It's funny how I've developed a mild obsession with the dark lord of the Sith's lightsaber. Of all the OT designs, Vader's is/used to be(?) my least favorite, plus the consensus seems to be that the various stunt and post-productions variants tend toward the ugly. Yet, somehow, I've become fond of all these variations. I've been re-configuring my Vader saber collection and thought it might be worth documenting the progress of these various projects. Let's start with:
ROTJ Vader Stunt / Exhibition lightsaber
A few months ago, I snagged a scratch-and-dent Graflex 2.0 with the intention of making a ROTJ Vader stunt. Here's what I've got so far:
The Kobold clip is from TCSS but with a d-ring that I stole from my Hasbro Vader FX saber (more on that later). The top d-ring assembly I made from scratch. The "tire valve" part is a specialty furniture screw that I "lathed" into shape by chucking the screw into my cordless drill and using various files and dremel bits to manipulate the shape. I then used a die to recut the threads to fit into the 2.0's core. I can now use it as a thumb screw if I ever decide to go that route. I may fill in the existing threads of the core and redrill and tap to have the valve sit a little higher up (as on the real prop). It can be removed with an allen key (the size of which escapes me at the moment).
I cut a piece of brass plumbing pipe to use as the clamp; most replicas I've seen seem to use a gauge of pipe that's too thick. I've ordered a 3d-printed control box off of Shapeways that I plan to mount with real screws. I also ordered a shroud while I was at it. I still have to source a thumb screw for the shroud. Any leads?
As you can see from the pics, the top half is covered in grey primer. I had to do some cosmetic surgery to accurately reshape the hole where the "slide switch" would mount on an actual Graflex. On the 2.0, it's purely cosmetic, and when removed leaves a big ol' gaping, ovular hole. I flattened the faux slide switch with a file so that the profile no longer stuck out over the top of the tube. I then glued the switch into the hole with loctite, filled in the gaps with JB weld epoxy putty, and sanded it flush with the tube. I used needle files to make the rectangular hole. I plan on painting the top with chrome paint when its all said and done. I've done some preliminary tests and I'm confident that the finish will look fine as long as I can get the paint applied smoothly enough; cylindrical surfaces are much more forgiving when it comes to chrome paint, plus there is a visible difference in texture between the top and bottom on the real deal. I ain't scared :cool
I've ordered a couple of ball catches from the UK. I'm taking a gamble as I'm not sure if they're going to be accurate or not. Worst case scenario, I might use one as a temporary stand-in until something better comes along.
I do have to figure a few things out before I can proceed with this project. Firstly, just how long is the real prop? I understand that its somewhat longer than a Graflex. By how much? And where is that difference in length? Does the top stick out further? Does the bottom? Both? By how much? I need to know before I bite the bullet and cut my wannawanga grips.
I also need to figure out how I want to affix the the hex bolts. I might drill into the existing 2.0 core. If I do that, should I drill those holes while the core is inside the outer tube, hitting 2 birds with 1 stone, or would it be wiser to carefully measure and drill the holes in the shell and core in separate passes? Obviously, the holes in the outer shell need to be larger that the threads in the core, so the shell holes will require additional reaming either way. This will be my first project using a drill press, so any advice from experienced forumers is welcome!
ROTJ Vader Stunt / Exhibition lightsaber
A few months ago, I snagged a scratch-and-dent Graflex 2.0 with the intention of making a ROTJ Vader stunt. Here's what I've got so far:
The Kobold clip is from TCSS but with a d-ring that I stole from my Hasbro Vader FX saber (more on that later). The top d-ring assembly I made from scratch. The "tire valve" part is a specialty furniture screw that I "lathed" into shape by chucking the screw into my cordless drill and using various files and dremel bits to manipulate the shape. I then used a die to recut the threads to fit into the 2.0's core. I can now use it as a thumb screw if I ever decide to go that route. I may fill in the existing threads of the core and redrill and tap to have the valve sit a little higher up (as on the real prop). It can be removed with an allen key (the size of which escapes me at the moment).
I cut a piece of brass plumbing pipe to use as the clamp; most replicas I've seen seem to use a gauge of pipe that's too thick. I've ordered a 3d-printed control box off of Shapeways that I plan to mount with real screws. I also ordered a shroud while I was at it. I still have to source a thumb screw for the shroud. Any leads?
As you can see from the pics, the top half is covered in grey primer. I had to do some cosmetic surgery to accurately reshape the hole where the "slide switch" would mount on an actual Graflex. On the 2.0, it's purely cosmetic, and when removed leaves a big ol' gaping, ovular hole. I flattened the faux slide switch with a file so that the profile no longer stuck out over the top of the tube. I then glued the switch into the hole with loctite, filled in the gaps with JB weld epoxy putty, and sanded it flush with the tube. I used needle files to make the rectangular hole. I plan on painting the top with chrome paint when its all said and done. I've done some preliminary tests and I'm confident that the finish will look fine as long as I can get the paint applied smoothly enough; cylindrical surfaces are much more forgiving when it comes to chrome paint, plus there is a visible difference in texture between the top and bottom on the real deal. I ain't scared :cool
I've ordered a couple of ball catches from the UK. I'm taking a gamble as I'm not sure if they're going to be accurate or not. Worst case scenario, I might use one as a temporary stand-in until something better comes along.
I do have to figure a few things out before I can proceed with this project. Firstly, just how long is the real prop? I understand that its somewhat longer than a Graflex. By how much? And where is that difference in length? Does the top stick out further? Does the bottom? Both? By how much? I need to know before I bite the bullet and cut my wannawanga grips.
I also need to figure out how I want to affix the the hex bolts. I might drill into the existing 2.0 core. If I do that, should I drill those holes while the core is inside the outer tube, hitting 2 birds with 1 stone, or would it be wiser to carefully measure and drill the holes in the shell and core in separate passes? Obviously, the holes in the outer shell need to be larger that the threads in the core, so the shell holes will require additional reaming either way. This will be my first project using a drill press, so any advice from experienced forumers is welcome!
Last edited:
