Magic of Myth ( MoM ) Luke RotJ Hero ( cave build ) lightsaber research, images, reference, & collaborative model builder's discussion.

[3251bimmer]

Adding to BRRogers theory that these were hand made rails is how thin they appear to be. The thickest part of the Death Star Brass is around .25mm or just under .01”. While it’s possible that they found prefab brass angle this is very thin even for modeling material; thinnest I’ve found is .014”. While this doesn’t seem like a large difference, when dealing with parts this small, ever bit counts

 

[BRRogers]

Just scanning over my casting, it’s really, really hard to capture in the lighting but there is a very slight, textural circle here IN the casting surface.
I’ll invite anyone with a lineage casting to see if it may be more pronounced on theirs (or not)

 

[v312]

The K&S 1/8 Angles are .014 and are too thin compared to the blue card as far as I can tell from this picture.

If the real blue card is .06" then my guess is the real rails should be around .02" thick.
But if you add enough paint over a .014" brass rail it should add thickness to match the picture.

Just for comparison one brass piece that I have is 0.017" and is almost there, but still looks little too thin over the blue card.

 

[BRRogers]

* redacted to check something*

 

[thd9791]

Interesting!

My 2 cents… I heartily believe the glue behind the black buttons dissolved the paint on the rails right above them. Revealing a brownish tarnish on the original brass. It’s always seemed to me they lightly painted the rails to more match the card because the brown tarnish looked really bad against the card for publicity

This is after filming. Raw brass during filming and a few years later.. maybe a decade… the rails tarnished in storage

As for the source, I don’t know. I do know ILM had an embossing machine and would run thin sheets of metal through it

 

[DaveP]

I've always thought they look more brassy in the actual Cave scene. Certainly more metallic/reflective. This is why up until now, I've exclusively used brass for the rails. Just recently though, I've been looking at the MoM pictures and can't get away from the fact that they match those traces so closely, and that I'd expect painted metal to have more wear. Especially on a part of the prop that is so exposed.

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet and was discussed in earlier conversions is the damage. The Hero prop was almost certainly dropped and suffered significant damage between filming and exhibition.

This has always made me wonder if the rails were replaced as part of the repair, which might explain the inconsistency between the shiny on screen look and the way it looks today? The material is so very thin. Once something perfectly straight is bent out of shape, it's easier to start with a new piece that to attempt to straighten it out again.

Maybe it had to be repaired without having access to the same shop/materials?

 

[minhelqueue]

I've always thought they look more brassy in the actual Cave scene. Certainly more metallic/reflective. This is why up until now, I've exclusively used brass for the rails. Just recently though, I've been looking at the MoM pictures and can't get away from the fact that they match those traces so closely, and that I'd expect painted metal to have more wear. Especially on a part of the prop that is so exposed.

One thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet and was discussed in earlier conversions is the damage. The Hero prop was almost certainly dropped and suffered significant damage between filming and exhibition.

This has always made me wonder if the rails were replaced as part of the repair, which might explain the inconsistency between the shiny on screen look and the way it looks today? The material is so very thin. Once something perfectly straight is bent out of shape, it's easier to start with a new piece that to attempt to straighten it out again.

Maybe it had to be repaired without having access to the same shop/materials?

This is my theory on the rails
- ISYHCANL scene: brass rails
- Deleted cave scene: likely new rails which were more shiny and reflective.
- After cave scene: rails were painted with copper color to match with the copper traces on the clamp card. Or they replaced the shiny rails with new ones.

Why did they paint the rails copper after the cave scene? My theory is that the rails in the cave scene were too shiny/reflective and they stood out too much compared to the clamp card with the copper traces. The neck was repainted for the tour right? Then the rails could have been repainted too.

 

[Poikilotherm]

As long as you find the right material of copper, coupled with the erosion of the years, then the copper will get the right color.

 

[minhelqueue]

As long as you find the right material of copper, coupled with the erosion of the years, then the copper will get the right color.View attachment 1715427

I noticed the rim here is kinda shiny? Do you think the rails in the cave scene could be copper?

 

[Halliwax]

View attachment 1714988
Just scanning over my casting, it’s really, really hard to capture in the lighting but there is a very slight, textural circle here IN the casting surface.
I’ll invite anyone with a lineage casting to see if it may be more pronounced on theirs (or not)

Bryan I’ve never noticed the circles until now. I did always seen a triangle far left right above the black buttons

 

[BRRogers]

Thanks to teecrooz for letting me pick up his recently acquired casting (which is smoother than mine)

Direct side by side. Same exact shape and position… along with other shared details from the ISYHCANL rail.
Looks like they put it in on the other side for the cave setup.

 

[BRRogers]

For myself this at least this is a solid confirmation that it is the same rail, and informs a bit about the coloration and layering.

 

[digger]

i still havent recieved my mom gen 2 hero which i payed for at the beginning of the year. i have forgotten about it as iv been recovering from a hip replacement. whats the go? the link to the order thread is broken and i haven heard a peep from 7chambers. iv lost trust in theses guys and not sure if i just want my money back. iv emailed them and hopefully get a response, maybe someone here could chime in

 

[VanPersie]

i still havent recieved my mom gen 2 hero which i payed for at the beginning of the year. i have forgotten about it as iv been recovering from a hip replacement. whats the go? the link to the order thread is broken and i haven heard a peep from 7chambers. iv lost trust in theses guys and not sure if i just want my money back. iv emailed them and hopefully get a response, maybe someone here could chime in

From an account on reddit.

"I'm currently closed until the orders from the previous shop/company directors are completed and cleared. There are distributors (UK/US/EU) lined up to carry the products, which TXQ are charged with manufacturing. It is a design brand now, not a retailer. The site will eventually reopen with details of where to purchase the products from."

Lewis seems to have deleted every post after 2020 on his 7Chambers facebook page too.

 

[BRRogers]

From an account on reddit.

"I'm currently closed until the orders from the previous shop/company directors are completed and cleared. There are distributors (UK/US/EU) lined up to carry the products, which TXQ are charged with manufacturing. It is a design brand now, not a retailer. The site will eventually reopen with details of where to purchase the products from."

Lewis seems to have deleted every post after 2020 on his 7Chambers facebook page too.

Thanks for digging that up VanPersie.

Gen2 MoM are paid for with TXQ to resume production. I’m told filling orders from the period (digger) ordered in (and older) should be among the first to go out when complete… but I’m waiting to get an actual deadline there.

(Regarding orders from 2023, perhaps late 2022. The UK machinist had access to the 7Chambers website to continue to accept orders. While they were not actually *machining anything* many orders were placed and accepted by them- Lewis closed the website entirely to prevent that from happening further… or so is my understanding)
(Meanwhile Lewis is back in his old studio, he’s hired a part time helper again who should be assisting in packing as well as email replies)

 

[3251bimmer]

My go at assembling some real/found part rails for a hero build. Will post final results once build is complete

 

[3251bimmer]

Results of my Cave build with as many vintage parts as possible and real/found grey rails!

 

[mgenovese312]

Results of my Cave build with as many vintage parts as possible and real/found grey rails!

View attachment 1775025View attachment 1775027View attachment 1775029View attachment 1775028View attachment 1775026

Fantastic job!

 

[BRRogers]

Step one. Tape up your brass

Step 2. Use ACE Interior Metallic Copper
(post NASA V3 neck paint)

Step 3. Remove masking and apply darkener.

Step 4. Enjoy accurately weathered rails.

(Optional end step, matte clear your clampcard and rails to lock in the color and texture)

 

[BRRogers]

Apologies for not masking a bit more intentionally- but this is after all just a quick process test

And a quick note about the assembly of rails outlined earlier in the thread…

The 3MM Albion Alloys L stock is not quite long enough for proper coverage which indicates something between 3-4mm (the MoM model uses 3.5)
So at this time I’m in agreement with the theory that it was production bent brass.
The other elements do seem to line up.
Plastruct Grey ABS L, T, and square balsa