Is Darth Vader's saber blade painted (ANH) & blade flexing.

[Mouse Vader]

In the screen grab, an interesting thing I note in the video is that when they yell cut... AG focuses on the lightsaber and seems to look to a switch? to turn it off?

Kpax - going way back to your pg4 post#152 - I've found a 'better' clip of it here from 55.19;

AG defo looks down & is doing something with his right thumb, but I don't think it's to do with the on/off switch as his thumb is at the top end of clamp/start of the grenade section & the switch we know of is below the clamp on the booster part - I can see no wires either.
I keep saying there's more going on in this clip, (basically I think the motor is not on or is broken) but there's too much else occupying me at the moment for me to sort out a post.

 

[Mouse Vader]

Why make the wire "white" and very visible

I think I've just figured out why the wires are white - the white wires are on the battery pack side so is it the battery pack used for Luke's graflex stunt in the hut scene where Luke is wearing white?

 

[Trooper_trent]

I had a thought this morning about how to solve the perceived contradiction of the emitter and nipple being one piece (Brandon says that is evidenced by looking down the shaft and there are no breaks)
If the nipple is permanently attached (and we do see it in some stills of ANH) but see the blade spinning while the emitter (and therefore the nipple) locked, how was that accomplished?
Could it be as simple as the reflective tape having been rewound around the blade as it was already mounted to the hilt? and it was wound down far enough that it wrapped the nipple, albeit loosely? If the blade was attached to the motor shaft (rod) but rotated, the tape could have come loose at the nipple so that it could spin, but still hide it. I realize I'm doing a poor job of explaining so I'll try another diagram.
But that would explain why you see the blade clearly rotating while the emitter isn't (and can't see the nipple at all).
Edit:
Here's what I mean. The blue line represents the reflective tape. It could have been wound down past the nipple all the way to the plate but broke loose when the motor was turned on, allowing it to spin around the nipple. The video even shows what might be the tail of the tape rotating around where the nipple should be. Just a thought.

 

[Mouse Vader]

As I keep trying to get across the above scenario requires the emitter to be held by AG & in at least one view his hand position makes this questionable. Also the position of the distinguishing marks on the emitter remain the same in relation to Alec G's hand position, across all shots. How likely is this to happen between takes if the emitter/nipple is free to rotate.

Again - it is clear from the BTS photo's from ESB - that the luke/ vader shared stunt was altered post ANH, switch & wires gone, likely the motor too but we can't tell from the photo's. For the V2 - as it is now - Brandon states there is evidence of something having been mounted inside & this is most likely a motor, I can't think of what else it could have been, so it is highly likely it was an ANH motorised stunt which has clearly been altered post ANH with no documentation - again - as what the former set was.

There is no film sequence that kurtyboy nor I have been able to find that shows the slightest bit of rotation of the emitter. We have specifically looked for rotation but only ever find it stationary. Neither do I get the apparent need to have a link between the current V2 set up and the ANH set up.
It makes no logical sense to me. Doesn't stop the V2 having been in ANH.

 

[Mouse Vader]

having been rewound around the blade as it was already mounted to the hilt

Just realised that you mean that the tape is wound on to the blade spiral fashion? That's not the case - fabric is on in a lengthwise strip in order to give the observed black stripe. (from end that same sequence - & I agree it is seen peeling off & flapping about in various views).

 

[thd9791]

I ordered some screw caps just in case a Barbican run ever happens.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

That pic is not hard to find so crops up quite a bit. I'm still trying to find out if the consensus is if it's the V2 or V3 (or if the V3 ever had a motor).
To me it looks like it's lacking a graflex clamp & the booster section is covered in gaffe tape.

Maybe it's just me seeing things, but is that the machine mark on the left side of the photo on the pommel? If it is, it's in the same spot as where the V2 has it; 1 cube left of the D-ring.

 

[thd9791]

The emitter plates are different sizes too

 

[Mouse Vader]

I think it's you seeing things - to me it looks like it is the continuation of the D ring's shadow. There is a 1/4 round shadow extending from the ring to the base of the cube that's nearly full on to us. (There are multiple light souces in this picture.)

 

[thd9791]

I think the faint mark between the pommel cubes facing us may be the point of interest. That's where a pause left a milling mark on the v2

 

[Mouse Vader]

I know that's the point of interest. To clarify - I think it's the shadow of the straight part of the D ring (where it enters the cube). I was pointing out the rest of the shadow to show that there is one at the right angle.

 

[thd9791]

I'm looking one cube over to the left, not the lit side that shows the D ring shadow. the cube front center appears to cut off the shadow of the D ring, so whats to the left of it, which is a light mark not a shadow might not be from the D ring

 

[Mouse Vader]

Got ya. Mighty faint mark if it is. As with my possible filled screw holes on Magic of Myth ( MoM ) Luke RotJ Hero ( cave build ) lightsaber research, images, reference, & collaborative model builder's discussion. this is way too poor a photo for that type identification.