R5D4
Active Member
Great idea! What bubble strip do you have just out of curiosity?
New Elstree Studio documentary with discarded Graflex.
- Thread starter Skelatorious
- Start date
You don’t suppose they originally were thinking of doing an all-in-one prop—a motorized hero they could stick a blade into to use as an FX, and then decided to create a dedicated FX?
And, yeah, I noted various “holes” (or rivets, or, reflections, or film imperfections) along the length of the gap between grips when I examined the 4K77 footage frame by frame. The results were inconsistent enough that I wouldn’t claim to be sure that ANYTHING—holes or fasteners—are there in that exposed metal gap. It could just as easily be a different prop from the one seen in the toe pic, which DOESN’T have anything going on in that space.
And, yeah, I noted various “holes” (or rivets, or, reflections, or film imperfections) along the length of the gap between grips when I examined the 4K77 footage frame by frame. The results were inconsistent enough that I wouldn’t claim to be sure that ANYTHING—holes or fasteners—are there in that exposed metal gap. It could just as easily be a different prop from the one seen in the toe pic, which DOESN’T have anything going on in that space.
As much as I love Roy, his bubblestrips are frosted, so I picked up a clear one from Roman, since that seems to be the accurate choice. But my Vader ANH and ESB sabers proudly use Roy’s strips. And grips! And d-rings!
Here it is, by the way. Built a few months ago from a TGS Gen 2, with TGS Folmer pins and glass eye. Looks like it may not be completed, after all!
That “useless” image appears to be the FX stunt, since I think I can see the cable going up Hamill’s sleeve.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
For what it's worth, as mostly a spectator to all of this, the most convinced I've ever been that there are two d-ring rivets in the toe pic was the one time I wasn't looking for them. I scrolled past the closeup while looking for new posts in the thread, and bam with 100% clarity, there they were. It sure doesn't look like one rivet to me any more.
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yeah, I know. I just posted it since some other from the same shoot were posted recently and I hadn't seen that image until a few days ago.
Anyway...
Lucas handing the hero prop to Alec Guinness. Is that an on/off switch or a gleam of light on the end of the clamp lever?
Anyway...
Lucas handing the hero prop to Alec Guinness. Is that an on/off switch or a gleam of light on the end of the clamp lever?
AnubisGuard
Master Member
^If the clamp lever were opened a la the toe pic, I think it would land right where that highlight is.
Can see the wire up the sleeve on that one
Yep, you're absolutely right. With the lever in this position, the end is almost perfectly facing the camera and if a flash was used it would catch it.
CAKComedyProps
Active Member
Pixelpiper
Well-Known Member
With any luck, there will continue to be minutiae to discover and discuss about this saber for years to come and in the future I can have my grand-kids read me all the new posts in this thread.
P.S. My kids are 6 and 9 right now so don't make any plans to archive this any time soon.
P.S. My kids are 6 and 9 right now so don't make any plans to archive this any time soon.
Looks like the clamp lever rectangular washer is missing.
R5D4
Active Member
Is this picture from the same toe pic photo sessions?
Davy Jones
Sr Member
Yes.
Been holding up my TGS (with Roy’s single-rivet clip) and trying to match the angle of the toe pic. More and more, it’s looking to me like there must be two rivets on there. One central rivet would be much more obvious, based on my comparison, and it just ain’t happening.
JunkSabers1138
Sr Member
The more I play around with the contrast of this particular picture and see how the highlights bounce around, the more I see the dual rivet attatchment as well.
That said, given that there ARE parallel-oriented two hole D-Ring mounts that are readily available to purchase today, I'm fairly sure there once existed a similarly shaped vintage D-ring mount that allowed for a comparable method of attachment. Perhaps there's an old catalog somewhere that we could thumb through that would point us in the right direction?
That particular sample of a two-rivet d-ring certainly wouldn’t work. In the available reference images, the clip seems to run parallel to the loop that holds the ring, with the edge curved so as to hug the bottom lip of the flash tube.. Basically, Roy’s setup, but with two rivets instead of one. A long strip of metal with rounded ends that was looped back on itself and riveted to the endcap.
I’m subscribing more and more to the handmade bracket theory. Maybe the Elstree prop really IS a Rosetta Stone for the onscreen hero(es). The only likely difference is that the hero bracket seems longer, and thus more centered on the endcap.
I’ve been trying to scratch my ANH Graflex itch for nearly 20 years, beginning with my old Larbel, then the Master Replicas Elite Edition, then the Signature Edition, and now my new TGS. Although I fear the itch won’t truly be scratched until I go full vintage.
Of course, when the Force opens a window, it closes a door. Just when we might actually have solved the last key mystery of this iconic prop, those friggin’ mystery fasteners are discovered between the grips. Un-friggin’-believable!
I’m subscribing more and more to the handmade bracket theory. Maybe the Elstree prop really IS a Rosetta Stone for the onscreen hero(es). The only likely difference is that the hero bracket seems longer, and thus more centered on the endcap.
I’ve been trying to scratch my ANH Graflex itch for nearly 20 years, beginning with my old Larbel, then the Master Replicas Elite Edition, then the Signature Edition, and now my new TGS. Although I fear the itch won’t truly be scratched until I go full vintage.
Of course, when the Force opens a window, it closes a door. Just when we might actually have solved the last key mystery of this iconic prop, those friggin’ mystery fasteners are discovered between the grips. Un-friggin’-believable!
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