Luke V2 lever

[SethS]

Are those quick release tripod plates a new thing? I think SethS suggested that

I brought that up when we were talking about the Holiday Special saber's control box.That said, mounting plates sometimes have longer levers.

I don't think the V2 lever was an OFFICIAL graflex part or an after market part. While we still occasionally spot unique parts on Graflexes, there's been multiple examples of everything. For one not to have surfaced by now is telling. Also LOM makes a great point. If production was in the business of making levers, why not do it for ol' silver bars?

That sort of leads me also to the idea that it was an improvised/home-made part not by production, but by some rando photographer fixing his gear. We've seen so many examples of swapped parts and other jury-rigged situations, we know photographers customized and rigged stuff pretty often.

I'm starting to feel that some photographer in the UK in the 40s who had stubby fingers decided to make a lever he could grip a little easier.

 

[thd9791]

Very good points. here are pics of the darned thing, or at least, as far as we know

A New Hope

Empire

Jedi

Post Prod.

 

[BRRogers]

here’s my entry for the hand-made notion.
Couple hours with 16gauge sheet, bearing in mind approaching this from the idea that it began flat (no curve or recurve) which is easier and then was bent over the course of production

 

[Halliwax]

I brought that up when we were talking about the Holiday Special saber's control box.That said, mounting plates sometimes have longer levers.

I don't think the V2 lever was an OFFICIAL graflex part or an after market part. While we still occasionally spot unique parts on Graflexes, there's been multiple examples of everything. For one not to have surfaced by now is telling. Also LOM makes a great point. If production was in the business of making levers, why not do it for ol' silver bars?

That sort of leads me also to the idea that it was an improvised/home-made part not by production, but by some rando photographer fixing his gear. We've seen so many examples of swapped parts and other jury-rigged situations, we know photographers customized and rigged stuff pretty often.

I'm starting to feel that some photographer in the UK in the 40s who had stubby fingers decided to make a lever he could grip a little easier.

Seth I understand your way of thinking, but to me. We still have yet to find a steel shroud MPP.. I’m wondering if the early early folmers had long levers

 

[cdyoung]

Seth I understand your way of thinking, but to me. We still have yet to find a steel shroud MPP.. I’m wondering if the early early folmers had long levers

More process theory here. To the good point made by Halliwax on unfound saber/flashgun part variants, I still have not seen the variant of Folmer or Graflex Inc. clamp lever that looks like the one in the attached photo of Luke’s ANH hero. The clamp lever rivet is larger than any Graflex variant I’ve seen from the other OT films or subsequently in the wild. Has anyone found something close?

Photo courtesy of IronDestinyProps.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

Well the threads on the clamp are 4-40 which is a very common thread.

The threads on a real Graflex clamp are 5-40.

The threads on a G1 Parks clamp was 4-40 I think, I don’t know about other replicas.

 

[IronDestinyProps]

More process theory here. To the good point made by Halliwax on unfound saber/flashgun part variants, I still have not seen the variant of Folmer or Graflex Inc. clamp lever that looks like the one in the attached photo of Luke’s ANH hero. The clamp lever rivet is larger than any Graflex variant I’ve seen from the other OT films or subsequently in the wild. Has anyone found something close?

Photo courtesy of IronDestinyProps.

View attachment 1414655

Thanks for the cite, Chris, but this isn't actually my photo. This was saved from Davy Jones who originally shared it on the Elstree Graflex thread. That lever seems to have a larger rivet similar to the Inc levers but is shiny like most Folmer levers. Very unique and seemingly rare lever indeed.

But we digress with this Graflex talk, ha. This is a V2 lever thread.

 

[cdyoung]

IronDestinyProps, no problem. I didn’t want to post any photo without given credit somewhere.

I hoped the photo added another example of an unfound saber/flashgun variant to the discussion on the V2 lever source.

Flashgun/clamp variant versus production built versus real world found part?

 

[thd9791]

wow, I never noticed how big that hinge was..

anyway, I think people misunderstood me. my theory is that it was a replacement part back in the 20s or 30s for press cameras. The production team in the 70s wouldn't have access to them. I'm suggesting it was a "fixed" flash before they got it

 

[v312]

More process theory here. To the good point made by Halliwax on unfound saber/flashgun part variants, I still have not seen the variant of Folmer or Graflex Inc. clamp lever that looks like the one in the attached photo of Luke’s ANH hero. The clamp lever rivet is larger than any Graflex variant I’ve seen from the other OT films or subsequently in the wild. Has anyone found something close?

Photo courtesy of IronDestinyProps.

View attachment 1414655

isn't this just a beat up inc. lever like this one ?

 

[cdyoung]

isn't this just a beat up inc. lever like this one ?

It very well could be a Graflex Inc. clamp and lever. I just find that something looks different with that particular photo of them. It might be the lighting, shadows, etc.

Apologies for getting sidetracked. Back to the V2 lever!

 

[chazzychaz]

The threads on a real Graflex clamp are 5-40.

The threads on a G1 Parks clamp was 4-40 I think, I don’t know about othe5

5 -40....I have not heard of this thread. It certainly isnt made today.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

It’s a regular screw size, search for 5-40 screws on Amazon and you’ll find plenty of brand new 5-40 screws.

Many (many) years ago I put together a screw set that I sold here of all the screws for the ‘Skywalker Ranch’ version of Luke’s Graflex saber. One of them was the brass 5-40 round head slotted screw used to hold the clamp together on that specific version. That’s the only reason I know exactly the thread size of a real Graflex clamp.

 

[BRRogers]

Just looking through, it seems 5-40 threads were common in slot car racing hardware;
Currently they don’t have a ton of application but for custom machine hardware (pretty easy to search McMaster Carr) but no leads on anything related to the lever itself

 

[Hylo133]

Has anyone looked at vintage lever air blow guns / compressors?

Their sizes seem to vary wildly, but some look like they might have levers small enough to match the V2 lever size.

Vintage compressor on ebay (probably too big):

Modern version on Amazon:

(images ownership of respective vendors)

 

[v312]

I was thinking it could be from a vintage spray-paint gun, but I've never found something close enough... However, I found that some of those vintage ones look really cool - like some kind of alien blasters

 

[roygilsing]

Has anyone looked at vintage lever air blow guns / compressors?

I've looked at a bazillion air blow guns since these are lying around in a workshop and are a very good candidate for the V2 lever replacement. Of course we don't know if it was production done or previous owner done. But the rectangular nut on the other side is the common sidebar inner block. So the sidebar just came off. The lever screw could have been original too, and only the lever itself replaced. This to me seems most likely.

Roy

 

[v312]

But why would anyone go to the trouble of removing the nut and throw away the bar? It's actually not that easy to do.
Does not make much sense to me - regardless if it was a photographer fixing his gear or the prop department.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

But why would anyone go to the trouble of removing the nut and throw away the bar? It's actually not that easy to do.
Does not make much sense to me - regardless if it was a photographer fixing his gear or the prop department.

No one does it intentionally. It's a known and common problem with real Graflexes.

 

[BlandoCalrssian]

When I was sourcing parts for my V2 I bought a whole extra vintage clamp simply to harvest the rusty block left over from when the bar fell off at some point during its life.