Luke ROTJ Yuma stunt lightsaber with stunt blade

[Deltaflyer90]

Hey guys

I'm one of the new guys on the board but have been following for years I have built many prop replicas mostly trek and Star Wars stuff but this is my first one I will have ever posted!
This is my Yuma bladed stunt saber it's a machined aluminum hilt painted and weathered by me. I decided to go all the way and add a stunt blade that's a tapered carbon rod similar to the material they used for stunt blades for empire and Jedi the next step will be to add reflective tape to one of my whole blades and have a short raw blade like the one used in Yuma.....the paint job is still a work in progress please any comments or critique are welcome as the paint thing is new to me

Deltaflyer90

 

[scarf man]

Not bad. Those grip rings are way too wide IMHO, but a nice effort non the less.
Are you going to add a stunt control box?

 

[Deltaflyer90]

Uses I'm currently working on one now ya the rings bother me but for my first go around I'm pleased I'm just happy I found a pretty cool blade source

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

They used aluminum rods in ESB and ROTJ, not carbon fiber.

If you heard/read differently, you heard/read wrong.

Saber looks nice.

 

[Deltaflyer90]

I was going from a quote from nick gillard he said they opted for aluminum I'm TPM because he said they tested the carbon rods they used but he opted not to use them because they shattered when broken sending shrapnel in the air. Is there proof they were aluminum ? I had no idea that was discussed

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=202106&highlight=Stunt+blade

 

[Deltaflyer90]

Wow should have tead that nore closely lol. James Kenobi is there any actual proof beyond looking at photos that they were aluminum? Every source i have come across said that y hey were an early form carbon/graphite not carbon fiber they also said they were still fragile and frequently broke but nowhere near as much as the wooden blades from ANH. My blades are carbon/graphite shafts with no fiber in them aluminum bends and of you watch all the bts footage the props hamil and bob Anderson are sparing with are black or dark colored rods or ones covered in reflective tape with black knicks in the blade

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

There is proof, all of it available.

Had the same situation with Saberman. The stunt blades were aluminum, not CF, but you are free to believe whatever you want.

It just doesn't make it true.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the rods used in the OT were extruded and absolutely not regular plain-Jane aluminum rods like the ones used in EP1.

Thats why the EP1 rods bend. Straight, too thin, rolled and not extruded, no taper, etc..

 

[Deltaflyer90]

Could they have been hardened aluminum to prevent bending? I just happen to have access to tapered aluminum ski poles that happen to look pretty close in size did they make aluminum tank antennas ? Or is Steve sansweet not a reliable source ?

 

[thd9791]

Also, the rods used in the OT were extruded and absolutely not regular plain-Jane aluminum rods like the ones used in EP1.

Thats why the EP1 rods bend. Straight, too thin, rolled and not extruded, no taper, etc..

I didn't know this! That would explain the difference. You can absolutely hear the metal rods hit the ground in behind the scenes footage.

 

[Deltaflyer90]

well i found some extruded hardened aluminum antennas the sizes look close to screen used size...may be our answer ill buy some and post em
Are we sure they didn't use BOTH aluminum and just plain carbon ?? So many sources say carbon but this is the first time I've heard aluminum .. Many websites including nick gillard (who said they tested OT blades for research into what they were gonna use in TPM) said that carbon rods with no "fiber" just plain baked carbon rods wich I have researched is often used as another name forGRAPHITE material . I dropped my carbon/ graphite blades and they made a metal sound just like you hear in ROTJ bts throne room duel. Could it be possible both were used?? Or maybe used for some sort of promo work?? ....many sources say carbon/graphite has anyone handled or seen an orgional prop

I didn't know this! That would explain the difference. You can absolutely hear the metal rods hit the ground in behind the scenes footage.

 

[Deltaflyer90]

Okay i'm sorry guys i promise im not trying to start an argument lol :lol i just wanna make sure because im working on getting my sabers as accurate as possible in terms of materials. I am also working on a luke ANH/ESB metal tube stunt and a actual cast aluminum shared stunt as well as a Vader ROTJ all with accurate stunt blades complete with reflective tape and all...will post that later ...But Are we SURE they didn't use BOTH aluminum and just plain carbon ?? So many sources say carbon but this is the first time I've heard aluminum .. Many websites including nick Gillard (who said they tested OT blades for research into what they were gonna use in TPM) said that carbon rods with no "fiber" just plain baked carbon rods wich I have researched is often used as another name for GRAPHITE material . I dropped my carbon/ graphite blades and they made a metal sound just like you hear in ROTJ bts throne room duel. Could it be possible both were used?? Or maybe used for some sort of promo work?? ....many sources say carbon/graphite has anyone handled or seen an original prop?/


heres quotes i found online

"For the original trilogy Carbon rods were used for the "stunt" lightsaber blades. The fights in the orginal films did not involve as many complicated and fast sword moves as the new movies, but all the while the major problem with these old blades was when they broke they SCATTERED sending sharpnel towards the poor actors........... not good. "

And heres one from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lightsaber"
during the filming of Episode V, it was decided creating an in-camera glowing effect was more trouble than it was worth, so the spinning rods were swapped for carbon rods. While these new blades were less cumbersome than before, they were still very fragile and frequently broke. However, they continued to be used for Episode VI.[54]

There is proof, all of it available.

Had the same situation with Saberman. The stunt blades were aluminum, not CF, but you are free to believe whatever you want.

It just doesn't make it true.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the rods used in the OT were extruded and absolutely not regular plain-Jane aluminum rods like the ones used in EP1.

Thats why the EP1 rods bend. Straight, too thin, rolled and not extruded, no taper, etc..

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Nick G didn't work on the OT.

From everything I have seen/read, from well vetted insiders that I trust and people who worked on the films, the stunt blades in ESB and ROTJ were aluminum rods.

When they went to film EP1 the prop department was told "Oh the old sabers used aluminum blades, just get some of those" and they did but they used different, regular tubes and they sucked and they switched to carbon fiber for EP 2/3.

Like I said, believe what you want. But the OT stunt blades were wood and then aluminum.

 

[ARKM]

When they went to film EP1 the prop department was told "Oh the old sabers used aluminum blades, just get some of those" and they did but they used different, regular tubes and they sucked and they switched to carbon fiber for EP 2/3.

Just to be clear, the blades in at least Episode 3, were texalium wrapped carbon fiber rods (from a company called Kilwell in New Zealand) and not just straight up carbon fiber rods. Regular carbon fiber rods are absolutely horrible for dueling but the texalium wrapped ones are pretty durable (but of course, can still break if enough force is used).

 

[Deltaflyer90]

That little stump Poking out of Vaders ROTJ saberIs is that the actual aluminum blade itself or a smaller rod went inside the aluminum blade to attach it . To me it looks too thin to be the bottom of the actual blade itself some of those were thick also did they have a smaller rod running through lukes shared stunt and Yuma sabers? Those blades look as thick of not thicker than the necks of those two sabers

 

[thd9791]

It was discovered in a youtube video from the archives that cylindrical aluminum stock served as a plug and anchor for stunt blades. these were held in by allen head bolts (ala ROTJ Vader saber, ANH stunt) so that little metal thing poking out could be part of that system. Maybe an inner piece running from the blade, down through the socket and into the aluminum plug beneath the socket.
The ANH stunt, being just a tube, had no bulb socket to bypass


The Yuma saber (ROTJ production) had a nipple for a reason. The blades went into the emitter at least, and were held in with set screws.

The V2 (ANH Production) also has set screws in it's nipple.

 

[Deltaflyer90]

So the nub on Vaders could be from a rod attached inside the bottom of the blade?......on the Yuma do you think there was a smaller rod running inside the neck of the saber? that's how I have mine set up

Also how do you think the shared stint blade was connected? Just screwed in the emitter only or do you think it had another small rod running down the neck

It was discovered in a youtube video from the archives that cylindrical aluminum stock served as a plug and anchor for stunt blades. these were held in by allen head bolts (ala ROTJ Vader saber, ANH stunt) so that little metal thing poking out could be part of that system. Maybe an inner piece running from the blade, down through the socket and into the aluminum plug beneath the socket.
The ANH stunt, being just a tube, had no bulb socket to bypass
View attachment 491394View attachment 491395View attachment 491398

The Yuma saber (ROTJ production) had a nipple for a reason. The blades went into the emitter at least, and were held in with set screws.

The V2 (ANH Production) also has set screws in it's nipple.

 

[thd9791]

So the nub on Vaders could be from a rod attached inside the bottom of the blade?......on the Yuma do you think there was a smaller rod running inside the neck of the saber? that's how I have mine set up

Also how do you think the shared stint blade was connected? Just screwed in the emitter only or do you think it had another small rod running down the neck

Good questions.

Not the yuma no, given that those were made later, I think those were more simple designs. we really don't know for sure, but the hero only has a set screw in the nipple. The hero, it's thought was a Yuma saber that was redecorated.

The Shared Stunt... I think it was suggested that it was not used for dueling in ANH. (To make it mobile, the V2 was cut apart and machined after casting, the Shared Stunt was not) By ROTJ it might have been used for fencing, since the V2 was a belt hanger, but i think it also had just a set screw up top. There is a shot of the shared stunt down the emitter side and the hole is the same size as the blade, with a flat bottom.

This isn't the shot I was talking about but it's close. The nipple was cut off and we can see better inside.

here we go...Halfway down is the emitter shot! http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=54250

 

[Deltaflyer90]

Update on my stunt. Was able to find my hardened aluminum ski poles which is as close as I'm going to get until my aluminum antennas come in the mail ....this one has the reflective tape added

 

[Darth_Thorpe]

Looking really good