Lineage Foundry Cast ANH Kenobi Stunt Hilts

[PoopaPapaPalps]

EDIT 08/15/2018: Considering I've gone quite deep into the rabbit hole since posting this thread, and learning quite a lot along the way, I'd thought I'd update this but keep the original posts for posterity sake.

EDIT 05/15/2020: Go to Post #111 for the latest, and currently best version, stunt hilt I've made yet.

EDIT 05/22/2020: Post #132 sports the closest cast I've made yet to the original.

EDIT 011/10/2020: Post #180 completes the journey with the finest and truest replicas I've done yet.

EDIT 01/30/2022: Post #217 Restarts the journey and ends it again now that I've got a LINEAGE piece to work from!

EDIT 02/08/2023: Post #237 The beginning of the end (for real, this time!) as I now have a lineage cast in the original material to work with.

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If it can be called a "mod."

I didn't know whether to bump the original "V2 Show-Off" thread or put this someplace else, but seeing as many have talked about it, I've not actually seen anyone carry through with it, so for reference, I'll start a new thread...



Yes, I'm gonna do a foundry cast V2, using Starkiller's newest offering as a base. I want to do a "living history" sort of thing with this piece and have got a friend that can cast aluminum. Plan is to get this cast, do some minor clean up and tweaking, and then assembling the thing like the original (as far as we know how it's pieced together).

Oh, I should also mention, I've not exactly planned this all through and am currently, mostly, making this up as I go.

I've not done too much with it today other than what's seen in the photo. I need more greensand to complete it. Here's hoping this works out as I hope.:wacko

 

[mrwax]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

It'll be fun to see how things go, I'll be watching with great interest!

 

[TD-4242]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

Looks awesome, I hope to get 8nto casting eventually. Not likely until next year though.

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[MCM]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

This is something that I've been wanting to do forever. I can't wait to see how yours turns out. Best of luck!

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[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

So it took some figuring out (had a whole day dedicated to trial and error) but I'm finally done with the mold... and it only has minimal edge deformation!



There'll be a lot more clean-up work than I originally had anticipated but it will do me. Since it was in sand, I took the opportunity to fix some things like the hard angles in between the grenade rings and rid the seam lines. My current worry right now is that the two halves don't line up (and chances are high that they might not) but, like this project so far, I'll worry about that when I get there.

Probably won't be able to get casting until next week but here's hoping for all the best... still.

 

[Ridire Firean]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

Hey PoopaPapaPalps ! It looks like you went beyond halfway with the sand on the mold for the bottom half. You might end up with some flat spots where you pulled the lightsaber plug out of the sand once you put the two halves back together and pour your aluminum.

I've never made a sand mold like this before, are you planning to poor through the slot in the upper half?

One idea to align the two halves would be to add 'keys' to the mold, maybe measure from the ends and off of the center line and add bumps to one half of the mold and cavities to the other.

Have you ever worked with silicone molds? It may be easier in the long run to make a silicone mold of the part, cast a wax copy, and then make an investment mold to cast the final aluminum piece within.

You can pick up Smooth-On trial kits at Hobby Lobby and Michaels if you want to try your hand at making a silicone mold.

Here's a link to their tutorial videos... https://www.smooth-on.com/howto/basics-mold-making/?tags=video-tutorial

https://www.smooth-on.com/spotlight/smooth-silicones-pass-high-temp-challenge-wax-casting/

https://www.smooth-on.com/product-line/mold-star/

https://www.dickblick.com/products/...MI64669-3v2gIVRbbACh0zmgwuEAYYAyABEgKNPvD_BwE

I would make a very tall sprue off of one end of the plug for the wax pour. It would help minimize any shrinkage issues, and you could accomplish the taller sprue/pour cup with a simple tube stuck into the end of your mold's pour cup. Simply cut the cured wax off of the mold's pour cup before inverting and buring out the rest of the wax.

One way or the other, Good Luck! This is quite the undertaking, I hope it works out for you!

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

I'm more than well versed in silicone molding, and if I were to to do this again (and properly), I'd go that route to cast halves off of the hilt. Unfortunately, I didn't have it in the budget set aside to do it for after the hilt came in. On the bright side though, I will avoid the shrinkage with silicone casts. They say it's negligible but I know from experience, comparing it afterwards, there is a noticeable difference between the original positive and the finished cast. Especially after it's going through two stages of molding, had I done it here. It's not much but something like that would bother an obsessive individual like me.

Adding keys in the sand is something I tried but if the sand, at least this kind, isn't packed tight en mass, any little part that sticks up unsupported is liable to just break apart. This method really is a one and done kind of thing. It was only in hindsight that I thought I could've added some pipes or bars to act as keys, slotting from one half to the other, even at the risk of some sand shaking loose, but what's done is done.

Although, this sand is some robust stuff. It has got me thinking on what else I could possibly use it for in future....because I'm a masochist.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

Please do not produce silicon molds of my work without my permission.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

I'm not but, from just figuring this out, doing another mold to make a wax positive for investment (lost wax) casting would be the more efficient way to go about this. If the original wood buck was a single solid piece, perhaps this is how they managed it? Boxing in a single piece, figuring where might be the halfway point to split the mold, by eye seems a bit inefficient.

Believe me.:wacko

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: Starkiller 2018 V2 SUPER MOD

Managed to do a test pull from the mold today and, while there were definite faults, as a proof of concept piece; I couldn't be happier. I even unintentionally recreated the perfect V3/SS uneven rings.

I'll be making the mold again for next tuesday, when I cast the thing proper.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Test Cast

Photo of the test cast pulled yesterday. Lots of things learned from this piece: slower pour, metal needs to be hotter, pour spout needs to be larger, keys are a must, and a few more air vents; that ought to give a fairly good pull the next time.

 

[tomm1999]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Test Cast

wrong thread.. sorry

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Test Cast

So this is a crazy thought, I'm going to need to get my hands on a lathe or mill some time down the line to work this thing, and if I can't use the neighbor's (or if they don't have one), I guess I'll have to invest in getting cheap-o ones. I figured then, if I'm going to go that far, why not go further? I'm currently using the latest Starkiller V2 as a buck to work off of but with technology what it is now, what if I go about (or find someone) reverse engineering the original wooden buck, make 3D printed halves, and make casts from them?

They won't be super-duper accurate down to every detail that either the current V2 or V3 have as they are now, they could be machined to be, but these casts would be at the same starting point the original stunts did. They would be as the original stunts would've been during production of ANH. Dunno if my ambition is just clouding my mind with delusions or if there's any interest in such a thing, but a small run of as-production-made, alu-cast stunts sabers is something I've not heard done before and is, currently, a plausible reality.

 

[scarf man]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

........

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

Well, shucks. While I don't fully understand, if Dan's already called dibs on the project, then by all means. I don't want to step on toes for anyone who's already going to do this or wanting to do this. I was just thinking of the possibilities, is all. I just thought with what can be done now, it's fair game for anyone to compare pics of the original buck and cast to the V2 and V3, increase the size of the print by 1 or 2 percent to account for the machining and shrinkage, and then go for it.

 

[scarf man]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

..........

 

[scarf man]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

..........

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

Is it? Even if it's just for my own experimentation and tinkering? I mean, this is all I'm really doing with this.

 

[scarf man]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

When you start talking about doing a run of sabres using Dan's saber as a base? Yes.
Casting someone else's work to rework into your own work, reverse engineering, is bad ju-ju.

 

[steven giunta]

Re: V2 SUPER MOD - 1st Alu Test Cast

When you start talking about doing a run of sabres using Dan's saber as a base? Yes.
Casting someone else's work to rework into your own work, reverse engineering, is bad ju-ju.

I don’t think he was talking about using dans for his run,from what I read he started by doing a cast of dans just for himself to make it less fx and more like the original prop,then he had the idea of making his own saber,to match the wooden lightsabers used to casts the originals,that I think doesn’t have any connection to dans other then he got the idea while doing the mod on his v2.