber is taunting me- "Hahaha, I'm an eyesore and you can't do anything about it!"

Thanks for giving me some good advice, though

 

[mez7]

Re: How on earth do you get the bubble strip off of a Parks Graflex Saber?

flame thrower.....

 

[Jamanticus]

Re: How on earth do you get the bubble strip off of a Parks Graflex Saber?

HaHA!

I did it! Take that, you egotistical and smug bubble strip! Yeah!

....Tapped it 6 more times with the chisel and hammer and it finally gave and I was able to slide it out.

So I guess now this thread can be a warning: Do not get Parks graflex replicas if you don't want to go through a ton of headache replacing the bubble strip.

 

[scarf man]

Re: How on earth do you get the bubble strip off of a Parks Graflex Saber?

So I guess now this thread can be a warning: Do not get Parks graflex replicas if you don't want to go through a ton of headache replacing the bubble strip.

....and he butchered a members real MPP to make his replicas, without apology, or compensation.

 

[Jamanticus]

Yeah- I read about that only 3 weeks after I got the saber. Poor form indeed.

 

[Hecubus114]

back when I did a run of saber cutaways (and before I knew his history), I ordered between 15 and 20 graflexes, and none of the bubble strips were glued in - weird...

 

[Jamanticus]

Did you order entire Graflex units with the ANH handgrips and D-ring and everything, or just the clamps?

Gluing in those bubble strips... It's absolutely unneccesary in my view.

That's the main thing I don't get about all this- even a thin bubble strip like a Blast-Tech is able to stay in the clamp nice and snugly just using the friction of the clamp. Why glue on something like that when it doesn't need it?

 

[Hecubus114]

yeah, I got the whole sabers with grips, d rings, and bubble strips all put together. Weird that they are doing that now.

 

[Darth Lars]

Weird. Glue isn't necessary at all. Is this something that Parks has started doing in recent times? I got a Parks Graflex with conversion kit years ago, and there was no glue anywhere.

Any clues to what kind of glue is used?

Superglue: Acetone will dissolve it. It will also cloud plastics and destroy the bubble strip.
Epoxy: Heat should make it loosen its grip.

 

[Hasid Lafre]

Thats why I just go to TCSS for saber needs instead of other places.

 

[scarf man]

FYI TCSS sells "parks" replica flash guns. While they may not be parks per se, they are fruit of the poisoned tree.

 

[Hasid Lafre]

Yes that may be but unlike parks, tim will set things right.

Remember parks gets them from somewhere else aswell.

 

[scarf man]

Remember parks gets them from somewhere else aswell.

Incorrect. Jeff got the ball rolling by sending the flash guns to china to be replicated.
TCSS buys wholesale from the same company (in china) that parksabers does.

All (current) replica flash guns originate from, and are tainted by parksabers.
Until Jeff makes it right with ghost host, I will boycot.

 

[Jamanticus]

Weird. Glue isn't necessary at all. Is this something that Parks has started doing in recent times? I got a Parks Graflex with conversion kit years ago, and there was no glue anywhere.

Any clues to what kind of glue is used?

Superglue: Acetone will dissolve it. It will also cloud plastics and destroy the bubble strip.
Epoxy: Heat should make it loosen its grip.

Well, the glue on it was completely clear, so epoxy or maybe that E6000 stuff is my guess.

The glue did give a little bit when I flamed the bubble strip, although that could've just been the strip contracting or flexing or something like that.

 

[Taco-Bot]

I was a bit upset about this too when I got mine. I emailed parks about it at the time and got a very ambiguous answer like 'we used glue.' Luckily, I was able to trade it for of all things, an untouched replica graflex. It's still a great deal if you want the ANH version and don't mind the 10 week turn time.

 

[Tan Djarka]

All replica flash guns originate from, and are tainted by parksabers.
Until Jeff makes it right with ghost host, I will boycot.

So there is only ONE source for new flashgun replicas in the whole world and because of Parks involvement, no new replica is "kosher"?

Looks like somebody else needs to step up, contact a new company (not in China?), and start up a new source for replicas. Either that, or "No saber for you!"

 

[TheRealMcFly]

I will also never buy a Parks anything... he screwed a member here big-time.

The replicas I have seen that come from that factory really start to suffer in the finishing details... everyone I have seen you can tell has has scratches before its plated. Its the little things that make the originals shine; bulb socket set screw perfectly fit, barely brushed plating with a uniform direction around the metal, sharp knurling on the red buttons... still by comparison a very good replica and functional camera flash, though. Unfortunate that this specific replica has become the standard, but only because there is no other. The old Larbel's we're very nice, but not functional. It would be nice to have another option.

That being said, I'm thrilled what the replicas have done for the price of originals. Still, I wonder what factory MR used for their Luke ANH EE... if we're going to make replicas we might as well make them from superior metals.

Stainless Steel>Nickel Plated Brass

 

[Tetmatek]

All replica flash guns originate from, and are tainted by parksabers.

Not true, he has never laid his hands on my tooling for my flash guns and clamps.