Lightsaber Calculator Bubbles NEW DISCOVERY!!!

[Sym-Cha]

Hello there,

A couple of weeks ago I received my first Exactra 20. Still needing another one for my lightsaber projects I scored my second Exactra 20* and received it yesterday. When I opened it to check the 7 bubbles lens I was totally flabbergasted. I announced my first discovery about the flattened sides in this thread here :

Lightsaber calc bubbles

And the replica bubblesstrip that was created by James Kenobi and Rebelscum also had the flattened sides.

Showoff- PERFECT cast Exactra 20 Bubble Strip- PICS !

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=67567&highlight=calculator+bubbles

NOW I HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I'M NO LONGER CERTAIN THAT THE ORIGINAL PROPMAKERS DID ALSO USE BUBBLE LENSES WHICH WERE NOT COMPLETELY ROUND AND EVEN THOUGH ALL OF US THAT HAVE AUTHENTIC VINTAGE EXACTRA CALCULATORS CONFIRMED THE FLATTENDED SIDES
HERE ARE PICTURES OF MY LATEST EXACTRA 20* and MY OTHER EXACTRA 20 FOR COMPARISON :

NOTICE ALSO THE ICING ON THE SURFACE OF THE EXACTRA 20*

AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU WANT TO PUT THIS BETWEEN THE GRAFLEX CLAMP AS SHOWN IN THE ABOVE THREAD BY CLUTCH ALL THE OTHER FLATTENED BUBBLE LENSES HAVE EDGES WHICH RUN LENGHTWISE UNDERNEATH AND HAVE TO BE SANDED DOWN. THIS EXACTRA 20* HAS EDGES THAT RUN SIDEWISE SO YOU ONLY NEED TO CUT IT DOWN TO THE RIGHT SIZE TO FIT IN THE CLAMP AND JUST SAND DOWN A VERY SMALL EDGE WHICH IS LEFT!!! SEE THIS PICTURE BETWEEN THE RED LINES.

MY LAST PICTURE IS OF THE SET AT FOTOSTUDIO AT THE FOTOACADEMIE

SO I'M PROUD TO PRESENT THIS NEW DISCOVERY TO ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN AUTHENTIC LIGHTSABER PROP PARTS AND IT SEEMS THE BLAST-TECH REPLICA BUBBLES CAN STILL BE USED BY THOSE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT ACCURACY :lol

-Chaim

 

[Jedifyfe]

AND IT SEEMS THE BLAST-TECH REPLICA BUBBLES CAN STILL BE USED BY THOSE WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT ACCURACY :lol

-Chaim

That would be me, though I can appreciate your obsession!

Brad

 

[MooCriket]

:thumbsup

 

[Dai Bendu]

Very interesting. Great discovery!!

 

[GINO]

Nice work. :thumbsup

.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Thanks everyone,

Now the real challenge begins ... to find out which ANH lightsaber Obi-Wan, Luke or Vader has the "ROUND" BUBBLES and which has the "FLATTENED" SIDES ... so I can put this Exactra 20* in the correct lightsaber :love

To Be Continued ...

-Chaim

 

[Rebelscum]

I'm just marveling at the quality of the photography.

Very nice work. There's no wondering what it looks like in detail with the photos.

 

[cayman shen]

Can somebody summarize the difference between the two (one of which may not have been used)? I guess I don't have a sharp enough eye...

 

[Sym-Cha]

Thanks for your kind words Rebelscum,

These photographs were shot with a Cambo TC modified for a LEAF DIGITAL DATA BACK. You can see the camera to the left of the laptop.

To caymen shen : Probably both Exactra 20 bubbles were used by the propmakers. I'm just trying to figure out which one went into whose lightsaber. We know that the Vader ROTJ MPP lightsaber had the flattened sides :

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=40270&highlight=Vader+lightsaber+ROTJ&page=6

The two Exactra 19 and two TI 2000 that I have all have flattened edges on the bubbles ...

-Chaim

 

[p0sitr0nic]

A different years model on the bubbles perhaps? The frosted version might be newer, as the frosting would help cut down on cross bubble light bleed from the number LEDs.

 

[lonepigeon]

I'm not sure what you're trying to point out either.
What do you mean by "flattened sides"?
Are you talking about the bubble shapes? or the sides of the rectangular strip?

The "Exactra 20*" looks like the frosted variation which is generally believed to not be correct.

 

[Sym-Cha]

Hi Chris,

Indeed I'm talking about the shape of the bubbles! Most Exactra's have flattened sides as in the 4th picture seen above and here below.
I wanted to show us all that there also exists an authentic Exactra 20 which is round in shape as far as the bubbles go.

The bubbles in the ROTJ Vader MPP looks a lot like my TI 2000 which is slightly frosted as well as you can see here:

-Chaim

 

[lonepigeon]

Ah, now I see what you mean. The flat edges at the top and bottom of the bubbles (top and bottom while in calculator, 'sides' in a lightsaber).

 

[Sym-Cha]

The "Exactra 20*" looks like the frosted variation which is generally believed to not be correct.

Chris, why is the frosted variation to believed not correct?

-Chaim

 

[lonepigeon]

Chris, why is the frosted variation to believed not correct?

-Chaim

Because in photos of the original sabers the strip looks very clear.
In the famous "toe" pic of Luke's saber you can see the Graflex sidebars through the calc strip.

 

[Sym-Cha]

And is there anyone with a clear picture of the bubbles in Obi-Wan's ANH lightsaber? :confused

Besides the one in 'Mechanismo' by Harry Harrison seen here in a close-up of the lightsaber parts by James Kenobi :

BTW That's exactly the same Exactra 20 as my Exactra 20* seen in the pictures above ...

-Chaim

 

[franz bolo]

Nice to know. With the current reference photos we have, there is no way to tell which one was used.

Kind of like the Hot or Cold cap on the Sink Knob.

FB

 

[Tan Djarka]

Nice to know. With the current reference photos we have, there is no way to tell which one was used.

Kind of like the Hot or Cold cap on the Sink Knob.

FB

Since the only photo I know of that could actually confirm the cap (the "obituary" photo) has no cap at all, the answer must be... Neither?

 

[Sym-Cha]

Since the only photo I know of that could actually confirm the cap (the "obituary" photo) has no cap at all, the answer must be... Neither?

Hi Tan Djarka,

Do you have a picture of the "obituary" photo? And can you see the bubbles in the Graflex clamp clearly too?

-Chaim

 

[Sym-Cha]

Does anyone else know what picture Tan Djarka is talking about? :confused

If so please post that picture here if you can, okay.

Thanks,

-Chaim