New Elstree Studio documentary with discarded Graflex.

[Davy Jones]

This is a very exciting discovery and I've loved this thread so far!

Not to further complicate things but there is a weird detail on the saber seen in the Luke B&Ws.

From this excellent image alone these two little highlights shouldn't cause any concern. A bit of dirt, or a light spot?

But add this next image to your reasoning and it causes a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions-

Questions like; Are those rivets? Screws? Why are they there? Should I add them to my vintage camera part?

 

[indignate]

But add this next image to your reasoning and it causes a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions-
View attachment 996003
Questions like; Are those rivets? Screws? Why are they there? Should I add them to my vintage camera part?[/QUOTE]

WOW

 

[teecrooz]

This is a very exciting discovery and I've loved this thread so far!

Not to further complicate things but there is a weird detail on the saber seen in the Luke B&Ws.
View attachment 996002
From this excellent image alone these two little highlights shouldn't cause any concern. A bit of dirt, or a light spot?

But add this next image to your reasoning and it causes a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions-
View attachment 996003

Can you post that full picture? I’m trying to see which one it is, but can’t find it in my files.

Ah, found it. I don’t have it at that resolution though.

 

[thd9791]

I never had a graflex. Could someone check if in his that hole also makes that particular half moon shape? just curious.
View attachment 995986

Yes it does, I think it's an artifact from stamping out those holes.

So, another question for you, the socket was of course in place, but did the rusty washer have a hole that you could see through down into the socket area?

 

[Gregatron]

The TGS replica also has that half-moon stamping artifact.

 

[Gregatron]

This is a very exciting discovery and I've loved this thread so far!

Not to further complicate things but there is a weird detail on the saber seen in the Luke B&Ws.
View attachment 996002
From this excellent image alone these two little highlights shouldn't cause any concern. A bit of dirt, or a light spot?

But add this next image to your reasoning and it causes a whole bunch of uncomfortable questions-
View attachment 996003
Questions like; Are those rivets? Screws? Why are they there? Should I add them to my vintage camera part?

Those highlights look to be metal reflections of the area in-between grips peeking through due to the grips being slightly crooked.

That next image, though...huh. What the heck is that, and WHY?

Also, there’s definitely no chrome tape on that clamp. You can see the G R A F L E X stamping for sure.

 

[Dann]

Interesting and weird, indeed. Almost looks like more rivets.

And I've never put the chrome or mylar tape on any of my ANH hilts. Only the textured fishing lure tape on one of my ESB Graflexes.

I have one more Graflex that'll eventually be another ESB, and, *sigh*, I suppose THAT one will get the 1/2" mylar tape on the clamp.

 

[indignate]

Yes it does, I think it's an artifact from stamping out those holes.

So, another question for you, the socket was of course in place, but did the rusty washer have a hole that you could see through down into the socket area?

There is some material in the hole, rust, dirt, or whatever, that dont make visible whats in there.

 

[DARTH SABER]

There is some material in the hole, rust, dirt, or whatever, that dont make visible whats in there.

Its probably just a hole into the graflex. If the clamp is not properly locked into place you will see just the empty hole inside of the tube.

 

[Gregatron]

Its probably just a hole into the graflex. If the clamp is not properly locked into place you will see just the empty hole inside of the tube.

Exactly.

 

[Halliwax]

Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do...

 

[vadermania]

I have a question for all the Graflex maniacs out there: how many times have you had difficulties closing your clamp levers properly after opening/ disassembling the flash? I never ever experienced any difficulties on my flashes. How did it come that the Propstore guys didn‘t manage to close the lever properly after disassembling the Elstree Graflex? And now I‘m thinking of that particular Graflex with the open lever on Lukes belt in ANH...coincidence?

 

[Gregatron]

Interesting and weird, indeed. Almost looks like more rivets.

And I've never put the chrome or mylar tape on any of my ANH hilts. Only the textured fishing lure tape on one of my ESB Graflexes.

I have one more Graflex that'll eventually be another ESB, and, *sigh*, I suppose THAT one will get the 1/2" mylar tape on the clamp.

Of course, it’s been debated as to whether or not the ANH Graflexes had any tape on them. We really should try to collect the various publicity photos and try to pin down when they were taken. Hamill’s hairstyle varies between them, and I think some were taken in pre-production, others during, and still others post. The Seidemann photos were definitely taken afterward, since they feature the HOLIDAY SPECIAL saber and Hamill post-surgery.

In the toe pic and various other photos from that period, the clamp lever is sticking out. In the group publicity shots of Hamill, Ford, Fisher, and Mayhew, the lever is fully closed. Combined with the movie’s shooting order, that makes me think that the photos featuring Hamill by himself were taken during the early location shooting, and then the group shots were taken after the production moved to England.

In terms of the heroes, there appear to be four variants, which could all be tweaks to a single prop, or multiple copies of the prop.

1. Tunisia location shooting (lever sticking out, clamp at 9:00)

2. Elstree Studios shooting (lever closed, clamp at 9:00)

3. Hamill publicity photos (lever sticking out, clamp at 3:00)

4. Cast group publicity photos (lever closed, clamp at 3:00).


And then there’s the Elstree saber, which had the lever closed and the clamp at 9:00.

 

[Gregatron]

Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do...

See what happens when you stray from the reservation to work on the HOLIDAY SPECIAL saber?

 

[Halliwax]

See what happens when you stray from the reservation to work on the HOLIDAY SPECIAL saber?

Wow!! A bunch of new photos!! This one is interesting!!

 

[Halliwax]

So I’ve caught up Guys.. I just want to say, I don’t think this shroud (s curve) is warped from the welding...

And I know I know, welding causes heat the metal warps. I know, I have many different welders, and have welded up many drag racing and road racing chassis’s... even experimental aircraft parts (and we never crashed so were good!! Lol )

everything is held in jigs to lock them in place, there is certain directions I use and patterns to avoid welding.. so I understand the logic here..

These welds on the graflex as simple tac welds... it wouldnt deform the top of the s curve like this one is

I see dents from a harder shaped objects...

I do see VERY minimal warping on one side of the weld.. and I mean minimal.. but all the other damage on the shroud (s curve) that’s physical damage to me..

Along with the bottom tube.. all this damage could have been while it was thrown in the pile of junk out side...

I keep seeing people referring to the s curve being warped from welding.. heh.. I don’t see that from my experience of welding I see that from taking some physical damage..

This is just my opinion.. I can’t say I’m a professional welder.. but have done it all my life and have taken many classes...and own many different machines

One more thing to consider.. this is a super thin metal.. the metal didn’t even get hot enough to burn through it.. which is a SUPER easy thing to do at this gauge... I can’t see it getting hot enough to warp the areas that are damaged..

 

[SethS]

Wow!! A bunch of new photos!! This one is interesting!!

View attachment 996098

What am I supposed to be seeing? Why are you guys talking about ANH rivets? I don't see anything...

There is rotoscoping all over Luke and Ben's blades where the reflective effect didn't look as good as expected. None on Vader's though.

Rotoscoping is the act of animating the blades. All lightsabers are rotoscoped. Do you mean that the ANH Vader blade wasn't spinning?

 

[vadermania]

What am I supposed to be seeing? Why are you guys talking about ANH rivets? I don't see anything...



Rotoscoping is the act of animating the blades. All lightsabers are rotoscoped. Do you mean that the ANH Vader blade wasn't spinning?

I‘m quite confident the Vader blade wasn‘t spinning in ANH. And the ANH lightsabers received a transparent rotoscoping for the original release. The later versions (special editions etc) received further (digital) treatment of the lightsabers.

 

[SethS]

I‘m quite confident the Vader blade wasn‘t spinning in ANH. And the ANH lightsabers received a transparent rotoscoping for the original release. The later versions (special editions etc) received further (digital) treatment of the lightsabers.

Oh they most def got upgrades in later editions... well, attempted upgrades, in some cases the effect got worse. But I Vader's not spinning seems right. It just doesn't have the flicker the other effects do. I'm pretty sure that's what Kurtyboy meant.

 

[AnubisGuard]

What am I supposed to be seeing?

These.